The Empty Plate Adventures: 20 Questions and an Update

Well. It's been two years in the making since I last posted here. There has been some transitions in my life (which I'm still dealing with) but I want to get this thing fired up again. It was so much fun to do but time hasn't been on my side.

Now, I want to say what has gone on. Most of you know, I am still on Twitter and have been active on the various chats. I even went to open an instagram account (the account is @Emptyplateadv so by all means, check it out). That's a fun medium.

I looked at Snapchat and right now, that may not be the best fit. From time to time, I still duck in on Pinterest as well. Today, I went Duck Confit crazy. Those three social media platforms seem to fit what I want to do best. So now, I want your participation as time permits. Going forward, I want this blog to be a combination of food related topics. I mean recipes, types of pork, food history, or whatever come to my mind to write. Some of the experiment's I have done, I hope to share with you as well and will finish the Mac Mac Experiment I began some time ago.

Below are 20 questions that are all food related. They tend to bounce around a bit but they do the job. I will do my responses first and then you can do yours. There are the 20 question below my finished answers you may cut and paste. I hope a few of you will respond. I must say, it's fun to be back here again!! It's like I woke up and hit the ground running.

1. What are the food item(s) you can’t live without?

- - On any given day, habanero sauce, onions, & garlic. At least one of those three.

2. What food is the one you eat the most, but know you shouldn’t? In other words, you guilty pleasure?

- Anything combines with cheese and pasta or a saucy dish with rice or potatoes.

3. The one kitchen item you use most?

- Chefs knife (8").

4. The one kitchen item that you use but many could take for granted?

- - Utility knife. They really don't come up often when the subject comes up.

5. If you could take two kitchen items and have a love child (for lack of better words), what would that be? If you have a name for this item, share it.

- I'd try to mix a steak knife & a paring or utility knife, called the American Chef Kitchen Knife.

6. How many cookbooks do you own now?

- As of now, I only own a few. I lost the rest but that's a different story.

7. Of those cookbooks, which one(s) (say a maximum of 3 books or 5 names) are your favorites?

- Off the top of my head, Emeril's "Real & Rustic" was the first cookbook that opened my eyes to what can be done with food. It simplified dishes I thought would be MUCH more difficult. I also enjoy John Madden's Tailgating book. Fun recipes and good stories as well. Rick Bayless' books are very good as well. I can ignore Julia Child either.

8. Of all the bad cookbooks you’ve ever seen, which is the worst of the worst? In other words, Razzie/Zero Rotten Tomatoes bad.

- It's between Boy George's Karma Cookbook and Kris Jenner's book. Both seemed like it was something to do instead of something they really believed it.

9. Share a favorite food memory as a child. There’s only one catch. It CANT be from a holiday or special occasion such as a birthday.

- The first time I ate hog intestines and liked them. My family (parents, grandparents, etc) would cook them after Christmas and as close to New Years as possible. They teased me a bit because I wouldn't eat them (the smell is POWERFUL). Anway, as a 12 year old, I finally tried them. They knew the game was over after that. Either that or Pizza Night every Friday.

10. Here. One specific food and travel memory. You visited a particular country or region which may have a specialty or two and you never had them before. Where was it at and what were the dish(es) you got hooked on from that moment until now?

- I was in Jamaica (Montego Bay), as a 15 year old with my parents. I had various meals before but two things hooked me that week. Jerk chicken and oxtail. I think I went to the buffet each night & that's all I ate (oxtail). For the longest time, it was something NO ONE would eat You could go to the story and get the latter CHEAP ($2.99/lb or less). Then, before I knew it, $5.99/lb. My secret is now gone.

11. The strangest item in your refrigerator is…..?

- Horseradish sauce.

12. The strangest combo either you or someone you’ve known eat in a given setting?

- My pregnant female friends take care of that. One friend took fresh snow and put it in a cup. She then took some vanilla frosting and pickles an another. Then ate the latter while washing it down with the snow. I thought it was strange but then again, she was pregnant. No, I wasn't the father either.

13. Do you know of anyone who is allergic to any food? What is it and when they visit you, what accommodations do you factor in to give this person a great meal?

- Most of my chat pals know I'm allergic to seafood. I found out when I was six but mu cousin developed the same thing as an adult. Anything seafood was kept away from everything else. It may also be placed in a (color or labeled) dish to let me know to not eat it.

14. Game (or for that matter, Race) Day. Build your tailgate off the top of your head.

- Wings, brats, burgers, JUMBO hot dogs, potato/mac salad & cole slaw, ribs if time permits. If I have extra time, maybe a chili or gumbo. I can't forget chips and salsa either.

15. Movie food. Now that theaters are more like restaurants, do you still sneak in your own food?

- Depends. I don't do it often but if I get delayed trying to get something before I go but get the order late, what am I supposed to do? I don't make it a habit though.

16. A night in. Regardless if it’s watching a sports network, movie, food network, and so on, what’s the meal or snack of choice?

- I try to do something quick because so often, I get home late. I'll make a nice sandwich or have some leftovers.

17. Name a food that you CAN’T stand & if you had a choice, would never eat again?

- Ok, foodie snobs. I have tried Brussel sprouts 9 ways to Sunday. I don't like them. I eat my Mom's sprouts because she made them. That's the bottom line.

18. The one dish/entrée you’ve always loved to eat but were afraid to try and make yourself is…??

- Turducken.

19. Your favorite restaurant had an item you REALLY enjoyed but out of the clear blue, they stopped selling it. What was that dish?

- I was a HUGE fan of Outback's No Rule's Burger. Just about anything you can put on a burger was on in. To give you an idea of what I mean, go to Five Guys. Look at the thing you can put on a bacon burger. That's about as close as you'll get to recreating it. The No Rule's was also much bigger than the Five Guys rendition.

20. One drop of Carolina Reaper (2,000,000+ scoville units) with no ranch or sour cream will net you $100 Million dollars AFTER taxes. Would you take the one drop to get the money?

- You know it!!!

Well that was fun. Now it's your turn. If you're game, let's have some fun with this. Ready? Omaha... Omaha... 319.... 319.... Blue 80... Blue 80 .... set go!! The 20 Question Game. Cut & Paste in the reply section to play.