Reading:
Looking at my bookshelf- some of what I see include Cervantes,
Whitman, Steinbeck, Flannery O'Connor, Confederacy of Dunces,
Margaret Atwood, Douglas Adams, Sherman Alexie, David Sedaris and
lots of books on urban planning, poltics, economics, history,
philosophy and much other non-fiction. Over the years I've forced
myself to read some of the classics, but I know I'll probably never
empty the canon.
Generally I don't like Horror or Musicals, and I'm a comedy snob-
many of the most popular comic actors today I think are not funny.
I can often intuit whether I'm going to like a movie or not. I'm
open to independent and documentary films a bit more than most
hollywood stuff (hollydreck?)
Music- So much, and genre labels are unhelpful and often out of
date. "Soul/ Neo-Soul", "Funk", "Hip-Hop without rap" "Rock
(Southern, Indie, Pop, Blues, Metal)" "Jazz", "Reggae" and other
genres from Africa and Latin America. I like music made by people
and their instruments, by bands. Some computer geherated music is
ok but it's not usually the same. Also some symphonic/orchestral
music, but I prefer small ensemble classical better. I like to feel
and hear the bass, I like the brass (horns), I like multilple
guitars. Drums and the all-important rhythm and the sound of an
appealing or at least distinctive singing voice are among the
things I listen for in music. I'm also a sucker for a powerful
melody or evocative mood. I have a small amount of musical
training, so I'm sometimes impatient with something that's
carelessly done. I don't know, maybe it's easier just to go down a
list of artists. Maybe later.
Food: The main thing is sourcing, namely how well something is
brought into being as food. I'm quite Northern Californian in that
way, although I am very far from the best informed on these issues.
Individual dishes I most prefer include cornbread, raw oysters,
cooked oysters, more shellfish, homemade meatballs and tomato
sauce, grass fed beef, green salads, asparagus, jerk chicken,
empanadas, rye bread. I cook but don't bake much.
I'm not a vegan or vegetarian as you can tell, but I can definitely
eat that way and respect those people who do it full time. Cuisines
that like in general include so-called Californian, other regional
American, Bistro French, Pan-Mediterrean, Caribbean, various Latin
American, Spanish, Vietnamese, Sushi, and Tapas/Small plates.