When I meet somebody new and they find out I work in food one of the first things they ask me is what I like to eat. I think they are expecting I am going to name some rare cheese that costs $50 an ounce and is matured in a volcanic cave under the ocean. They would be disappointed.
I do love food, but I am one of the plainest eaters around. I could have toast every morning for breakfast and be happy...on white bread...from the supermarket. I do not care for truffles, caviar or sea urchin which statement usually prompts a colleague to insist if I just try this specific kind or this specific preparation that it will change my mind. It won't. That's OK. I'll spend my money on good champagne instead. That...I like.
This is not to say I don't appreciate good quality or that I won't spend a little more on certain things that I really like. Last year I was gifted a bottle of smoked olive oil and loved how it could transform simple boiled lentils or greens so I bought some as Christmas gifts this year. It's just that I equally love such inexpensive plain things such as beans so much that I have been known to eat them straight out of a can in very generous amounts. I'm not planning to wrap those up as a gift anytime soon.
So I thought I would draft a short list of 10 of the foods I like the best and why. In no particular order and for the amusement of all:
1. Elderflower liqueur/syrup:
It is such a unique floral-ish fruit-ish flavor that can stand up to strong flavors, like gin, but also blend with more delicate flavors without overpowering them. Delicious in a cocktail, mocktail or fruit salad. Yummy.
2. Beans:
Beans really do have their own flavor. Vaguely nutty and earthy, I find them so satisfying and hearty. Cooked from dry or just from a can, I like them all. I also appreciate the huge difference between the firm chickpea, the creamy pinto bean and the slightly starchy black bean.
3. Peanut butter:
It's sweet. It's savory. It's creamy. Sigh...I love it. I have it in oatmeal or toast for breakfast, with an apple for a snack and for dinner I have come to adding spoonfuls to my barbecue sauces, stir frys and Thai curries. It gives lovely body to the sauces and a rich mouth feel. I don't really go for the oil-on-top stir peanut butters as I find they can taste like dirt but I love how the bigger brands are making a natural version with just a few simple ingredients but still emulsified. I can find a way to eat some everyday.
4. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese:
The king of all cheeses in my opinion. I took my love of Cheddar to a new place when living in Dublin and have found it is one of the cheeses that has really exploded in terms of varieties offered. There are farmhouse Cheddars, Irish Cheddars, aged Cheddars and the choice of mild, sharp, extra sharp and extra extra sharp in both white and orange. I do single out the extra sharp as the top choice for the face that it is creamy while still a bit firm, slightly crumbly and melts like a dream.
5. Orange colored artificially flavored snack foods:
That's right. Doritos, Cheetos, Cheddar flavored potato chips, Popchips and rice cakes, Combos, Orange soda...I realize the word "food" should be used loosely with these, but they are such a guilty pleasure that I can not shake. It may all stem from a severe childhood allergy to food coloring where I couldn't have the majority of processed foods. After I grew out of it, I couldn't get enough. It's a rare treat now, but I still love them.
6. Gummy and chewy candies:
I have plenty of fillings thanks to this love. Haribo is a brand of particular enjoyment of gummies but I will also go for the candies from Chinatown, Starburst, gum drops, jelly beans and the old fashioned Tootsie roll. It's all good. I once received a college care package of animal crackers and a 5lb bag of gummy bears. So. Good.
7. Ice Cream:
I have lots of childhood memories associated with ice cream. Maybe because growing up in Winnipeg, summer was a VERY special, and short, time. I remember how my grandfather loved maple ripple and would make himself a big bowl when he thought my grandmother wasn't looking. We had a little ice cream shack at the base of a bridge you would walk on with your ice cream (called, appropriately enough, The Bridge) and they would roll your entire vanilla cone in crunchy rainbow nonpareils or dip it in a hard chocolate shell. At the beach, we always stopped at the end of the day to get a cone. My sister once got blue raspberry and it turned her whole mouth bright blue. I always got bubble gum which had real bits of gum mixed in so you could squirrel the gum bits in the side of your mouth and when the ice cream was gone you could chew your saved gum. I could love it for the memories but also because, who are we kidding, it is delicious! Rich and creamy, smooth or crammed full of chunks, topped with fruit or hot fudge sauce, I always have a compartment in my tummy for a serving or two.
8. Bourbon:
I've only recently come to enjoy bourbon. I never really liked any hard liquor as I found I couldn't sort out a discernible flavor from the intense fumes, very different from wine and beer. I started working more often with people who really enjoy bourbon and were gracious enough to share a taste with me. Bit by bit and sip by sip I started to taste the different flavors and enjoy the nuances between different distilleries. Now I enjoy bourbon more than beer.
9. Pickles:
I'm not only talking about a cucumber pickle. Beets, green beans, carrots, onions, ramps, hot peppers and brussels sprouts all fit right in that slot too. Oh, and I forgot about ginger, radishes, okra....I think you get the idea. I like my pickles very cold and salty rather than sweet. Herbs are a delicious flavor in the pickling liquid and I always throw a few cloves of garlic in my brine when I make pickles at home. I enjoy them as a snack or in a sandwich and can't seem to keep a jar around for very long. I'll confess too that the majority of the reason I first decided to try growing cucumbers was the enticing thought of always have a supply of cucumbers to pickle!
10. Corn (in all it's lovely forms)
Corn might be one of the most versatile and delicious foods around. Cornmeal, corn tortillas, corn chips, hominy, on the cob, kernels. Outside of someone with an allergy or intolerance I don't know anyone who does not enjoy corn. It is gluten free as well so corn muffins and breads are a great offering at a gathering for people with mixed gluten problems.
11. Honey (The Bonus Food!)
I have a special love for honey so I decided to put it at a special place on my top ten list. Melissa is derived from the Greek word for honeybee. I have decided that is why I must love honey so much. I enjoy replacing some of the sugar in baking recipes with honey. When I am not feeling well, a hot tea with honey and a splash of brandy is my personal brand of medicine. I once bought a jar of cranberry honey from an Amish farmstand in New Jersey and although the color was the typical amber brown, the sweet honey had a bit of a tart edge to it and tickled me every time I tasted it. It transforms plain yogurt into a sweet treat and adds a sticky touch to a savory glaze for fish or poultry. Honey was my favorite dipping sauce for chicken mcnuggets when I got a happy meal as a child. It is good and good for you and I want to go put some in my hot cocoa right now.
So there you have it. Although I have to right to change my mind at any time about these foods, I probably won't. And that's OK.
No comments:
Post a Comment