meme #2

Liz, of Good Stuff wrote me to ask me for my answers to a meme that she had been tagged for, just to see what kinds of answers I could come up with.

The theme of this meme (does that rhyme?) was to talk about how each item had affected you.
1. An ingredient
2. A dish, a recipe
3. A meal (in a restaurant, a home, or elsewhere)
4. A cookbook or other written work
5. A food "personality" (chef, writer, etc)
6. Another person in your life

Here goes....

1. Basil. Gosh, I never knew how much I liked the smell of it or the taste of it, until recently. Plus, after inheriting my mom's food processor, making pesto is so EASY! I know, I just posted about pesto, but I really love it! And pesto is so easy to use--I toss it with hot pasta or add it to an omlette, spread it on bruschetta.

2. Tempura style renkon (lotus root). I don't know why, but growing up, I just could not eat lotus root, whether it was in local Hawaii-Japanese style stewed veggies or Chinese style stir fries, but after trying it tempura style in Japan, I was hooked! I love it now, especially if there is a bit of curried hamburger sandwiched between two pieces of lotus root, then fried tempura-style. I think this discovery has made me try the foods that I used to dislike as a child. I used to not be able to eat shiitake (mushroom), but can now eat the fresh version although I still dislike the dried version.

3. Every meal at a restaurant or home is a new adventure for me. Although, I have my favorites, there are times when I try a new place and find a keeper.

4."Okinawa Program" by Wilcox, Wilcox & Suzuki. At the time, I was researching my roots and wanted to learn more about the Okinawans. They are the longest living in the world and I wanted to find out what their dietary secrets were, plus, get to know more about Okinawan culture. I now love most of the cuisine of Okinawa.

5. I really enjoy Jamie Oliver, his recipes are straight forward and not too complicated. Perfect for a novice in the kitchen like me. Plus, his accent is nice to listen to--although a lot of the times I don't understand what he is talking about.

6. My mom, grandma and aunties, I know I was only supposed to pick one...they have all contributed to the foodie that I am. I think growing up I was exposed to a lot of hands on opportunities to help cook and bake, which now that I have time on my hands being a housewife, I have a chance to try new recipes and broaden my "repertoire".

Thanks for asking me to participate, Liz! It was very thought-provoking and fun!