*hey there, it's christa*

My New DVR Obsession: MasterChef

Since it's almost summer and sweeps are officially a wrap (cue the inevitable reruns), my DVR is a little on the bare side these days.

And while that's probably a good thing when you've got a novel to finish, I stumbled upon a little unexpected television gold when I watched "MasterChef" this week.

Now I know what you're thinking...does there really need to be yet another cooking competition when there's already "Top Chef," "Chopped," "Around the World in 80 Plates" and "Next Food Network Star?"

Well, when it involves the notoriously grouchy Gordon Ramsey showing a softer side of himself, then YES!

While I'm normally a huge fan of all things snarky, I've always thought that Gordon takes it way, way too far. I mean there's honesty, and then there's Gordon's brand of honesty. When snarky often turns to beligerent and downright nasty, I just can't stomach it, which is probably why I never finished his Kitchen Confidential book.

But when I saw the promos for "MasterChef," I was willing to give him another try. In what ended up being quite a pleasant surprise, not only did Gordon manage to reign in his cutting comments to a tolerable level, but I swear I actually saw him tear up on a couple of occasions. Yes, the old meanie's heart apparently grew three sizes that day when several contestants shared their stories of personal hardship that have led them to try even harder in the kitchen.

So if Gordon shed a graceful tear or two, you can only imagine how much of a slobbery mess I was. It was practically like watching an episode of "Extreme Home Makeover," and I had the scary raccoon eyes to prove it. Almost everyone there had such a compelling life story, and I gotta say I can't wait to see who ends up winning that final apron and 250k. :)

Experiencing a Little Bit of Paris in DFW...

You know it's been a good day when you come home and your hair still smells like melted butter.

Yes, I think even the Queen of Butter herself, Paula Deen, would've been a little jealous of me today because every single dish I cooked in my "Fast French" cooking class involved her all-time favorite ingredient.

One of the many, many things I loved about Paris was how liberally they used butter in their everyday cooking. From those flaky chocolate croissants I ate every morning to the sole meuniere that was so delectable that I almost forgot that I hated fish, it was pure and utter bliss.

Since I probably won't be making my way back to Paris again for a while, well, unless one of my clients begged me to travel there on assignment (wouldn't that be grand?), you can only imagine how excited I was when my sister signed me up for the next best thing for my birthday present—a French cooking class at Dallas's Sur La Table.

Yes, along with 14 other butter-lovin' Texans, I happily donned an apron and whipped up some truly scrumptious French bistro fare. For the first course, we made these delightful little phyllo cups filled with caramelized onions, thyme and gruyére cheese—something I could totally imagine serving at a fancy dinner party if I were the fancy dinner party givin' type.

Afer that, we went to work on the main course, chicken with tarragon cream sauce and capers. While the chicken itself was tender and delicious, I think I could've probably enjoyed that sauce with just about anything—spooned over pasta or veggies, even straight from the pan. All in all, it's probably a good thing the tasting portions were so petite. Otherwise, the ol' New Year's resolutions regarding good health and nutrition would've gone right out the window.

Yeah, it was that good...

Perhaps, hoping to balance the richness of the aforementioned chicken, we also made a salad. And while the salad greens themselves were practically calorie-free, I'm guessing the warm bacon viniagrette we made for drizzling was not. Ditto for the egg we poached for the top.

By the way, who knew that poaching an egg was so tricky? I always thought it was one of those basic kitchen skills that anyone could do with ease. But alas, mine wasn't nearly as cute as the one our instructor made. Thankfully, I don't really like eggs that aren't in omelet form anyway, so I didn't even give the finished product much of a chance. Maybe it tasted a whole lot better than it looked...one could only hope, anyway.

And French bistro fare wouldn't be complete without a light and airy crepe to end the meal, right? Naturally, I've always enjoyed eating crepes, but as far as making them goes, they always seemed like a far more tempermental pancake. But if one has the right equipment, which is apparently a small non-stick skillet called a Scanpan, it's a whole, whole lot easier.

For these particular crepes, we made an orange-infused sauce and garnished them with a small scoop of Blue Bell vanilla and orange segements on top, a killer combination for what was quite a meal to remember—butter-scented hair and all.

Incidentally, on my actual birthday, I got another enticing slice of Paris when Will took me to Toulouse for the most delicious brunch I've ever had in DFW. Not only does the restaurant have all the details of French decor mastered (it's a dead ringer for this charming little place called Lou Lou that we dined at in Paris), but the food was insanely delicious to boot.

