Pink of Perfection

You may know Adrienne Kane through her wonderful blog Nosheteria, but reading her first book, Cooking and Screaming, you will really get to know her — her humor, her courage, and her love of good food and friends. As I was rooting for her triumph in the first 50 pages, I know I did. Weeks before graduation from Berkeley, Adrienne suffered an AVM that left the right side of her body immobile. But what set her back on course was her love of food, cooking, and of course, writing.

What did you learn about your process as a writer with this book? What advice do you have for others facing a big writing (or other creative) project?

Writing a memoir turned into a very cathartic experience for me, as I’m sure you can imagine. When I initially began the process it seemed very daunting.  At the time, I wasn’t even 30 years old, and was constantly facing the question of—what do I really have to say?  Well, the answer turned out to be, quite a lot!

I think that with this project, much like any major undertaking, it all boils down to just doing it.  It is not so important to think of oneself as a writer, or a cook, or a painter, teacher…  What is most important is to actively do any of those things.  My way of doing that was simply to sit down daily, whether I felt like it or not, and write. My advice to others is to clear the space in your everyday activities, and make sure to pursue what makes you happy.

Tell us what’s happened since the end of the book, when you and your husband were living in NY and he was in grad school.

My husband and I ended up having one exciting 2007-2008.  We were living in New York; Brian was finishing up a post-doc at Columbia University, and applying for teaching positions around the country.  Save for Nosheteria, I was struggling as a virtually unknown, hardly published writer.  I was working at a wine shop as a wine consultant; which is just a fancy title for a glorified salesperson.  Brian interviewed and got a job at Yale; and about one month later, I finally got a book deal.  We made the move to New Haven, CT, early last summer.  Brian toils away in the annals of academia, and I continue my writing pursuits.

What most inspires you (to cook, to create, to write, etc)?

For me, cooking, and being in the kitchen offers a great amount of comfort.  So, I guess what inspires me on a daily basis, is life itself.  When I just have one of those days when nothing seems to be going my way, I take solace in my chef’s knife—and not in the hari- kari sort of way!  Conversely, when I have that little swing in my stride, and that rosy glow in my cheeks, the only thing I want to do is feed others, and hopefully make them feel good too.  Cooking and eating is about community, sharing recipes, sharing nourishment, and sharing time.  What inspires me is having people with which to share those times.

What’s in your fridge right now?

Hhhm, leftover fideo soup, chicken sausage for tonight’s dinner, kale, arugula, a handful of lemons, homemade yogurt (maybe I’ll post on this soon!), and random bits and bobs, like Dijon mustard, soy sauce, milk, cheese, etc. It’s not much—but I never keep much in the fridge because I like to go the market a couple of times per week to poke around.

You write in the book about starting your own catering company in Berkeley and make it look like a cinch. What advice do you have for people with entrepreneurial dreams?

I come from an entrepreneurial family.  My parents owned their own business for years, and my childhood afternoons were spent at work with them, so starting your own business was all that I really knew.  But it’s not easy, and I hope that I don’t give people that impression!  My catering company was a small venture—I had the luxury of working together with my clients, to create the meals that they wanted.  Nosheteria Catering was the ideal segue to get me into the working world.

The advice that I have for others is to be flexible.  There are many times when I was told “no,” or, “we like that…but.” The same goes for the publishing industry as well!  But persistence can really pay off.  Starting your own business is one of the hardest things to do, but it can also be the most rewarding because, hopefully, you are doing what you truly love to do.

What’s your favorite go-to weeknight dinner?

This year I have really been into harissa.  I have a jar that I made sitting in the fridge.  (I guess I should have added that to the “What’s in your fridge?” question.)  So, frequently I make thinly sliced chicken breast cooked in a stovetop grill pan, a bulgur pilaf with chickpeas, and some sort of roasted veg.

How has Nosheteria changed since its creation? How do you keep yourself continually interested and inspired?

In terms of what I cook, I think Nosheteria has changed quite a bit since its inception.  When I started writing my blog I had all of these self-imposed rules set up.  I wasn’t going to take pictures (that was the first to go), nothing too personal (hello, I wrote a memoir), and I didn’t really bake.  Well, the baking is the biggest change.  I now am fascinated with the “yeast arts” and I bake bread or rolls at least once a week.  And who doesn’t love a beautiful pie, some chewy cookies, or an indulgent brownie every now and then? I guess I would say Nosheteria is more equal opportunity now.

Ingredients continually inspire me.  I rarely go to the market with a hard and fast list.  Instead, I go by what looks good, what is fresh, and during these times, what is on sale, and then go home to cobble together a meal.

Finally, which is cuter: puppies or babies?

How about a cherubic little baby giving a fluffy, wiggly puppy a squeeze?