By day, Laura Leu writes racy and hysterical articles for magazines like Time Out New York and Maxim.  But don’t let her tales of awkward sex  fool you – underneath the words lies a sweet Wisconsin girl who loves cheese, pickling her own veggies and decorating her adorable apartment in New York City.

Recently, Laura added a new adventure to her many (which includes cheerleading each year at the Coney Island hot dog eating contest) and it’s the ultimate DIY undertaking.  Along with her boyfriend, she is trying to eat a meal from every  nation on the planet without leaving New York City.  With a catchy name – The Navigeaters – and big appetites they’ve set out to bring world cuisine into their lives for less — which is something we, as penny-pinchers who love food, fully appreciate.

We talked to Laura about her inspirations for home, how you can bring the food of the world to your table, and how you stay in shape when your blog requires you eat…constantly.

1.) Your blog, Navigeaters, is one of the best ways I’ve seen to take something expensive and turning it on its head.  What do you suggest for someone who might want the same adventure but can’t get to NYC?

While it certainly helps to live in a city that has a United Nations headquarters, I do believe that even if you live in the most white-bread town in America, there are always ways to eat new and exciting ethnic cuisines. Who needs restaurants when you can search for recipes online and make the dish yourself? Of course, you may have difficulties finding certain ingredients, like yak meat if you’re cooking Tibetan yak sha momo but that’s what internet meat shopping is for. Also, talk to people—we all have ancestral roots, and cooking traditions are often passed down from generation to generation. Maybe your friend learned how to make meatballs from her Swedish great-aunt or has a local grandmother who can still whip up a feast from the old country.

Finally, get thee ass to church. There are thousands of churches in the U.S. that minister to multi-cultural populations, and food is a huge staple of church gatherings (helloooo potluck!), so it’s a great way to sample foreign fare. That’s how Adam and I found a Finnish tart we were looking for. And all we had to do was sit through an hour-long church service preached entirely in Finnish!

2.) What is the craziest thing you’ve eaten so far as part of your Navigeaters adventure?  What is the craziest thing yet to come?

For our gastro-journey to Korea, we ate sannakji (aka “live octopus”), a plate of tentacles so fresh they’re still squirming and suctioning when you’re chewing them. It didn’t taste bad, but it was an odd sensation to feel the food in your mouth fighting back. Eating guinea pig (for Ecuador) was also a bit disturbing. As for what’s to come, well, we still have 185 counties to hit, so who knows. We’re currently trying to find feseekh, an Egyptian dish made of rotting fish that’s eaten during Sham El Neseem, a spring celebration on April 5. But so far, no dice.

3.) You’re also quite a fan of the “hot dish.”  What’s your favorite recipe?

I grew up in Wisconsin, where hotdish (outsiders call it “casserole”) is as much a part of our culture as ice-fishing or talking smack about the Chicago Bears. Newbies should start with the tater tot hotdish, because it’s delicious and easy and you’ll be hooked with one bite—it’s like the gateway drug of hotdish. A while back, I entered a casserole competition with a dish I called “The Heartland Hotdish.” Its main ingredients are brats, cheese and beer (“the best of the Dairy State on one plate!”), and it’s topped with a crunchy layer of onion rings. It didn’t win, but I always get praise when I make it for dinner guests—right before they drift off into a sodium-induced food coma.

4.) What is your favorite food to pickle? Any tips and tricks for those who want to do their own pickling at home?

Spicy pickled green beans are my favorite (they’re great in a bloody mary!) I didn’t realize how easy at-home pickling was until I watched my step-mom do it one afternoon. Simple recipes involve very few ingredients (vinegar, salt, spices and whatever food you’re pickling), a little bit of time, and equipment (jars, lids, canning bath. etc.). For beginners, I recommend this book, which has been a really great resource for me.

5.) You are also in super shape, which should give women everywhere hope that you can eat as many corndogs as your heart desires and not lose your waistline. How do you balance your love of food with a healthy lifestyle?

I exercise about four to five times a week, but in no way do I like doing it. In fact, I’m distrustful of anyone who claims to like working out. But here’s my (very sad) exercise secret: I work from home and don’t allow myself to watch any daytime TV (lest I get sucked into a vortex of watching court shows all day), so if there’s a show I want to see, the only place I can watch it is on the treadmill TV at the gym. So come 4 o’clock, when Oprah, Ellen and Tyra are on (the trifecta of talk shows!), I’m lured to the gym like a moth to a 13-inch LCD screen.

6.) What are some of your favorite easy home decor projects?

I love the circus, so I designed my kitchen to have that same fun, vibrant feel. I call it “circus chic.” My favorite decor project from that room is a hanging table centerpiece that I made as an homage to the trapeze. I drilled two wooden dowels and hung them by ropes from the ceiling—right above my dinner table. Then I placed a glass shelf between the dowels and topped it with a bunch of mismatched candle holders that I sprayed painted silver for uniformity.

7.) What are some of your favorite homemade gifts for family and friends?

Food is love, in my book. I tend to give a lot of baked goods (maple-bacon cookies are my specialty), but for Christmas this year, I gave some naughty & nice-themed canned goods: spicy pickled green beans (“Mean Beans”) and strawberry jam (“Berry Good”). I’m also a big fan of writing ridiculously corny poems for people I love. The cheesier, the better.

8.) Wisconsin must have a lot of women who enjoy crafting. Do you find you’re more inspired there or in NYC to be domestic?

The only reason I’d be more inspired to craft in Wisconsin is having more space to do and store things. Did I mention my mom has a huge room reserved specifically for rubber stamps?
9.) Speaking of Wisconsin, any good cheese tips?

Eat what you love! Unless what you love is soy cheese. Also, if you’re ever in Wisconsin, you have to try the cheese curds. They’re mild nuggets of baby cheddar cheese that squeak when you eat them, and it’s very hard to find them outside of the dairy state. I once attempted to make them, which was more of a science experiment than a culinary adventure. It worked…sorta.

10.) What are some of your favorite Web sites – for travel, food, all things crafty and everything in between?

I love my sister Sarah’s vintage etsy store and blog. She’s got an eye for the old and odd and makes even the weirdest garage sale finds look like it should be hung in a artist’s loft in Soho. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t want this awesome taxidermied elk leg? She also designs jewelry and agreed to turn the guinea pig teeth I kept from my Ecuadorian meal into a necklace. I’m pretty pumped for that. Family bias aside, I also love Afar for travel, and for food I go to  TaxiGourmet, EatingInTranslation, TheGirlWhoAteEverything and the podcast TheSporkful.

11.) What’s next for the never-predictable Laura Leu?

Well, I’m looking forward to a puppeteer class that I drunkenly bid on (and won) in a silent auction.

As for Navigeaters, Adam and I always have some gastro-journeys in the cooker. Right now, we’re planning to hit Malaysia, Jamaica and Egypt…if we can find that Feseekh. So if any Egyptians are reading this and want to invite us to their Sham El Neseem celebrations, we’ll bring the hotdish!