After all, who wouldn't love a place with New Orleans-style beignets with cappuccino sauce? It was basically like having the most mouthwatering mini-donut and morning coffee in the same bite. If that wasn't enough to tickle our tastebuds, the spinach, onion and gruyére omelet with roasted potatoes and a side of bacon pretty much did the trick.

In fact, if it weren't for the lack of French-speaking waitstaff and fellow diners, I would've thought Will and I were back in grand ol' Paris because the food totally brought us back to that vacation of our dreams—without the nasty jetlag, of course—bonus!

Savoring the Flavors of Summer!

I'm not kidding myself, of course...I know that in a matter of days, summer will make its official appearance for good, and it'll be at least 1,000 degrees here in Texas.

To wit, my hair will be doing all kinds of unsightly frizzy things before I smooth it into submission, and I'll be practically bathing in sunscreen to keep those rays away from my ghostly white skin.

Even with that brutal reality check filed away,  I've sure been loving the proverbial calm before the storm in the meantime. Not only has it been breezy and pretty much the perfect temperature for the past week now, but I've been enjoying a surplus of that glorious Vitamin D without turning into a lobster. Bonus!

And when the weather is this stunning, I can't help but think of lovely summer-y salads like Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Vegetable Orzo. With a light lemon viniagrette, fresh basil and veggies in practically every color of the rainbow, it's a great light lunch or a fantastic pairing with chicken or fish (well, if I ate fish, anyway...Will does, I don't) for dinner.

And when I don't feel like taking the time to actually (gasp!) boil a pot of orzo, just fresh tomatoes drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and basil will often do the trick. Ditto for a perfectly ripe avocado with cilantro taking the place of basil and a bit of lemon or lime juice to keep it from browning. Delicious.

There's something about the simple flavors of summer that make me so happy. Not only is the local Farmer's Market its most fragrant, but the hotter temps naturally make me crave healthier fare—unlike those blasted winter months where pizza, pasta and homemade chili are the cure for all that ails ya.

So with that said, I think I'll head to the kitchen and whip up a batch of Roasted Vegetable Orzo and get those five servings of veggies taken care of in one fell swoop...and I'm guessing Will will enjoy it along with his roasted tilapia tonight, too. Fingers crossed, anyway...

A Few of My Favorite Things: Spring Edition

I don't know about you, but I've been ready for Spring since, well, February. Now that everything's back in full bloom (and don't my allergies know it—maybe Zyrtec should be on the list) and the birds are singing away, it's done wonders for my mood—even when I'm inside writing away.

Now in celebration of the season before the sweltering heat wave in Texas officially kicks off, here are a few of my favorite things during this oh-so-sunshiney season.

Bossypants by Tina Fey-Just the cover alone makes me laugh. I mean, c'mon, those big ol' arms are hilarious. Thankfully, what's inside certainly doesn't disappoint either. I've laughed and laughed and laughed some more. Once my chuckling even startled the ladies I was sitting to at Starbucks—bonus!

"America's Next Great Restaurant"-Yeah, I'm a sucker for foodie shows, and I gotta say this one has been really fun to watch as the contestants are competing for their own fast-casual chain in the three cities (Minneapolis, L.A. and NYC). Not only are the judges (Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone, restaurant owner Lorena Garcia and Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle) brutally honest with their critiques in such a constructive way, but I love the stories of the people competing for the title—especially Jamawn Woods, who I'm hoping will win with his soul food concept. Considering how tough the job market is right now, it's great to see people who are already doing well investing in the career of someone who might not have the opportunity otherwise.

Salads!!!! I love that tomatoes, basil, arugula and avocados are tasting downright summer-like, so I've been eating salads like nobody's business. Now I can't wait for some great corn on the cob...mmmm.

Benefit's Foamingly Clean Facial Wash-I'm always on the lookout for a great cleanser that's hydrating and won't irritate my dry skin. Well friends, I've finally found my new favorite. Not only does it smell great (I know, it shouldn't matter, but I can't help it) and really live up to its name in the foamy department, but my face feels squeaky clean and moisturized when I'm done. Plus, the bottle is pure cuteness, which is just another bonus.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain-I read this while I was in Europe and still find myself thinking about it from time to time. It's basically Ernest Hemingway's story from the perspective of his first wife, Hadley, and my, my, my is it a page-turner! Loved the beautiful descriptions of Paris and getting the behind-the-scenes scoop on not only what motivated Hemingway as a writer but what shaped him as a person as well. In the beginning, he was a romantic and then...

