Learn a few more languages, preferably useless ones. I have good French, so-so Spanish and German, enough Italian to read a menu, opera libretto or newspaper. Currently working on Finnish and Basque.
My "Go-to" dinner party dish:
I don't recall the last time I brought a dish to a party. I have called out for pizza - pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives, that is.
My favorite comfort food:
From my Romanian ancestry, mamaliga, a type of cornmeal mush. Served with a pat of butter and cheese, preferably brindza, but feta or even romano will do. Italians who are used to polenta understand this, but everyone else thinks we're crazy for liking this stuff.
My top 5 favorite restaurants:
Scaramouche, Peter's Chun King (I don't care what Joanne Kates thinks), Anatolia, Jerusalem, and the Mogul Indian Restaurant (although it is long since gone, IMHO it has never been replaced).
My most tattered cookbooks:
Roden - "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" Yan "The Yan CanCook Book"