Things have been terribly serious around here of late but with good reason. That said, I feel the need to inject a note of frivolity into my blog. I will pose to you the question I discussed with my wife last night: What would you choose for your last meal?
It started with a traditional 3 course dinner concept. Then I had to add a soup course, salad course, and a pasta course. It's gonna be a loooong dinner if it's going to be the last one. My wife talked me out of the need to add a Jambalaya course but it took awhile and I still disagree with her.
Now I know that I have some foodie readers so I expect I'll see some pretty interesting suggestions. Let the feeding begin:
Aperitif: A Sidecar. Or a really good Martini with Bombay Sapphire Gin.
Soup:
Hungarian Sour Cherry soup
Salad:
One of the following:
Artichoke Vinaigrette
Classic Steakhouse of Tomatoes, sliced onions, and blue cheese
Classic Caesar with extra anchovies
Pasta:
There was this pasta I had once or twice at this little French place in the West Village, it was homemade tagliatelli with truffles, butter, and raw fois gras pieces that were cooked by the heat of the pasta and kind of dissolved into the dish. It was heaven. It should have come with a referral to a cardiologist.
Appetizer:
Either a miniature Fruits de mer or some wild mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce in a puff pastry.
Main course:
Now we probably have to have either:
Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles or
Chili cheeseburgers with chili cheese fries from this place in Portchester, NY.
Dessert:
Either a tarte au citron
or a black forest cake like my wife made for my birthday some years ago with homemade brandied cherries
or tarte tatin
or a root beer float
Or all of the above
Let's add a cheese course:
Explorateur for the triple creme
A ripe Stilton
A crotin (aged goat's cheese)
An aged Gouda that crackles when you bite into it
Something with truffles in it
Something with a washed rind
I reserve the right to come back and edit this post endlessly.
For instance, I have not put any wines in. I ought to.
Posted by Random Penseur at September 7, 2004 08:40 AMhhhmmm...
last meal?
simple i think - nothing fancy -
new york pizza - it reminds me of all the good things about my childhood -
and a big glass of lemonade
made from the lemons that made this my last meal.
Seriously, I think I need to print out your list, since it begs to have a moment in the bedroom with it.
My list includes my favorite foods:
Artichokes
Sag Aloo curry with a peshwari naan
Homemade macaroni and cheese
Risotto
Cheesecake and cheese platter for dessert
And alcohol. Masses of alcohol.
My meals don't exactly go together. It would be more like my "last day". You know. So I could spread out the foods.
Posted by: Helen at September 7, 2004 09:52 AMActually, Helen, you raise a good point. My list of things was not so much a meal as it was a collection of things that I'd want to have again if it was the last time I'd get the chance to do it. A meal would be more harmonious and would have some sort of progression, and I don't mean from truffles to chili, as sublime as that might be.
Posted by: RP at September 7, 2004 10:08 AMMmm.. nices cheeses, though I don't think much of the old cheese here in Holland... too rich. But Port Salut and brie and... oh, yummy! :)
Posted by: Hannah at September 7, 2004 11:28 AMIn the spirit of a final day's worth of meals, rather than a final meal, I'd like to add the category of junk foods. I could not possibly leave this earth without savoring, once again, a couple of fritos, maybe some cheez doodles, m&ms, nachos, and perhaps a hostess cupcake. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor does it even cover all areas of junkfood.
Posted by: GrammarQueen at September 7, 2004 01:53 PMI hopped over here from Helen's site, and this post made me laugh because my dinner last night actually was beef stroganoff and a sidecar. :)
I could happily make a last meal of yorkshire pudding and a chocolate souffle. And a sidecar.
Posted by: Lesley at September 7, 2004 05:54 PMI would go asian; miso soup, cold pressed tofu with tons of different sauces, vegetable sushi, sake, which I have never had, but why not?
Posted by: Rachel Ann at September 8, 2004 02:15 AMWhatever it is, it's not a time for fast food. I'd ask for Iranian caviar with a Cuban cigar (if I was in the US)...
Posted by: Simon at September 8, 2004 04:04 AMSimon, you are quite the subversive.
Funny, Rachel, that you picked asian food. My wife picked chinese dumplings as her appetizer.
Posted by: RP at September 8, 2004 10:10 AMI think I'd go for the stuffed camel.
That's good eatin'.
Posted by: Jim at September 8, 2004 03:44 PMI've just read all thos salivatingly (it's a new word!) wonderful gastronomic delights that everyone would choose for a last meal.
But I'm curious to know: when you are feasting fit to burst, have you contemplated just WHERE this last meal would be eaten? Would you have a choice? Who would you choose to dine with?
Janelle :-)))
Posted by: Janelle at September 8, 2004 04:08 PM