Renae
My name is Renae, and I love to cook and bake. I am a former Computer Systems...
...Impletation Manager who is rediscovering the simpler things in life (not by choice, but by need to de-stress). I love to read, travel, and cook.
How long have you been a Daring Baker/Daring Cook and what’s your favorite thing about being in the group(s) so far?
This is my second month and I actually have 2 favorites. The first one I enjoyed before joining, and that is the great creativity that is on display with each challenge. Since I don’t consider myself too creative, it’s great to see all the variations on the theme of the dish.
The second favorite is expanding my culinary horizons with dishes I would not have necessarily cooked otherwise, and learning a few things along the way.
What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? How about your favorite kitchen appliance?
Wow, I have so many. My favorite gadget is silicone spatulas. I love them. My favorite appliance is my stand mixer.
Are you known for making a certain dish or dessert? If so, what is it?
This really depends on who you ask. If you ask my mom, cinnamon rolls; brothers, birthday cakes; and co-workers, cheesecake.
Is there any recipe and/or technique that we haven’t covered yet that you’d really like to make/learn?
I want to learn to make authentic Phad Thai, including recipes for as many condiments and home made sauces as I can find as well as authentic ingredients with ideas for what you can use for substitutions. Barring that, I would love a tofu challenge! For daring bakers, I would love to make Danish pastries with many different fillings, or veer into some Japanese desserts and do some different kinds of mochi.
Do you have a favorite movie? Book? Genre of music? Actor? Actress?
I love Miyaziki movies – Ponyo, Spirited Away, Princess Monoke, etc. I read tons of books, cooking, fiction, non-fiction, etc. I’m not sure I have a favorite though.
You’ve just won $5000.00!!! What would you spend it on?
I would go visit my friends in Southern California.
What is the ultimate comfort food to you?
Mom’s turkey noodle soup with home made noodles. We make this every year a few days after thanksgiving.
Which season (Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall) is your favorite.. why?
I like it when the seasons turn, when the fall colors become the crisp winter, the winter thaws to growing spring, spring matures into warm (hot) summer, and summer cools off, yielding a beautiful fall.
Other than cooking and/or baking.. what hobbies do you enjoy?
Video games, movies, travel
How long have you been blogging? Do you like it? What’s your favorite post you’ve written?
I have only been blogging 3 months. I like it, but it is challenging for me. It’s difficult for me to overcome my natural shyness and talk about myself, and taking pictures of my food has been the most challenging. I don’t think I have a favorite post yet, but I have a few posts coming that I haven’t written yet, but I have cooked for that I think will be very cool.
What’s your favorite cookbook for desserts/baking? What’s your favorite cookbook for savory/cooking?
The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, The HUGE CIA Cookbook that has all the basic recipes in it
Is there one food that you seriously dislike/hate? If so, which is it and why?
I’m really not into many pickled foods. While I like dill and sweet pickles and many many different olives, I’m just not into sauerkraut, kimchee, or anything else pickled. I’m also not much into what the US calls cold cuts or preserved meats, except for a few.
What’s your favorite flower and/or plant?
Gardenia’s
Do you have a favorite local restaurant? If so, why is it your favorite and what kind of food is served there?
Casa Mia. It’s a local Italian-american restaurant. They have the best pizza and pastas I can find around here.
Who taught you how to cook and/or bake?
Mom started, but after that I taught myself a lot – mainly from watching Rick Bayless on PBS, and reading any cookbook the local library had. Mom has never been much of a baker, so we are still trying to figure out where that came from.
What’s your favorite holiday and why?
Thanksgiving. It’s a time of family, giving, sharing, and eating great food together. And, it’s not as commercialized as the rest of the American holidays, so there is no pressure for gifts, etc, just on having fun and cooking.
Reading any good books lately? Which ones?!
I re-red Wizard’s Rule by Terry Goodkind, Julia’s Chocolate’s by Cathy Lamb, and am currently reading The Survival Handbook and a Scandinavian cookbook.
You’ve had a rough week. How do you relax after a rough week?
Bubbles – whether in a bath, blowing them in the air, or in a champagne glass.
Where is your favorite vacation (holiday) destination?
French Polynesia – specifically Moorea and Tahiti. The streets of Papette at night are fascinating – the waterfront opens up to all these food trucks – a foodies dream. You really work up an appetite exploring the island during the day, and that is just a perfect ending to a perfect day.
What is your favorite cooking/food related magazine? Why?
Dessert Professional – because it inspires and humbles me. I occasionally try to recreate some of the plated desserts featured in there, and sometimes fail more than succeed, but always learn.
Do you have a food addiction?
Of course, don’t we all?
What did you eat for dinner last night? Did you prepare it or someone else?
I had leftover Char Siu Bao, and I made them all by myself – over 3 days. I had a few left over, and had to stuff them in the freezer before I stuffed them in my mouth – the leftovers are what I had last night.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Currently? Caramelized White Chocolate. I feel like it must be what ambrosia tasted like to the Greek Gods. It’s amazing.
What kind of colors do you like? Pastels? Earth tones? Brights? Neons? Etc.
Cool colors – black, white, blue, purple, some reds
If you had the choice of a free kitchen, bathroom, living room or bedroom makeover – which would you choose and why?
Kitchen – right now, I’m living with my mom, and her kitchen is just tiny. I would love to have it made over.
The Martha – Angel of Domestication or Minion of Evil? Why?
A little of both. She has some great ideas and great recipes, but she has always felt condescending to me. I would like her much more if she were more nuturing and less judgmental.
Do you watch any competitive cooking shows? Like Top Chef or Hell’s Kitchen? If so, which is your favorite and why?
Top Chef by a long shot. I used to like Hell’s Kitchen, but that got old fast. There are only so many times you can see a chef throw a fit because someone cooked something incorrectly before you roll your eyes and turn the channel.
What’s your favorite “sweet” spice? How about your favorite “savory” spice?
Sweet would be a tie between vanilla and cinnamon. A great vanilla dessert really can’t be beat in my opinion. I also love the different flavors both vanilla and cinnamon can bring to the table, how they can stand on their own, or compliment other flavors, and how they taste different depending on what kind you get. Savory spice – the first thing that came to mind is garlic, although I’m not sure that is considered a spice. I love garlic. If that doesn’t count, ginger.
If you could eat in any celebrity chef’s restaurant which restaurant would it be, and which chef owns it?
Frontera Grill – Rick Bayless
What’s your favorite herb to cook or bake with? Do you prefer fresh or dried?
Basil, which I prefer fresh. The rest depend on the herb, what I am cooking, and the season. I would rather have a great dried herb than a pitiful looking fresh one.
Is there one recipe on your blog that you would like to share with us? If so, leave the link here.
Do you have a time saving kitchen tip you’d like to share with us?
Your brain is your best kitchen tool by far. So, the best time saving tip I can give is think about how your kitchen is organized, and whether or not it is efficient and makes sense. That, and learn how to creatively use leftovers and recreate your favorite packaged foods, it will save you tons of time and tons of money. Oh, and use your microwave for more than coffee, leftovers, and popcorn.
You can visit Renae on her blog Twisted Kitchen
