Erin Nichols is the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based food blogger behind Erin Cooks.

Sweet or salty?

Is it OK if I just say that I prefer peanut butter cups?

Which ingredient(s) do you use most?

I’m always running out of flour, black peppercorns and eggs.

What’s the cooking sound you most love?

I really like the tinkling noise that chocolate chips make when you pour them into a glass measuring cup.

What’s your favorite cooking smell?

Any kind of cookie baking in the oven. I’ve been known to purchase candles that smell like baked goods just to keep the smell alive when the oven is off.

What are the qualities you most admire in a dish?

Well seasoned food is such an art form. There is nothing worse than having a beautifully presented plate set before you, only to take a bite and realize that it tastes like nothing.

What is your most treasured possession in the kitchen?

My pink KitchenAid stand mixer. It’s my baby.

What is a dirty word in your kitchen?

Bread. Baking bread gives me anxiety. It’s become practically a phobia at this point. Do you suppose it’s listed in the DSM-IV?

What are afraid to do in the kitchen?

See above. Also, deep frying is terrifying. I only do it on very rare occasions.

What won’t you eat?

Salmon makes me turn green.

Have you ever lost your appetite for a food you once loved?

I recently swore off Thai food after taking a Thai cooking class. Too much of a good thing, perhaps?

Have you ever had a change of heart involving a food you once disliked?

Tuna is the one exception to my almost total seafood apathy. I’ll happily eat fresh tuna whenever the opportunity presents itself.

If you could choose one historical or living cook to make you a meal right now, who and what would it be?

I’d love it if Mrs. Beeton would whip up a fabulous authentic Victorian era meal for me.

Which living cook do you most admire/despise?

Ina Garten is my hero.

Which food website/blog would you be lost without?

I have an online subscription to Cooks Illustrated that I use all of the time. I’m also a total Food Network addict. Both sites have earned a place of honor in the bookmarks toolbar of my browser.

Who are your favorite cookbook authors/food writers?

Amanda Hesser and Anthony Bourdain.

What is your favorite food-related word?

Tart

What is your favorite food-related scene from literature or the movies?

From literature: When Anne Shirley gets her best friend, Diana, drunk on raspberry cordial. From a movie: I always love it when Amelie cracks the top of the crème brûlée.

What’s your favorite food-shopping errand or journey?

I actually hate grocery shopping. I get most of my groceries delivered via Peapod. What I do love is buying produce from farm stands or visiting tiny specialty stores for silly things I don’t really need but just “have to have” — like purple ramekins.

To which country would you move for the food?

Italy, hands down. Pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner is my dream (as long as I don’t have to make it).

To seduce someone, what would you cook?

You know what’s really sexy? Fondue. It’s gooey. It’s messy. It’s terrible for you i.e. sinful, and you can feed one another.

What’s your poison?

Either a glass of Pinot Grigio or a gin and tonic.

What’s your standard outfit in the kitchen?

Pajamas.

You wish to die with what in your stomach?

Truffled macaroni and cheese.

If heaven exists, what do you hope they have on the menu?

Lots of crusty breads, fancy cheeses, and an endless supply of white wines.

If you came back as a fruit or a vegetable, which one would it be (and why)?

I would want to be a bright red pepper. They’re such a cheerful color.

What are you craving right now?

All I ever want is chocolate, cheese, pasta and wine. I suppose you can imagine the havoc this causes in the wardrobe department.

(Image created at Wordle.)

Posted by kristin in the cookthink questionnaire | | Subscribe to this feed