Category: You Are What You Eat

Name: Anne Skoogh

Occupation: Politics - and food blogger

Neighborhood: Nacka

Relationship status:  Married

What did you eat today?

Just breakfast so far - rye bread with Swedish liver paste and sliced cucumbers, a glass of vitamin-c, coffee, and a fruit salad with orange and raspberries.

What do you never eat?

Despite having a food blog and all, I'm surprisingly un-adventurous in food. I won't call myself a picky eater, but... let's just say there are many, many things that I have no urge to try.

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

Pepsi Max. How embarrassing to admit - but it's certainly true.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I really do love my Kitchen-Aid!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I don't eat out all that much, but  I do meet friends for "fika" quite often. Vurma is one of my favorite cafés - great sandwiches, and nice coffee.  [I got a pretty great falafel sandwich on sesame bread from the one next to Hornstull Strand last weekend, but it took a full hour from the time I got on line to the time I got my cold sandwich. That is too long to wait when the sun is out. --Ed.] 

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

My mom's chicken in mild curry sauce.

Anne blogs (in English!) at annesfood.blogspot.com.

Name: Anja Cronberg

Occupation: Magazine Editor

Neighborhood: The swanky Östermalm, albeit in a very hidden enclave full of just plain ol' regular folks.

Relationship status: Taken

What did you eat today?

For breakfast I had this great dish I always make and which will most probably contribute to my economic downfall, considering the price of fruits in this part of town. It was: one mashed up banana, some pomegranate seeds, one passion fruit, four physalises split down the middle, a handful of blueberries, a handful of strawberries, a handful of raspberries and another of blackberries (all berries have to be frozen, not fresh, to contribute to the right sogginess), then some seeds, whose names I can't remember in English, suffice to say that they're supposedly good for the tummy, and chopped hazelnuts and Brazil nuts. And two Weetabix (product placement) and milk. Stir and enjoy! OK, that's where my day usually starts and from then on it's all downhill. Lunch was a bag of pick n' mix sweeties (of which Sweden does the best in the whole wide world) and pancakes with Nutella (another product placement) and more milk (a must when eating chocolate). Since I abhor cooking, I cross my fingers every morning that someone will take me out to eat at some point during the day, and today my friend Agnes cooked for me. Lucky me. Otherwise it would have meant more cereal and more milk. Agnes made borscht which I had to eat very very carefully so as not to stain my nice expensive outfit (my mum says beetroot stains are impossible to get rid of). I did well. I also had sandwiches with cheese and butter. We drank water. And then coffee, but it was decaffeinated so that we would all be able to sleep soundly. And chocolates. It was all very nice.

What do you never eat?

Nada. I eat everything! I think a picky palate is a sign of a narrow mind.  [Hear hear!  Here here?  Hear, hear!  --Ed.]

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

Milk! And chocolate - although that's in the cupboard, strictly speaking.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I have a spoon I stole, as revenge, from a crazy flat mate I once had, and that I like very much. I never use any other spoon, when eating at home.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I'm on a very strict budget in these financially turbulent times, so my eating out habits rely on other people's generosity, so it would be bad form to be picky. I do however like places that serve heavy pasta. Or places that serve Wallenbergare, a Swedish speciality that consists of mushy meat and cream I think. It's served with mashed potatoes (I love love love mashed potatoes) and lingonberries (ditto). Restaurant Prinsen here in Stockholm does the best ones I've tasted so far in life.

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

Pick n' mix!

Name: Klara Kjellberg

Occupation: Web Editor + a lotta other stuff at Hyper Island

Neighborhood: Södermalm, Stockholm

Relationship status: Boyfriend/sambo (translate it) on a distance

What did you eat today?

Apple, banana, chocolate and peanuts. And a fish oil Omega 3 pill that my friend gave me.

What do you never eat?

Chicken sausage.

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

an onion of some kind.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I love graters! Dreaming of a vegetable holder, kinda like the one on the left. Have grated one too many fingertips.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Right now, Louie Louie on Söder. The same dish at least once a week (most recently last night); feta cheese and olive salad with bulgur.

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

A spaghetti dish I had on a Caralunyan beach. I don't want to say where, it's a sacred place. The trailerish restaurant is open during summer only, and I think it's run by a family. When I was younger, they had a spaghetti dish with a salmon sauce that was unbelievable. So if the world is ending... might as well die of spaghetti OD.

Photo by Kalle Thyselius

Name: Linnéa Pontvik

Occupation: Stockholm

Neighborhood: Södermalm

Relationship status: Occupied

What did you eat today?

Vegetables with truffle oil, cottage cheese, hazelnuts and cashew nuts! Delicious. I also ate a bulle (bun)... [I think I ate four bullar today.  I need for those bullar to disappear from the kitchen already. --Ed.]

