You Are What You Eat, Thomas Bartlett

Name: Thomas Bartlett [I like what you told me once -- like the English muffin and the pear.  --Ed.]

Occupation: Musician and writer

Borough: Manhattan

What did you eat today?

Breakfast:
Eggs, prepared in the Williams Sonoma "Breakfast Pan," a recent birthday present. I'm not sure if the preparation I'm doing is technically "coddling" or "shirring," but it's both simple and delicious. The pan has little ramekins, that can be suspended in water. I break an egg into each, along with some heavy cream, some gruyere, and salt and pepper. A few minutes of suspension in boiling water and the eggs have cooked into an almost custardy consistency, as the whites
and the cream blend together. Accompanied by a salt bagel (from Absolute Bagels) and some Assam tea.

Tea time 2:
Darjeeling

Tea time 3:
Oolong

Tea time 4:
Dragon Downy Pearl (jasmine)

Tea time 5 (I drink a lot of tea):
Shou Mei White Tea

Dinner:
I had guests, so I actually cooked a big meal, which is rare these days. Keralan Chicken Stew, with coconut milk, and lots and lots of ginger, and fresh turmeric. Saag Paneer, copying the way Angon on Sixth does it, with no cream, and large amounts of sweet caramelized shallots.
Chickpea and green bean salad. All with large amounts of Hooegarden with lime. And for dessert, apples cooked in a caramel (with lots of cardamom in it) over vanilla ice cream.

After dinner, amaro, the Italian bitter liqueur, which I'm becoming obsessed with. If anyone knows a good source for it, I'm searching. I've got a few different kinds, but haven't found anyplace with a wide selection for sale.

What do you never eat?

Bananas, avocados, blue cheese.  [What?!  No avocados?  Unfathomable. Is it a texture thing? --Ed.]

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:

San Pellegrino Pompelmo (grapefruit) soda

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My Soda Club "Fountain Jet" soda water maker.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I like to save my eating out money for special meals, ones I couldn't afford to have regularly. The bill can add up to so much at mid and even low priced restaurants that I find it more worth my while to avoid them, and either cook at home or get cheap stuff to go. For speedy, cheap meals like that, I'm partial to Two Boots, Tiny's Giant Sandwich
Shop, Café Rakka falafel on Avenue B (best in NYC), Kitchen Market, Kati Roll Company, and, of course, the Taco Shack.

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?

An absurdly mismatched meal that would nonetheless make me extremely happy. Small portions of:
Raclette
Dosa with fresh coconut chutney
My brother's sopa azteca
Jean-Georges's gnocchi
A Peter Luger steak
A white truffle risotto
A piece of Pepe's pizza  [Really?  I'm totally a Sally's devotee.  --Ed.]
Some sautéed chanterelles and morels

Desserts provided by Pierre Herme, whatever he's most excited about at the moment.

Swoon over Doveman music here.
See Thomas blog here.
Read Thomas's Salon column here.
AND he's such a nice young man.