What did you have for breakfast this morning?
Three of the bite-size, tiny little croissants they have here at the hotel and two cups of coffee with Reggie Jackson.
All-time favorite food?
Greens and cornbread
What foods do you avoid at all costs?
Unfortunately I'm aging, so I had to give up fried foods. Fried chicken, fried fish, fried pork chops, fried fried fried--I just can't do it anymore.
Favorite cocktail or nonalcoholic drink?
Nonalcoholic: Water. Alcoholic: Absolut on the rocks.
Favorite food celebrity?
I'm traveling with one of one of my favorite chefs--Conny Andersson from the Beverly Wilshire. I always stay at the Four Seasons, where he used to be a chef, so that's how I know him.
Go-to condiment?
The first thing I reach for is black pepper. With fish or chicken--hot sauce.
Best dinner party tips and tricks?
My wife always has our parties catered--she's not one of these people who likes to spend all day in the kitchen.
What's the one thing in your fridge you can't live without?
I'm a traveler, so I'm flexible.
What's the story behind your new cookbook, Morgan Freeman and Friends, Caribbean Cooking for a Cause?
The book started as a fundraising effort for Grenada after Hurricane Ivan devastated that island in 2004. I've been going to Grenada for years--I'm a sailor, and I'd been in the Virgin Islands and heard some reports about the south side of Grenada... great scallops and snorkeling. I went in '93, fell in love with the island and the people, so I have a lot of friends down there and got a call from one of them saying "we need help" after the hurricane. That was the genesis of the book.
What do you eat on planes?
Whatever they got. I don't have any restrictions about eating anything if it isn't fried. And if that's all there is, I'll eat that.
Proceeds from the book are earmarked for the Grenada Relief Fund, established by Morgan Freeman and others in the wake of Hurricane Ivan, and will aid in the building of hurricane-resistant homes on the island, re-educating islanders in disaster preparedness, and training unemployed citizens for new non-agricultural job opportunities.
