5 Things to Eat Before You Die
The Traveler's Lunchbox has started a "challenge" (aka "meme") after seeing a BBC viewer poll. It was interesting, and quite daunting to be truthful, to see some other food bloggers desires. There were quite a number of unusual and "high culinary creations" that were listed. When I first read the "challenge", the first thing that came to my mind were good "comfort foods" that always eased my soul and brought back some delicious memories. Simple but good. Down to earth, but heavenly tasting.So...here are my 5 humble submissions. Oh...by the way, I am in no hurry to get these things served up to me "any time soon!" Just thought I would set the record straight on that!
1. An incredible "Peanut Butter Mousse Ball" dessert that I had at Farallon a couple years back. I STILL dream of that. It was created by the legendary pastry chef Emily Luchetti, who also created some amazing desserts that I munched on at Jeremiah Tower's "Stars" in San Francisco many moons ago. But, back to this mouthwatering monstrosity. It was a little bit smaller than a softball. It was Peanut Butter whipped up to a slightly thickened "mousse" texture enveloped with hardened chocolate with an oreo-type cookie crust bottom. It was the dessert that dreams and thick waists are made of. (This reminds me, I should write to the LATimes or Bon Appetit to see if they could get the recipe for this....)
2. New England Clam Chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. The WHITE chowder...none of this "fake" red Manhattan stuff. Simple. Satisfying. Brings back memories of childhood and cool evenings sitting out by the Bay watching the lights twinkle on the Bay and Golden Gate bridges. And, a prerequisite is that it comes with Pilot Crackers, too.
3. Waygu Beef. Admittedly, I don't eat alot of meat, but several years back at the Fancy Food Trade Show up in San Francisco, I stopped off at a booth from Gary Yamamoto and sampled some of his Waygu Beef. (Usually known as Kobe beef, named after the Preficture that the Japanese cattle were known to have come from...) Oh...My...Goodness. I had to be dragged away from the samples because I have never known meat to simply melt in your mouth with a buttery flavor. I could go for that taste again...in a BIG way.
4. Montmorency Cherries from Door County Wisconsin. For the BEST "sour" cherries there is NOTHING like the Cherries grown in this section of WI. I HIGHLY recommend those from Country Ovens. Sweet. Tart. The flavor really holds up through cooking and are "addictive" when just popped in one's mouth.
5. Freshly made Maple Syrup poured over snow. OK...laugh. But as a child this was THE greatest, tastiest adventure (other than my mom's blueberry pie she made with the blueberries we picked ourselves) that I always looked forward to. The first major snowfall we would be bundled up and trundled over to Vermont to partake of this New England/Canadian Culture Culinary Habit.
In Quebec (as well as extreme eastern Ontario), the process has become part of the culture, and city folk often go to the cabanes à sucre in early spring, where rustic meals are served with maple syrup-based products. Tire sur la neige, also known as "sugar on snow," is a seasonal treat of thickened hot syrup poured onto fresh snow then eaten off sticks, like taffy, as it quickly cools.Ahhh...memories of childhood. Actually, anything Maple Syrup starts my saliva glands going. Come fall season (when the green leaves turn slightly brown here in Santa Barbara) I start getting itchy for the beloved sounds of "tink. tink. tink. tink." of sap collecting in tin buckets. The harbinger of news that maple syrup will soon be on it's way.
So. That was my list. What's YOURS?
My grandma used to pour cream and vanilla over snow!
Posted by
Unknown |
Sun Sep 03, 10:16:00 AM
Wow you really meant real snow! How interesting! And like you, I'm not a big meat-eater but wagyu beef is soooo good! We're actually havinh a wagyu grill-fest this sunday to celebrate my friend's pregnancy/birthday. :) Great list!
Posted by
christine |
Sun Sep 03, 08:44:00 PM