Food Face - Keely Steger

Keely is a blogging friend of mine and you can find her fine food at A Time To Eat. Keely is our latest food face, one with her grannie's old cast iron skillet and a penchant for lasagna rolls stuffed with spinach and shrimp. And scroll down for a picture of Keely with good ol' P Dub herself. Keely, is she really that beautiful in real life?

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

I grew up in the era of convenience food, but Sunday lunches after church were always a big deal. More than anything, I loved pot roast Sundays, when we would pull the car into the garage and be hit over the head with the delicious smell of the roast, potatoes, and carrots, falling apart deliciously in the oven. I also remember my Grannie's biscuits and gravy, which she always made when out-of-town family came to visit.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Raw almonds and dark chocolate chips, a great bowl of chili smothered with cheese (with Fritos on the side), dark roasted coffee with French vanilla creamer in the mornings, peanut butter- spread on anything or nothing.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Victoria's- The Pasta Shop: a little Italian place on Campus Corner in Norman, Oklahoma. It's the date spot of choice for my husband and I and the only place that can get him to truly savor his food. It's that good. He always gets chicken lasagna and I get the lasagna rolls stuffed with spinach and shrimp. Just had it for my birthday!

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.
What would you fill your belly with?

Homemade chicken pot pie. It's so rich, hearty, and yet simple. I love making the first one of the cold weather season.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

My Wusthof 8 inch chef's knife, Kitchen Aid mixer, white vinegar and water in a spray bottle (we use it to clean EVERYTHING), big cookie sheets and Silpats, the big cast-iron skillet my Grannie gave me.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

I almost lost the tip of my thumb once while chopping onions. I've never been so close to passing out. Thankfully, no stitches needed.

Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post A new Food Face every week or so.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com

Food Face - Kalli Verbecky

Kalli is one of those girls I met through blogging and can call my friend. Because of blogging, I even know her husband. Who happens to have the same twisted sense of humor as my husband. Kal writes "My Life as a Kalli" and she is also one of those Sassy Scoops gals. On this week's Food Face, Kal brags of homemade chicken and dumplings and talks of Greek cafes. Enjoy.



What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Mmmm...breakfast foods like my Mom's coffee cake or strawberry crepes or muffins. Man, I love muffins. Every summer when the garden started producing, my grandma would make creamed peas and new potatoes which were so good I wanted to cry and started praying for more to magically appear in my mouth. My Mom was and is an excellent cook as well, we ate mostly elk, deer, and yes even moose (this would explain a lot) growing up and she was good enough that my friends never knew they were eating moose burger or deer steaks and then would act all shocked and disgusted when we told them after the fact. It was awesome. And moose is good for the record.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Watermelon, I love watermelon. But it has to be perfect. If it's mealy or flavorless in the least I won't eat it. Also, comfort food of any sort. If it will likely make me fat, then bring it on.

What is your favorite restaurant?

How do you answer this question? There are so many different genres. I'll go with Alexi's Greek Cafe in Hillcrest, San Diego. Around here? I'm partial to JCW's. What can I say? I'm a simple girl and their onion rings have my number.

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.
What would you fill your belly with?

Chicken and dumplings, from scratch. It's my one true talent.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

Good pots and pans and sharp knives. There is nothing I hate more than a dull knife.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

You mean like the time I set my stove on fire toasting french bread when my entire basketball team was over? Or when for the life of me no matter how many batches I made I could not add the right amount of salt to my baking powder biscuits? Or just last week when I undercooked the potatoes for my potato salad? Uh huh, I'm a whiz in the kitchen.

Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post one new Food Face every week.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com

Food Face - MY MOTHER!

Here is my mother, Sue Peterson. A lot of what I know about cooking and a lot of the style of cooking I do comes from my mom. I am always grateful for the healthy eating habits I learned from my mom. Growing up, we didn't eat a lot of fried food and my mom rarely cooked with a lot of butter and almost never used heavy cream. We ate a lot of fruits and vegetables. And I suppose I can credit my Grandpa Erv, who raised my mom on the vegetables and fruit from his own garden. Anyways, my mom sent in a Food Face, and I post a Food Face. Enjoy.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOTHER!

