A Copa Con...Tasia Malakasis

This week's installment of A Copa Con.. is one near and dear to my heart. When I was back home in Alabama, I sat down with Tasia Malakasis, chief cheese at Belle Chevre, one of the country's premiere goat cheese creameries. She's also a published cookbook author, and her book Tasia's Table is a combination of her Greek and Southern roots, as well as her experience as cheesemaker. She's also my extremely fun, sweet, young-looking boss. Read on as she answers a couple questions about life, fridge contents and everything in between.

Why cheese?
Because it tastes so good and is so much fun to experiment with - both in the kitchen and in making "new" cheeses

What's something nobody knows about you?
I'm an introvert.

What are five things you always have in the fridge?
Eggs, scallions and some kind of salami or cured meat, wine, sriracha.

What is the hardest thing about running a business?
Communicating my passion to employees. I feel so strongly about it and get so excited our products that I think everyone else must automatically feel the same.

You're an author and somewhat famous for your dinner parties (go you!). But what's the most embarrassing in-kitchen failure that you have ever had?
I tend to be impatient and with desserts you just can't be. I had gotten quite famous for my Creme brûlée with a number of friends who always asked me to prepare it when they were over. They thought mine was just as good as any they had had anywhere in the world - which made my head swell considerably. But one time to show off for a first-time dinner guest I made Creme brûlée and it had not for some reason set. So all I had to serve was a watery dessert. I served it.

Rumor has it you may be vacationing in Basque Country this summer. What one thing are you most looking forward to?
Why, the food, of course!  And the grand personality of one 5-year-old girl to show me around.

What is one thing you would change about where you are from, Alabama?
Hunger. I would eradicate hunger.

If you want to know more about Tasia or Belle Chevre, click on the links. The best cheese around, seriously.

ollie irene : birmingham, alabama

Well...after a two-year absence, I can officialy verify that Birmingham has grown up, a lot.

Last time I was in town, a friend treated me to dinner and drinks at a new restaurant, Ollie Irene. A restaurant that's so new, it doesn't even have a proper website, but does have a proper James Beard nomination (!).

So this time, I went back, to see if I could dig a little deeper than cocktails, pickled vegetables and crostini.

What Ollie Irene really has going for it are the cocktails. Can't tell if it's the general sweet disposition of the bartender, Zach, or his carefully thought out, home-brewed liqueurs that I like more. Either way...his Moscow Mule was really, really good.

The shrimp salad came highly recommended by another barman, and it was crisp, refreshing, and delicious.  Another thing Ollie Irene has going for it are the prices. These plates are steals, people! And especially if you are converting them to euros!!! I mean, that plate of chicken liver pate was as much as two measly ensaladilla rusas!!

But since most of you don't measure your bill in pintxos, suffice it to say that the pate was outstanding. Perfect perfect and served with house-pickled veggies. The gnocchi was ricotta and spring-y.  My dinner date devoured his pub breakfast ($13) before we could snap a photo, partially because I was off chatting with the multitude of cooks that were spending their night off tasting what Ollie Irene had to offer.  The sticky toffee pudding, topped with a cookie and marscapone cream, didn't last long enough for a photo either.

This spot is the real deal, people.

America.

I'm in the United States.

For the first time in nearly two years.

Having trouble adjusting:

Pros consist of: big black coffee, big frozen coffee, spices, margaritas, baked goods, southern accents, sunshine.

Cons are: crappy lattes, lack of seafood (never thought I'd say that), lack of..people (in the street), cars, English, weird schedules...

..from an eating point of view, I have certainly had some special meals. Like at Ma Peche, with an incredible steak tartare and crispy pig's head with lentils.  Or at L'Artusi, with a gamut of delicious pastas, better wine, and amazing desserts. And of course, there's Momofuku Milk Bar, soooo conveniently located around the corner from my friend's upper west side apartment.

All that to say that, if you note a lack of Basque postings, now you know why. But you can follow me this week on the BasquesAbroad twitter if you want. Te echo de menos, país vasco!