Monday, February 22, 2010

what's for dinner, kelly carámbula?

Today's Q&A is with Kelly Carámbula, food blogger, graphic designer, and magazine editor extraordinaire. I met Kelly at the Bon Appetit Blogger Bake-Off at the end of last year. When she told me she and her husband and some friends just launched a new food magazine called Remedy Quarterly, I was blown away. Starting a self-funded (ad-free!) print publication during a desolate time in the magazine industry is not only brave, it's amazing. After immersing myself in Kelly's beautiful food blog Eat Make Read, I understood why she would want to expand into print. Her site is gorgeously designed and photographed, and she writes about the kind of recipes you want to rush home and try immediately. Remedy also includes personal stories and actual food remedies, many of which have rich and fascinating traditions. Here, her thoughts on dinner party playlists, Thanksgiving dinners, and her favorite desserts. Many thanks to Kelly for participating!

1. Name, occupation, and city
Kelly
Carámbula, graphic designer, Brooklyn. In addition to my day job, I have a food magazine, Remedy Quarterly and a blog, eatmakeread.com.

2. When was the last time you threw a dinner party, and who was invited?
Thanksgiving of last year we had my husband Aaron's parents and brother over for dinner.

3. What is the best menu you've ever made for company?
I have to admit, I don't throw many dinner parties, but I'm starting to realize it might be time to change that. I do really love to make thanksgiving dinner. There's just something so satisfying about pulling out a perfectly golden bird. I usually make some sort of cornbread and sausage stuffing, biscuits, sweet potatoes and green beans, totally indulgent but awesomely satisfying dishes.

4. What's your preference: wine, beer, cocktails?

Oh boy, I love them all! Hmmm, if I had to choose, cocktails, but Bell's Beer from Michigan comes in at a close second.

5. What's your favorite dinner party soundtrack?
My music skills are a little lacking. When my husband's not around to pick the perfect list, I'll just put my iPod on shuffle so you'd get a little Dolly Parton, David Bowie, the Avett Brothers, ESG and Hot Chip. Let's just call it an eclectic mix. [Ed: Sounds great to me!]

6. Some friends are coming over for a last-minute dinner. What do you make?

Corn cakes with fresh salsa, a salad on the side, some Negro Modelo to imbibe and I might just whip up a batch of brownies to bake while we're eating.

7. Do you usually cook everything yourself, or do you have help?
I do usually cook everything myself, it's soothing.

8. Do you ever buy store-bought food, or is everything on your table made from scratch?
I'm not opposed to store bought food...fresh ravioli from the store, totally worth the $5, but I'll whip up the sauce from scratch.

9. What do you like to serve for dessert? Oh man, I have the biggest sweet tooth. I looove brownies, but ice cream with a little homemade butterscotch or chocolate sauce is hard to beat. A nice fruit crumble is great in the summer. Oh, I could go on and on.

10. If you could invite anyone over for dinner (living or dead), who would it be?I would most definitely invite my mother who passed away when I was in college and a few years before I really learned to love food. I was the pickiest damn child so I wish I had to chance to sit with her and savor her favorite foods (things I would never eat growing up), talk about silly stuff, and just relax with her.

[Photo by Aaron Carámbula]

4 comments:

musingegret said...

Thank you for another great food blog to peruse! Loved the pic of her blood orange gimlets.

Unknown said...

Great interview. Loved the last question. Can't wait to check out a new food blog I haven't been to yet.

Lisa said...

Musingegret: Thanks for reading! Kelly's cocktails are my favorite part of her site.

Tender Branson: Me too. It made me tear up a little.

Daniel said...

Remedy is one great looking magazine. Hats off to anyone who recognizes the value of print publishing and makes a go of it.

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