The Liebster Award

Mmm it seems the Liebster award can be a wee bit controversial, contentious even - how fascinating, who knew?  I had only recently heard of this award thanks to Rachel from Rachel's Kitchen NZ (sorry Rachel for my slackness in getting to this) and very recently to Fiona from Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures.

It seems the rules have metamorphosed over time; that you can ask several questions or ten; invite anything from 3 to 11 other bloggers to get involved, or just ignore the whole thing altogether!        
Apparently it can be seen as an annoying chain letter, giving nervous people a shiver down their spine in case they keel over angst-ridden through the terrible wrenching decision whether to reply or not.  Also in case the God of chain letters decides to smite them with his/her mighty sword due to non-response.  My tardy lack of attention is due to sheer slackness (and a little bit of ill-health).  So I decided to jump in with my answers, and because I didn't get around to answering Rachel's questions earlier, I will astonish and overwhelm you with answers to both Rachel and Fiona! :))

Here we have Fiona's questions:

Everyone has had a kitchen nightmare. Tell us about one of yours.
Hosting Christmas lunch one day and cooking a roast chicken meal with the lot.  Taking it out of the oven, placing it on the sloping kitchen bench and having the whole dish slide elegantly to the floor, dumping our lunch all over the place. I rescued it, blew off the dirt and carried on.  Nobody knew!  Oh yes I think that was the same Christmas that we were given bottles of rum, vodka, whiskey etc as presents.  We went out for a bit leaving the lounge room window open, and came home to an empty sideboard.  They had stolen the lot!

Sweet or Salty?  Salty - not that my friends and family would believe that as I am known as a bit of a dessert queen and chocomaniac but it is true!

What do you think about kale, macarons, salted caramel and pork belly? Are they all they are cracked up to be?   Eek to all of those.  Sorry folks I don't like any of them!  That's not to say I won't eat them; I eat whatever is put in front of me (we were brought up in the days of - if you don't eat it now you get it for breakfast) but I would not choose these items of my own free will.  Give the kale to the cows or sheep I say!

(author Evelyn Simak-public domain)

What’s on the menu on Sunday nights?   baked beans on toast or boiled eggs; basically anything DIY.

(author Marie-Lan Nguyen public domain)   

What ingredient are you mad for at the moment and can’t get enough of to eat or cook with?  my home-grown and preserved olives.

  

What was the first dish you learned to cook?  bechamel or white sauce as we knew it:)  (is that a dish?) and roast dinners.

If you were teaching a new cook, what would be the first dish you would teach them?  white sauce!  You can learn a lot from that, like not being scared of trying to make something that many people say is difficult - folks it ain't hard to make!

What’s the best meal you’ve enjoyed in the past year?  an early dinner at a good friend's place with lovely friends and wonderful, simple, tasty food.

Nigella Lawson or Delia Smith or Maggie Beer?  Nigella for sure though I do adore Delia and Maggie but I have pawed over more recipes and made more dishes from Nigella's books than any other.

Old or new, big or small, what’s your favourite kitchen tool, implement or appliance?  oh no so many - how to choose?   my cook's knife, my food processor, my Champagne cork puller, my silicone spatula, my citrus squeezer, my measuring spoons and cups - oh ok a great knife is essential so that one:)  but I forgot my whisk, and my olive spoon and my Laguiole knife and ...

Okay now we turn our minds to Rachel's questions:

Sweet or Savoury?  savoury

Beach or Snow?  snow

Most memorable meal – where, when and what was the occasion (if you can tell)?  so many of these but a really wondrous meal was breakfast in Yosemite National Park after starving the night before due to not having any evening wear as this was obligatory at dinner (in a National Park?!)  We sat looking out at sequoia trees, eating bacon and eggs with maple syrup and inhaling coffee.

A childhood food memory?  eating tinned quinces or rather not eating them and getting them for breakfast the next day

(author GeorgianRecipes.net - public domain)  

Apart from the essentials what is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment or gadget?  my cute citrus squeezer.

I have a bigger orange one too but it only fits lemons really:)  

Your favourite novel?  Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

Your favourite cookbook or books – if you have more than one?  Feast by Nigella Lawson

Your favourite ingredient?  lemon juice

Your least favourite food?  Weeds i.e. rocket, lettuce, sprouts, anything green and leafy and weedy

What piece of equipment or gadget do you have in your kitchen that you never use?  the Corkcicle -though I have just had a look at the box now and it actually sounds really useful.  I may have to try it!

So there you have it; now you know a leeetle bit more about me, like it or not:)  

And here we have 10 questions for my chosen victims:

1. Who living or dead would you share your last meal with?
2. What would you eat for your last supper?
3. What sort of food do you cook/eat the most?
4. Fave author?
5. Fave cookbook author?
6. What was your mum's best dish?
7. Your mum's worst dish?
8. Your dad's best (or worst) dish?
9. What is the weirdest place you have eaten a meal?
10. And finally the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Victims (hhrrrmmph I mean chosen ones!) :

1. Anu from Easy Bites Online
2. Jem from Lost in Utensils
3. Dee from OnTheMove-in the Galley


So go to it ladies, but only if you wish.  Just answer these questions, make up some more of your own and pass it on (or not!) to as many or as few fellow bloggers as you wish.  Otherwise, happily ignore the whole shebang!  I don't think the God of chain-letters has sharpened his/her sword lately. :)