Name: Donald Gray
Occupation: Teacher/Layabout
...aspiring writer, director, improviser....
Borough: Forsooklyn
Relationship status: I have a long-term girlfriend who's currently living on another continent. Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it.
What did you eat today?
Breakfast: Strong coffee with milk, a banana, almond butter on some Finn Crisps (I am addicted to those damn crackers! Thank you, Finland!)
Lunch: Tossed salad -- red and green leaf lettuce mixed with baby arugula, oven roasted beets and butternut squash, baked tofu, the usual veggie suspects, Annie's Goddess Dressing
Dinner: Take-out from Zaytoons on Smith Street in Brooklyn -- Chicken Shawarma platter with pilaf rice, some grilled vegetables, small green salad, hummus, and a freshly baked pita. The food at Zaytoons is delicious and the portions are positively Brobdingnagian. Definitely check this place out if you haven't already. There's one in Fort Greene too, I think.
What do you never eat??
I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, but, like most people, I generally just stick with what I like.
Things I am unlikely to eat again unless fooled: fish eyeballs, chicken legs feet [See comments. --Ed.], tripe, insects, and pretty much any food that falls under the "gristly" category.
One thing that seems to upset folks is my rabid distaste for celery. What can I tell you, people? Never liked it, never will.
Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you can always find:
Milk (for café au lait in the morning and, occasionally, Barry's Tea in the afternoon), various hot sauces, mayonnaise (stop hating!), Dijon mustard, a triangle of Parmigiano Reggiano, water, freshly ground almond butter, a tube of tomato paste, and a couple of bottles of Annie's salad dressings.
In the spring and summer you're also likely to find a 2 liter bottle of Ito En Tea's Tea (Green-White).
What is your favorite kitchen item?
This comes down to a tie between two old friends. First up is my Zyliss garlic press. I've had this little fella since my Chicago days. I'll admit that lately I'm much more likely to chop my garlic into minced mounds the size of softballs, but, hey, the Zyliss and I have a lot of history. Don't judge. Plus it's the only garlic press I've owned that has never been accidentally broken when manhandled by my meaty paws.
And yet the Zyliss, while a sentimental favorite, only manages a tie with my much beloved Melitta Perfect Brew (r) 1-Cup Filter Cone. It absolutely kills me that I'm not the first contributor to YAWYE to have chosen this little beauty. Say what you will about other methods, I am convinced that this simple plastic cone, with an unbleached Melitta filter, makes the best damn cup of Joe possible. [Thanks for the link. I've been looking for this guy. I like my little French press but I hate cleaning it. --Ed.]
Where do you eat out most frequently?
I don't have the money to eat at fancy places too often so I'll just give a shout-out to my old reliables in Brooklyn (with a few Manhattan exceptions).
Here's a list of some of the cheap joints I frequent; they're all pretty reasonably priced, though, for the most part, horribly untrendy: Heights Falafel (love their chicken shawarma salad), Zaytoons (see above), Iron Chef House (the freshest sushi near me; good spicy rolls), Clark's (for their spinach and feta omelet), Hanco's (fine Vietnamese sandwich shop; becoming a favorite of mine), Better Burger (they make a mean soyburger), Chickpea (for their crack-like chickplant sandwich), Kati Roll (tasty Indian wraps, though sometimes a little bit too greasy), The Original California Taqueria (from back in the days when little else was around...), Grimaldi's (when out of town friends or family visit. I guess if you're considered an institution some backlash is inevitable, but I still love their pies), Fatoosh (fish kabobs and that addictive, if nontraditional, muhammara) and, finally, The Atlantic Chip Shop (for their $8 Stilton Granny Smith & Walnut Salad; good eats!).
Sorry for going all low-rent and provincial on your ass.
[What, like I'm Jean-Georges Vongefreakingrichten? Come on, I live in Sunset Park. I'm still lower rent than many. --Ed.]
World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?
This question always throws me. There are so many different cuisines I love, so many different dishes. And the thought of imminent death generally puts the kibosh on my appetite. Still, I suppose I'd want to go out with a bang. Put me down for a Diamond Jim Brady style banquet. Maybe I'd get lucky and my stomach would burst mid-nosh.
Awesome. Visit Don over in his world, dogra.tv.