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Mom’s lemon meringue pie. Oh my heavens… Her spaghetti sauce (never a recipe) and her meatloaf (never a recipe), which was the best on a sandwich the next day with plenty of mayo. I remember eating Puffa-Puffa Rice cold cereal on a TV tray in front of Saturday morning cartoons and snacking on cold Rice-a-Roni after school. When Dad and I would go to “town” we would always stop at the butcher and buy a hot dog for me as a treat. Not boiled or grilled, just a cold dog from the meat case. Dad also had a killer garden and all summer we ate from it.

My pretty mom. Photo courtesy of Senor Hackworth.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Auntie Shar’s chocolate cake and Larraine’s brownies- both chocolate, so right there you can see a theme. I also love a good rib eye steak (no pink in the middle, sorry Ethan). I grew up on meat and potatoes, so I’m definitely a carnivore (sorry Megan).

What is your favorite restaurant?

Ruby River Steak House (carnivore, remember?).

When the our family's childhood elementary school asks for a Statue of Liberty,
my mom delivers, even after all of us are long gone from those hallowed halls.

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.

What would you fill your belly with?

I would want to bake something sweet, cookies or brownies, and nibble bits of batter or dough.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

Bosche mixer (workhorse), Cusinart food processor (I need a bigger one for Christmas, Santa), Lustre Craft cookware (have had it for 29 years), bamboo spoons and spatulas, electric knife sharpener, and Silpat baking mats (nothing, I mean nothing, sticks).

Grandma Sue and Baby Addie.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Let me count the ways… or should I say “loaves?” Today I can make a decent loaf of bread, but for years I made sad, heavy, ugly, small, flat, and/or handicapped bread. Yeast and I had a struggle for a long time and many were the loaves that ended up in the trash. Injury wise the thing that seemed to happen the most to me was reaching into the oven and touching my forearm on the upper baking element. I have so many scars from doing that.

Rookie's Notes: When my mom sent me her Food Face answers, my sisters and I already had plans for getting her a Cuisinart 14-cup food processor for her birthday at the beginning of April. It was so nice to see that she really wanted one. I love being able to get someone a gift they really want.

Also, Mom, you forgot one big kitchen injury. Remember slicing your finger on a mandarin orange can? I seem to remember that you got stitches.


Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post one new Food Face every week.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com

Food Face - Emma Neff

Here is Emma. She tells of tales of toes broken by frozen turkeys and Jamaican jerk flank steak.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Mom's Cuban black beans over rice with cayenne pepper, chopped red and yellow bell peppers and tomatoes on top. Bow-tie pasta with yellow cream sauce. Dad's Sunday grilled flank steak marinated in Jamaican jerk sauce, with roasted potatoes and asparagus on the side. Fresh summer corn on the cob slathered in butta'.

St. George UT with my daughter Haley in December '09.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Corn on the cob, mint chocolate chip ice cream, oranges.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Thai Chile Garden - Orem, UT, Hires - SLC, UT

Moab UT with Hank the family dog at the top of the sand hill

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.
What would you fill your belly with?

Corn chowder or taco soup with sour cream and Fritos on top.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

KitchenAid mixer, cheese grater, blender and my big old soup pot.

Provo UT summer of '07 riding on my sister's puka bike,

while she screamed and cried because she was sure I'd break it.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

I was a witness to when my dad forgot to let the pressure cooker slowly release its pressure and he took the lid off too early. Mashed potatoes exploded from it and we had to scrape them off the floor, wall, and ceiling. Also, while carrying the frozen turkey into the kitchen it accidentally got dropped onto my sister's toes and broke them. Whoops!


Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post one new Food Face every week.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com

Food Face - myself and hopefully you soon

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Chicken tamale pie, everyone loved that for their birthday and then mint Oreo ice cream cake for dessert. Summer was cucumber tomato salad and Saturday morning was coffee cake. When my mom went to the grocery store, she often came home with salami and French bread. Those two things are such a satisfying snack. My mom was and still is a great cook. I remember sitting at the dinner table and her proclaiming her love of her own cooking. That's how it should be. You should always make the things you love.

