Q&A-time, drop-in questions

I see that many of you still had unanswered questions, so once again I've put aside some time for Q&A. If you have any further questions (and no, I'm not going to tell you my husband's name, or answer any questions about sex, so drop it) please post them in the comments field of this post and I'll get to them as soon as I can. Here we go. I've taken the liberty of translating the questions into English, I hope you don't mind.

What is Titti's favourite fish?
Probably a very good one. My guess is it varies with the seasons, and what she can get her greedy paws on locally. Drop by the kitchen and ask her sometime.

Do you curse a lot in the kitchen?
Hell yeah. No. Just kiddin', dammit. Every so often, when someone drops a plate/pan/glass or stumbles on someone's clever booby trap, we can let rip. Once, I sliced my hand open on a sharp foil. It was heard. By everyone except the KP, who at the end of the evening wanted to know why I was wearing white gloves even after the hot plates had been served. Sometimes, when staff are inattentive, a snide remark can be made (I did), but it's not like we go vulgar and curse each other out.

Do you call Titti "chef"?
Yes, because that's what she is. We believe in calling things by name. I call Miguel dumb-ass on occasion too (with all the collegial love in the world, of course). And sometimes, but not too often because I don't want to inflate his head, I call Igi "boss".

Once I was in the ante-room to the kitchen and I noticed a funny painting of Igi and Titti. Who made it?
The picture of Titti serving up Igi's head on a silver platter is the work of Stefan at Stegra. Quite the artist, he is.

When do you serve afternoon teas?
On Sundays. For more information, check HERE.

I wanted to have lunch at Bloom but when I walked by the door was locked. When are you open for lunch?
We're open for lunch Monday through Friday, 12.00-14.00 by booking only. No walk-in Lilla Torg-chaos here.

If I wanted a job at Bloom, what would I have to do?
Well, start off by sending us an email at info(@)bloominthepark.se (remove the brackets). We've currently got a position open for Chef de Partie, so send Titti an email with your CV and a nice letter detailing why you think you'd be a good addition to the Bloom team. Don't call and pester us during service, please. We'd love to talk to you, just not when we're serving our customers.

I remember Olgas, and if I'm not much mistaken there was a downstairs serving area. What happened to that?
Well, the space is still there, but it currently serves as an office extension/table tennis table storage. I don't know what they were thinking putting people in the basement where there are no windows to speak of. And yes, we ripped out all the aquamarine kitsch.

What sommelier training did Igi have? Everyone says he's sharp as a tack when it comes to wine but when I google him I come up blank.
Well, if you're a-googlin' "Igi Vidal" (or any of the alternatvie spellings of Igi) you're only going to get what's written about him in Swedish press. See, when you're of mediterranean heritage you get a long, complicated name and depending on where in the world you are you get to pick a variation on that name and that's what you're known by. If you're curious (and wondering what the hell I'm on about) ask to see the photo collage above the wine station depicting Igi receiving a wine award.

Who is Titti's sous chef?
Chef André. He's from Berlin and almost speaks Swedish by now. He's quite the comedian - and of course, a damn good chef.

What's your problem with Systembolaget?
My problem with Systembolaget is that it's a damn hypocritical institution which doesn't serve a purpose in a post-1800's democracy. It has nothing to do with selling wine or spirits, it's there to remind you that Big Brother is watching you. Listen to the damn politicians blabbering about removing age-limits from night clubs, hoping to milk even more tax money off dim 18-yr olds rebelling against the taboo of drinking. Well, if they grow a pair and remove the 20 yr age-limit on buying wine from Systembolaget, then I'll believe they're all about equality. As it is, they're making drinking alcohol itself an event, when it shouldn't be. Drinking a damn fine wine, such as the 1953 bottle depicted a couple of posts ago, should be an event - but that's not the kind of wine you drink to get drunk.

Are you related to Tareq Taylor?
No. But I do get the question a lot.

Do you have any special stores or suppliers for high-quality ingredients that you can recommend for home-cooking?
Sure. Go where produce is fresh, like Hoddorna for fish, the little Asian store on Möllan for Asian specialities, Möllans ost for cheese. Actually, explore Möllan for food, that's a good place to start. Asif has the best olive oils around. When it comes to wines, go to people like Wine Trade who source their wines from producers who care about their craft.

That's all I've got time for today, folks. I'll be returning soon with some hot food-world updates, but for now I have an appointment with thirty-three articles on nanotechnology. Did you know it's going to revolutionize the food world? Well, remember where you saw it first. G'night.