20 questions with a Slashfoodie: Stefania Butler

by Stefania Butler, Posted Mar 16th 2006 @ 10:01AM

You've been reading our ramblings here at Slashfood for months now, so isn't it about time you get to know us? Over the next few weeks, we'll be playing 20 questions with our Slashfood bloggers, just so you can see what kind of insanity is cooking in our brains. And kitchens. Last week we profiled Nick Vagnoni, this week it's Honolulu-born, San Francisco resident Stefania Pomponi Butler.

Do you have a personal blog?
Yes, CityMama and its offshoot FamilyFood

What is your day job, or rather, what do you do when you're not food blogging?
I blog about all things parenting and do freelance marketing writing. I work from home so I can be with my two girls, ages 3 and 1.

How long have you been blogging with Slashfood and what is your favorite post?
I don't remember. I started contributing soon after Slashfood started, Sarah Gilbert, my former editor at Blogging Baby said, "We're writing for Slashfood, too!"

Favorite post: (one of my favorites) The eight worst things at Trader Joe's. Sometimes, I like to rant.

Do you have any non-food-related, non-blogging hobbies?
Ohmigod, I don't. No, wait! Reading.

Not every foodie does, but do you cook?
Absofrickinlutely. Cooking is my life, my art, my passion. I don't play an instrument or paint or sing. I cook.

What is your most prized utensil/gadget in the kitchen?
Tie between my Global chef's knife and my cast-iron skillet.

List three things in your refrigerator right now.
A bottle of Moscato d'Asti, Stonyfield Farms squeeze yogurt, and, like Nick, Sriracha.

You have to impress a date with a home-cooked meal. What are you going to make?
Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.

What is the last thing you ate?
A bowl of white bean soup drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. And a cookie.

Confession time – what do you eat that will get you banned from Slashfood?
Jack in the Box tacos, baby.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Vegetables

Your Mom makes the best _____.
Everything. She's a Korean-American educated in Rome (where she met my dad). She's an expert Korean cook, an expert Italian cook...just an excellent cook in general. She even bakes, which I don't like to do. She's also a member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs. She taught me everything I know about food and cooking.

Which chef would you most like to have come into your kitchen and cook you dinner?
Morgan Brownlow or Masayoshi Takayama.

Who would you most like to eat dinner with?
My family.

Your drink of choice?
Martini

Where was your best restaurant dining experience?
Tokyo: a multi-course kobe beef teppan-yaki dinner with free-flowing sake.

The worst?
Yeah. I discovered I'm not a fan of Ethiopian food.

Do you want fries with that?
Only if they are thin and crispy.

What foods do you think should be banished from existence?
Miracle Whip, natural peanut butter, and cranberry juice.

What do you see as the biggest "thing" in food for the coming year?
I agree with Sarah Gim that Korean food seems to be hot, especially soju bars that serve small plates.

Having lived in Portland for 16 months recently, I wish more restaurants would follow Portland's example and focus more on locally grown/crafted organic meats, seafood, cheese, and liquors/liqueurs, not just fruits and vegetables. Not to say that others don't, but Portland chefs seem to really care about making sure they cook with the freshest possible ingredients and often present them in a way so that they are minimally processed. It's not uncommon to hear about Portland chefs making their own liquors, butchering and curing their own meats in-house, or making their own cheese.

The culinary revolution that Alice Waters started has been taken to a whole new level in Portland. It's like what Thomas Keller does at his restaurants, but on a much more accessible scale. People take their food and drink seriously there. Living there was quite an eye-opening experience, especially coming from San Francisco, where chefs and restaurateurs they are so innovative. Compared to Portland, San Francisco restaurants are a little (dare I say it?) staid. For example, I loved that every restaurant had their own bar drinks menu (they can easily be two pages long), and they prided themselves on using only fresh-squeezed juices, the finest ingredients. When we moved back to San Francisco and I ordered a whisky sour made with bottled mixer, I knew we had returned.

Anyway, I hope this year, Portland chefs finally get their due.

Filed Under: Our Bloggers
Tags: masa's new york, masayoshi takayama, morgan brownlow, ripe pdx, stefania pomponi butler, StefaniaPomponiButler

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-16-2006 @10:16AM Jason said... I like her. I'd give the same answer to one of her questions, because I feel between my Global and my cast-iron pan, I can make pretty much anything.
Reply