Water for Elephants (the movie)-I don't know about you, but I've seen basically one dud after another at the cineplex in 2011. So after sitting through everything from Arthur to Madea's Big Happy Family, I kept my expectations very, very low for Water for Elephants and ended up just loving it. Not only is Rosie the freckled eared-elephant downright adorable, but I loved the movie's decidedly old-timey feel. Plus for anyone who wondered if Robert Pattinson could do anything but brood, I'm happy to report that he can.

Rosemary Clooney-I don't know why, maybe it's because Lauren Graham mentioned her on an episode of "Gilmore Girls" I was watching. But whatever the reason, Rosemary, along with Ella, Billie and Frank, have basically been my soundtrack to Spring.

Now how about you? What's been rockin' your world this Spring, dear readers?

List #7: 7 Dishes My Thanksgiving Dinner Wouldn't Be Complete Without...

Oy vey! It's been one crazy week here in Tejas.

I'm not sure why I didn't think this through better scheduling-wise, but I think every major writing project on the planet was due this week.

But as of 7:45 last night, it's officially a wrap, and I'm breathing much, much easier.

Now come to think of it, the week was probably a little crazier than normal because I actually took Monday off to meet one of my favorite chefs ...Ina Garten (a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa).

Now if you're a regular reader of my blog, you already know how much I love her. Not only does she whip up some pretty fantastic recipes with just a few simple ingredients (yeah, don't forget the good vanilla), but I love how much she adores her husband and makes him and her friends these fabulous meals, something I'm equally passionate about.

So as you can imagine, I was pretty darn thrilled, even with a wait of 2+ hours, to say hello. And of course, she was just as sweet as can be, and I left Williams-Sonoma with my signed cookbook positively beaming. Yeah, I know, I'm a giant dork.

Since I'm already in full disclosure mode, I may as well tell you what I can't wait to do, now that all my work is done. See, I have a ginormous stack of magazines in my office (Bon Appetit, Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, Food Network and Cooking Light, for starters) plus the Williams-Sonoma recipe book they gave me last week, that I'm chomping at the bit to read because I need to finalize our Thanksgiving menu so I can start shopping.

Every year, I flip through all these magazines to get inspiration for what I want to make. After all, cooking the big dinner is one of the things I look forward to all year, and I have fun serving up the classics with the occasional twist.

As you probably gathered from the title, I've got turkey on the brain. So that's why I'm writing about the 7 dishes our Thanksgiving table wouldn't be complete without (in no particular order, 'cause I don't want to play favorites)...

Homemade Biscuits: What can I say? I love my carbs, and biscuits absolutely, positively must make an appearance on our table. While I'm usually a buttermilk girl all the way (last year, I modified the recipe a bit and made the cheesy garlic variety they serve as Red Lobster), I've recently fallen in love with sweet potato biscuits (thank you, Nashville) and have decided to serve those this year. I'm thinking with a little butter and honey drizzled on them, they'll be pure heaven.

Mashed Potatoes, Please? Even though they're a cinch to make, I really only eat mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, and I'm guessing that's because heavy cream and copious amounts of butter make those gorgeous red potatoes so calorie-laden. But on Turkey Day, they're the perfect indulgence, with or without gravy.

Stuffing Stuffed With Lots of Stuff: Yeah, I like my stuffing chunky with lots and lots of veggies and even a little crumbled sausage, but it can't ever, ever include little pieces of the turkey (that just scares me). While I definitely enjoy a good, old-fashioned herb stuffing, I'm also a fan of southern-style cornbread stuffing, which I'm learning toward making this year. And I don't know about you, but I think stuffing tastes even better as leftovers, so I already can't wait for that.

Barefoot Contessa's Cranberry Sauce: It's a gazillion times better than that congealed mess with the can marks still on it, and yet it's straight from the jar (meaning no messing with cooking any actual cranberries yourself). It's got all these great warm flavors you associate with the holidays along with the cranberries and is quite delicious on toast once you've run out of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Green Bean Casserole: Yeah, I know, I'm not going to win any points for culinary originality here. But I just can't have Thankgiving without the green bean casserole. There's just something about the soup, the green beans and those crunchy onions that make my taste buds happy.

