Winner of Your Best Mayonnaise-Based Salad

Congratulations to NBrush, whose Smoked Lentil Salad with Sriracha Miso Mayonnaise won this week's contest for Your Best Mayonnaise-Based Salad!

1. Describe an early food experience that has influenced the way you think about food and/or cooking.
When I was in third grade, our family drove to Florida on vacation. On the way back, we dined at Galatoire's in New Orleans; after looking at the menu, I promptly ordered fried chicken. After we finished eating, my father looked at me and asked why I didn't get something more suitable from this fine French restaurant. His comment indeed sparked my interest in eating a broader range of foods.

2. What's your least favorite food?
Water chestnuts -- I don't care for their texture.

3. What is the best thing you've made so far this year?
I seem to enjoying the combination of Sriracha sauce and miso paste a lot and made grilled lamb chops with molasses and Sriracha sauce along with a miso edamame bean puree.

4. Describe your most spectacular kitchen disaster.
I made onion soup once with raisin bread croutons. I thought the raisins might work with the onions and the cheese. The raisins worked, but oddly enough the cinnamon didn't.

5. What is your idea of comfort food?
Leftovers.

6. Apron or no apron?
No apron, but a side towel.

7. What's your favorite food-related scene in a movie?
The opening sequence of the film “Tortilla Soup" with Hector Elizondo -- great knife skills.

8. If you could make a show-stopping dinner for one person, living or dead, who would it be?
Tom Wolfe.

9. You prefer to cook: a) alone, b) with others, or c) it depends on your mood.
I love help when having guests, but don't want anyone around if I'm working on new recipes.

10. When it comes to tidying up, you usually: a) clean as you cook, b) do all the dishes once you've finished cooking, or c) leave the kitchen a shambles for your spouse/roommate/kids to clean.
Fortunately, we have a hard and fast rule at our house. Whoever cooks doesn't have to put away the leftovers nor do the dishes. I like cooking!

Sponsored by Hellmann’s® & Best Foods® Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil - Bring Out the Best.®