BLOGGER INTRODUCTION: CANOODLIN'

Hi folks! Canoodlin' here with my brother, Yankee Noodle. He may have a few years (and a few pounds) on me, but I still have a lot to offer when it comes to eating food. In fact, it saddens me that he has 4 more years of eating history than me...it hardly seems fair. We had a chance to reflect on my food favourites and food memories over the holidays.

Yankee Noodle: You’ve spent over a quarter of a century as an avid eater. What has made you successful as an eater or a cook?

Canoodlin': It has only been in the past 2 years that I have delved into the world of cooking. Our mom truly deserves the title of my cooking mentor as she has bestowed upon me the creativity, skill, and talent it requires to put good food on the table night after night. That being said, the majority of my life has been spent eating our Mom’s cooking and therefore, my success as an eater is because of her. I have also reaped the benefits of being surrounded by a family who enjoys food as much as I do. There really is something to be said about a family who can sit down every evening and not only devour a deliciously prepared meal but also appreciate it to the depths of their souls.

Tell us about some of the quirky rituals you have when it comes to the art of eating.

I consider eating to be an experience involving all of the senses. It’s difficult for me to pinpoint exactly when I started taking the ceremonial “big whiff” of my food before eating it…perhaps this is a skill I picked up from the Ninja Turtles…it’s hard to say. When it comes to food, the first thing you notice before seeing, tasting, or touching it is the smell! It is the aroma of a delicious meal that arouses the other senses, tantalizes the taste buds, and starts your mouth watering before it ever touches your lips. Isn’t that fascinating?

It has also been brought to my attention in recent years that perhaps I am one of a select few people who take pictures of their food. To me this was earth-shattering news, as I didn’t think that my habit was all that uncommon. Some of my fondest and best memories are sparked from seeing a photo of a meal I enjoyed…not even necessarily memories about how amazing that meal was, but memories about where I was, or who I was with. A good meal deserves a photo just as much as a stunning sunset or a cute, chubby baby.

Who were your food heroes growing up?

That’s easy. Mom. She has this uncanny ability to make something remarkably tasty out of unremarkable ingredients and then act as though it was no big deal...nothing special. To me this was always a quality in our Mom that I wanted to possess. We never ate fancy food or high priced delicacies, but somehow Mom managed to turn us all into passionate eaters from what she had in the cupboards.

Who would you like to share a meal with someday?

Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris – from Masterchef Australia.

What is the best home cooked meal you ever had?

Well I am not as quick to recall the exact dates of memorable meals as you, Yankee Noodle, but for me the best and most memorable were (and still are) Mom’s enchiladas. It is still, to this day, the meal I request every year for my birthday.

What is the best meal you ever had at a restaurant?

This is incredibly difficult to narrow down as I have been blown away by countless meals in several different restaurants. I'll never forget the enchiladas I had in Puebla, Mexico or the delicious monstrosity that is the Qdoba burrito. I have to add to this that one of my boyfriend's best friends is a chef and he made me the most amazing bouillabaisse in Victoria, BC.

What restaurants do you still need to visit?

My dream would be to eat at The Press Club, which is George Calombaris’ restaurant in Melbourne. It was featured in an episode of Masterchef Australia and it looked awe-inspiring!

What is your favourite genre of food?

Inheriting our Dad’s taste buds has given me the ability to wholeheartedly experience the vast variety of spices used in Mexican cuisine. For that I owe our Dad a huge debt of gratitude, as I cannot imagine my life without jalapenos or chilies.

What has been the saddest eating moment of your life?

I look at this question two ways. The first is the trepidation I feel when I am coming to the end of a great meal or dessert. It’s hard for me to fully explain the sinking feeling I get when taking the last few bites of a glorious masterpiece…

Yes, I know what you mean. At some point the bliss is overshadowed by the panic and the terror as you realize it's all about to end. It's almost like a death in the family. Maybe not a close loved one, but a distant relative. Uh... yeah...

Secondly, if I had to pick a sad moment due to a food failure it would be when we tried to replicate a meal presented on Masterchef Australia. Let’s just say it was Chinese cooking wine and fish sauce gone completely wrong.

What’s your philosophy of eating?

Some people say we should eat to live; however, I say we should live to EAT!

Blogs have been around for quite some time now, so why have you decided to start this blog now with your brothers?

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to talk about food. I have clients who love food and we sometimes spend an entire session talking about a restaurant we tried, something new we cooked, or something we saw on The Food Network. When you put two people who both love food together, the possibilities are really endless. In our case, we not only have three people, but we have three people who are related who, collectively, have eaten almost all around the world!! We all live in different countries right now so I see this as a wonderful opportunity to keep in touch as well. What better way to keep in touch than to share our love of food with the world?!