Holly Amos is an animal rights advocate and vegan. She is the author of the full-length poetry collection Continual guidance of air as well as the chapbook This Is a Flood, both from H_NGM_N Books. She lives in Chicago where she is the editorial assistant for Poetry and a poetry editor for Pinwheel.
Here, she talks finding the perfect mac n cheese substitute, her assortment of writing beverages, mix and match cereal, and watching Real Housewives during her final meal.
On her all-time favorite meal:
I grew up in rural Ohio (which seems relevant?) and my mom would make my brother and I Kraft mac n cheese and buttered white bread and we’d eat it while watching The Price is Right. If Plinko was played it was the best day of my life. When I first went vegan, the one thing I craved but couldn’t find was a good-tasting alternative to the old Kraft. If it’s not the straight, thin tubes it’s too fancy for me! Thankfully Earth Balance started making it in both cheddar and white cheddar flavor.
On what the light looks like during her favorite meal of the day:
It’s the weekend and I’m eating avocado tostadas for breakfast outside under an umbrella with sunglasses on so the light is … muffled? The breeze is magic, though.
On snacking while writing:
No usually, but it’s very likely I’ve got one or more of the following depending on the time of day and my mood: chamomile or green tea, water (always water!), tequila with soda water and lots of lime, white wine.
On her go-to late-night snack:
Most recently it was Boca Chik’n Patties which I bought several packages of at a very affordable price at Aldi. But if I’m feeling something sweet I’ll do generic fruity pebbles and soy milk. Can you tell I’m lazy?
On her food quirks:
As a kid I would get up on Saturday morning and sit in front of the cabinet where we kept all the cereal and just STARE at it, trying to pick one. ONE?! ONE?! Then I had the brilliant realization that I could pour one type of cereal on top of another type of cereal and I’ve been doing it ever since. Favorites are raisin bran with fruit loops, cinnamon life with peanut butter captain crunch, and recently Kashi Vanilla Whole Wheat Biscuits with the aforementioned fruity pebbles. It’s basically like putting together a high/low outfit but with cereal.
On her final meal request:
Honestly this is a nightmare question for me so thank you for forcing me to really think about so I’m ready when the time comes. I would like some of each of the following (you can have the leftovers!):
- Buffalo chicken ranch salad from Chicago Diner
- Mac n Yease from Plum in Seattle (the only fancy mac n cheese I’ll choose over tubes)
- Pizza from Kitchen 17 (Chicago! They even do vegan deep dish)
- A couple of salt and vinegar kettle-cooked potato chips
- 1 cake and 1 yeast donut from Mighty-O (also Seattle)
And I would like to eat them all in my home with a new episode of the Real Housewives of New York on the tube. Indulgence upon indulgence. Is it really bad that I want to eat alone so I can give my full attention to this delicious meal someone else prepared while watching (totally entertaining) garbage? At the dinner table when I was growing up my dad would say, “Less talk, more eat,” so blame it on him.