Last Sunday. I am currently 7 months pregnant.
Currently have swollen ankles and my heartburn is starting to get past
my essential Prilosec barrier. Bummer.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Ripe mangoes, strawberries and avocados. Bacon, shrimp, medium rare ribeye steak. Chocolate cake. Haagen Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream. My husband's roast chicken and gravy.

What is your favorite restaurant?

I have a bunch. Senor Baja in Southern California. Great fish tacos. La Tolteca in Azusa, CA. New York Grill in Ontario, CA. El Azteca in Provo, UT. Lucille's BBQ in Southern California. Diamond Grill in Salem, UT. Communal in Provo, UT.

At the rodeo over the summer. Remembering the rodeo makes me anxious for summer time.

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.
What would you fill your belly with?

A smooth soup, like butternut squash. Something I could drink out of a mug if I wanted. Fresh cinnamon rolls.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

My santoku knife, Microplane, serrated vegetable peeler, my big, high-sided non-stick skillet.

Me and Vanny on his first birthday

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Oh hell yes. Countless burns and cuts. The worst has been the bad burns I got from blending a soup in the blender. It was boiling hot and I put too much in the blender and it exploded all over my arms and face. My right arm has burn scars from it. But I am proud of those scars. It's a sign on someone who cooks and has learned a lot in the process.



Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post one new Food Face every week.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com

Food Face - Jennie of A Recipe for Aperture

Jennie of A Recipe for Aperture is fairly new to the food blogging scene and I thought a Food Face interview would be a great way to expose her to more bloggers. She has incredible photography and excellent recipes and content. Below are a few questions to help everyone get to know her better.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

My grandmother's roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Lunch was the last Sunday of every month at 1pm sharp! You could literally smell the roast beef as you pulled into the driveway! Even if we weren't that hungry, all we'd need is a stimulating whiff of that wonderful aroma and we were ravenous! Also, I remember these yummy caramel tarts that were occasionally served for dessert at school. I remember them because they were pretty much the the only thing I enjoyed about school dinners! A buttery shortbread base with a gooey caramel filling, topped with delicate flecks of milk chocolate. Heaven!

What foods can you not get enough of?

Cheese (various kinds), crackers, grapes and red wine. Preferably together :) Oh, and when I'm back home in England I find it incredibly difficult to stop eating fish and chips, no matter how full I am!

What is your favorite restaurant?

The Slanted Door in San Fransisco. The ginger limeade cocktails are so good and the seafood crepe is to die for!

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.
What would you fill your belly with?

That's a tough one! Probably a tagine of baked lamb with apricots and honey served with hot buttery couscous or creamy mashed potatoes. Or maybe a spicy chorizo and butterbean soup.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

My 6 inch Wusthof chef knife. My garlic peeler (genius!) and my silicone baking mat.

What is your specialty dish?

I can put together a pretty impressive Indian feast. My favorite part being a chicken, sweet potato and coconut curry. Oh and I've finally mastered the art of Beef Wellington!

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Christmas dinner happened to be the first dinner I ever cooked for my in laws. (No pressure!) I had promised to make the infamous chestnut and cranberry stuffing balls that my husband spoke so fondly of. While chatting to my guests about how I made these culinary beauties a distinct burning smell began to permeate the air. I opened the oven door and found that my stuffing balls were the culprits! They were dangerously hard and, to my mind, completely inedible! My in laws were gracious enough to eat them anyway and even managed to feign some appreciation!

Food Face - Veronica from Supermarket Serenade

There are so many exceptional food blogs out there. Veronica's Supermarket Serenade is one of them. I really love her concept of featuring a certain product in her recipes. I can tell she really puts a lot of thought into her recipes. And hey, she was even a finalist for Crisco's Live Smart, Cook Smarter recipe contest. She submitted a recipe for Caribbean Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno Mango Sauce. Click here for the recipe. It looks excellent.

Here is Veronica as the latest Food Face on Rookie Cookie:

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

There are two foods I remember most from my childhood-my grandmother's oatmeal raisin cookies: moist but with slightly crisp edges. And my absolute favorite childhood food- the delicious granulated sugar coated jelly donuts my father would bring home in a plain white paper bag from some NYC bakery near work.

What foods can you not get enough of?

