Five Things to Eat Before You Die
Melissa of Traveler’s Lunchbox has started a meme of sorts asking food bloggers to recommend "things you've eaten and think that everyone should eat at least once before they die."
Susan of Porchini Chronicles, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, Gilly of Humble Pie, and Tony of Bachelor Cooking have tagged me to participate. Thanks, ladies and gentleman!
I’ve seen a lot of wonderful lists. Here’s my humble list. I wish it could be longer but this time, I’m going to be good and stick to the required five-list instruction. ;-)
Paz
1- Fried plantain – (called kelewele in Ghana, West Africa) or ripe plantain in any recipe form: Everyone knows by now this is my number one favorite food from childhood. Plantain, sprinkled with salt, sometimes fresh ginger, and then fried – delicious!
2- New York City hot dog – In particular, Nathan's hot dog from the original Nathan's at Coney Island (Brooklyn). There are other Nathan's around the city but the hot dogs don't taste the same. My friend Kathleen wonders if it's the salty air by the beach that makes the difference. ;-) Another recommended hot dog place in the city is Grey’s Papaya Hot Dog. My favorite hot dog topping is mustard and sauerkraut but other topping choices are available.
3- New York City pizza: There’s nothing like a NYC pizza; one can become addicted to it. It’s so different from other pizza made elsewhere. It’s unlike deep-dish pizza, thin crust pizza, Chicago pizza, and Italian pizza… You get the idea. You can order different toppings -- either vegetables and or meats -- on your pizza. While I like that, my favorite is a plain ole’ slice (just cheese and sauce).
4- BLT sandwich (Bacon, lettuce, and tomato): From the right NYC deli, this is a simple yet mouthwatering, tasty sandwich.
5- Italian gelato: One of my favorite memories of Italy was having delicious gelato every evening after dinner. Yeah, every evening! It's too bad I didn’t try all the available flavors.
Tag:
I tag anyone who would like to participate in this meme. Go for it! What’s your list of five things to eat before you die?
* * * * *
Man eats 53 ¾ hot dogs in 12 minutes!
Every July 4th, there a hot dog eating contest held at Coney Island in Brooklyn. A Nathan’s hot dog is pretty good, but I do not suggest you gorge yourself like this, as you will not enjoy your hot dog.
Six-time hot dog eating champion, Takeru Kobayash from Japan.
Photos from news.yahoo.com
Champion's hot dog contest eating technique
Wiener Wars
posted by Paz at 9/02/2006 12:08:00 AM
24 Comments:
Yeah!!! BLT - and about now would be good or at least dinner tonight! The tomatoes are perfect!!
I've had Gelato everynight but it was in Mendoza Argentina - great memories of walking with families through parks at midnight and boys on bikes calling "Gelato, gelato, gelato!". Beautiful.
NYC Pizza, oh yeah!
Fried plantain - I'll suggest Jason try some fresh ginger next time! Love it.
I don't know I'm just not a hot dog girl. Nathan's didn't do it for me either.
Great list!
Only five foods is really tough. Since you've already listed NYC pizza and Nathan's hot dogs, I can cheat and come up with a few others:
1. A tender, rare Delmonico steak with spinach on the side and butter on top of that.
2. Shrimp cocktail with a good, hot sauce.
3. Real NY Italian ices, the soft kind you get in a little paper cup, lemon flavor.
4. Wise potato chips, onion dip optional.
5. Dark chocolate anything with raspberry filling.
Paz, that hot dog eating contest made me lose my appetite. New York Pizza - oh yes, yes, yes! So many NY transplants to LA have said they cannot find real NY Pizza out here. When one woman at a party recently exclaimed she found it and told us where to go, there was a long line outside the restaurant the next day. Yes, it was good pizza, but alas, still not quite real NY Pizza. Sigh.
Great list, Paz!
I still have to try that plantain!
A plain cheese slice - there's nothing better (except a whole fresh plain cheese pie). NY pizza is one reason I can never move.
Hi Paz,
Amazingly enough I have eaten everything on your list!! I've only had fried plantains once though, at a restaurant in Miami, Florida, and I don't think they had ginger on them, which sounds great!!I do love the New York hot dogs. When I was a little girl my dad used to go to New York on business and on the way to the airport he would stop and buy a bunch of them, wrap in napkins, and put in his suitcase to bring home to the family. Think of the potential for food poisoning, but we never got sick and always waited eagerly for them!
Hi Tanna: Did you taste the Nathan's hot dog at Coney Island specifically? That's the big difference. And if not a Nathan's hot dog, maybe a Grey's Papaya hot dog? Either way, you've at least tasted it before you die. ;-)
Hi Kathleen: I love you addition. Thanks!
Hi Mari: Yeah, I don't blame you. Watching those contestants gorge on the hot dog will make one lose his or her appetite. I heard of a pizzeria in another state that imports NYC water to make their pizza. They claim that's the secret to making NYC pizza. I don't know if it works but they're pretty successful. There's no pizza like NYC's.
Hi Ivonne: The plantain is waiting for you. ;-)
Hey there, Beth: NYC pizza is a good reason not to move! ;-)
Hi Kalyn: As a kid, I would have looked forward to your dad's treat from NYC! Very cool! ;-)
Paz
Hi Paz!!
I liked your list and now have a question regarding plantains for you... I have eaten fried plantain before but never made myself. Last week I boutht two pretty and big plantains at a mexican store we visited and wanted to use them in a recipe.
