Winner's Q&A
Winner of Your Best Squid or Octopus Recipe
Congratulations to SouffleBombay, whose Sweet & Spicy Calamari won this week's contest for Your Best Squid or Octopus , earning her a sleek All-Clad d5 Stainless Steel French Skillet from Williams-Sonoma, plus big prizes from Viking, OXO and Tiny Prints, and a spot in the next food52 cookbook!
Photos: SouffleBombay with her kids who cook; her winning Sweet & Spicy Calamari.
Q&A with SouffleBombay
- Describe an early food experience that has influenced the way you think about food and/or cooking.
- When I was 9 I made a cake for my family from my first cookbook (which I had received for Christmas.) Believe it or not it was a Sesame Street Cookbook! I made a crazy chocolate cake covered in popcorn of all things -- it was called a Blizzard Cake. As I carried the cake out to my four siblings, mom, dad and grandmom -- all eyes upon me and my cake -- I felt empowered and excited. I swear that right then and there was the defining moment for me [in food] and I can vividly recall how I felt. Since then I have been smitten with cooking up tasty treats for my family and friends!
- What's your least favorite food?
- I am seriously a picky eater -- but I will go with oysters! Blech!
- What is the best thing you've made so far this year?
- I LOVE cooking with my kids (9 and 6) so anything we whip up is high on my list. Last week my 6 year old daughter took the lead on making a simple appetizer of chicken wrapped in bacon served with a BBQ dipping sauce. Dad grilled it up and, I have to say, seeing her satisfied little face as we all enjoyed it made it memorable!
- Describe your most spectacular kitchen disaster.
- Just married and missing home a bit, I cooked up a chicken as my Mom and Dad did most Sundays. When I went to cut it ... no meat! I was so upset, I couldn't understand what kind of a store sells a chicken with no meat! I put it in the trash and cried! My bewildered husband, who quietly walked over to the trash, took a look at the chicken and said "Sweetie, it was just upside down!"
- What is your idea of comfort food?
- Appetizers ... anytime! Me, my husband and friends with some great apps and a cocktail is bliss for me!
- Apron or no apron?
- No apron.
- What's your favorite food-related scene in a movie?
- Think it had to do with Johnny Depp and Chocolate ... remember Chocolat? So sexy! BOTH Johnny AND the chocolate!
- If you could make a show-stopping dinner for one person, living or dead, who would it be?
- Cary Grant! LOVE him! He would probably make me laugh the whole time!
- You prefer to cook: a. alone, b. with others, c. it depends on your mood
- It depends on my mood.
- When it comes to tidying up, you usually: a. clean as you cook, b. do all the dishes once you've finished cooking, c. leave the kitchen a shambles for your spouse/roommate/kids to clean.
- B, unless it's a huge party I am prepping for in which case I clean as needed and the hubs takes care of the trail of debris behind me!
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- SouffleBombay and her daughter in a winning baking moment; the lovely All-Clad d5 Stainless Steel French Skillet she's won from Williams-Sonoma!
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Comments (34)
about 2 years ago Waverly
Congratulations - we look forward to trying your recipe! PS. your chicken story is wonderful!!
about 2 years ago Sagegreen
Congrats! So nice to learn more about you in your profile. Wonderful photos! I had missed the whole week of recipes with a crazy schedule at work.
about 2 years ago Midge
Congrats on your win SouffleBombay!!
about 2 years ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Congratulations! Love your Q&A. And your calamari, of course! My favorite cake when I was little was from my children's cookbook too. You're right, it just felt so empowering to be able to follow those illustrated steps and serve something beautiful up for the siblings and parents...it still does, actually!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you! I enjoy every minute of cooking with them - but man are they growing up quick!!
about 2 years ago edamame2003
congrats! fried calamari is my son's favorite, so we're excited to try this! and i love that your kids cook with you. makes the meal all that much better!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thanks!! My son also loves it!!
about 2 years ago betteirene
Awwwww. So very sweet, but beware. . .before you know it, those beautiful sweet children will be fighting tooth and nail over who will inherit that beautiful All-Clad skillet. I'm sure you'll use to cook up a bunch of memories for them. Start by making caramel--that skillet is the bomb for melting sugar.
Congratulations! I'm looking forward to more of your recipes here.
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thanks for the tip! I LOVE caramel!
about 2 years ago lorigoldsby
Congrats! This was a really competitive category and you won with your first entry! Your Q & A interview was very entertaining! So now we will wait for more good things from you!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thanks!! This is such a cool site, can't wait to discover more, meet some new folks and find some great recipes to try!!
about 2 years ago wssmom
This is such a wonderful interview! congrats!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thanks so much! It was so fun!!
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Warm congratulations! I used this contest as a palate-building exercise with my students. They were to read both recipes all the way through, think deeply about the flavors and textures in each, post comments on their favorites, then come to class prepared to describe why they made the choices they did. It was fantastic listening to people, most of whom had never tasted calamari, and who could barely bring themselves to utter the word *squid* in a heated debate over one composition versus the other. By the way, yours won.
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you!! Glad to have helped introduce calamari into a few lives lol!!!
about 2 years ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Congratulations SouffleBombay, loved the recipe.
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you!!
about 2 years ago healthierkitchen
Congratulations SouffleBombay! What a cake and such adorable kids!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you! :)
about 2 years ago aargersi
Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.
OK the chicken story is priceless and CUTE KIDS! Congratulations!!!!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
HA!! I can't be the only one who did that....ummmm right?? lol!!
about 2 years ago lastnightsdinner
Congrats, SouffleBombay!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you!
about 2 years ago SmallKitchCara
Oh my gosh that picture of SouffleBombay and her daughter is just completely adorable. Oh, and the dish looks pretty good too!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you! She is my right hand gal in the kitchen!
about 2 years ago mrslarkin
Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.
Congrats SouffleBombay! The cake looks awesome!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you!
about 2 years ago gingerroot
Congratulations! I enjoyed reading your Q & A - looks like you have a lot of fun in the kitchen with your kids!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
I really do :) I love it with all my heart! Thanks!!
about 2 years ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
congrats on your win! I look forward to more of your recipes.
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you and I can't wait to explore more of the site!!
about 2 years ago Sadassa_Ulna
Congratulations! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your Q&A and your photos are a riot. I love what looks like a remake of the popcorn covered cake!
about 2 years ago SouffleBombay
Thank you!!
about 2 years ago Bevi
It's great to have a hubs who is on cleaning patrol! Congrats to you. And I miss those great days of cooking with the little kids. So much fun and happy memories to cherish in the future.