About Me
K.I.T.: ganda {at} eatdrinkonewoman {dot} comTwitter: @ganda
My first name is Ganda. It rhymes with Wanda, not with panda. My last name is Suthivarakom. Sue-thee-VAH-rah-comb. See, not so hard. In sixth grade, my arch enemy was Roy Kim (which obviously meant I liked him). I once forgot to write my name on my homework on the same day that Roy did. As punishment, we had to each write our own names 100x. My punishment was almost three times as severe as Roy's, as his name has a measly six letters while mine has a whopping 17. It was the only time I was ever really miffed about the length of my name.
When I was in high school, I had an am/pm mini mart problem. In the ten minutes between last class and show choir rehearsal, I'd pop across the street to the gas station for a hot dog and a huge soda. Mr. Willert, our very Corky St. Clair choir director, called me into his office one day and accused me of eating during rehearsal, which I denied. (I only ate in between idiotic renditions of songs like "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Someone to Watch Over Me".) Mr. Willert said, "Ganda, I don't think you're really committed to being a Dream Street Singer." (I'm serious. I didn't just pick it up from Donnie Darko.) So I got kicked out of show choir for eating. That's pretty much the story of my life.
I eat. I drink. I am one woman. I live and love in Brooklyn and have been in NYC for over eight years now. I am originally from Southern California. I went to college in Northern California. I also spent a gray year in London.
I was born in the year of the Snake. My star sign is Scorpio, my rising sign is Leo, my moon is in Aries. This will make sense to some people who know me. Other people who know me will be completely confounded by this knowledge. Ultimately, it means I cannot be held accountable for anything I've ever said or done.
I'm a freelance writer with a dayjob because I'm good at spending money but I suck at hustling. I used to work in book publishing, but now I work in magazine publishing. But hey, if you want me to feature your book, send me a copy. If I read it, I'll put it up.
I decided to put my picture up because it exists in other places and I'm a blogger, not a journalist; but then I decided to take it back down because I think it's weird for people to know what I look like; and then I put it back up and took it down a million more times.
I also sing. I'm in a band with my friends John Lindaman and Chris Deaner. We're called The Solitary Cyclist (which is a pretty great band name if you ask me); we do vocal duets. Here's our Myspace page. I've performed and recorded with a lot of artists I admire, including Cibo Matto, Smokey & Miho, Charming Hostess, David Byrne, and lots of others. I am in All Music Guide twice -- once as Ganda and once as Ganda Suthivarakom. One entry says my genre is "Jazz" and the other says I'm "Avant Garde", which is weird because I like Mariah Carey and the last song I bought on iTunes was "Open Arms" by Journey.
More than you ever wanted to know:
allergies: All melons in varying degrees, but especially cantaloupe and honeydew.
guilty pleasures: Chef Boyardee, sugar coated coconut chunks from the nut vendors on the street
abstaining from: beef, at the moment
drink of choice: Pimm's cup, prosecco
milk or dark chocolate: I like milk chocolate. I know it's not very gourmand-y, but I like it. And I like chocolate with stuff in it -- caramel, fruit, nuts, etc. But I prefer plain M&Ms to peanut.
*UPDATE: Now I like dark chocolate equally. Go figure.
beer or wine: I don't like beer, just starting to learn about wine, and I'll always choose bubbly over both.
See also:
You Are What You Eat, Ganda Suthivarakom
"Extravagance (and Shoe Love) in the Rise of a Despot", The New York Times
Chief Mag interview by Cathy Erway
P.S. My friend Julie Dy painted me up for kicks and took this picture. If you're in CA and need a makeup artist, call her up. She's a genius.
24 Comments
Leave a comment
Just wanted to say hi, and hope that NYC is still treating you well.
Take care.
Hi Ganda,
On behalf of The NASDAQ/OMX Group I would like to invite you to our Food and Restaurant Industry Forum on Monday, June 30th 2008. If you would like more information please let me know. If you are interested in attending please let me know at your soonest convience. If you cannot attend please feel free to pass this invitation along to one of your collegues.
Thank you.
