500 Favorite Foods

[Lisa]

169. Cheese ravioli with meatballs and red sauce. Mmmmm..... so fabulous, it's been one of my favorite meals since I was a little kid. If I go into an Italian restaurant, I'm hard-pressed to not just immediately order this. Even if I swear I'm going to get something different, I'd say at least 8 times out of 10, I go for this nice, basic dish.

[IggytheBorg]

170. Cadbury Caramellos I luvs me some Cadbury chocolate (not too sweet, and reaaaally creamy), and I LUVS me some caramel. Combine the 2 into a huge chocolate bar. . . ? MAGIC! Pure, ooey gooey magic, I say!

[Chris Miller]

171. A Philly Cheesesteak
Have we seriously not done a philly cheesesteak yet? That doesn't seem right. Anyway, GottDAMN I love me some cheesesteak. While the traditional way is great, my preferred set up is a toasted roll, provolone, mayo, pickles, and fried onions (and yes, I'm aware that I just alienated this entire board one way or another), but the beauty of the thing is that as long as you like thinly sliced steak and cheese, you can easily customize this wonder to your liking. Around B-More, the king is Captain Harvey's in Dundalk. I swear, they jam 5 pounds of meat into the roll.

Oddly enough, the best cheesesteak I ever had was at a tiny mini-mart in Dublin Maryland, but that might be because it was my first that didn't come from Subway. Want a great steak sub? Go to a place that's been cooking them forever, and you know they have a well seasoned flat top. In college, our favorite shop moved down the street, and their subs sucked for at least a year until the new stove was seasoned enough.

[IggytheBorg]

172. Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese There's a reason this shit's so expensive. Salty. Smoky. Fruity. This is one of the most complex cheeses in the world. Excellent in the use we most associate it with, i.e., shredded/shaved over pasta or greens or salads, what have you, it's great just cut into hunks and eaten all by its lonesome. If you've never doen this, I urge you to try it at least once before you die.

[IggytheBorg]

173. Gruyere Cheese A smoky, almost musty, barnyardy type flavor. It still retains an air of sophistication, and thanks to rigorous Swiss quality control, is always good if an import. Many of us know this cheese exclusively as that melted over the croutons in Fench onion soup. This is another I urge everyone to try alone as part of your culinary bucket lists.

[IggytheBorg]

174. Manouri Cheese When I can't get wensleydale (which is a lot more often than I'd like, sadly), this stuff is a reasonable facsimile. It tastes tangy & creamy, like cream or neufchatel cheese. But it's a bit firmer; maybe like slightly drier fresh mozzarella. Delicious & underrated. Good. More for me. . .

[IggytheBorg]

175. Granny Smith Apples I think, given many of my prior fruit entries, it's pretty clear I like tart things. Does it GET any tarter than these babies? When something is "green apple flavored", this is what they really mean. Great baked in apie, they're salivary gland-stingingly tart when you take that 1st bite of one au naturel.

[IggytheBorg]

176. Nectarines Again with the tartness. When slightly underripe, they have a nice snap to them. I kind of don't like how sloppy, slightly stringy and musty they can taste when (over)ripe. But at that firm, juicy, peak of just before freshness? One of nature's most perfect fruits.

[IggytheBorg]

177. Red Seedless Grapes Yes, I like the white ones better. But these have a darker, richer flavor that one just craves sometimes in lieu of their green skinned ilk. Kind of like craving the maduro version of a favorite, ordinarily CT wrapped favorite smoke.

[IggytheBorg]

178. Pepperoni Unquestionably my favorite pizza extra topping. Also great in omelettes w/ mozzarella cheese, or in calzones with ricotta & mozzarella, and a sde of marinara. But in its natural state, w/ some crusty bread & sharp provolone cheese, maybe a few briney olives. . . ? That's manna from heaven rat thur.

[BillyG]

I'll eat pepperoni on damn near anything. Sandwich, pizza, eggs, solo, off a hand maiden's stomach.

[Chris Miller]

179. Kung Pao Chicken
Perfect Morsels of chicken nestled in a savory, slightly spicy sauce, surrounded by roasted peanuts, layered over fried rice. I had it for lunch today, and man, I want it for lunch again tomorrow.

[Chris Miller]

And, it's been a while so:
180. A Perfectly Cooked Mozzarella Stick
The breading must be crisp, not soggy. However, it must have the tiniest bit of grease that once caressed it glistening. The cheese must be melty, but whole, and can not have exited the breaded casing, but must be melted enough to distinguish itself from an uncooked piece of string cheese. The marinara dipping sauce must be hot (who serves cold fucking marinara anyway??) and fairly smooth, not chunky, for when you dip that 500 calorie two inch stick of cheesey heart attack fuel into it, it must properly coat the deep fried pleasure without altering its texture. Then, you bite. There's a light crunch as your teeth sink in, and then the gooey cheese finds the quickest way out of it's breaded prison, and goes straight into your welcoming arteries.

Why isn't everyone fat?

[IggytheBorg]

THAT was poetry to a foodie. [*Wipes Away Tear*]

180. Breakfast Sausage I just made some of this for my son, and am continually reminded how damned good this stuff is. Heavily seasoned with sage, in link or patty form, even the Brown 'n' Serve frozen varieties are delicious. Probably the second best egg accompanying breakfast meat, right behind bacon.

[V]

THAT was poetry to a foodie. [*Wipes Away Tear*]

180. Breakfast Sausage I just made some of this for my son, and am continually reminded how damned good this stuff is. Heavily seasoned with sage, in link or patty form, even the Brown 'n' Serve frozen varieties are delicious. Probably the second best egg accompanying breakfast meat, right behind bacon.

And swimming in maple syrup...

CAME!