Pumpkin Something: No, that's not the name of my secret recipe. But I am known to switch up the pumpkin dessert I make every year. Case in point: Last year I made a turtle pumpkin pie with caramel and pecans and lots of whipped cream. Yum. Other years, I've gone the traditional pumpkin pie route, while the pumpkin creme tart was dessert du jour a few years back. This year, I'm still on the fence about what I'll make. But unlike last year, I probably won't make two desserts (carrot cake cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing was dessert #2) because it's going to be just Will and I.

Last, But Certainly Not Least, the Turkey: Last year, I ordered a Greenberg smoked turkey (www.gobblegobble.com) for Will since he's a good ol' Southern boy, and that award-winning bird's from Texas. It's also one of Oprah's faves, so I knew it would be delicious. And Will liked it so much it'll be appearing on this year's table, too.

But I also like a good roasted turkey breast, too, so I always make one of those. Once I made it with a peach rosemary glaze, and that was out of this world. Another year, I went a bit Italian and went heavy on the garlic and oregano. But this year, I'm thinking just some good Thanksgiving-y spices (like sage, thyme, rosemary, etc.) is the way to go, and of course, I'll brine it so it's super juicy, even when I use it to make sandwiches later on.

Ok, now that I've shared my favorites, what are some of your family's Thanksgiving must-haves and why?

 

Crashing Aarti's Party

As I confessed in a recent blog entry, I was definitely rooting for Aarti to win the Next Food Network Star title.

And now that she has, I have to say I absolutely, positively love her cooking show, Aarti's Party. It's so much fun that 30 minutes whizzes by like nobody's business.

Now while I definitely love me some Indian food, I'll be honest: I've never actually tried to make any. But with Aartie's decidedly Indian twist on good ol' fashioned American dishes like bread pudding (yum!), sloppy joes and roast chicken, well, I think I'm finally ready to invest in some garam masala and cardamom (which Williams Sonoma now carries...how convenient!) and give it a try!

While I doubt I'll whip up the perfect naan or chicken tikka masala any time soon (I'll leave those to the experts), Aartie definitely makes cooking with Indian spices seem less intimidating. Plus, you gotta love a girl who cooks dinner and dessert for her weekly accountability group. Where can I sign up?

Confessions of a Reality TV Novice

Truth be told, I've never been much for reality TV (I know, I know quelle horror!).

Unlike the majority of my fellow Americans, I've never watched a full episode of "Survivor," "The Hills" or even "The Amazing Race."

And the one time I tried watching "Dancing With the Stars," well, that sure wasn't pretty. For me, the pure cheese factor was sooo off to charts that I simply had to change the channel to keep my sanity intact. And I'm guessing a perfect ballroom display by some D-list celebrity isn't about to change my mind any time soon.

Since I'm in full-on confession mode, I'll even admit that my knowledge of what's happening on "American Idol" pretty much comes straight from Entertainment Weekly. I think the last time I sat through an entire episode was when Kelly Clarkson won, which tells you something right there.

Like everyone else, even I have my weaknesses. Thanks to my sister Lindsey, I was recently introduced to the guiltiest of guilty pleasures—"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette." Yeah, I know, if I can't sit through Idol, how I could I possibly sit through that?

I think I liked it for the same reason that people often gawk at car accidents. I just couldn't tear my eyes away from the trainwreck. I mean, how weird and ridiculous is it for someone to even attempt to find true love that way? I mean, don't these guys/girls feel a little skeevy when they make out with half of the contestants?

After a few episodes, even I have my threshold, and thanks to the oh-so-witty recaps on Entertainment Weekly's website that are often more fun than actually watching, I'm not entirely devoted yet. After all, there's only so many hot-tub dates a person can sit through without feeling a little ill.

But given my disdain for most reality TV, there is one show that I never, never miss, even in the craziness that's been this summer: The Next Food Network Star. Anyone who knows me well already knows how much I love watching Giada, Ina, Paula and Rachael (yeah, I'd like to think we're on a first-name basis...ha ha), so there's nothing more fun than seeing a bunch of foodies compete (and the challenges are nothing but over-the-top) for a new show on the network.

In fact, I even christened my DVR (yep, I'm finally on the wagon, and yes, it's changed my life) by programming "The Next Food Network Star" in, knowing full well that I'd be watching right when it aired. But I guess in case of meteorites or some other natural disaster, I wanted to make sure I'd see it. Although I'm guessing if meteorites really did hit, that would probably affect the DVR too, but I digress.

