Food Blogger Spotlight: Adam Roberts

For this week’s Food Blogger Spotlight, I’m chatting with Adam Roberts of Amateur Gourmet. A New York law student turned foodie to the extreme, Adam does it all – he cooks, he bakes, he reviews restaurants and then writes about it all. Since he started his blog almost six years ago (!!), Adam has written a book and now hosts his own show on Food2. If that’s not success as a blogger, I don’t know what is.

Please welcome Adam!

We all have staples that we couldn’t live without. What three ingredients do you *always* have in your kitchen and why? I’m not talking snacks like chips and hummus, but rather ingredients you use all the time in your cooking.

1. Olive oil—because it’s a great fat that works in pastas and salads; you can coat vegetables in it and roast them, you can even use it in cake (see the Olive Oil Zucchini cake on my blog for proof.)
2. Kosher salt—doesn’t seem that important, but salt is probably THE most important tool you have to make food taste great. I love the texture of Morton’s coarse Kosher salt. It’s harder to find that in just regular kosher salt, but I love the largeness of the crystals.
3. Butter—again, fat. But fat is what makes food taste good! I keep sticks and sticks of unsalted butter in my fridge so I can bake, make scrambled eggs, saute mushrooms, etc, all on a moment’s notice.

Imagine you moved to the smallest apartment possible – a shoebox, really – and you only had room for a single cookbook. Of all your cookbooks, which one would you keep? Why do you love it so?
A single cookbook? I think even the world’s greatest cookbook would get tiresome after a while. Even though it’s not glamorous or even something I cook from often, I think “The Joy of Cooking” would probably prove the most useful.

When you’re looking for new recipes (or creating one of your own), what is your number one priority? What makes you pick one recipe over another?
I think the secret to success in choosing a recipe is trusting your craving. So if you’re craving meat and then you go vegetarian, that won’t be as satisfying as making a big pot of chili. It sounds simple, but I think too many people deny their own cravings–for reasons of diet or fear of disapproval (trying to cook something fancy to impress, instead of something you actually want)–and that’s usually what leads to the most disappointment.

Blogs have the potential to be so many things, from personal journals to outrageous adventure reports. What is the most important thing you put into your blog, and what is the most important thing you get out of it?
I think passion and enthusiasm are not traits you can manufacture; if you are truly passionate about your subject, that’ll shine through the text and really grab your readers. So be passionate. And in terms of what I get out of it, I have this amazing document of meals, friends, adventures and stories–six years worth!–to go back and visit forever and ever more.

Thanks for stopping in, Adam!

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Here are a few of my favorite posts from Adam’s Blog:

• Steam-Scrambled Eggs
• Condoleezza Rice Pudding with Berries of Mass Destruction
• Devil’s Chicken Thighs with Braised Leeks and Dijon Mustard
• Janet Jackson Breast Cupcakes (which then got picked up by CNN) – oh god, I remember reading this story when he first posted it. I can’t believe this was SIX FREAKING YEARS AGO.