Yeah, you heard me

The Omnivore’s Hundred

audrey — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:35:18 +0000

Yum, food. I think I’m missing 26. Suspect I’ve eaten sweetbreads, but can’t actually remember. And actually, maybe Slice has had nettle tea before.

Hm.

Funny how I’m missing stuff like “Big Mac Meal” or “hot dog from street vendor” though.

Don’t particularly feel like hunting those down.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

The Omnivore’s Hundred

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 here atwww.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

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. Brawn, or 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 a 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 whisky from a bottle worth £60/$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
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. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
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

Sleeping on plane flights

audrey — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:53:21 +0000

It’s an acquired skill. (As with any specialized task, certain key tools make all the difference. Here - good headphones, a hooded sweatshirt.) There are certain destination points that it’s nice to acknowledge, or that you might miss out on, like snacks and “important” safety announcements. On the whole though, most would agree sleep is way more fun.

I was thinking this is kinda a funny metaphor for stuff. Even when I’m traveling with friends, I’d really rather not chitchat on the plane. It’s almost more painful, ya know? Leave me be in my cocoon of semi-sentient misery. Talking makes me aware of the unhappy plight I’m stuck in for the next __ hours. I forget what I wanted this to be a metaphor for. Alas.

A weird bonus is the fact that it’s easier for me to sleep when I’m sick, so getting sick while traveling sometimes enables me to zonk out before we leave the runway. Blissful dreamworld until it’s time for peanuts.

Oh yes! A metaphor for unintentionally sleeping to your destination, and missing the travel part of it. I guess it all depends on your goals. Want to live life to its dryball scraping static stale fullest? Don’t sleep on your plane. :P Want quality ’stead of quantity? Slip on those noise canceling headphone and let the yakkers yak. (Sidenote: yak = throw up = talk incessantly. Interesting).

Good food in Napa

audrey — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:23:57 +0000

Title says it all. Weekend of way too much good food, and some quality time w/ da fam.

Favorites?

Such a difficult question, that. Actually, our group of four came to a surprising amount of consensus as to our favorites. Favorite restaurant of the lot (lot = French Laundry, Ubuntu, Bistro Jeanty), was definitely Ubuntu. The chef was also really really nice to us because of a friend ;).

The dishes are maybe what you’re most interested in…my faves below.

Sorry for some fuzziness of pics, still trying to work out some disagreements with my new SLR :)

Lavender sugar almonds, Ubuntu

Mushroom pizza w/ local egg, Ubuntu

Cheesecake in a jar, Ubuntu

Pearls + Oysters (Caviar + Oyster + Tapioca), French Laundry

Uni on warm rice + Granny smith slices, French Laundry

And some good tomato soup from Bistro Jeanty

Assorted goodness from Bouchon Bakery (the bouchons, unsurprisingly, are pretty darned good.)

Imagination = empathy, per JK Rowling

audrey — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:17:06 +0000

I love people who can write. Rather, I love reading stuff written by people who can write.

(Thanks to Karen for the tip-off).

Ladies and gents - JK Rowling on the importance of failure and imagination (as empathy).

Only flaw in her speech? The location. Duh.

http://harvardmagazine.com/go/jkrowling.html

I’m gonna die

audrey — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:44:32 +0000

Ya know, I actually get sugary headaches, kinda, when I have too much sweet stuff.
Given the activities of this weekend, though (please don’t tell my mom), I think my descent into pre-diabetes just got a hefty shove.

But oh-so-yummy a shove. :)

Behold - the ugly remains of a custardy cherry-ey clafoutis. (Saturday).
And the pristine smoothness of a yet-to-be-torched peppermint-chocolate creme brulee. (T-minus-one hour of chilling).

I have raspberries, and whipped cream.

Yeah, it’s over. See ya’ll on the other side.