For once, I actually like the frontrunner in the competition, too, Ms. Aarti Party herself. Not only does she have some serious culinary chops (and when Bobby Flay and the rest of the Iron Chefs want to open an Indian restaurant with you pronto, that pretty much seals the deal), but I know I'd love watching her show—even if I probably wouldn't attempt making any of the dishes (I always leave Indian food to the experts).

So it pretty much goes without saying that given my love of the show, I seriously can't wait for the finale tonight. While I wouldn't be sad if Tom the Sheep Dog (a.k.a. "Big Chef) won, I think it's going to be Aarti's big night, and I already can't wait for the party to begin...

Spoken like a real addict, huh?

Ok, now I want to hear from you. What reality TV shows are must-watches for you (and why)? And now that I have DVR, is there anything I should be adding to the queue pronto?

Escaping to Italy With Jenny Nelson's "Georgia's Kitchen"

Given that I've always been more of an "inside, please" girl, summer and reading have always gone together like caramel and whipped cream over a fantastic cup of strongly brewed espresso. Sure, I like the sunshine and fresh air like everyone else, but given my pasty white skin and serious aversion to mosquitoes, the great indoors suits me far better as long as the air conditioning is blasting.

In fact, I remember spending many, many Wisconsin summer afternoons in the chilly confines of the local library's basement. It was there where I discovered Judy Blume's Blubber, and later, Deenie and journeyed to far-off places with all of Austen's leading ladies. In a word: heaven.

And while I have a sizable stack of novels I was hoping to plow through this summer, our big move to Texas (and all the shenanigans of getting settled in) has seriously cut into my reading time. It's already August 4, and I've read exactly one and a half novels—Jenny Nelson's superb debut Georgia's Kitchen and half of Jennifer Weiner's latest Fly Away From Home, which I'm also totally loving and can't wait to finish.

Now I have to say, I was pretty sure I was going to love Jenny's book given my love of all things Italian (especially the extraordinary cuisine) and was thrilled beyond belief to score myself an advanced copy. What I didn't anticipate what not being able to put it down once I started. With a winning protagonist, a gorgeous backdrop, and of course, the luscious descriptions of food, I was hooked immediately and finished in about a day and a half (a girl's gotta get her beauty sleep, after all, right?).

And now in celebration of her debut hitting store shelves yesterday, I just had to chat with the author herself. So with no further adieu, here's our illustrious Q&A...turns out, we'd both love to cook with Giada and share many of our earliest influences (like the aforementioned Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary). Very, very cool.

CB: So how amazing was the research for your novel? How did you go about suffering for your art?

JN: Let’s just say that eating at incredible restaurants and calling it research was very easy on my taste buds and my mood, harder on my wallet, and hardest on my waistline. To repent for all of that indulgence, I logged some serious miles on my treadmill! That said, enjoying good food and wine is part of my life and by virtue of that, so is running. It’s not a bad tradeoff.

When you frequent your favorite Italian restaurant (name and location please), what’s your order of choice (including antipasti, cocktails or wine)?

My favorite Italian restaurant is Mercato, in Red Hook, NY, where the chef/owner is Francesco Buitoni (as in the pasta), who’s from Rome and whose pedigree includes stints at several Mario Batali restaurants. As my husband says, Francesco’s the real deal.

I’d start with a glass of prosecco, share an antipasto plate with my husband, work my way into the kale, pecorino and pine nut salad (my fave, plus it makes me feel somewhat virtuous), and a glass of Roero Arneis (I much prefer white wine to red, sacrilegious but true), then either a simple pasta al pomodoro (his is amazing) or maybe the seared scallops or orata, if it’s on the menu. For dessert, a few sinful bites of Francesco’s tiramisu, which my husband orders no matter how stuffed he is and which I eat, no matter how stuffed I am.

Do you enjoy cooking all things Italian as well? What’s the best dish you make?

I love cooking Italian, which to me is very forgiving – it’s hard to really mess it up (although I’ve managed!). My favorite dish to make is risotto, all kinds, but I’ve been told my shrimp and fennel is pretty tasty and everyone is shocked to learn there’s no cheese in it.

As someone who’s about to finally make it to Rome next year, any recommendations for out-of-the-box dining, sight-seeing and the like?

You’re in for a treat. I’m sorry to say that I used to have the Rome list to end all lists and I can’t find it anywhere. I’m better on Florence.

