Amelia is the creative force behind Z Tasty Life blog. As she would say, "I travel. I cook. I photograph. I entertain. I grow my own produce…And I write all about it." Our virtual paths crossed as fellow contestants in last year's Food Buzz Project Food Blog Contest. We dropped out after round six so Justin could be on a reality TV show (Food Network Star - perhaps you've heard of it?), while Amelia made it all the way to Challenge number eight. She is also a busy parent of two primary school boys, who "love cooking with her and will eat just about any food." And, most importantly for this interview, she is married to an "adorable inventor/designer" with whom she loves sharing the kitchen with. In fact, Amelia got our attention by proclaiming "the kitchen is the new bedroom!" We knew at that moment we were like-minded and needed to feature her and her husband as gastrophiles. We hope you find this couple as inpsiring and intriguing as we did.
GD: How did you and your husband meet and what role did food play in your romance?
Amelia: We knew we were good ingredients for each other and that we were meant to blend in a sizzling dish from go!
Todd: We met at work, at a Japanese international trading firm, me shadowing the chairman, Amelia coming from Italy for an environment business joint venture in the US. We were cubicle neighbors. I asked her out a week after we met! Food immediately played a key role, as we both love to cook, and to talk about it. Unlike many other couples in their twenties, we tended to avoid the restaurant/bar scene and have long nights in the kitchen, cooking, laughing, and learning about each other.
GD: What have you learned about each other through cooking?
Amelia: You always need a pinch of spice in every relationship to stir things up. Living together is like dancing a passionate tango (which we did for a short while) or cooking a special meal: you learn so much from each other by respecting your partner, by allowing the other to lead or stir (on occasion), by compromising without renouncing to your character (when necessary), by creating a symphony of moves and flavors, by communicating better, and by becoming one with the other in a beautiful dance/dish.
Todd: Less is more. American style cooking often calls for everything imaginable minus perhaps the kitchen sink. Italian cooking is sophisticated yet, in its purest form, surprisingly simple. Our relationship gains from less ingredients and an emphasis on quality and choice pairings.
GD: We know you like to entertain - who would you invite to your dream dinner party (besides us!)? What would you serve?
Amelia: Artists! If I had my pick it would be some of my mid 1900s idols, like Virginia Wolf, Salvador Dali’, Luis Buñuel, Jean-Michel Basquiat,... I love bringing people from different walks of life together: the more diverse, the more stimulating. Artists generally bring new and fresh perspectives. When we have friends over, we try to mix in a variety of people because a good dinner conversation is a staple of life. For my dream dinner I would serve something classic (an array of Italian vegetables and homemade pastas), presented in a completely crazy, surreal, playful way. Good food, wacky presentation.
Todd: Probably somebody inspiring, like the Dalai Lama. And I would want to cook dinner WITH them, because the most interesting dialogue could happen in the kitchen, during the preparation.
GD: You also love to travel - what has been your most memorable meal away from home?
Amelia: To this day, the best trip we had was actually in Italy, on sailboat, navigating the Eolie islands. The most memorable meal was spaghetti with octopus and barnacles caught that same day in the transparent waters of the Mediterranean sea. We ate it on the deck of the sailboat, under the stars, our skin golden from the sun, in our bathing suits, lulled by the gentle breeze of the ocean.
Todd: One of the meals I remember the most was on our honeymoon. On an island in the Indian Ocean, on a deserted beach, a small restaurant (which we reached by driving a dune buggy through the tropical forest), the chef cooking just for us: a very exotic meal. It was the first time (and probably last) that I tasted fruit bat. We also loved the conch ceviche.
GD: Can you actually taste it when food is made with love?
Amelia: I actually can taste when food is NOT made with love. I love breakfast in bed on special occasions, we cook for our kids all the time to teach them what food made with love means, I go home to Italy to taste food made with love, we look for small restaurants with passionate chefs. On the other hand we despise fast food, chain restaurants and TV dinners. They are just not on our menu, because they are missing that secret ingredient: love.
Todd: Absolutely! There is an attention to detail and a direct correlation to the person who prepared it…which is usually someone we know intimately.
GD: When it comes to cooking or your blog, what are you currently inspired by?
Amelia: The seasons, first and foremost. I feel so giddy when the first [insert fruit or vegetable here] comes out and run home from the market to eat it or cook it. I read many food blogs: there is so much talent out there of like-minded people. I also have a pile of cook books and magazines on my bed side table, that constantly feed my inspiration. I love foods that are also beautiful to the eye, because they become a feast to share with friends and family. Finally, and naturally, I am inspired by my culture, heritage, traditions and travels.
Todd: New flavors that I am not familiar with. I like the challenge of recreating unusual dishes, ones that I did not grow up with, such as Asian flavors.
GD: What’s the secret to keeping your relationship cooking?
Amelia: I think the kitchen is the new bedroom… so much of what is happen when two lovers are in the kitchen is steam, fire and sweet. We spend a lot of time stirring-dicing-broiling, planning meals, going to the market, entertaining. We even prefer to cook for each other on special occasions rather than going out. One of the secrets to our relationship is variety. We are never stuck with one same dish, we embrace our different cultural heritages, we are never bored and are always cooking up something new (never lacking new projects, dreams and plans for the future), keeping the dialogue open and even constructively criticizing, sharing likes and dislikes with each other…metaphorically and in the kitchen.
Todd: Patience, communications, and lots of playfulness: remembering not to take ourselves too seriously.
To learn more about Amelia and get a better flavor for her blog, please check out a couple of her favorite posts: 10 posts from 2010 and one week in Italy.
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