Hi Ganda,
I've enjoyed going through your blog at my "day job" (don't tell).
I like how you refer to your friends....your blog is a sitcom in the making!
Below is a link to an animated web video I produced with two of my peeps. Kinda of a "Behind The Music" VH1 approach to looking at exotic fruits...the first being the Star Fruit.
If you like, please share with your friends....Winnie & John (and whomever else you'd like).
Wishing you relentless laughter and yummy eats this week!
Tina Zaremba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyJ7tfeoeqQ
Thanks Tina! That video is hilarious.
just came across your blog after stumbling on smitten kitchen. you are funny. i'm an ex-newyorker now in california. gardening and taking photos and trying to raise money and awareness for lung cancer. the whole story is listed in the website and my blog www.mysisterdalesgarden.blogspot.com i may have a book for you to look at in the future ( i don't think i want to sleep with all the people it takes to get an agent, publisher). anyway enjoyed your site and will be back. www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806090303
I like your blog and I am a publicist. You say you will talk about a book if you read it. Where can I send you Amy Goldman's The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table (Bloomsbury, August 12, 2008)Don't believe what Florence Fabricant said that it is a coffee table book, that the author does not know about "Extra Vergin Olive Oil." She does, so much so, that she does not think that extra vergin is good for every dish, "pure" olive oil might just be what is called for in a particular instance. Anyway, if you want to plant heirloom tomatoes here is a guide to 200 of the best varieites. Amy Goldman has trialed the 200 varities over a 5 year period. You can feel very safe when you place an order for seeds and you can trust her recipes, they mostly her version of classics with a few additional surprises. All good. Tell me your address.
Hi Ganda, I loved your Berlin posts! Someone sent me a link because I am moving there in a month. and while I'm freaking out about letting my Brooklyn apartment go and leaving all my friends behind, it was great to have a reminder of the fun city ahead of me. I fell in love with Berlin on my visits just like you did. Let's ALL go!
I'm following you if McCain/Palin get into the White House!
Hi Ganda, I am a Chef Instructor in NYC, with global experiance 25+ years, & interested in attaining some PR presence on the "net". Could you do a profile on me in your "You Are What You Eat?
finally, a photo! it's good to put a face to the writing
Hi Ganda,
Just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say hej. I'm also a New Yorker living in Stockholm who's obsessed with food. :)
Happy Midsummer Afton!
Hi Pat! Glad Midsommarafton! Where will you be drinking snaps?
Yo. I thought I'd do a Google search and here you are...(well you're actually in Stockholm but I couldn't believe that one Google search would find you). I am contacting you because Mr. Montpas sent me an old picture he found in his desk at Rorimer with me, you, Ivy, Lawrence, and some other kids whose names I don't know anymore. He wrote me and sent the picture to tell me he retired from Rorimer this year. Anyway, just wanted to say hello. I should probably scan and send you this picture of us in the 6th grade. Its a little scary and none of us look like we actually look now. Ha! Unfortunately Roy Kim isn't in the picture. =( Anyway, just wanted to say what's up. I haven't connected with my Rorimer past in a long time. Hope you are having fun in Stockholm. Let me know if you want a copy of this picture.
Peace,
Francis
Hi Ganda,
I've been reading up on your Stockholm stay and your Copenhagen visit and I would like to ask your opinion. My partner and I are going to Stockholm, Malmo, and Copenhagen in September and wanted to know how would you divy up your time between the three cities and if you recommend some day trips out of any of the cities. We are arriving Sunday, morning, Sept 6th to Stockholm and leave to NYC on Weds, September 16th. We were thinking 4 nights in Stockholm, fly to Copenhagen on early Thurs, then take a train to Malmo either Saturday or Sunday stay the night come back to Copenhagen then fly back to Stockholm early Tuesday one day before leaving. Do you have a better recommendation based on your experience. I thought just take a day trip to Malmo and return to Copenhagen the same night, but my partner thought it might be nice to stay there overnight. Any suggestions? Thanks so much :)
best
Jannese
Hi Jannese,
I haven't been to Malmö, so I can't really say whether or not you should stay overnight. There is probably enough to see and do there that it would make it worth an overnight stay.
