Today’s Exec Profile highlights founder Amanda Tien and some lighthearted responses to some “serious” questions.

Culinarian: Gotta get the basics out of the way, major and year?

Amanda: I’m a junior majoring in Creative Writing.  I switched around a lot, but settling on Creative Writing was the best decision I ever made!

C: What’s going on in that picture?

A: My roommate Allison took this of me last year-I’m playing my recently found Gameboy Color.  In case you were wondering, it’s Pokemon Yellow, the best game ever.

C:  Fun!  So to get to the culinary arts…if you could be one food, what would you be?

A: I think if I had to pick one food to be, I’d definitely choose to be a dumpling. In all seriousness, I’d love to be wrapped up in the tender caress of a warm, doughy blanket with some delicious, tender fillings. That means I could also go swimming in wonton broth or even be an Italian “dumpling” (gnocchi, what’s up!) and hit up some tomato sauce. I think I’d probably be tempted to eat myself, though.

C: What’s your favorite foodie memory?

A: My favorite food memory is more like a collection of memories, I’d say. My dad was in the Army for most of my life, and for a few years, my family was stationed in Germany. We used to get to travel to amazing places. Families in the U.S. might go to Cape Cod or take a day trip to George Washington’s house–we’d get to take a weekend to England or go to Greece for spring break. It was a really incredible opportunity.  So when we’d travel, my family often got the most excited about where we were going to eat next. My mom always liked to joke that she speaks “menu,” but it’s true. We’d go anywhere, to these little hole in the wall places in towns where no one spoke English and my mom would pick up a menu and just know what was good to order. There was one place in a little German village and my mom just started explaining the words for fish and cheese and the different sauces, and I was just amazed. I still am. It’s pretty much a superpower.

C: What’s your favorite food-related TV show?

A: I’m kind of obsessed with “Next Food Network Star.” It has all the glam and glitz of “Next Top Model” (albeit it’s Bobby Flay instead of Tyra Banks) but with the soulful food intensity of old school Emeril Lagasse.

C: Lastly, what’s your guilty pleasure snack?

A: Oh, chocolate covered almonds for sure.  I highly recommend them to anyone who’s got a long night of paper writing ahead of them or a difficult problem set.  I like to think that they’re not really “guilty pleasures” since in theory they should be great for both short and long term energy.  The only bad thing is that I always eat my entire box in one sitting ):

Got questions for Amanda?  Have an affinity for chocolate covered almonds?  Share your thoughts in the comments!