I can't get enough summer tomatoes, mango and avocado... alone, together, whatever.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in Noank, CT. Home to the ultimate Connecticut-style lobster roll... a mound of hot lobster served on a buttered toasted bun with fresh melted butter.

It’s raining cats and dogs and it’s freezing outside.
What do you want to fill your belly with?

A steaming hot bowl of steak and two potato soup.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

A really sharp knife and the Magic Bullet. It makes salad dressings and smoothies like nobodies business.

What is your specialty dish?

Grilled Steak Salad with Mango, Avocado and Roasted Jalapeno Dressing.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

My worst kitchen disaster happened last summer when I went to carve a recently purchased watermelon to serve at a family cookout at our house... one slice of the knife and the entire melon exploded... everywhere... and what a smell!

Food Face - David Osmond

David Osmond? Oh yes, THE David Osmond. You know, American Idol, under-study for his Uncle Donny in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". THAT David Osmond.

Congrats David. You get the award for the shortest answers. You know buddy, you could have elaborated a bit... But hey, thanks for the interview. For more on David Osmond, click here.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Mom's waffles

Favorite snack?

Raw almonds

It’s raining cats and dogs and it’s freezing outside.
What is comfort food for you?

Coconut curry soup

What is your favorite restaurant?

Japenga (Sushi in Vegas)

What foods do you like to keep in your dressing room

when you are doing a show?

Fresh fruit

Do you cook? What is your specialty?

Limited. Pancakes & eggs

Food Face - Megan Romo

Megan Romo aka Remarks From Sparks. She is the most opinionated, outspoken blogger around. Either you love her or hate her. I happen to love her. For those of you wondering, she really is that sassy in real life.

So, what does a yoga addicted, vegan minded, pharmaceutical toting, Yorkie snuggling, Mac loving blogger/graphic designer like to dine on? See below.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Pizza. My mom's homemade pizza, to be precise. When teeny, saucy Grandma Sally (Mom's mom) died, the dishes of hers I remembered and missed were her spaghetti and meatloaf. My mom is 80 years from her death bed (hear that, Mom? No dying allowed), but I went veg and her pizza is perhaps the only thing I actually miss from my omnivore days.

It's raining cats and dogs and it's freezing outside.
What do you want to fill your belly with?

What's wrong with me? I don't have hot-days/cold-days foods. If I want soup on a hot day, I eat soup, darnit. If I want ice cream on a cold day, I freakin' go for it.

What is your favorite restaurant?

It's not a restaurant, but I love Whole Foods. I love it because I feel at home there. When we were deciding whether or not to take the move to Reno I made a pro and con list. "Doesn't have a Whole Foods" was on my con list. And then a year later, Reno was good enough to build me one. When I go out of town for work, the first thing I do after getting my rental car is head to the nearest Whole Foods for groceries and eats from their food bars. I go there for lunch two or three days a week, and The Husband and I often grab dinner there. And if I've been out of town, when The Husband picks me up from the airport, we drive right over to the Whole Foods to get me some fresh sustenance.

Where is your ultimate food destination?

Can I say My Backyard? I have a backyard that I'm not using for anything at all, so per Michael Pollan, I'm thinking why not turn it into lettuce and radishes and tomatoes and cucumbers? But not zucchini. Don't like zucchini so much. If not My Backyard, then the eastern Mediterranean. If you ignore the lamb, other meats, and prolific feta, the food I'm happiest with is from that region.

When feverishly designing logos and beautifying blogs,
what fuel keeps you going?

These days, it's fallafel, hummus, pita and Rice Dream pies. If I'm spending a Saturday holed up in my office dragging this here, dropping that there, and vectorizing that thing, Mark will often sneak out, make the 30-minute drive downtown and surprise me with my favorite spicy hummus, pita, dry vegan fallafel, and a couple Rice Dream pies (so I can have one again tomorrow!). That's love right there. (I'm quite sure it's love when he'll go into Whole Foods to get all that stuff for me and will then drive across the parking lot to Wendy's and buy himself a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger and a Frosty Float. Really gotta work on that . . . )

Food Face - Scott Schultz

Scott Schultz is one of the brilliant, creative minds behind "Yo Gabba Gabba". Not only is Scott one of the nicest and truly genuine people you might ever meet, he is also the co-creator of "Yo Gabba Gabba". That's right, you get to read all about what fuels the genius behind the magic and music of "Yo Gabba Gabba". Take it away Scott.

