Taste-ing Tuesday

There's a new cooking challenge show on TV which started last week. The theory behind "The Taste" is that each thing the judges have to work with is a single spoonful of food. They don't know who made it. They don't know what's in it. They don't get the five-minute edited backstory that the audience sees. They just have that one taste to try to decide whether the cook moves forward in the competition or not.

I fully admit that I decided to try to watch the show because it has Nigella Lawson as one of the judges. And... well... I think she's amazing. It also has Anthony Bourdain as one of the judges. And... well... I'm watching it anyway. (Sorry... I know there are people who love him - including some close friends of mine - I'm just not one of them.)

But, anyway, the concept of the show, added to the fact that Christopher and I did a ton of cooking for our gathering last weekend, got me thinking: If I had one hour to make the one thing in my kitchen repertoire that most perfectly defines me, what would it be?

I make a darn fine pie crust, so maybe that would be involved, but what would go in it?

Would some kind of cookies be better? Or maybe scones? And how would those go in a spoon?

Maybe some comfort food would work to describe me - but I don't really have any of my own recipes for that. I mean... I have lots of borrowed and/or adapted recipes, but I don't develop many of my own.

In some strange ways, it seems like these are the culinary version of an "elevator speech." You know, the "How would you introduce yourself to a prospective employer in only the time that it takes for you to ride together in an elevator?" thing.

There's a difference, though, between describing what you do and who you are. I can tell people that I work as an editor, proofreader, and copywriter. And even if I say that, in my free time, I like to cook and bake, they won't know that I also like to dance in the kitchen - or that I once burned my thigh on a hot cookie sheet on my bed. (Long story.)

So... Yeah... A life summarized in a single spoon. I'm not sure how many episodes I'll be watching, but I do know that it certainly got me thinking.

Question: What would your spoon (literal or metaphorical) hold?