What do you never eat?

Blodpudding (black pudding)! Even though I ate it all the time when I was a child. Well, that might be the reason why...

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

Yoghurt, soya milk, tomato paste, tomatoes, carrots, green peas and some kind of fish (well, the latter ones are actually in the freezer)

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Wooden spoon

Where do you eat out most frequently?

At Hötorgshallen

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

Tagliatelle with Mum's pasta sauce, made from carrots and tomatoes and some other stuff. (It's SO delicious but I've never succeeded to make it taste exactly the same way when I cook it...)

Linnéa blogs (in svenska) at http://ordentlig.blogspot.com.

Back by popular demand (or at least the demand of one commenter), You Are What You Eat, Stockholm edition!  But don't pressure me.  I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this up as my list of contacts here is rather short.

Name: Niklas Sessler

Occupation: Corporate Editor at Bonnier AB

Neighborhood: Vasastan

Relationship status: Married

What did you eat today?

Caesar salad

What do you never eat?

Cucumber [Really?  But there's cucumber in everything here. --Ed.]

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

Sweet chili sauce

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Citrus press

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Lunch at Kungshallen

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

Tom kha gai soup

Name: Francis Lam

Occupation:  Writer, though that's not much of an occupation, is it?

Borough: Reppin' the QB, baby.

Relationship status: I'm in love with a girl.  Happily, she tolerates me.  

What did you eat today? Noodly things made by Thai people.     

What do you never eat?  Mid-grade fake food.  How do I explain?  Take macaroni and cheese:  Macaroni with real cheese?  Delicious.  Macaroni with orange powder made into a buttery slurry?  Delicious.  Velveeta?  Fucking atrocious. 

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

mayonnaise; eggs; apple cider reduction; very fine jams; a chunk of Parmigiano; butter; cooking oils because I'm terrified of rancidity...oh, who am I kidding?  I never cook at home anymore.    

What is your favorite kitchen item? 

Cutting board and towels.  I know knives are sexier and pans more satisfying to hold and stoves and ovens more hearth-like and gadgets more clever, but tell me: what would you be doing without a cutting board and towels?   

Where do you eat out most frequently? 

Lately, a fantastic little new Thai place I can see from my bedroom window (see above).  The food is really excellent, and I've been going so often since it opened that I have actually stopped myself from going more than once because I didn't want them to think I was a loser or just homeless.

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

Organ meats harvested from George W. Bush.

See whose organ meats Francis is currently eating at Gourmet.com.  

Name: Jenny Miller

Occupation: Freelance food and lifestyle journalist

Borough: Manhattan

Relationship status: Single

What did you eat today?

I've had very graze-y eating schedule lately. Half a Trader Joe's muffin and some Total yogurt and half a grapefruit for breakfast; Dumplings (frozen ones I get from Vanessa's) as a mid-morning snack; Miso soup with veggie and an egg that I made for lunch; Seaweed and rice with Sriracha for a snack - basically a vehicle for spiciness - and now I'm hungry for dinner. I eat a lot of Asian food because I live near Chinatown and across the street from a great Chinese supermarket. 

What do you never eat?

I was a picky eater as a kid, but now I'm pretty omnivorous. I like most things if they're well prepared. That said, I don't care much for mayonnaise-y salads - potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. The slimy texture still gets me, I think.

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

Eggs, butter, something to throw in an omelette, Alvarado Bakery sprouted bread, Sriracha, Amy's Goddess salad dressing, half and half for my coffee. 

What is your favorite kitchen item?

A big, sharp knife.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Mamoun's on St. Marks - I generally go there for a falafel after yoga class.

Also am lamentably addicted to the Vanessa's location on Eldridge (they bought Dumpling House), which is near my apartment. Though I fear for my sodium levels, I crave their boiled shrimp dumplings, fried pork dumplings, and hot and sour soup. Actually, the soup's not excellent - if I bring it home I usually add vinegar - but I love even mediocre hot and sour.

And when I get red-meat cravings, I head to Blue 9 Burger for a cheeseburger.

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

Can we do a last day?

Breakfast: Chips and Salsa and  the migas from Curra's in Austin. I used to live in Austin, so there'd have to be some Tex-Mex involved!

Lunch: Pho with everything from Pho Tu Do

Crispy spring rolls

Thai iced tea

A dozen West Coast oysters on the half shell [West side! --Ed.]

Sushi - a bunch of those specialty rolls made with spicy aiolis and tempura batter and such

Greenmarket salad with that miso-vinegar dressing from Whole Foods

A grilled medium-rare steak

Good red wine

Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream

Shortbread cookies

Jenny's online portfolio can be found at JennyMiller.org. 

