7 random things about me

I was tagged recently by The Cooking Ninja to share seven random things about myself and my favorite food. So, here it is.....

1. Cooking is what I do when I need to relax. Others do yoga, I cook. There's something calming about checking what's in my kitchen and making an impromptu meal out of it. Most of the time, I try something new taking inspiration either from a cookbook or from a recent restaurant meal.
   


2. I started collecting books on food, wine and gastronomy and cuisine more than ten years ago and have over 200 in my library. Now, my problem is is finding more shelf space for them.
   


3. I've been an expatriate for over fifteen years now. The places I've lived in are Paris, Napa Valley, Moscow, Santiago, Dubai, Montreal and now Marbella. I always arrive armed with guidebooks and leave with my own little black book of what to do and where to go in every city I've lived in.
   


4. I had my wedding in Napa Valley - the wine country just outside San Francisco. My husband and I chose it because it was halfway between the Philippines and Argentina and in a place that gave a lot of importance to food and wine. It was an unforgettable gourmet wedding weekend that family and friends remember.



5. Bad food puts me in a bad mood. I can't understand how so many restaurants stay open serving terrible food and passing it off for authentic cuisine.



6. When I was about 10 years old, we went to Marine World outside San Francisco. We were watching a whale show and they asked for volunteers from the audience. I was chosen and I leaned over the pool so the whale could jump up and touch my cheek. I used to have a Polaroid souvenir photo but lost it many years ago.


7. I'm the eldest of three sisters and all of us have moved away from home. They both live in Las Vegas and are foodies as well.

As for my favourite food - it would have to be toro (fatty tuna) sashimi or a bowl of spicy noodles.