[Sca-cooks] A little diversion

[Sue Clemenger]

Maire catches up on old emails:

Vincent Cuenca wrote:
>
> In a fit of boredom I came up with the following food geek quiz.  I know,
> it's sorta off topic, but not nearly as bad as the pirate name one.  :-)
>
> Are you a food geek?
>
> Take the following test and determine your personal level of culinary
> geekdom.
>
> Do you, or Have you ever:
>
> 1. Lectured complete strangers on the uses of unfamiliar foodstuffs?
Yes, just this past weekend when I was buying quinces at the Pike Street
Market in Seattle.
> 2. Know what "rocket" is?
Besides what my cats do in the middle of the night, it's another name
for arugula....
> 3. Sneered at the lazy yuppie scum who buy premade polenta at the
> supermarket?
Pitied, but not sneered.  Ditto for folks too lazy to make their own
hummus.
> 4. Grown your own herbs?
Oh, yes.
> 5. Grown your own vegetables?
Lord, yes...I was a farm kid, and we had a BIG garden.
> 6. Grown your own wheat?
Yes, and barley, too, and irrigated them as well, which is a stone bitch
to do one pipe at a time.
> 7. Foregone buying ice cream because the soup bones have taken over your
> freezer?
I have a freezer? <g> Yes--usually chicken bones and veggie scraps.
> 8. Made your own demi-glace?
No to this one.
> 9. Own five mortars and pestles, but can't find your pepper mill?
Only one mortar, but I do have 2 different food grinders and a sausage
maker.
> 10. Consider your mother a heretic for buying premade pie crusts?
Mom did her own pie crusts, but she was definitely heretical when she
left the d at mned skins on the apples when making apple pies.
> 11. Subscribe to seven cooking magazines but mooch newspapers from your
> coworkers?
Mooch papers from the bus I commute on.  Don't subscribe to any food
magazines.
> 12. Stayed up late reading Escoffier, Brillat-Savarin, or Julia Child?
Nope.
> 13. Say to yourself, "I can cook better than this" at a trendy restaurant?
On occasion.
> 14. Know the difference between a china cap and a chinoise?
Sort of--I like my china cap.
> 15. Fantasize about meeting Charles Ranhofer, James Beard, or Martino da
> Como?
Beard, definitely.
> 16. Brag about your 10-inch Dick?
Nope.
> 17. Know what the last question was about, you vulgar little creature, you?
Yes <g>.
> 18. Have a special carrying case for your knives, sharpening steel,
> whetstone, and knife oil?
No.  I only have a couple of cheap knives and some Chicago cutlery I
inherited from my Dad.  Buying anything else would cut into my fabric
budget, ya know ;-P
> 19. Spend hours in the "Used Equipment" section of the restaurant supply
> store?
We don't have one, that I know of.
> 20. Kept a sourdough starter alive for more than two months?
Yes.

Hmmm....I rate around a 12--higher than I thought I'd do, since I'm much
more of a fabric junkie than anything (except possibly books).  Guess
you guys are having some sort of effect on me <g>
--Maire