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20 questions with a Slashfoodie: Stefania ButlerPosted Mar 16th 2006 10:01AM by Stefania ButlerFiled under: Our BloggersYou've been reading our ramblings here at Slashfood for months now, so isn't it about time
you get to know us? Over the next few weeks, we'll be playing 20 questions with our Slashfood bloggers, just so you can
see what kind of insanity is cooking in our brains. And kitchens. Last week we profiled Nick Vagnoni, this week
it's Honolulu-born, San Francisco resident Stefania Pomponi Butler.Do you have a personal
blog? Yes, CityMama and its offshoot FamilyFoodWhat is your day job, or rather, what do
you do when you're not food blogging?I blog about all things
parenting and do freelance marketing writing. I work from home so I can be with my two girls, ages 3 and 1.
How long have you been blogging with Slashfood and what is your favorite post?I don't
remember. I started contributing soon after Slashfood started, Sarah Gilbert, my former editor at Blogging Baby said, "We're writing for Slashfood, too!"
Favorite post: (one of my favorites) The eight worst things at
Trader Joe's. Sometimes, I like to rant.Do you have any non-food-related, non-blogging
hobbies?Ohmigod, I don't. No, wait! Reading.Not every foodie does, but do
you cook?Absofrickinlutely. Cooking is my life, my art, my passion. I don't play an instrument or paint
or sing. I cook. What is your most prized utensil/gadget in the kitchen?Tie between my Global chef's knife and my
cast-iron skillet.List three things in your refrigerator right now.A bottle of
Moscato d'Asti, Stonyfield Farms squeeze yogurt, and, like Nick, Sriracha.You have to impress a
date with a home-cooked meal. What are you going to make?Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.
What is the last thing you ate?A bowl of white bean soup drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
And a cookie.Confession time – what do you eat that will get you banned from
Slashfood?Jack in the Box tacos, baby. If you could only eat one thing for the rest
of your life, what would it be?VegetablesYour Mom makes the best _____.
Everything. She's a Korean-American educated in Rome (where she met my dad). She's an expert Korean cook, an
expert Italian cook...just an excellent cook in general. She even bakes, which I don't like to do. She's also a member
of the Chaine des Rotisseurs. She taught me everything I know about food and
cooking.Which chef would you most like to have come into your kitchen and cook you
dinner?Morgan Brownlow or Masayoshi Takayama.Who would you most like
to eat dinner with?My family.Your drink of choice?Martini
Where was your best restaurant dining experience?Tokyo: a multi-course kobe beef teppan-yaki
dinner with free-flowing sake.The worst?Yeah. I discovered I'm not a fan of
Ethiopian food.Do you want fries with that?Only if they are thin and crispy.
What foods do you think should be banished from existence?Miracle Whip, natural peanut butter, and cranberry
juice.What do you see as the biggest "thing" in food for the coming year?I
agree with Sarah Gim that Korean food seems to be hot, especially soju bars that serve small plates.Having
lived in Portland for 16 months recently, I wish more restaurants would follow Portland's example and focus more on
locally grown/crafted organic meats, seafood, cheese, and liquors/liqueurs, not just fruits and vegetables. Not to say
that others don't, but Portland chefs seem to really care about making sure they cook with the freshest possible
ingredients and often present them in a way so that they are minimally processed. It's not uncommon to hear about
Portland chefs making their own liquors, butchering and curing their own meats in-house, or making their own cheese.
The culinary revolution that Alice Waters started has been taken to a whole new level in Portland. It's like
what Thomas Keller does at his restaurants, but on a much more accessible scale. People take their food and drink
seriously there. Living there was quite an eye-opening experience, especially coming from San Francisco, where chefs
and restaurateurs they are so innovative. Compared to Portland, San Francisco restaurants are a little (dare I say it?)
staid. For example, I loved that every restaurant had their own bar drinks menu (they can easily be two pages
long), and they prided themselves on using only fresh-squeezed juices, the finest ingredients. When we moved back to
San Francisco and I ordered a whisky sour made with bottled mixer, I knew we had returned.Anyway, I hope
this year, Portland chefs finally get their due.
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