Kevin Hoskins Eats Out.

Kevin Hoskins at Moby Dick

Kevin is one of my friends that agrees with me when I say – “Tripe sounds good today”. How many people can you say that about in your life? He’s a great cook. He likes things simple. One of my favorite things Kevin has ever made for me are his Black Olive Cookies. I probably get them about once a year – which isn’t nearly enough. They are rich from oil-cured black olives and have a great balance of sugar and salt. He confesses his love for Lemon Cake here – and this past year for his birthday I got to make him one. I don’t know if it matched up to his Aunts – but I think it satisfied his craving. Kevin is currently part of the team that brings you the weekly party Some Thing (the art, drag dance party) at The Stud.

What is your favorite dessert?

Hmmmm… My aunt always made a lemon bundt cake with lemon juice and powdered sugar frosting for my birthday. It was simple and refreshing. I love semi-sweets. When I do bake its usually olive cookies. And when the first strawberries come in around February when they have flavor but it hasn’t gotten warm enough for them to be sweet, I love dipping them in sour cream and brown sugar.

What restaurant would you call your home?

I just ate at Zuni Cafe and realized how much it is like my home. I’m friends with like half of the staff. Unfortunately its not exactly like my home since I don’t have a wood oven to roast my broccoli and cauliflower with my pork chop. It always inspires me to cook simply and a little out of my comfort zone.

What is the strangest thing you’ve eaten?

When I was fifteen I went on a student exchange to Kazakhstan. A Kazakh version of a toast is centered around a roasted goat head. The host hands a piece of the head to you with choice words and you eat it. My last night there – my host father gave me and my host brother each an eyeball saying he hoped “we would be such great friends that we always see in the same direction.” Eyeballs aside, I am always looking for Central Asian food, and I’d love to not have to go to Coney Island or Beijing to find it.

What was your favorite breakfast cereal as a kid?

My sister ate Golden Grahams, and the smell really grossed me out. So I liked Corn Bran, or when I was on vacation, Cap’n Crunch Berries. My sister and I were allergic to milk, so we used Mocha Mix which also may explain why I didn’t need sweet cereal. It was sweet enough.

What is your favorite food to pig-out on after the club?

If my neighbor is up, I like to go to his house and make baked eggs. I don’t mind cooking them, but I like him to clean the ramekins.

Kevin and I at an art opening in NYC, 2004