When new bloggers join the Slashfood team, we like to make sure they get a proper introduction to our readers. You've met Gretchen Roberts, Eric Diesel, Mike Pomranz, and Annie Scott. Now meet the latest addition to our team, Amy McDaniel.

Do you have a personal blog?
That's kind of personal question. And, no.

What is your day job, or rather, what do you do when you're not food blogging?
I do some freelance writing for Saveur, and I'm working on my first book. Somewhat more profitably, I teach English at a small liberal arts college. Hmm, I wonder if my students ever google me. Should I censor myself on Slashfood?

How long have you been blogging with Slashfood and what is your favorite post?
This is my third or fourth post. My favorite so far is the one that mentions Alice B. Toklas because someone referred to her recipe for Hashish Brownies in the comments this one (upon reflection).

Do you have any non-food-related, non-blogging hobbies?
I co-host a poetry and fiction reading series in Atlanta with an impolite name.

Not every foodie does, so we have to ask: Do you cook?
Why yes. Earlier this week I made dinner for one: roasted halibut with shitake-miso broth and udon noodles. When I entertain, I either go all out, which usually involves charcuterie, or for something more casual I stick to my grandmother's southern recipes.

What is your most prized utensil/gadget in the kitchen?
A wooden spoon that belonged to my great-grandmother.



List three things in your refrigerator right now:
A chicken potpie my father made (living near my parents again is easy on the budget, tough on the waistline); a cheap bottle of Prosecco that I didn't get to last time I had a party; and some leftover Delice de Pommard, a French goat's milk cheese robed with mustard seeds.

You have to impress a date with a home-cooked meal. What are you going to make:
If I cook for a date, impressing him is secondary to finding out what kind of man he is through his response to the food. He doesn't have to be a "foodie," but he ought to enjoy food with all his senses and appreciate the effort it takes to prepare a homemade meal well. And he better eat meat. Guinness-braised shepherd's pie with a simply dressed Boston lettuce salad covers all the bases.

What is the last thing you ate?
Irish breakfast tea and two very un-homemade "Brownie Bites"

Confession time: What do you eat that will get you kicked off Slashfood?
Filet-O-Fish. And I'm in a ongoing fight with my brother about who loves Cinnamon Toast Crunch more.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Spaghetti dripping with the best butter, tossed with the sweetest and moistest Parmigiano-Reggiano (yes, it should be sweet, not sharp, and not at all dry), and sprinkled liberally with--why not--fleur de sel.

Your Mom makes the best....
Poppyseed cake, interpretations of Madhur Jaffrey's Indian recipes, buttermilk bread, fried okra, claypot chicken, banana pudding, chicken parmesan

Which chef would you most like to have come into your kitchen and cook you dinner?
Someone who would whip my kitchen and my undisciplined, corner-cutting self into shape, like Judy Rodgers or Marcella Hazan.

Who would you most like to eat dinner with?
Calvin Trillin.

Your drink of choice?
Champagne

Where was your best restaurant dining experience?
Bukhara at the Maurya Sheraton in Delhi. They work magic with the tandoor. And those black lentils, baked all night long...

The worst?
"Mexican" place on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. Don't remember the name. The salsa was weirdly warm, the chips were stale and cold. And that was the best part of the meal.

Do you want fries with that?
The question should really be, Do you want anything else with the fries? And the answer to that is, yes, mayonnaise.

What foods do you think should be banished from existence?
Depends on your definition of food, but generally any product called by the word "bar" preceded by a word that has nothing to do with food.

What do you see as the biggest "thing" in food for the coming year?
Artisanal/small-batch/single-source grains and flours. More divers offerings of grains on high-end menus.