Five things to eat before you die
Estelle, from My French Cuisine just tagged me for this meme started by Melissa of The Traveler’s Lunchbox.
First I was surprised, and I guess, yes, somewhat pleased that Estelle, one of my favorite food blog reads thought of me. But then PANIC struck! I could not come up with 2 things, let alone 5! That was this morning, and after a busy day, and fortunately, after reading Estelle’s contribution, ideas started pouring in, but then I had to chose…
Anyway, to make a long story short, here are my top 5 choices, in no particular order (It was hard enough to come up with the list that you should not expect me choose too, right?)
Bouillabaisse: a Mediterranean delicacy. This is a fish stew with small rock fishes with very picturesque names such as rascasse with head, saint-pierre, baudroie; grondin rouge, rouget (yes, that can mean lots of fish bones, but trust me, this is just worht it) not to forget the Rouille (a Mayonnaise based sauce with garlic and chili pepper). A very good recipe is available here and here.
Fois Gras: I’ve already covered under Serving Foie Gras and this one is a no brainer. And while you are at it, you should also try a pan fried fresh fois gras. This is literally to die for! If you are near San Francisco, there are 2 places you want to check out: Cielo in Big Sur (and while you are at it, be sure to stay at Ventana Inn for a few days, you’ll be glad you did :)), 20 miles south of Carmel and Fleur de Lys in San Francisco (and in Las Vegas too apparently, although I don’t know if they do serve fresh foie gras).
Ratatouille: A very simple dish, made primarily with eggplants, zucchinis, peppers (optionally), tomatoes and lots of garlic. This is dish from Provence in the South of France and is actually very easy to make. Just peel and slices all the vegetables, add some olive oil and garlic, and cook till everything is very tender. Such a delight!
Soupe de Pistou: an other specialty from Provence. This is a soup, which main ingredient is basil. Add some tomatoes, white beans, green beans, red beans, potatoes, zucchinis, celery, olive oil and lots of garlic. And to garnish, loads of Parmesan cheese, gruyere (real swiss cheese), and some more garlic. Something to look forward to every summer!
Omelette de la Mere Poulard: This is a very unique experience, and something you can only have in one place in the world: the Mont Saint Michel, right in between Brittany and Normandy, on the north western part of France. This is an age old recipe and makes an “ordinary omelette” taste like nothing else you’ve had before, so be sure to try it. (Legend has it that this has something to do with preparing the yolk and whites separately…). Mont Saint Michel is worth a visit, just by itself, and you should plan to spend a few days there as well!
And close seconds, and definitely worth a mention in case you have enough time:
– Prosciutto
– Magret de Canard (duck breast)
– Cassoulet (from the south-west of France)
– Tarte Tatin
My mouth is now watering, just to think about all this!
And now, I’m very curious to find out what some of my favorite food bloggers have to say:
Carolyn of 18th Century Cuisine
Elise of Simply Recipes
Ilva of Lucullian Delights – An Italian Experience
Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen
Sam of Becks & Posh
Stacey of Just Braise
Michael of Cooking for Engineers
Rorie of Milk and Honey
You can also go to Melissa’s blog and enter your 5 things to eat before you die list, or add a link to your post, or feel free to leave your list here!
Enjoy!
Hi,
You can see my list of five favorite foods here:
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/08/foodbloggers-guide-to-globe-five.html
I’m definitely honored to be included on this list of your favorite food bloggers in such fine company with these other great blogs!! Thanks!
Thank you, Kalyn. Your tomato/bacon sandwich looks very tasty!
Hi Pascal,
Here are my five absolutely favorite foods:
1. Avocados, preferably cut in half, pit removed, lemon juice squeezed in the hole left by the pit, and scooped out with a spoon.
2. Artichokes, steamed with a piece of lemon, a clove of garlic, and a bay leaf in the steaming water, and served with mayo mixed with a touch of balsamic vinegar.
3. Ripe white nectarines from my parents tree – so sweet and delicate that they bruise as you pick them. Only available for a two week period during the summer, and then assuming we’ve had a good season.
4. My mom’s enchiladas. My favorite comfort food of all time.
5. Anything that my mom makes using her homemade chicken stock – soup, spanish rice, vermicelli. The stock makes all the difference in the world.
Thanks for tagging me! It’s fun to think of my favorite foods. Yummm…
Hi Pascal,
Woah, everything makes me so hungry! I love all of these dishes (ratatouille and bouillabaisse in particular). I’ll have to go to Mont Saint-Michel to try the omlet!
By the way thanks again for participating! This meme is fun, isn’t it?
I’ll have to try everything on your list, since I’ve never tasted any of them before. 😉
Paz