You had Giada DeLaurentiis, one of my favorite chefs, endorse your book, just how cool are you?

I am beyond thrilled that Giada wrote that blurb. I love her food and her spirit – she’d be so fun to cook with!

Now talking Georgia's Kitchen, how much of yourself makes its way into Georgia’s character?

In a word – none. Well, maybe her dry sense of humor is sorta similar to mine, but that’s about it. Swear. Oh, and I love jeans almost as much as Georgia.

How long did it take you to write your novel, and what inspired the decidedly Italian feel of it?

It took me about two years to write it, then longer to revise it, sell it and now, finally, publish it! It’s been a long process, but well worth every step and setback along the way.

As for the Italian slant, I am an Italia-phile. I love Italian food, fashion, design, wine, people and above all the country itself. My husband and I have traveled extensively throughout Italy and were married in Florence ten years ago. Part of my rationale behind making Georgia a chef was so I could send her to Italy and revisit (if only in spirit) some of my favorite places in the world.

What are a few of your favorite novels of late, and for the uninitiated, why should everyone read Georgia’s Kitchen prontissimo?

Not a novel, but a collection of stories: Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri, which ranks right up there with my favorite books of all time. Other recent favorites include The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout, Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch.

As for why everyone should read Georgia’s Kitchen...at its essence, Georgia’s Kitchen is the story of a woman determined not to give up on herself or her dreams. Her journey takes her from the chic cityscapes of New York to the charming hill towns of Italy and back again. Along the way, she meets amazing people, finds herself in incredible places, eats and drinks like a culinary queen, turns up the heat with a sexy Italian winery owner, and embarks on a crash course in self-discovery. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to be a top chef, or make it in New York, or what really goes on in a professional kitchen, or dreamed of chucking it all and moving to Italy, Georgia’s Kitchen is for you. It’s packed with heart and humor, glamour and guts (not to mention food porn galore!) and a heroine you’ll root for to the very end.

Team Edward, Team Jacob or don’t care?

Took me a while to figure out who you meant (saw the first two Twilights but haven’t yet seen Eclipse and haven’t read any of them), but I’d say Team Edward all the way. He is gorgeous and I’m a sucker for that pale, otherworldly kind of beauty.

Who'd play Georgia in the big-screen rendition of Georgia's Kitchen and who'd portray the oh-so-smooth Gianni?

All along I’ve thought Drew Barrymore would be a terrific Georgia, but then I met Parker Posey at a film festival and started thinking she’d be a great too, in a totally different way. Anna Kendrick or Amy Adams too! Gael Garcia Bernal would be perfect for Gianni, but maybe too gorgeous. How would Georgia ever turn him down? James Franco would be terrific.

When did you know that you wanted to write a novel?

In high school, when I enrolled in a summer creative writing program taught by Michael Cunningham. This way well before he wrote The Hours and won the Pulitzer prize, and he was a terrific teacher and a super cool guy to boot. By the end of the program I’d caught the writing bug in a big way.

Who were some of your earliest writing influences, and who is your writer crush?

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Beverly Cleary, and Judy Blume were my three biggest early writing influences. I was the kid under the covers with a flashlight and a book. As for a writer crush, I think I’d have to go Sebastian Junger. There’s something about a man who’s drawn to danger AND able to string together a mean sentence that does it for me.

What’s a book you love so much that you wish you’d written it?

Oh, boy. There are about a zillion books I wish I’d written! How about The Great Gatsby, for starters? The House of Mirth? Persuasion? Great Expectations?

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure movie and/or TV show?

I love Top Chef, but have convinced myself it’s part of my research so I don’t feel even a twinge of guilt watching it. A true guilty pleasure is Real Housewives, the New York version, though I’m looking forward to checking out the DC wives too. Another is, gulp, Bethenny Getting Married and The Rachel Zoe Report (yes, I love Bravo). As for movies, I’m a sucker for a good teen movie. 10 Things I Hate About You is still one of my faves.

If we peeked in your purse right now, what would we find?

Hello Kitty band aids (at least two, one for each of my daughters), two hair bows, same, Bobbi Brown lip gloss (I’m addicted), my Blackberry (ditto), Coppertone Babies sunblock stick, which I swipe across my forehead whenever I remember, Lorac powder and a Sephora retractable brush I adore, a tin of peppermints, a small Kleen Kanteen filled with water, because I basically live my life dehydrated, a wallet strangely devoid of cash but stuffed with credit card receipts, and tissues, all of which look a little worse for wear.

