Another Food List

Following up on that list of foods that can kill you, or at least clog your arteries irrevocably, here is a list of foods one should eat before one actually dies. I've done OK here, but that in no way means I am ready to shrug off this mortal coil. Comments?

From Shine on Yahoo:
"When it came time to compile our culinary bucket list, anything was game, from street meat on the corner to the finest offerings at a four-star restaurant. Our list includes the usual suspects - caviar, decadent desserts, in-season produce at the peak of freshness - and some surprises, too.

If today were your last on this earth, would your tummy be satisfied? Or do you have some eating to do? Without further ado, our list of 50 Things to Eat Before You Die . . ."

1. Chicago-style deep dish stuffed pizza with every topping imaginable - not with every topping imaginable, but I've had it (and enjoyed it with Mrs. BA a long time ago on a special night)
2. Caviar (local and sustainable, of course!) - Know that scene from Big? No thank you.
3. Fried chicken and waffles - together? really?
4. Just-picked, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella di bufala on crusty bread - I've had it, but I don't think it was necessarily death-worthy
5. Perfect scrambled eggs with crème fraiche and chives - not with the extra ingredients, but my father's scrambled eggs are pretty darn good.
   
6. French press coffee with real cream - I own a French press. I should use it more often.
7. Champagne and strawberries - um, yeah.
   
8. Steak tartare and fresh arugula with a drizzle of oil - I prefer my meat at least a little cooked.
9. Hot dog from a street cart with all the fixings - it has to have been in that good, dirty, New York water for at least several days . . .
10. Authentic Vietnamese pho soup with beef, rice noodles, sprouts, fresh herbs, and sriracha (perfect for when you're feeling under the weather!) - Had the pho. It's pretty good. But I guess if one is going to where it's perpetually hot when one dies . . .
    
11. Spicy tuna sushi roll topped with avocado - I don't mind sushi, but for the most part, it's bait to me.
    
12. Fried soft shell crab - there's too much left to the imagination here to eat this and really enjoy it.
    
13. Mayo-rich lobster roll - eaten at a place, called "Lunch" no less
14. Baklava (Middle Eastern filo pastry filled with walnuts and honey) - sometimes I score the good stuff when I eat at Marathon Deli.
15. S'mores by the campfire - c'mon, my mother was a girl scout for like, a hundred years.
16. Churros dipped in melted chocolate - now we're talking.
    
17. Bagel with cream cheese and lox - thanks, but I prefer my bagels lightly toast with butter.
18. Ice-cold sake - I have a hazy recollection of a very long night at Benihana - but that might have been plum wine and not the rice variety.
19. Sweet potato fries fried in truffle oil - I've eaten them, but I prefer the savory potato.
20. Anything with truffle salt - OK, I figured it was salt made from truffles, but I still went and looked it up.
21. Escargot drenched in garlic butter - pretty much, if it's on the menu, I'm ordering them.
22. Beignets right out of the fryer, dusted with powdered sugar - I've made them at home, but getting them hot and fresh from here still takes the "cake."
23. Real strawberry ice cream - the lunch table crown was just discussing homemade ice cream the other day and I was reminded that I should really get out the maker that is hiding in a pantry cupboard at home.
24. Fresh-caught, head-on prawns over homemade pasta (preferably eaten in Italy) - there are a number of jokes that could be made here regarding the shrimp / prawn (see Good Morning Vietnam or Jumpin' Jack Flash) but I'll leave it alone.
25. Chocolate-filled croissants with cappuccino on a Sunday morning - I've had them on a Saturday morning (fresh at the market) with coffee, is that close enough?
26. Pork belly - OK, so I've now learned that bacon is made from pork belly.
27. Tandoori lobster with garlic-butter naan - yes, please.
28. Tiramisu - my mother made a great tiramisu, her recipe came from the Waldorf-Astoria.
29. Honeycomb - I've eaten pollen (for my allergies), I sometimes put honey in tea, but have not tried honeycomb.
30. Kansas City-style BBQ ribs dripping with sauce - did they have to be eaten in Kansas City?
31. Salted caramels - I'm intrigued but have not yet had them (though I have had a salted caramel topped cupcake).
32. Fried Twinkie - have we not mentioned that I am not allowed to have a deep fryer? [head in hands] yes, I've had one of these.
33. Homemade cannoli filled with ricotta - multiple places. Plus, my father's girlfriend? Her brother runs an Italian Bakery, so yeah.
34. Nutella-filled crepe with fresh strawberries - I could eat this. I've had all of the ingredients but not together.
35. Full-fat eggnog dusted with freshly ground nutmeg - I've had it, but it's not something I will reach for.
36. Greek yogurt with honey and fresh raspberries - again, I've eaten all of these separately, but not together.
37. Southern-style shrimp and creamy grits - courtesy of OSG, no less.
38. Mexican grilled corn with lime, crema, and chili powder - sounds exquisite, but it has not yet crossed the Brave Astronaut palette.
39. Fresh-made guacamole with blue corn tortilla chips - with the guac made table side!
40. Grilled summer peaches with brown sugar - very peach melba-ish. Sounds de-lish.
41. Fried green tomatoes - see #32
42. Big Mac - you mean the two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun? that Big Mac? [see below]
    
43. Baked Camembert - now, if I could figure out a way to deep fry it . . .
44. Homemade gnocchi in tomato cream sauce - just like penne a la vodka, but not.
45. Butter lettuce from the farmers' market drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a few drops of really good olive oil - I can get behind this as well.
46. Just-made glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut - multiple times. I have been known to swerve across lanes of traffic upon spotting the "hot" light.
47. Mussels steamed in ale - oh, yeah.
48. 8-hour (or longer!) braised osso bucco - not my thing, but I won't deny the pleasure to others.
49. Duck fat French fries - wow, those sound sinful.
50. Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Gorgonzola - you lose me at dates and then again at Gorgonzola, but the bacon's good.