Aloha to Amanda Usen and SCRUMPTIOUS

I am a fan of the TOP CHEF franchise - it is now broadcasting its 9th season from Texas on Bravo (at this link).  The killer - the chefs have no written recipes!  They do everything, including dishes they've never made, from memory.   I wonder how today's guest would fare at Top Chef!  Please join me in welcoming debut author of "food romance", Amanda Usen!   From her bio,

When I grew up... I was going to be a poet. After receiving a BA in English and Psychology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, I applied to the top three poetry writing MFA programs in the country. 

*clears throat* 

I didn't get in to any of them.

But while I was waiting for those acceptance letters, I learned how to throw a mean dinner party. All the time I should have spent disciplining myself to write I spent cooking and baking. After a year or so of working on the line in a splendid Nashville restaurant and making the danish in a traditional French bakery, I decided to go to culinary school instead. I met my husband at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY on the very first day of class. After that I was too happy to write soul-torturing poetry, so I began to write what I've always loved to read - romance. I give my characters the life I hope to live... happily ever after with great snacks.

Kim:  Tell us about Western New York - your favorite sight, sound, and smell.

Amanda:  The people are my favorite thing about WNY. It’s a great place to live, and I’m glad we settled here after we got New Orleans out of our systems. My favorite sight is the daffodils blooming after our harsh winters. The thundering sound of Niagara Falls is awesome. My favorite scent is the smell of homegrown tomatoes. My husband gardens, and if we have ripe, heirloom tomatoes, then that means we are in the middle of summer, a very fine time in WNY!

St. Germain's Bakery in Honolulu

Kim:  After reading your bio, I am now hungry for a "danish in the traditional French bakery".    Can you tell us one misconception eaters may have about culinary school?

Amanda:  I’m hungry for that pecan danish every day of my life! It was my job to glaze them when they came out of the oven. If I close my eyes, I can still smell warm apricot glaze mixed with the rich scent of butter, brown sugar and nuts. *sigh* I think the consensus on culinary school is pretty accurate – you can learn to cook anything. My husband and I mastered the basic cooking methods and had resources available to research and experiment with all kinds of food.

Frasier and Roz when the brothers opened their
own restaurant ....

Kim:  Do you draw upon psychology and poetry to write romance?   Do you favor Jung or Freud?  (I'm thinking of the ongoing feud between Frasier and Niles)  Who is your favorite poet and what is your favorite poem?  

Amanda:  I draw on everything I’ve ever learned to write romance. I’m glad I majored in psychology because it helps me develop motivation for my characters. But as for Jung, I probably spent more time thinking about the collective unconscious while reading Jean Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear series than in college. I’d have to go with Freud because the concept of the id, ego and superego really stuck with me. That ongoing feud between Frasier and Niles is rooted in sibling rivalry, right? And since it goes back to jealousy over their mother’s attention and Frasier’s accomplishments, I think that’s TWO for Freud! 

My poetry background comes into play when I’m searching for the perfect word or trying to make words flow in a way that is pleasing to the eye, ear and brain. My favorite poem is Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art.” I love it so much, my high school BFF gave me the framed print when I sold SCRUMPTIOUS. My favorite poet will forever be Mark Jarman, director of creative writing at Vanderbilt University, where I did my undergrad. He encouraged my interest in poetry and helped me find my voice. I don’t often write poetry anymore, but I credit him with helping me give form and beauty to all that college angst.

... Niles and Daphne on opening night.

Kim:  Tell us about SCRUMPTIOUS!

Amanda:  Scrumptious is a hot chef romance about a traveling chef-for-hire and a love e’m and leave ‘em pastry chef.

Here’s the blurb:

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks. But if he thinks he's going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he's denser than a thick slice of chocolate ripple cheesecake. Marly has invested too much of her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else—especially a cocky-as-all-get-out superstar chef. But there's no denying the man knows how to light her fire. Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling the burn?

I gave Joe a piece of every hot chef I’ve ever met and then created a woman who could keep up with him in the kitchen…and everywhere else.

Kim:  What's next for Amanda Usen? 

Amanda:  Edits for LUSCIOUS, the sequel to SCRUMPTIOUS, are almost complete and I’m working on the third book in the series. Readers will find themselves in the heat of a Western New York kitchen with a temperamental Italian chef and the bad boy intent on seducing her away from the stove.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today. I had a great time answering your questions! Too bad it couldn’t have been in person – I dream of visiting Hawaii. Someday…

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto made a
guest appearance on Hawaii Five O.

Mahalo, Amanda, for joining us at SOS Aloha!  Hawaii offers scrumptious food, scenery, and Alex O'Loughlin (who could have been SCRUMPTIOUS' cover model).   

I am giving away Alex, er, SCRUMPTIOUS to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about what is scrumptious to you - French pastry?  Hawaiian malasada?  Alex O'Loughlin?  Scott Caan?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 28, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winners on Sunday, January 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Amanda and SCRUMPTIOUS, check out her website at www.amandausen.com.

Wo Fat and McGarrett square off over tea.
Both are scrumptious!