We've just returned from an action-packed weekend at FNCE, and we're pleased to have introduced so many RDs to the ShopWell site. If you're joining us for the first time after meeting us at FNCE, welcome! To help both our new and existing readers get to know the ShopWell team a little better, we decided to answer a few questions about our favorite topic-- food. ShopWell is all about our users' individual preferences and needs, so we thought we'd get you thinking about your food experience by sharing a bit of our own.
Brian Witlin, Co-Founder and CEO
What were your favorite foods as a kid?
Vienna beef hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, and white bread.
Are there any foods that you used to dislike, but now enjoy?
Sushi, wheat bread, avocado, and spinach.
Are there any foods you just hate to eat, or are allergic to?
Tomatoes...yucky! Salmon...bleh! Kettle corn, too.
You find out that you're going to die tomorrow. What would you eat for your last meal on Earth?
Lou Malinati's deep-dish pizza, an authentic Chicago Vienna beef hot dog on an S. Rosen's poppy-seed bun, Gino's cheesesteak, Coca-Cola with no ice, cotton candy, movie-theater popcorn, sugary grapefruit candy, a garlic and a cinnamon pretzel from Auntie Anne's, chocolate-covered strawberries, Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate lava cake, and plain Wonder bread!
Marci Harnischfeger MS RD, Head Dietitian
What were your favorite foods as a kid?
Fresh raisin-pumpernickel bread from our local bakery, Alter's, which has now closed, unfortunately. We used to get it during the morning errands and bring it home to have with a little cream cheese at lunch. Our adopted grandmother used to cut up carrots, celery, and apples, which would always have a slight taste of the hand cream she used after she washed her hands. Green beans. Peanut butter on a spoon. Mayonnaise on bread with luncheon meat on the side. I also liked my food to be neat and tidy, in individual sections. I would usually try any ingredient, but I didn't want them mixed together.
Are there any foods that you used to dislike, but now enjoy?
Amusingly, my dislikes have pretty much stayed the same, but I actually like to combine foods now. I love layering flavors in sauces, casseroles, and stews, or just playing with combinations of sweet, sour, bitter, umami, and salty in sandwiches and salads. When I'm cooking or eating a meal, I enjoy mixing in different, unexpected ingredients to see what new flavors I can create.
Are there any foods you just hate to eat, or are allergic to?
When preparing meals for others, I will happily taste anything to see if I am getting the desired flavor and texture I want in a dish. For meat and dairy options in my own everyday eating, I prefer the sweeter, lighter flavors of chicken, beef, and cow's milk cheeses over stronger, gamey meat flavors, like lamb and goat cheese. For fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain options, though, I prefer the opposite: rich, dark, and bitter chocolate; spicy, rich three-bean chilis; dark, leafy green vegetables; and nutty whole-grain breads.
You find out that you're going to die tomorrow. What would you eat for your last meal on Earth?
Atmosphere has always been very important to me, so I would want to have a variety of food served in my favorite local restaurants when I was growing up. I'd start with a tea lunch at the Silver Tips Tea Room in Tarrytown, New York. I'd drink an iced White Peony tea, and eat scoops of their egg and olive salads and a raisin scone. For dinner, I'd have the French garlic sausage, cheese fondue, and chocolate fondue prepared by my friends Chef Rolf Baumgarten and his wife Verena at Brasserie Swiss in Ossining, New York. I'd also try to sneak in a black-bean-and-cheese burrito on a wheat tortilla with chips and guacamole on the side-- I'd probably make that one myself in the kitchen of my family home.
Scott Golubock, Head of Engineering
What were your favorite foods as a kid?
The obvious stand-out is "Taco Via", a pseudo-Mexican restaurant in Kansas City. After moving to the Bay Area, I realized that Taco Via's cuisine only vaguely resembled authentic Mexican food, but we loved the place growing up. The "salsa" was more like cocktail sauce with Tobasco then actual salsa, but something about it elevated it to an addiction level equal to cocaine or heroin (I'm guessing, of course). Outside of Taco Via, I guess it was just the obvious kids' favorites … pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream. I also loved fried bologna sandwiches on Wonder bread with mayonnaise. And slices of Kraft cheese, the kind with the individual wrappers around each slice. I grew up in Kansas City, so BBQ, of course-- and fresh corn on the cob, which I bought on my way home from school.
Are there any foods that you used to dislike, but now enjoy?
The obvious ones that come to mind are all vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, and brussels sprouts would have all been donated to the dog under the table growing up, but are now delicious if prepared well. Tomatoes are another good one.
Are there any foods you just hate to eat, or are allergic to?
I'm really put off by both eggplant and okra. And I'm not a huge fan of melon or cantaloupe.
You find out that you're going to die tomorrow. What would you eat for your last meal on Earth?
Die tomorrow? Ugh, that's horrible! Honestly, I'd probably do more drinking at that point then eating. I'd make from-scratch margaritas with limes, lemons, agave nectar, Grand Marnier, and top-shelf reposado tequila. When the fresh citrus ran out, I'd switch to Manhattans. And when hunger finally set in, I'd likely polish off an entire bag of Hawaiian Luau BBQ potato chips. It sounds fairly depressing, but appropriate for dying tomorrow, I think. If I was just picking a special meal (as opposed to a last meal), my first choice would be sushi, followed closely by lamb chops or steak.
We want to hear about your favorite (and least favorite) foods! Post your answers to any or all of the survey questions in the comments.
