The Omnivore's 100 List

I'm passing on the Omnivore's 100 list which I found today at Ginny's "Just Get Floury" blog. I remember blogging something similar but this had more interesting items on it. Let me know in the comments if you elect to pass it on, I'd like to see what you guys think.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Head Cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam Chowder in Sourdough Bowl
33. Salted Lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a Fat Cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whiskey from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (CLAY? Oh, gotcha)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose Harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole Poblano
96. Bagel and Lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Tuesday Blahs. Making a list.

It has rained in Northern California non-stop since Friday, and I'm talking the kind of driving rain that sends it under the door jams, including hail, and tree branchs raining down on your head. I never went out of the house for the three day weekend and never put on a bra or clothes, either.

I was slumming it, in a big way, baking beans, bread, and making an unusual French Toast (more bread, natch). That comes later. For now, here' s a list for a wet Tuesday, nicked from Gigi at Life's a Beach:

1. Make a list of things you can see without getting up.

Everything in this tiny, cluttered office, and a partially consumed glass of Tejava iced tea from Friday of last week, which sat on my desk for the entire three day weekend. No grey stuff floating on it yet.

2. Favorite football team.

None. Wouldn' t know one team from another.

3. What are you wearing now?

Brown herringbone slacks, beige blouse, beige flats.

4. What color is your bedroom?

Wall paint? White. Color scheme? Kind of a persimmon/apricot tone.

5. What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading?

I just finished "The Loved One" (1948) by Evelyn Waugh. My BF just bought me the PostSecret book for my birthday, and a few others. Those are next. I have several stacks of swapped books to read.

6. Do you nap a lot?

It depends on the season and whether I stayed up late the night before. As a rule, not frequently, but when I do, it's for a long time. Like two hours or more.

7. Who was the last person you hugged?

My BF.

8. What’s your current obsession/addiction?

I'm learning to use SecondLife. I've never been a gamer, but this site is just fascinating.

9. What is the last thing you said outloud?

I'll check his calendar and call you later with his availability.

10. What web sites do you always visit when you go online?

Tastespotting, MyUntoldSecrets, Twitter, SpaFlyer, Flickr, Google news, and most everyone on my iGoogle homepage.

11. What was the last thing you bought?

Retail, a case of Tejava bottled tea. Consumer, a latte.

12. What are you listening to right now?

The hum of flourescent lights, the woosh of a small area fan. I don't play music at work. I get bombarded with noise all day so I don't like to add to it.

13. What is something you wish you could do more?

Travel and read.

14. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Flight

15. What is your favorite weather, and why?

It's easier to say I don't like being hot, because I can't stand any moisture on my body from perspiration. If my forehead beads up with perspiration, I literally feel like my day is ruined and I'll take constant showers until it stops. The other seasons, I love the crisp smell and colors of fall, I like the breezy colors and rainy days of Spring, I like the quiet of winter, I like the buzz and warmth of summer. I just don't like to be hot.

16. What time do you usually get up?

7:00 to 7:30

17. What is your most challenging goal right now?

Organizing years worth of archival paperwork for taxes and other business related matters.

18. Say something to the person who tagged you.

Nobody tagged me, I took the list from GiGi because I know perfect strangers want to know what time of day I get up out of bed. Hello GiGi.

19. If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?

Only one? I'd rather sell it and get several small places in key areas throughout the world so that I can go to where the seaons suit me best. No matter what, though, I need water nearby. Rivers, lakes, streams, ocean.

20. Favorite vacation spot?

Anywhere with the laughter of my family, on the beaches of Hawaii with my family, or, the next destination, in my dreams.

21. What is your favorite children’s book?

Harriett the Spy and all the Mrs Piggle Wiggle books.

22. Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you.

Bread and butter on the table and fried-until-almost-black bologna on Wonder bread.

23. If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be?

I don't know. I'd have to think about it so I can make the best use of the limited time for the meeting. Solve a mystery maybe, ask a question that helps mankind. So much responsibility comes with this one.

24. Have you ever met anyone famous? If so who?

A few people, yes. I wasn't impressed by their celebrity status. They met ME at the same time and when they blog about me, I'll blog about them.

25. If you could have any job in the world , what would it be?

Mr. Roarke's job on Fantasy Island, or a place with complete control of a Holodeck, available to me, my family, my friends, my guests, so I can make everyone happy, even if only a few hours at a time.

Friday Five: 5 Food Questions

1) Describe a recipe you’re still chasing.

That’s easy. Until recently it was the perfect cornbread, but I’ve found that. The other is a muffin. I was traveling by air many years ago and had a layover in Kansas City. The only vendor open for food was a bakery counter. For some reason I remember it as being Marie Callender’s, but I’ve never seen that restaurant in any airport, ever, so I don’t know why I associate MC with that airport. Anyway, I bought a cup of a coffee and muffin. The muffin was Pineapple Coconut. Ordinarily, I never order coconut flavored anything. I love fresh coconut, but artificial coconut flavors or scents are repulsive to me. It’s all they had, however. To my surprise, that muffin was the best muffin I’d ever had. Light, fluffy, airy, with bits of shaved coconut and pineapple. Probably closer to cake than muffin (it had no fatty or greasy taste at all) It was exquisite. I’ve chased that muffin recipe for probably ten years. I’ve never found it, despite countless muffin books. ::sigh::

2) Describe your speciality in the kitchen.

Soups. I am the queen of soups. I do NOT eat canned soup. I’m convinced none of them are good. I did buy a can of cream soup recipe so I can make King Ranch Chicken (because of this blog post I read), but I’d never heat it as soup, ever. Unfortunately, I don’t follow the same recipe every time, and it can be a pain to recreate it and forget important last minute additions. My most repeated "soup style" dish is my Collard Greens. It’s my go-to soup when I’m sick.

