The Fantastic Three (And Some Bits)

I've been tagged for the Fantastic Four Meme by Scott at Real Epicurean. This requires answers to four questions each seeking four answers. Or at least that's what Scott told me. Now I know I left school after GCSEs, but I did get Grade B in maths and the list I've been given looks like five questions to me. Still, what's the odd question between friends. The only problem for me in answering the five questions is that I've not actually had 4 different jobs, nor lived in 4 different places. But I can certainly say something about 4 vacations, 4 foods and 4 places I'd rather be than sat here at my PC on a hot summer's evening.

4 jobs I’ve had in my life:

I've only ever wanted to be a chef (excluding the mandatory aspiration of a four-year-old boy to become a fireman). Yep, I've only ever worked as a chef.

4 places I have lived:

Proud to declare, I'm Hackney born and bred. My parents split up amicably when I was six, and my mum got a place on the next road along. Since then I've lived with both of my parents, and I alternate between the two on virtually a daily basis (wow, you're thinking, that must be pretty confusing) You get used to it. Plus it's done wonders for my organisation skills. So technically I've lived in two different places, but I still live in both (now that's confusing!).

4 places I have been on holiday:

1. Montserrat - memories include picking and eating tamarind straight from the bushes and catching the coconuts my mum and brother hacked down from the palms using machetes.
2. Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand) - highlights include a mid-meal near death experience when a motorcyclist lost control and careered towards me as I sipped on fish soup at a tiny 5-table street restaurant in Saigon. Luckily the driver veered out of the way just in time and crashed on the ground).
3. New York - ate at Mama Lucia's. No, not the franchise but the little place in Brooklyn famous for being the favourite NY restaurant of opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti (their pollo alla parmigiana was apparently his most cherished dish).
4. Zürich - during a driving tour of Western Europe with my dad and brother, crossed the Swiss border on a flying visit solely for the purpose of sampling the famously sublime local ice-cream.

4 of my favourite foods:

1. Hands down, the top spot has to go to the roast ham we get from Gallo Nero in Stoke Newington. On my deathbed, a slice or two of that ham would unquestionably be my last meal of choice.
2. Christmas dinner! The memories make it. My favourite Xmas meal ever has to be last year's meal, probably because for the first time I did all the work.
3. Pasta with sauce (in general). I'd say I eat it at least three times a week, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner).
4. Lingham's Malaysian Ginger & Garlic Chilli Sauce.

4 places I would rather be right now:

1. In my king size bed with Salma Hayek.
2. Bathing on the sands of Old Road Bay in Montserrat.
3. In Ferran Adrià's secret Catalan laboratory.
4. Behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB9.

I'll pass this on to the following bloggers for their contributions:

Roshani of Living To Eat.
Tschoerda of Dinner For One.
Richard Leader of Superfood.
Chennette of Lifespan Of A Chennette (when she gets back from holiday).