Ever wonder what other foodies are thinking? Me too!

1. What is the name of your blog? A Plum By Any Other Name

2. Could you describe your blog in one sentence? It touches on the origins of food and joy of cooking and, with any luck, offers a little comfort when the pot of life boils over.

3. How did you get into food blogging? An ex-boyfriend had been urging me to do it for over a year. I finally got up the nerve and decided I’d try to blog once a week for a year and see what happens. Now I can’t imagine not having it. It forces me to try new recipes and I’ve definitely developed into a better, more versatile cook because of it. I’ve also met some really wonderful people in the process.

4. What’s the toughest part of writing about food? Going easy on the sweets. Since I don’t do a lot of measuring when I cook, it’s more difficult to recreate savory dishes unless I am writing down ingredients as I add them. Baking doesn’t allow for improvisation, which makes for a much easier recipe for readers to follow. And who am I kidding: I don’t really need an excuse to bake a cake. This becomes an issue when you live by yourself. I’ve definitely found myself eating cake after midnight and before 8 am. I may eventually need to check myself into the Betty Crocker clinic.

5. What’s been your favorite food moment? About a year ago I met Ming Tsai in Nantucket. I was with some girlfriends at a late night burger joint and he walked in. We ended up sharing cheese fries. And by sharing I mean I was taking them off of Ming’s plate and shoving them into my mouth. I gave him my blog business card and he immediately made fun of how long my blog name was. He was beyond nice, and very gracious with his fries.

6. Do you have a top restaurant? If so, what’s the name and is there an item you generally order? Right now it’s Hungry Mother. They have southern-style food and a great vibe. Their menu changes often and I have yet to find a dish that I didn’t love. I typically saddle up to the bar and order a cocktail, a first course item, and then head straight for dessert. Their No. 43 cocktail is like a southern Manhattan; it has rye, port, maple syrup and bitters. Those go down pretty easy. As for a food item I generally order there … three words: get the cornbread.

7. What’s one U.S. city you’d travel to just for the food? I have yet to go to Seattle. I’d go just to try fellow food blogger Molly Wizenberg’s restaurant, Delancey. I love her stories and her recipes are top-notch.

8. Is there a food you absolutely despise? Gosh. I don’t think so. I’m an equal-opportunity eater. Though, I’m not terribly crazy about sea urchin.

9. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten? I went on a date to Coppa in the South End and it didn’t occur to me until the next day that our entire meal was comprised of mostly organ meats. We had cow’s brain ravioli, beef heart sausage, and I think there were sweetbreads in there too. It was delicious. And I guess you could call heart sausage romantic.

10. Are you more likely to stick with what you know, or do you try something new each time? I tend to try new things when I go out to eat, particularly things that I wouldn’t cook myself. (Ha, see question above.) Though there is one exception. Matt Murphy’s pub in Brookline Village has the best lamb sandwich. I look forward to the same thing every time I go there: brown bread and butter, a bottle of their house merlot, and the lamb sandwich with French fries dipped into their homemade ketchup.

*Picture and image provided by A Plum By Any Other Name