Frequently Asked Questions
What’s with the name of the blog? Vmac? What’s that?
In high school, some very creative friends of mine came up with the nickname V-mac, a play on my first and last name. It’s like J-Lo. Ooh, boy, I’m kind of embarrassed to even make that comparison, but there you have it.
Anyway, when I knew I would be moving to San Francisco and going to culinary school, inevitably people would ask about what I was going to name my restaurant, or when I would get a show on the Food Network. I never wanted to be on FN, but my only answer for the restaurant question was that I would open a place with really simple, well executed comfort food, and call it VMAC and Cheese, after one of my favorite indulgences. I can’t say that that restaurant will ever materialize, but using the moniker for my blog name seems as good a use for it as any.
Ooh, do you make good mac and cheese?
I like to think so. I make it every year as a Thanksgiving side dish, and occasionally on cold rainy days, too. And I can make it however you want: super creamy; drier and more casserole like; with breadcrumbs; without; with salty pig parts; with lobster, whatever. There’s still a very heated debate in my household about whether smaller pasta shapes, like elbow macaroni, or larger shapes, like rigatoni, make for a better mac. Someday I’ll hold a mac and cheese tasting council and let everyone vote on it. Then, we can all finally sleep at night.
So, are you originally from the Bay Area?
Nah. I grew up in Austin, Texas, and lived there for 18 years until moving to Los Angeles for college. From there, I came to San Francisco. I’ve been here ever since.
Austin, wow. I hear such great things about Austin! Isn’t it just like San Francisco? Why’d you ever leave it?
Um, no. Some similarities, but no. I left for the same reason most people leave the places they grow up: to embark on a new adventure.
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
No one specific thing. If you cook well, your favorite thing to cook is whatever sounded good to you that day.
Yeah, but everyone has ONE THING that they’re really good at making. Right?
Okay, okay. If pressed, I’ve been known to get compliments on my guacamole, and my pastas — both fresh and dry. Actually, all manner of comfort foods seem to come easily to me. I’m a total fat kid at heart.
In culinary school, do you specialize in something? Like Asian cuisine or baking?
Most schools have it set up so that you are either a culinary arts student, a baking & pastry student, or a hospitality management student. I focused on culinary arts, though my program did have several weeks worth of baking and pastry courses. I probably can’t make your wedding cake, but I can make you some damn fine petit fours and tarts.
You do test all of your recipes, I’m assuming? If I make it exactly as you explain it, it’ll be the best thing I’ve ever cooked, right?
Um, yeah. Not exactly. I’m no Ruth Reichl, and I don’t have the budget or staff to test all of my recipes 12 times (though don’t get me wrong — huge Ruth fan over here!). I very often DO make notes as I go along, and am quite adept at remembering exactly what I did as I cooked. Usually, if I decide to feature a recipe here, I will immediately write down what I did after I finished cooking, so I don’t forget anything key. And if it makes you feel any better, I am a published recipe writer, so it’s not like I’m making the amounts up or something. The jotted scribbles, the mental notes — it’s the same way I used to develop recipes when I freelanced features for a newspaper.
In any case, here’s the thing with recipes: they’re just guidelines! Perfected recipe or not, don’t ever feel like you have to stay on the path a recipe is giving you. If you want to improvise, or something doesn’t look right, go with your gut feeling. It’ll make you a better cook in the long run anyway.
Why/How did you get interested in design?
Same as with food, if I think back, I’ve always loved beautiful interiors. As a kid, I used to move the furniture in my room around all the time; once my mom came home and I had switched my bed out for the one in our guest bedroom, and completely reconfigured my room (luckily, she was okay with it!). I think all of the things I like to talk about on the site — food, wine, design, pretty things — fall in to the same category of a love for the good stuff in life. We’re only on this planet for so long. Why not surround yourself with beautiful things, swoon-worthy food and lovely people?
Can I use some photos from your site?
Just check with me first. You can contact me at vmac56 {at} gmail {dot} com.
Hey! I see one of my photos on this site and it’s not attributed to me!
Alright, keep your pants on! Occasionally, I find images off the Internets for this site. If you want an image taken down or linked back to you, just email me. I’m happy to do it.
I really like to cook too, and I’ve always dreamed about going to culinary school. Is it right for me?
Only you can answer that. But, I’d be happy to talk to you more about my experiences and about what exactly you’re interested in. Just shoot me an email.
