Claudia Dreifus is in my kitchen today, discussing her thoughts on news, and a few of her latest favorite things—from books to scissors!
Claudia isn’t a mover and shaker in the organic movement (as many Farm Country Kitchen guest are), but she’s a mover and shaker in the journalistic world. She’s a prize-winning journalist (HigherEducationQuestionMark.com) who writes the “Conversation with…” feature in the Tuesday Science section of The New York Times. She’s also an adjunct professor of international affairs and media at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Why is living organic important to you?
I can’t say I’m orthodox organic. To be honest, I try to eat organic when I can; the lifestyle of a journalist on the move makes that difficult. I try to eat and cook “healthy.” It’s not easy.
What was your favorite food growing up?
Ice cream.
What’s your go-to comfort food now?
Ice cream.
What’s the one thing in your kitchen you just couldn’t live without?
A pair of scissors. It’s my most important kitchen tool ever since Trader Joe’s moved into my neighborhood. They freeze so many good things that it’s become the center of my food life. Dinner will involve cutting open a bag of brown rice, cutting open another bag of frozen veggies, adding some of their tofu and then stir-frying.
What magazine, website, book, album, or product are you most obsessed with right now?
The launch of the trade paperback edition of Higher Education?, a book I coauthored with Andrew Hacker. It comes out in August—with statistical updates, a new afterword, and lots of new material. I’m utterly obsessed with it.
What’s the most important news story today that you think we all need to pay more attention to?
Three wars and a tanking economy.
Where do you get your news?
From The New York Times.
Even though this interview was posted under “Random Thoughts”, I’m still a little confused as to why this was published, given that the interviewee doesn’t seem to be as passionate as Maria about organic food and claims to center her diet around plastic-bagged frozen food from Trader Joe. Sorry, but someone had to say it…
I have drawn a free hand curve between both of the points marked ‘9cm’.