Name: Carl Tashian

Occupation: Technology & Design

Borough: Brooklyn

Relationship status: Taken

What did you eat today?

Joe's Honey-Nut O's (they taste surprisingly similar to honey nut cheerios)

Joe's English muffin with Kerrygold butter

Harney & Sons "Boston" tea

Fish oil & vitamin pills

Leftover kale with anchovy and olives for lunch, with rice on the side, sriracha on top

For dinner, chicken breast stir fried with cabbage, those Chinese canned mushrooms, and lots of ginger, garlic, jalepeno, scallions and cilantro, on top of rice, topped with a fried egg and more sriracha.

Apple cider

White wine

What do you never eat?

Bitter melon

Uni

Milk chocolate

Dark chocolate below 70%

Junk food aisle

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

Lots of salty, often slimy items that can be tucked into just about any item to make it taste better: capers, cornichons, kalamata olives, tubes of tomato and anchovy paste, sriracha, Tabasco, etc.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I am into durability. I love my knife and pot, but I have a wood block cutting board that a friend made for me, and it's lovely and will last a long time if I take care of it. His dad is a carpenter who recreates classic American furniture, so I picture the two of them gluing this thing together in the studio, alongside some really expensive highboy.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

around Grand Street in Manhattan

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

Something very fresh. Great sushi, a beautiful salad, etc.

But for dessert, the bread pudding from Matt Murphy's pub in Brookline, MA

Carl blogs at http://tashian.com/carl.

Name: Daphne Lin    

Occupation: Web Producer

Borough: Queens

Relationship status: In a Relationship

What did you eat today?

Cup of coffee and pumpkin muffin from Au Bon Pain, Vietnamese Pho (noodles & beef soup) with lemon/bean sprouts/hoisin sauce, also I haven't had dinner yet.

What do you never eat?

Liver (Foods with a dry texture)

Complete this sentence:  In my refrigerator, you can always find:
 
Ranch and sesame salad dressing, lettuce, sliced ham, pickles, Brita filter, mayonnaise, ketchup, cranberry juice, seltzer, a frozen dessert treat

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Chopsticks. If that doesn't count then Spatula!

Where do you eat out most frequently?  

It's a tie between two places near my house: a Chinese take-out place that must be putting cocaine in its fried chicken and hot & sour soup or a super cheap Japanese place that lets me buy two rolls for the price of one!

World ends tomorrow.  What would you like for your last meal?
 
If I had my choice it would be a Japanese buffet of goodies! But really it'd be yakiniku (Japanese BBQ). I'd have freshly picked-then-cooked rice, a plate of raw vegetables and meat to cook over my personal grill: green peppers, cabbage, broccoli, thin cut slices of garlic infused beef, filet mignon, chicken. My sides: miso soup, salad with sesame salad dressing, soft egg pudding, toro (fatty) salmon sashimi, kimchi; My dessert: green tea ice cream and green tea. Yes, I would eat it all!

Name: Jeremy Berger

Occupation: Publicist (both formal and in "secondary" markets), freelance sartorialist / writer / smokehouse operator

Borough: Brooklyn

Relationship status: Single

What did you eat today?

Today wasn't so great - see NYC Food Emergency for details - I had a few cups of coffee, Special K® Red Berries from the office pantry, an orange, and a peach. But last night, on the verge of culinary despair, my good friend and pizza mercenary, Mark Bello (pizzaacasa.com), treated me to "geoduck two ways" at Fuleen. Can you beat that? [I dunno.  Geoduck is squeaky.  --Ed.]

What do you never eat?

Popcorn, cold cuts, wraps, anything while I'm walking or on the train. I saw a girl eat sushi on the subway recently, dipping and everything. She had great posture, but the risk involved seems pretty substantial. I'm going to eat sushi at a table until they make liquid sushi in a pouch. Like Go-gurt.

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

Fennel, carrots, celery, chorizo, whole milk, sparkling wine, parmesan and pecorino cheeses, duck fat, butter, hanger steak. No Go-gurt.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Immersion blender!!!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Lately in Chinatown. The food at Jaya is really good, and some place (don't know the name - Mark?) for BBQ cuttlefish and pork. There's also this tiny place out on East Broadway that has the best dumplings in the city. I eat at Momofuku Ssäm a lot for the hamachi. I'm pretty new to the city - one year - so I'm still figuring out my favorite spots. And I also cook a lot of meals.

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

I'd keep it pretty light. The thought of Armageddon on a full stomach is nauseating. Probably a well-stocked raw bar, a bottle of prosecco, a baguette ancienne. Then a glass or two of Wild Turkey. Maybe some peanuts.