Luisa Weiss writes The Wednesday Chef, a food blog that she calls "a food section face-off" and I call a lovely, lively column about food and life written in a down-to-earth style that's both witty and slightly self-deprecating, yet always warm and genuine. You've heard of comfort food? Well, this is comfort reading ... about comfort food. With pictures! Luisa allowed her to interview her a la the Vanity Fair Proust Questionnaire, and this is what we got. Salud!
Name: Luisa Weiss
Age: 29
Relationship Status: Happily paired with my boyfriend, Ben
Living Situation: With roommates in a Chelsea rental
Job/how do you support yourself: I'm a cookbook editor.
What is your ideal way of spending time: It depends, on the weather and my mood, I guess. In winter, I'm happiest inthe kitchen or curled up on the couch with Ben and a good book or somenot-yet-seen episodes of The Office. In the summer, I love being outsidewith friends - having a picnic, discovering some random hike or beach (Idon't get out of the city enough), or just going on a stroll in the city.
Where were you born? Berlin, Germany
Where do you or would you like to call home? I currently call New York City my home, though with each passing day I'm finding it harder and harder to really imagine myself here for the long run. For one thing, I need more space, more quiet and more green. And yet, I can't entirely imagine myself as a happy suburbanite. So I'm stuck for now. I'd love to move to Los Angeles and live in a little bungalow for a while. With a lemon tree in the yard and palm trees out front. Doesn't that sound like a nice kind of home?
What is it like being you: Hrmm. That's an interesting question. I'm not entirely sure how to answer that. Lately it's been a little tiring being me - lots of work, busyweekends, not enough time decompressing in the kitchen. But it's going to be pretty happy and relaxing being me in about four days - we're off to Bermuda for a friend's wedding, then to Europe for another wedding and a week with my family in Italy.
What are you listening to right now: The hum of traffic on 19th Street.
What did you eat today: Milky tea and a gulp of OJ at home this morning, and a hazelnut flute from Le Pain Quotidien (my go-to breakfast when Ben eats all the cereal at home and I've got nothing left for breakfast).
What is the most exciting thing that's happened to you in the past year: Getting a new job and my trip to Los Angeles in March where I spent a morning at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market with Russ Parsons and Amy Scattergood, and visited the LA Times' food department and test kitchen with Leslie Brenner, the food editor. It's been a good year so far! And it's only May.
Coffee or Tea: Tea.
How did you get involved with food/cooking/writing: I've always loved to cook and bake, and writing has been a hobby of mine since college at least. Two years ago, in a moment of insanity, I decided to start chronicling my journey through my recipe clippings. I'm so so glad I did.
What breaks your heart: Watching old people eat ice cream cones. Seeing other people cry.
What swells your heart: Being with the people I love.
What is the most important thing in your life: Um, the people I love? And trying to find equilibrium in this totally insane world.
What is your idea of perfect happiness: I don't really think that perfect happiness exists - trying to attain it seems to be a sort of futile exercise. Though I imagine that the advent of world peace precisely when I'm on vacation after winning the lottery and giving all of it away to people who need it more than I do would come pretty close.
What is your motto: Don't live by anyone else's standards but your own. Sometimes I have to make myself repeat it a little more forcefully than I would like to.
What is your favorite journey: It's always changing. It used to be flying home to Berlin over the red roofs while I gazed at the skyline. Now? It's dreaming about journeys I haven't yet taken - India, Africa, Vietnam.
What is the best piece of fashion advice you've gotten: Two things: Less is more. And better to spend a lot on one thing you love than to spend a little on many things you just like.
What is it you most dislike: Competition, aggression, dishonesty.
What words or phrases do you most overuse: I'm an English major! I'm always editing myself. (At least I hope so.)
What book(s) are you reading now: Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food and Cormac McCarthy's The Road
Describe your current state of mind: A little foggy (it's Monday morning), but excited - I'm meeting my friend's week-old daughter this afternoon and I can't wait.
Describe the current state of the world: I'm not sure you want to get me started on this. Our world is kind of freaking me out these days. Violent, angry, polluted, mismanaged. The only thing that keeps me going some days is watching The Daily Show. If Jon Stewart can still find something to laugh about, then so can I, right?
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