But I also love Copenhagen. There are lots of great museums there, lots of good shopping. In Copenhagen, I would definitely recommend a day trip to Louisiana, the big modern art museum up at Humlebaek. It is on the map I made, which you can access from my posts on Copenhagen. Amager Strandpark is great to ride around. Dyrehaven is a really cool place to bike around, tons of deer, but I would not say it's so easy to find.
Around Stockholm, I would go out to the archipelago at least for the day. In the archipelago, I have only been to Sandhamn, but I hear Ingmarsö is fantastic. You just have to have some time. But you have to like nature. If you had more time, you might want to go to Gotland and maybe Fårö, which is a 1 hr train ride and 3 hr ferry from Stockholm. That is where I will be spending my vacation, so keep an eye out for my write up of it.
Not knowing what you like, it is hard to say what would be best for you, but sounds like a fair way to divvy things up. I hope the weather is still nice when you come!
Hey, so cool I happened to find this when I was researching for my trip to Stockholm in a couple weeks. I've lived in Brooklyn for 5 years (Clinton Hill for awhile and now in Flatbush) and I am loving your trip reviews. It's great to hear it from the perspective of a fellow Brooklynite.
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Hi Lauren,
Glad you found it. There is lots to recommend in Stockholm. Seems like lots of people are coming here to visit. When I have two free nights, I will finish my 4 Days itinerary, parts 7 & 8. Stay tuned!
Hey Ganda
Thanks for the info, sorry for taking so long to thank you. I will use it on my trip in the summer, I unfortunately had to cancel my trip, at the last minute (tickets bought and all) to Sweden and Denmark because I had two family emergencies. My dog was dying and I'm glad I decided to cancel because she died about 2 weeks after I would have been back from my trip and the guilt would have lasted a lifetime. But I was lucky enough to get a cool person on the phone to change my tickets and waiving the ticket change fee, so I'm hoping to go in May or June, for longer than I originally planned so I will keep your info safe and use on my trip. Thanks again. And welcome back to the BK! I'm sure you've gone to the new Matamuros for delicious Mexican but if not try it out, cheap and delicious!
Hey Ganda
Thanks for the info, sorry for taking so long to thank you. I will use it on my trip in the summer, I unfortunately had to cancel my trip, at the last minute (tickets bought and all) to Sweden and Denmark because I had two family emergencies. My dog was dying and I'm glad I decided to cancel because she died about 2 weeks after I would have been back from my trip and the guilt would have lasted a lifetime. But I was lucky enough to get a cool person on the phone to change my tickets and waiving the ticket change fee, so I'm hoping to go in May or June, for longer than I originally planned so I will keep your info safe and use on my trip. Thanks again. And welcome back to the BK! I'm sure you've gone to the new Matamuros for delicious Mexican but if not try it out, cheap and delicious!
Hi Ganda,
I am Sam Lopez' wife and Anel's sister in law. I just started blogging. I like food, plain and simple. Anel keeps saying I need to hit the gym and get out of the kitchen! LOL! Anel is full of advice and I decided to listen to her and read your blog. Glad I did, it's great. I'll keep reading it and try not to be too intimidated! Keep eating and writing about it! Elvia
P.S. Love the name, so catchy!
Hi Elvia! Welcome. I'll check out your blog, too!
Hi Ganda!
So after my google search on Mr. Montpas (Rorimer) the only result I got was your page! I've been reading your blog since this morning, you're great!
Anywho, I would like to get that info on Mr. Montpas, if at all possible. Had him back in '94, Just recently stopped by and found out he retired..
From the sounds of the AM/PM, makes me think you're a Noble, right?.. funny story!
All my best!
Hi Serious Eats,
You might want to tip your readers off about a Valentines contest, where the prize is a extravagant box of one of the most exclusive artisan chocolates in America:
http://firstpersonsingular.org/2010/01/15/contest-why-its-great-to-be-single-on-valentines-day/
Thanks.
Wendy
cool blog!
and three cheers for the northern california--brooklyn connection.
-nathan