3) What would get you kicked out of the foodie community?

Wow, so many things. Here are the top contenders: 1) I love Oscar Meyer bologna, fried until it’s practically black, slapped on plain white bread, with nothing else. 2) I have never made a cake that is as moist and reliable as a boxed cake mix. When I find one, I’ll admit it freely, but until then, I have to admit that I like cake from mixes better than hard, dry, overrated from scratch cakes. Oh! One exception! My favorite cake IS from scratch – oatmeal cake with broiled coconut pecan topping. Nothing is better than that. But otherwise, I make cakes from a box. 3) I've tried very hard over the years to really enjoy wine, but honestly, I can take it or leave it. I love champagne and cocktails, but wine doesn't add to or detract from a good meal for me. 4) I don't like chocolate that much. I think it's overrated. It always tastes like chocolate. Wah hoo. ::yawn:: I prefer vanilla and all its varieties.

4) What was mother’s best and worst dish?

Worst: My mother used to get raves for her Steak Spaghetti. It was just spaghetti with a ragu sauce which had chunks of steak, instead of ground meat. Why everyone raved about it, I have no idea. For one thing, she boiled the noodles to death, and the steak was always tough. She still claims, to this day, that the tomato sauce tenderizes the meat. That may be true for others, but not in her version. I hated that dish. I tell her that frequently to make sure she never, ever, makes it for me.

Best: Soup night. I guess that’s why I’m the soup queen, because I inherited the skill from my mother. Long before soup and salad night was popular, my mother would make a huge pot of navy bean soup, or potato soup, and have fresh, hot bread and butter, salad, and pitchers of iced tea. That was fabulous.

5) What basic, well-known food have you never eaten? Why not?

I’ve never had tripe. I suppose just because it looks so nasty in the packaging. Ditto brains, sweetbreads, and tongue. I love certain pates and liverwurst, but dislike liver generally. Organ meats as a whole, I guess?

6) BONUS ROUND! Dish on a Food Network Star that you love or hate.

I can't stand the way Sandra Lee speaks. I won't bother debating the concept of her semi-homemade recipes. There isn't a thing she does with grocery store ingredients that we have not all done, over time. EVERYONE does what she does, and there is nothing novel about the concept. The few times I've watched the show, I have to turn the channel because of her speech. She has this habit of drawing out several words, and usually the last syllable on most words, until it begs for a fast death. Example:

You and I would say "And then spread the icing on top, like this."

Sandra Lee says: "And thennnnnnn spread the icing on top, like thissssssssssssssssssssssssss"

You and I would say "Swirl it all around in the pan. Doesn't this look good?"

Sandra Lee says: "Swirrrrrrrrl it aroundddddddddddd and aroundddddddd, like thisssssssssssssssssssssss. Oh it looks soooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooooooood."

You watch and pay attention. You'll see what I'm talking about and it will drive you crazy, too.



Those are my Friday Five Foodie Questions (with a bonus round) answers. I'd love to read yours, readers. Comment me with a link to your blog and Friday Five list, please!

Friday Homework: The 100 List

CakeSpy created the list you see, which is a convenient way for me to waste a bit of time on this Friday lunch hour. Here are your instructions:

Copy this list into your site, including these instructions:

Bold or Colour all of the sweets you've eaten.
Cross out any you'd never eat.
Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your "To Do" List for the future.
Optional: Comment on any items you particularly love or hate!

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
5. Beignet
6. Baklava (hated it; I don't like desserts rich with honey or overly sweet)
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca "pearls")
18. Dixie Cup
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake (Just the description alone, makes me shudder).
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar
29. Baba au rhum
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie
37. Panna Cotta (Mmmm. I confess I love the Trader Joe's frozen version, also).
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies
41. Anzac biscuits
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas (My family lives in Hawai'i where hot malasadas are popular)
46. Moon Pie (Meh).
47. Dutch baby (links to my recipe)
48. Boston Cream Pie (Meh).
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies (Seriously? Has anyone not tasted or made this?)
50. Pralines (Mmm, the speciality of the house at El Cholo restaurant in Los Angeles. They bring you several with your dinner check. Screw the mints. Restaurants should always bring you pralines).
51. Gooey butter cake (I've been meaning to try one of these. I think I'll make one with pumpkin).
52. Rusks
53. Daifuku
54. Green tea cake or cookies (I'm one of those who thinks everything "green tea" flavored is overrated. Blech.)
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop (Seriously? Has anyone not tasted or made this?)
56. Crème brûlée (One of my favorite desserts, but I've never made it).
57. Some sort of deep fried State Fair food (Actually no. I've never even had a funnel cake).
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting (Most Sunday nights, growing up).
59. Jelly Roll (One of my first assignments in high school Home Economics).
60. Pop Tarts (Much ado about nothing).
61. Charlotte Russe
62. An "upside down" dessert
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro (Eaten at Disneyland and from the freezer aisle, would like to try to make these).
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake (Meh)
72. Mincemeat pie (Just say NO to anything with that many raisins).
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle (Ooooooh, that looks so goooood!)
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House (No. Just NO.)
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen
87. Homemade marshmallows (SO not worth the effort).
88. Rigo Janci
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S'mores (My mother was my troop leader. We made these in Scouts).
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers
97. Sables (Links to my chocolate sables, a Nigella recipe, probably the best cookie I've ever made, and since I'm not a chocolate fiend, that's saying something)
98. Millionaire's Shortbread
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa