Winner of Your Best Fair Food

Congratulations to hardlikearmour, whose State Fair Cream Puffs won this week's contest for Your Best Fair Food, earning her big prizes from Viking, OXO and Tiny Prints, and a spot in the next Food52 cookbook!

Q&A with hardlikearmour

Describe an early food experience that has influenced the way you think about food and/or cooking.
Once I thought the taste of the grilled cheese sandwiches would transfer through the side of the electric frying pan my mom was cooking them in so I licked it. In case you're wondering, the taste does not transfer, but the heat sure does!

What's your least favorite food?
Fishy fish. I have not been able to acquire a taste for it.

What is the best thing you've made so far this year?
I've been seriously hooked on beverages this summer.  I've made numerous drinking vinegars including Blueberry-Tarragon, Pear, and Mango-Apricot.  I also love my Tea Thyme Soda -- it's really refreshing.

Describe your most spectacular kitchen disaster.
I've had the same experience as AntoniaJames. Years ago I somehow thought it would be okay to pour water into a very hot glass baking dish (it was Pyrex after all!)  It was obviously not a good idea, which I figured out the instant the water hit the pan and it shattered into a million tiny bits -- seriously at least a million.  Luckily the mess was contained in the oven, so it was relatively easy to deal with. 

What is your idea of comfort food?
Something cheesy, soft, and warm. A good baked mac & cheese or a bowl of cheesy polenta would do the trick!

Apron or no apron?
I almost always cook without an apron.  

What's your favorite food-related scene in a movie?
I really like the scene in The Fantastic Mr. Fox when the Foxes are eating pancakes for breakfast.  

If you could make a show-stopping dinner for one person, living or dead, who would it be?
This is the hardest question. I would love to make a fabulous dinner for Temple Grandin. She is a major force in improving the conditions for food animals, and has tremendous insight into animal behavior.

You prefer to cook: a. alone, b. with others, c. it depends on your mood.
I'm definitely a do-it-yourself kinda gal, but have been more willing to accept help in the kitchen over the past year or so.

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.
I'd love to get pointers on how to clean as you cook. I really lack efficiency!

• 
• Hardlikearmour's amazing cake-decorating skills. Yes, that's a cake!