“dark indulgences” by sume
I was tagged by Made in Korea, so here’s my list of top ten munchables. I’m still slobbering from everyone else’s lists. There were some familiar favorites and some new foods I’d like to try. Some people say that music makes the world go ’round but let us not forget the power of food! It’s a kind of universal language that we all can relate to and share.
1. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark – It’s basically melted dark chocolate mixed with crushed peppermints or spearmints. Spread it out on wax paper, leave it to harden and what you end up with is a candy bar with a little kick.
2. Dan Dan Noodles – The first time I had this was at a Thai restaurant. Don’t ask me, it was on the menu. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant but I’ve loved this dish ever since and ate it frequently while I lived in Texas. I’ve found other variations but have yet to find one as good as that one.
3. Grilled Salmon – Marinated in a little olive oil, lemon juice and a few spices, grilled over low heat and served with wedges of lemon. Mmmmm. Gotta have it!
4. Tabbouleh (spelling may vary) – For me this is the ULTIMATE salad. It’s finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, green onion, cracked wheat, and mint with a lemon juice and olive oil “dressing”. Forget what you’ve had in Middle Eastern restaurants, it’s nothing compared to the homemade version. It’s served with romaine lettuce leaves which serve as scoops. Lively in color and refreshing in taste, it goes great with lunch.
5. Chile – Growing up in Texas, Tex-Mex was a regular part of eating out. Anything less than 65 degrees F feels cold to me. When the temperature dips down into the 30′s, there’s nothing like a hot, spicy bowl of chili to chase away the winter chills.
6. Tiramisu – This is one of my favorite desserts. I’ve tried to make this at home but it never turns out the same. I’ve resigned myself to enjoying it only when I eat in restaurants that serve it. I tend to enjoy the smoother, lighter custard versions to the ones with mascarpone cheese but hey, I’ll eat both.
7. Homemade Bread – There is just something about the smell of bread baking in the oven that makes a home feel like a home to me. It doesn’t have to be something complicated but can be something as simple (and fun) as soft pretzels. The kids and I do this quite often. Everyone gets to do their own variation whether it’s cinnamon-sugar, parmesan cheese, salt or garlic butter. They don’t have to be twisted into pretzel shapes either but can be made into heart shapes, stars or whatever. We use pastry brushes to brush on the baking soda solution instead of dipping. It makes things much easier.
8. Chicken Gumbo and Rice – Another comfort food and another one I have never been able to pull off at home. My dad is originally from Louisiana and is one heck of a cook. He has Cajun roots from his father’s side and uses a recipe that’s been passed from one generation to the next. It’s always on the menu for family gatherings along with a huge variety of barbecued delights. Luckily, I have sisters and brothers who can carry on the tradition. My love for rice is a result of it being a regular part of Cajun cuisine.
9. Gelati – Hot summer afternoon, after-doctor-appointment comfort food, reward for good behavior, any excuse will do. We have a local shop that makes these in several different flavors. The big kid in me still goes for the watermelon flavor/vanilla ice cream combo. The two different textures and flavors melt perfectly together. We eat these all year long. I don’t always have a good excuse but who cares? I want one.
10. Grilled corn on the cob – I grew up eating it boiled to death and smothered in butter. I won’t touch corn on the cob cooked that way now. I put it on the grill last and off to the side so it doesn’t burn. If cooked just until the “skin” of the corn kernels starts to shrivel, it comes out naturally sweet with a touch of smoke-flavor.
Even now I’m thinking of several more and getting hungry. Time for a snack! I tag Oanh, Fatima, and the first person who comments who hasn’t done this one. Anyone who doesn’t have a blog or doesn’t want to put it on their blogs can put their list in comments.
Oh, now you’ve got me craving a good, savory bowl of meaty, beany chili. And gumbo! I love gumbo. Forgot about gumbo! Gasp! And mmmm, I have a soft spot for soft pretzels. As soon as the weather cools down, I’m trying them. Grilled corn on the cob, my favorite! At the MN state fair they grill their cobs, or roast them, and then dunk them in butter and salt and pepper, and I swear, I could eat five of them in a row.
Sume. My mouth is watering. Great! list!
Wonderful list! You’ve got great taste, I really love your comfort foods. You’ve got me thinking of chili now, it’s never too hot out for a good spicy bowl. Never had grilled corn before, I’ll have to risk catching the cobs on fire with the broiler. How different is the texture from regular boiled corn?
Mmm, must go off and find tiramasu now.
This will come back to haunt me, I’m sure, but hey, for now:
* Chili. One of the earliest ‘spicy’ things I’d been exposed to, and never went back.
* Tex-Mex Tacos. Lately, it’s getting replaced by a carne asada burrito from a particular restaurant on St. Paul’s West Side that knows how to get it right without skimping on the portions. If they ever go out of business, I’m in trouble.