What foods do you remember
most from your childhood?

I remember eating spaghetti with more meat than sauce, tater tot casserole and a Harry Schultz classic, chili mac.

What is your favorite thing to snack on during filming?

Is a Coke with extra ice a snack? If no, I would have craft services buy me granola, but I can't remember the name of it.

It’s raining cats and dogs and it’s freezing outside.
What do you want to fill your belly with?

I always think of tomato soup, toast with jam and milk when it's raining.

What is your favorite restaurant?

The Indian restaurant (I can't remember the name) on Santa Monica Blvd. near The Troubadour. Second, TOI (thai), it's on Sunset Blvd. Third, The Melting Pot. I pretty much like dipping food into sauces. The spicier the better.

What is Foofa’s favorite food?

Foofa is definitely into gardening. She likes fresh fruits and vegetables. I would say especially berries. They seem like the prettiest of the fruits.

Food Face - Elizabeth Bryant

Welcome to Food Face. I have some awesome food interviews lined up for your enjoyment. Lots of variety and people you wouldn't expect. I'll be posting one every-so-often. Here is the first one...


Who is Elizabeth? Oh, just total awesomeness wrapped up into one pretty little package. Elizabeth is my blogging soul mate. Yes, blogging. I have actually never met the girl, but I know we met before this life. Elizabeth is a food person like myself. We both like food and she actually has been edumacated in the ways of food. I have the pleasure of Elizabeth being my first Food Face. So here is Lizzy on food.

What foods do you remember
most from your childhood?

Two things stick out in my mind: my mom's homemade bread and Swiss steak. Coming from a family of eleven children, we went through bread like you would not believe. Everyone thinks their mom makes the best bread and I am no exception. There was nothing better than coming home from school and smelling freshly baked bread. I knew that there would be butter and honey out on the kitchen counter with which I would slather on a generous helping. I still love that (but I've had to cut down on the butter and honey over the years). The Swiss steak is a funny memory because one year for my 10th birthday my mom asked me what I wanted for dinner on my special day. For some reason, I really loved my mom's Swiss steak and promptly answered that it was my choice. It was tendered round steak slow cooked with tomatoes and peppers. I haven't had it in years but it sounds really good right now.

It's raining cats and dogs and it freezing outside.
What do you want to fill your belly with?

Oh, that's easy. I'm obsessed with rainy days and often pretend like it is so that I can make three of my favorite things. It would start with Chicken and Dumplings, then my favorite chocolate chip cookies for dessert and finish the evening off with some Mexican hot chocolate. A weird combination but I have sentimental feelings for each.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. When asked this question, I normally go into a rant about the different cuisines and how I can't choose. I love Flancer's Cafe and Tuscany and La Grande L'Orange but it all boils down to this - Rancho de Tia Rosa. On any given day, I could eat their salmon tacos with mango salsa or gladly eat the salmon enchiladas with avocado sauce or devour their amazing tomatillo salsa with the perfectly thin, fresh tortilla chips or enjoy some fantastic Mexican hot chocolate. It's not your typical Mexican restaurant - it's "upscale" Mexican and very fresh. They have an enormous green house where they grow their own tomatoes, herbs and chilies. And their salmon - oh, the salmon. There are several different restaurants that I've loved over the years but I always go back to Rosa's for more. If you're ever in the Phoenix area - call me so I can take you there.

Where is your ultimate food destination?

Not sure if you mean an internal destination or a physical place - I feel pretty good about where I am as far as my own food abilities so I'm going to go with a physical destination. My ultimate food destination is France. When I went to France at age 17, I loved food but didn't know as much as I do now. I've experienced so many other things since then (including culinary school) and I am aching to go back to try the same things I had before and dissect their components and then try things that I didn't know existed when I was there before.

Are there any foods you just can't
seem to make turn out right?

My mother-in-law's cheese enchiladas. I think I've got the sauce down pretty well but hers are infinitely better than mine. Someday . . .