They are still green, starting to turn in color in some spots, but mainly they are green, after a week sitting in the counter inside a paper bag... Do I need to wait until they turn completely brown before I use them?
The recipe states that the complete brown plantain is ripe to be used, but it seems to be taking so long for them to ripen... I guess I should excersize more my patience, huh?!!
Ana
I like you list, Paz. And there are three items that one SHOULD try when staying in NYC. And of course I agree about Italian icecream. I think I agreed about every item if I had the chance to taste them... especially plantains, preferably prepared by you....
Oi Ana: Well, if your recipe calls for ripe plantains, then I'm afraid you have to wait till they ripen. They will turn yellow when they ripen. Or they'll turn yellow with some black spots. If it turns completely black or more black than yellow, then that means it is really, really ripe and you'd better do something with them before they completely spoil. Give your plantain a few more days to ripen. Perhaps five more days because there is a difference in taste with the types of plantain. Green plantain (unripe plantain) tastes much different from Yellow or Black plantain (ripe plantain). Let me know how your plantain recipe turns out.
Hi Angelika: Okay, I'll be happy to make the plantain for you! ;-)
Bussi,
Paz
Love your selection, I could quite happily eat of them!
Surely New York donuts should of been on your list!!!
Hi there, Pamela!
LOL, Ghone! You are right! That's the problem with only having a limit of five choices. I'm glad you've mentioned donuts. I also want to list cheesecake from Juniors in Brooklyn. Yum! The list continues.
Paz
Paz,
oh hotdogs!!! Hope I'll go to that Nathan over Coney Island soon! And surely will savor every bit of its juicy dog... oh unlike that champion, I feel I'm sick *burp*
Paz,
Interesting list. I obviously haven't eaten plantains at the right place. They're one thing I usually steer clear of. I'd have to think a while about five things since I'm a vegetarian. I should get my husband to do a list - he's the real foodie in the family :-)
I just love your street food-heavy list! NYC is one great place to eat really informal really good food (kinda like Chicago)
Hi Gattina: I hope to go to Coney Island soon, too! And I agree with you about the hot dog eating contest. I like to savor my food, not gobble it down for record time. ;-)
Hey there, Shelley: I'd love to read yours and your husband's list. Ask him and come post it here when you get a chance. ;-)
Hi Susan: I had to list these simple foods! ;-)
Paz
Woopie! Did somebody mention New York donuts? You're so right! When I first moved to Virginia years ago, we couldn't find anything resembling pizza or Chinese food, let alone hot dogs. The bakeries were so...so...primitive that we even saw a birthday cake with BLUE leaves for the flowers. Baker was too lazy to switch to green, and the citizenry had no choice. But, some years later, a young fellow from town went to a bakery school in New York and opened his own shop back in town, Paul's Bakery. He sold honest-to-goodness New York JELLY DONUTS among other delights and there was always a line outside his door. NY jelly donuts, cheesecake, real NY cheese or prune danish...aaaaah! Luscious. And cakes with flowers that have green leaves. :D
Great list, Paz! The only thing is that I'm now insanely jealous of you for living in New York City... Edinburgh has its high points, but great hot dogs, pizza and BLT sandwiches are not among them! As for gelato, the last time I was in Italy I had it at least TWICE a day (you know, to fit in as many flavors as possible... :)
Hi Kathleen: I love your story!
Hey there Melissa: Now, why didn't I think of having gelato twice a day? ;-)
Paz
Excellent list, Paz. Well, 4 out of 5 anyway. I'm afraid I've just never "gotten" hotdogs. They're just a bit too much like mystery meat for my taste. HOwever, next time I'm in NYC, I'll try to remember to make a trek to Brooklyn to try a Nathan's hotdog. (or at least taste it... my husband definitely "gets" hotdogs and loves them)
And yes, indeed, fried plantain is a wonderful thing. And what a great idea to add a bit of fresh ginger! Lucky you having this in your childhood. I tried it for the first time a couple of years ago and regretted all those wasted plantain free years.
And speaking of firsts, the first time I tried felafel was in NewYorkCity and what a wonderful thing that was too!
-Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth: As long as you've tried hotdogs once,even to know that you don't like it, then it's good. ;-)
Oh, yes, felafels! Those are wonderful, too! I'm glad you had a nice experience with it in the city!
Paz
It was a GREAT experience. I've never had such good felafels since. The fellow cooking them had only been in the US for about 2 months and so hadn't yet learned any of the nasty shortcuts to inferior flavour that so many North American food vendors are fond of.
As I recall, his pita was terrific and he added tabouleh, thinly sliced onions and excellent tahini. I have no idea where it was (somewhere near the ferry docks for Staten Island) but of course, he'd be long gone now because it was eons ago.
-Elizabeth
P.S. I've actually tried them several times. Hot dogs always smell so good. And they are always such a disappointment because they end up tasting like, well... hotdogs.
Hey there, Elizabeth: I love a really good felafel. There used to be a Lebanese restaurant (very small) that sold felafel sandwiches and other stuff. They used to be good but no more. There's nothing like a really good felafel. They used to make good tabouleh, too. But no more. Their food sucks, big time. I don't know what happened to them but they're still open. Lots of hungry folks out there who'll eat anything, I suppose.
Have you tried a Nathan's hotdog or a Grey's Papaya hotdog? I'm just curious. You probably won't like it since you're not a "hotdog" person, but their hotdogs are different from the regular kind. And as I mentioned, the Nathan's hotdog on Coney Island makes the difference. ;-)
Paz
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