Angelica and Taylor are cousins who can’t (and won’t) stop eating. They also shoot amazing food pictures. They created an awesome community on Instagram especially popular among Bostonians, chickswithfoodpics. We spoke with the “Chicks” about their passion for food. As a bonus, you’ll find two quick food hacks.
Can you tell us about your favorite childhood food?
Angelica: My favorite dish is anything that involves pasta. My favorite dish growing up was my Nana’s red gravy which my mother now makes and will pass the recipe onto me and my siblings.
Taylor: My favorite childhood dish is anything involving my mom’s chicken cutlets! Even on their own, they’re fried, crispy perfection! Throw them in with some red gravy and mozzarella and you have the best chicken parmesan!
What did food mean to you before the lockdown?
Angelica: Food has always represented love and family to me. We come from a big Italian family who love to eat and show their love through food.
Taylor: As Angelica said, growing up in an Italian family, food is really the way we show our love for one another. Food is the centerpiece of most of our family gatherings so it honestly just brings back a lot of great memories.
How did your food choices change during the lockdown?
Angelica: My food choices have varied throughout lockdown. For a while I was cooking dinner every night but now we order take out a couple nights a week (support your local businesses!). I typically have jelly toast in the morning which is a dish my mother used to make me when I was little and sick so it is definitely a comfort food. Then dinner can vary anywhere from pork chops, chicken breast to something on the grill with a veggie and starch.
Taylor: All we’ve been doing is cooking at home now! Ah so many dishes to clean! During lockdown I’ve been skipping breakfast most days out of a combination of sleeping later and laziness. I do admit I’ve been eating a lot more junk food which I’ve been trying to cut back on. A typical lunch is a salad with some kind of protein. Dinner is usually a meat, starch, and veggies. But again, on some lazy nights a bowl of cereal (or two) is fine by me!
What do you miss the most? What did you discover new?
Angelica: I definitely miss eating at my favorite restaurants and the atmosphere of those places. Although because of all the extra time at home I have taken up trying new recipes, especially anything that has to do with bread!
Taylor: So cliche but I just miss people in general! Being away from friends and family members (even extended family) for more than a week or two at a time is not normal for me. Using virtual platforms has been great to see people like my Nonnie, but it’s just not the same! I’ve gotten back into reading though so that’s been nice!
Do you have a food hack or a 2 mins recipe you can share?
Angelica: I love doing a quick cookie in a mug. Ingredients are below. Mix everything in a mug and microwave for 45-60 seconds depending on wattage of microwave. I like to serve mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Taylor: A food hack I’ve used lately is instead of shredding cooked chicken with a fork, use a handheld beater and it does the work for you in the matter of seconds. Easiest route to chicken tacos!
Don’t forget to follow them on Instagram!
Once again, we thank Angelica and Taylor very much for participating.