* Smoked salmon or raw. Can’t stand it cooked. Broke up with a girlfriend over it when she cooked a plank I had tucked in my fridge. (well, I told her it was ‘me not you,’ at the time… and this is getting TMI…)
* Deep fried tilapia from the Vientiane Sukiyaki in St. Paul. Great stuff. The cook really knows how to keep the crispy parts crispy and the fatty parts fatty. Only a recent change in ownership may make this one of those unttainable dishes…
* Beef stroganoff, Midwest style. Amazing what a can of cream of mushroom soup and some sour cream can do.
* Sushi, but I’m typically only in for the salmon, eel, and soft-shelled crab or dragon rolls.
* The filet of fish sandwich. There’s a well-known story about the fact that I moved to MN just for the filet of fish. But I won’t get into that now.
* The pancakes at Mickey’s Diner in St. Paul. Or the barbecue ribs from Famous Dave’s.
* A Sandwich Grec from Paris. Like a Gyro, only it kicks major butt. Surprisingly, a Somalian restaurant in St. Paul serves a good close second.
* A good bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo with rice. But it’s hard to get a decent one anymore in the Midwest.
* Hummus usually makes a list like this, but no one serves it in decent portions for the most part around here. I’ll also add in an Auntie Annie’s soft pretzel, a Subway toasted tuna sandwich or a good coffee ice cream with mocha chips.
Yum. Ok, this list looks terrible. I admit it.
But on the other hand, I should note that I’ve also eaten my way through a good chunk of the alphabet, starting with A for Alligator.
Mudeng, I get serious cravings for fair-food. I don’ t know if it’s the memories of fun and family outings or if the food really is THAT good. It’s interesting how certain foods bring back specific memories making the food either that much more desirable.
Jaye, I do it in the oven, too. Grilling is reserved for when I’m already barbecuing something else. I crank up the oven to 400 degrees and just put the shucked cobs right on the oven grill, let them cook until the down-side gets darker then turn them. I’ve tried them with the broiler and almost always end up over-cooking them. Just cook them depending on how “done” you like them to be. I like mine a bit more cooked so I cook them until the skin kernels start to look a little shrively.
Bryan, it’s a great list and thanks for doing one. I’m sorry to hear about the bad chili experience. You didn’t happen to try one of those “hell in your mouth” versions, did you? Now you’ve got me curious about the fish fillet story. Is it really that good?
Hummus is so easy to make. Just chick peas, garlic, lemon juice, salt and tahini, blend, drizzle with olive oil, done! Just holler and I’ll send you the recipe.
Haha @ alligator. It really isn’t that bad.
My reaction to reading all these food lists is to want to go grocery shopping everyday. And I practically have! Eeek! Nice list, Sume!
Oh man, you too? I’ve been in the store for something almost everyday this week either because we’ve ran out of something of to fetch some missing ingredient.
Yep. And being the blog obsessed individual I am (see blog’s current post) I actually think as I’m grocery shopping, “I’m getting this because so and so wrote about that on their blog!”
mmmm, all of that stuff is lip smacking. u have some of my top favorites on your list. I love me some cajun food, too. Any thing from Texas is better cuz it is spicier. I was shocked when I moved north and there were no pickled jalapenos or Tabasco sauce next to the salt and pepper on restaurant tables.
okay, I’ll get to work on my list
Salam Sume
What gives, i was missing you at blogspot and i totally forgot that you were blogging on here.
I feel sooooo dumb now. I hope you didn’t think i was ignoring your blog or somethin’, i’m just…. slow to catch on. 
(((
:* :*
Whoops, I should clarify: Chili is one of my favorite things, but now I’ve gotten to adding in any variety of additional spices and substances that it would be more properly classified as a very hot stew, mush, scary, or inedible by non-Bryan like people. This last, of course, does fix the leftover problem a few others mentioned elsewhere about here.
No one else thinks the Filet O’ Fish is as good as I say it is, but if you’re up here on March 17th, the interesection between $1 Filet O Fish Day and the Shamrock Shakes, you and others get to join me in McNirvana for just a day.
And then I reveal the whole secret story…
Totally nerdy, but go figure.
I want to try this gumbo – I’ve never had any
We keep meaning to have home made bread, but there’s a fabulous bakery at the top of the hill, no more than 200 metres from my house. Motivation is therefore … low.
I made tabbouleh once. It was mediocre. Not as yummy as yours, I’m sure and certainly not as yummy as what I can buy from the Lebanese Aussies who also make me great kebabs.
It’s only breakfast here and I’m craving all kinds of non-breakfast-y foods now…
I love food: so my list is up too
Mmmmm, i’m getting hungry!
A cliffhanger, Bryan? And one that we’d have to wait until next year to hear about? You are just too cruel. Well, you never know. There are some wonderful KADs up north that I’m dying to see.
Oanh, if by some miracle, you’re ever out this way, I might be tempted to try my dad’s recipe again. I just talked to him two days ago and he told me that he was making a batch for my aunt and brother who were coming to dinner. I’m so jealous.
I love kebabs, too!
i didn’t know or i forgot that you were here!!
i miss youde ar friend! i hope everything is fine with you!
i just finished my diner, but i’m hungry again and hungry for tiramisu, my favorite deser ever.
i got a wonderful recipe from a italian friend who was born in the region that tiramisu was created.
take care, dear!