I just can’t help myself.

I really can’t. I don’t exactly know when this happened, but I can’t pass up a contest these days. I never thought of myself as the ‘competitive type’. Although my friends have scary stories involving me, a Taboo deck, taunting and blocking the exits. I really have no idea what they could possibly be talking about. But here we are. Again. Entering another cooking contest.  Gulp.

I just submitted an entry to the Today show, I have a list of other contests I’m working on, but then it happened. I got an email from The Foodie Blogroll, see their badge down on the right? Earlier in the year I participated in their Foodie Joust, which were so much fun. And now they are partnering with Marx Foods–do check out that website, it’s a foodie’s equivalent to George Clooney… HOT! They are toying with my emotions and my Shun knives and opening the doors to an Iron Chef style cooking contest or Chopped, complete with a basket filled with secret ingredients. Swoon.

Yep. I’m in. I need to tend to the business part and answer a few questions. You get to see those answers too.

Why do you want to compete in this challenge?
It seems I’m a natural born competitor, I just didn’t get the graceful loser gene. I’m an Iron Chef/Chopped/Top Chef junkie and wannabe. I play this game at home but call it What’s in the bag.

Limitations of time/space notwithstanding, whose kitchen would you like to spend the day in & why? Julia Child, Thomas Keller, Ferran Adria, James Beard, Marie-Antoine Careme, or The Swedish Chef?
May I split my day with all of them? Except for the Swedish Chef, the Muppets give me the creeps. If I really must pick only one, I’ll go with Julia. I know you’re probably thinking of the Julie/Julia Julia, but that’s not why. I grew up watching Julia Child cook, or rather, love and dote on food. I loved to see her ‘just whip up’ a dish effortlessly, all the while letting you know that the worst thing you could do was not try to recreate it yourself. To me Julia was a version of my mother on TV. Cooking up a storm of decadent, delicious and involved meals without breaking a sweat and convincing you that you could do it too.

What morsel are you most likely to swipe from family & friends’ plates when they aren’t looking?
Fatty bits of pork, ripe plantains and properly made rice. Oooh, seafood, especially le shrimp.

Sum your childhood up in one meal.
Seriously? I’m from Panama and my mom loved to cook, I can’t do one meal! My mom was an incredible cook, but I’ll go with the basics. Some stewed chicken, coconut rice with pigeon peas and tajadas (ripe fried plantains). That can be my last meal any day of the week.

The one mainstream food you can’t stand?
This response is rated R for violence and strong language. Mango and coconut flavoring. I should say artificial flavoring. I don’t know who came up with the recipe for either one, but I don’t really think they had a real mango or coconut;  like EVER. Even the scent of the artificial stuff nauseates me. And the thing that saddens me the most about it is how many people have formed a negative opinion about these 2 delicious items without ever tasting the real thing. YUCK! Oh, let me add fake crab to that. Ok, I’m ok now.

This should be interesting. Stay tuned.

Competitive cookingly yours,
Anamaris