Lastly where can people keep up with you online?

At my brand-new website: www.jennynelsonauthor.com, on Facebook and Twitter.
 

7 Things I'll Actually Miss About Minnesota

Now that Will and I have started the oh-so-fun process of packing, this big summer move to Dallas is actually beginning to feel a little more real.

And as much as we've both complained about living in Minnesota (6+ months of winter will do that to you), there are a few things we'll definitely miss about the place.

After all, when you've lived somewhere for almost four years, you can't help but get a little attached.

So now, with no further adieu, here are seven things (in no particular order) that I'll miss about living in the land of 10,000 lakes.

My pal Krista B. (a.k.a. the "other" Krista)—Back in college days, I liked listening to my Brit rock loud—very, very loud. So while I was getting my dorm room in order, this girl walked by and had to see who the freak was with the loud music and all the green and gold Green Bay Packer memorabilia. Turns out, she was a fairweather Vikings fan, but she didn't hold my Cheesehead devotion against me since we had the same name and all. Cue: lifelong friendship.

The best thing about hangin' with Krista is that even though I've moved around quite a bit, (and she moved to Africa for a year, right when Will and I moved back to Minnesota—yeah, I wasn't bitter, ha ha) we've always managed to stay in touch and had absolutely no trouble catching right up (there's a reason Krista's dad calls us "Chatty Cathys") whenever we hang out.

And since we're both big fans of cooking, she's practically the only person who truly gets the undeniable importance of walking languidly through a Williams-Sonoma. Yep, she understands that you'd never want to miss out on any of the fantastic spice rubs or cool new kitchen gadgets, so every corner most be explored thoroughly. It's funny because every time we're there, we basically want the salespeople to box up the entire store and send it home with us because we want, well, everything they've got...

Caribou Coffee—I'm mostly a Starbucks girl, but I love absolutely love having Caribou as a delicious coffee back-up. In fact, most days that I'm writing at home, I'll walk through the skyways just for a Caramel Hi-Rise just the way I like it (skim, with the smallest cloud of whip on top). Plus, the baristas at my favorite Caribou (you know who you are, Jessie and Ashlee) not only whip up a great cup of joe, but keep me properly connected to the outside world.

All the Minnesota-isms—I love how everyone says "bag" like it's actually "beg." I also love how almost every time I tell someone who's not from Minnesota that I'm from Minnesota, the "yeah, you betcha" Fargo quips inevitably follow, even though Fargo is technically in North Dakota.

People also routinely inquire on whether I know Garrison Keillor personally and if I can score tickets to see him (I don't, and I can't). Equally intriguing is when I'm asked if I think Brett Favre will actually return and play for the Vikings this year (I'm not clairvoyant, but I think he will. Naturally, he won't actually decide until the night before he needs to make an announcement).

Saturday Breakfasts at Bon Vie—Since I haven't been to Paris yet, I gotta live vicariously through delectable French cuisine on occasion, and Bon Vie, an adorable little Parisian café in Cathedral Hill, does breakfast just right. Not only are the omelets simply out of this world, but the hash browns, well, I could go on about those for days. What's fun, too, is that the chefs are always switchin' up the menu, so you never know what treasures you'll find that particular weekend. In a word: Yum.

Landmarks, Parks and Those Walks on Grand Avenue—Thanks to living in downtown Minneapolis during my college years, I had plenty of time to explore all the sights...the Mary Tyler Moore statue on 7th, the cherry on the ginormous spoon at the Sculpture Gardens, the purple house where Prince used to live and lots, lots more.

But my latest chapter in Minnesota was in St. Paul, so it felt like I was living in a completely different city,  a welcome change of pace. I loved St. Paul for a lot of reasons—strolling by F. Scott Fitzgerald's place, checking out the very Euro-esque parks, not to mention the gorgeous St. Paul Cathedral and walking with Will on the always-picturesque Grand Avenue with all those fantastic houses that you make you downright envious on anyone who lives in them.

The Cooks of Crocus Hill—After I graduated from college, I was pretty sure I'd never step inside a classroom again. But since I've been back in Minnesota, I have absolutely loved taking cooking classes at The Cooks of Crocus Hill. Not only is the "homework" so incredibly fun, but I've learned things I never would've otherwise like making delicious fettuccine from scratch (yes, the actual pasta, not just the sauce) and whipping up delicious buttercream frosting that wasn't prepared by Duncan Hines first.

