Happy Friday everyone! Today’s Food-Friday Twitterview is with Mr. @thymeinrkitchen. So lets get to Tweeting with Matt Weber.
Matt: woohoo! Glad to be here with you Joel
Q – #1 To start, please share with us where you grew up, went to school, and what your interests were growing up.
Matt: I’m originally from Seattle but since being married have lived all over the place. Rexburg, ID, New Orleans, LA
Now I live with my wife and three kids in Farmington, MN. I did my undergrad at BYU-Idaho and MBA at St Cloud State.
Growing up, I loved the outdoors. Hiking, Mtn Biking and Snow Skiing. Always loved to cook as well.
Q – #2 I see. So after you finished your schooling, what kind of work have you done?
Matt: My first job was as a Sales Manager for Schwan Food. Did some marketing for them, which is what brought us to MN
I then did some Project Mgmt Consulting for a few years for UHG, Thrivent and Wells Fargo
Now I’m back at Thrivent Financial as a Business Risk Manager and loving it!
Working for Schwan’s is what moved us all around the country. Moved us to New Orelans the day before Hurricane Katrina!
Q – #3 A numbers AND food guy. So where did the interest in food and blogging about come from?
Matt: Grew up cooking alongside my Mom. She was amazing and taught her 6 boys to be very comfortable in the kitchen.
Blogging came later as I was looking for a way to keep track of everything that I was making and wanted to share
Was originally supposed to be a blog with my mom contributing as well but that never really took off
Q – #4 What elements of food and cooking do you incorporate into your blog?
Matt: I typically try to make more challenging, “gourmet” food but it really just comes down to what I feel like eating!
I like challenging myself to try something new, whether it be a new ingredient or technique that would be fun to learn
We also do a lot of entertaining, so finding new things to share with friends
Q – #5 Can you share a few examples of some new things that you’ve tried lately?
Matt: I made marshmallows for the first time last night! http://thymeinourkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/12/hot-cocoa-and-homemade-marshmallows.html
Also working on perfecting my donut recipe. We throw a donut party each month at our house for friends
I make about 200 donuts at a time and we have about 70-80 people over. Crazy night but fun to experiment on them
Q – #6 A donut party? Sounds like the next #MNFoodBloggers event. (hint, hint). Do you like baking or cooking more?
Matt: You’re not the first to suggest that! I’d say I like baking better. I make all my own bread too. Best.smell.ever
You’re not the first to suggest that! I’d say I like baking better. I make all my own bread too. Best.smell.ever
Q – #7 Now for your FAVORTIE(S): Restaurant, comfort food, vegetable, local chef and national chef. Kitchen tool.
Matt: That’s quite the list… Restaurant would have to be Cafe Levain with @AdamVickerman. Love his food
Comfort Food would be Lasagna – good one with lots of cheese and meat. Veggie would be Asparagus. Grilled to perfection
Local chef I think I mentioned already, National Chef: hmmm. I really enjoy watching @bflay or @altonbrown cook.
I just got a sweet potato ricer from @WilliamsSonoma that I love. I couldn’t live without my KitchenAid though
Q – #8 I have to ask. What did you go though in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit the day after you moved there?
Matt: It was pretty crazy. We had no idea what do to. Just got in the car and drove north. Took 10hrs to get about 2hrs away
Got my family out of there and then I turned around and went back for my 1st day of work! I had no idea..
Slept in my car a few days and then 2 months in a hotel before we found somewhere to live.
I have to say though, after all that we still loved it there. People were amazing and we’d go back in a second
Thanks Joel. It was great talking with you!
@JoelECarlson: That’s some story. Maybe blog some of your experience sometime. Thanks Matt for sharing today. Have a good weekend!
Matt: Thanks Joel. It was great talking with you!