Noshing on Italiano at La Grolla—It's impossible to talk about our time in Minnesota without mentioning our favorite Italian restaurant, La Grolla. Not only is the atmosphere straight out of a Manhattan restaurant with  tables so close together that it forces you to get to know your neighbors, but I'm convinced that it's impossible to have a bad meal there.

Chances are, you'll be even more full than you ever thought possible, thanks to an array mouthwatering antipasto, to-die-for pasta dishes and a dessert tray that's out of this world. Who knew that using mascarpone instead of cream cheese would produce the lightest, most heavenly cheesecake you've ever sampled? I sure didn't before I tried theirs...and a meal there isn't complete without that—and a good cappuccino—to end things on the most exquisite of notes.

Nashville: A Food Lover's Paradise (Even When You're Supposed to be Dieting)

I've been back from Nashville for five days now, and I'm pretty sure I'm going through fruit tea withdrawal.

For whatever reason, fruit tea (or fling tea, depending where you're ordering it from) just hasn't caught on here, and I can't figure out why. I'm pretty sure Minnesotans would absolutely love the stuff if they just gave it a chance.

Since Minnesotans generally believe that fruit tea is Lipton with a shot of faux raspberry flavoring, I guess I'll just have to settle for all my good fruit tea memories whenever the craving hits. Or learn to make it myself...Now if I could only get Bread and Company to pony up their recipe...

Now before venturing back to Music City, I've been faithfully doing the dieting thing for a couple of weeks, and trust me, I had all kinds of good intentions for my Nashville trip. I vowed that despite all the town's tasty vittles (and trust me, there are tons to choose from), I'd merely exist on salad, grilled chicken and the aforementioned fruit tea would serve as my dessert.

And for about two meals, I did really, really well.

I mean I even turned down the super-addictive queso dip (and anyone who's tasted it knows exactly what I'm talking about) and enchilada plate from SATCO, not to mention the tiramisu and tortellini from Amerigo! Now that takes a superhuman level of resolve!!

So what exactly was the food that temporarily brought my good intentions back to earth? Well, it was a sumptuous sweet potato biscuit from Tin Angel.

Now before you think I've gone temporarily insane, lemme tell y'all, this was one incredible biscuit (and I don't even like sweet potatoes...in fact, I think they're revolting!). Served with cinnamon butter, it's the kind of flaky, mouthwatering confection that Paula Deen would dream up with butter in the batter and butter slathered on top. Alongside my out-of-this-world Greek omelet (packed to the brim with veggies, cheese and kalamata olives), it was pure brunching bliss. The only thing that would've made it better is washing it all down with a mimosa.

In addition to my first sweet potato biscuit, I also gave sustainable food a try when I met up with my friend Andrea at The Silly Goose in East Nashville. For such a whimsical name, the food was hearty, beautifully presented and downright delicious. Along with my "Bird" sandwich (a homegrown, char-grilled chicken breast topped with avocado, applewood bacon and a light sauce on multi-grain), I had a scoop of their famous couscous and greens on the side. I seriously never knew couscous could taste sooo good—and at room temperature, no less.

Trust me, it was a good thing our lunch was so calorie-friendly. Just to make sure our sweet tooth was properly satiated, we celebrated Andrea's recent b-day by sharing a piece of flourless chocolate cake with raspberries and homemade whipped cream. Oh my, my, I can't even tell you how absolutely delectable that was...saying "it hit the spot" is a serious understatement. Given my hubby's love of all things chocolate, I'm thinking he would've wolfed it down in 10 seconds flat, instead of taking small, dainty bites like Andrea and I did.

Proving that I'm always up for a new culinary adventure, The Silly Goose was just one of the new places I tried (Eastland Café, Pfunky Griddle and Cantina Laredo were especially tasty) before frequenting a few of my tried-but-true picks, Calypso Café, Fido, Bread and Company, The Yellow Porch and Pancake Pantry.

Per usual, I certainly wasn't disappointed whether noshing on my favorite black bean salad (seriously, it's like two meals in one), sipping a Pink Poodle (oh yeah!) or savoring the most incredible tomato basil soup, pasta bettola and blueberry pancakes on the planet (not together, mind you, ewwwwh!).

After nearly a week of splurging, it's now back to salads again in Minnesota. But the memories of those sweet potato biscuits, fruit tea and pancakes will be with me for a while. Or until I hit the gym and sweat them off, anyway. :)