five things to eat before you die

Melissa at The Traveler's Lunchbox asked food bloggers to post a "top five" list of foods to eat before you die. Frankly, I always hate being asked "what's your favorite ______?" I can't pin down a favorite anything. It's highly dependant upon my mood, the weather, or what I had for breakfast. That being said, I attempted to construct a list that captured my gustatory values.

I have already eaten these things. If you haven't tried them, run to wherever you can so that you, too, can partake in these most wonderful foods.

Here the list:

1. ceviche (the real stuff -- from Ecuador or Peru)
2. freshly made sweetened fried dough (doughnuts, beignets, zeppole, etc.)
3. any fruit that you can pick yourself and eat on the spot
4. Edo-style sushi
5. homemade tagliatelle

greek brown rice salad

I've been eating a lot of brown rice lately. This came to me as a way to jazz it up a bit.

2 c. cooked short grain brown rice (follow the directions on the package)
1 cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 TB chopped fresh oregano
1 lemon, juiced
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic.

Toss the brown rice with the cucumber and oregano. Add the vinaigrette from above. Fold to combine.

Add the feta and fold again. Season with salt (probably doesn't need a lot due to the feta) and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 as a side.

coconut date rolls

Okay folks, this is an easy one. Sometimes going for "zen" gets complicated, but I assure you that anyone can handle this recipe. Anyway, I ate one of these at Whole Foods in their bulk grains section and was hooked. Perfect amount of sweetness and lots of fiber. It's a healthy way to eat sweets. The almonds aren't in the Whole Foods version, but I loved what they did to the taste and texture.

1 lb. pitted dates
1 c. almonds, roasted (optional)
1/2 c. unsweetened dried coconut flakes


Whir the dates and almonds (if using) in a food processor until a paste is formed. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the paste in the dried coconut and form into logs. That's it!

Makes 16-20 rolls.

beer and muenster cheese soup

I like this soup on cold days...it makes quite a bit, but you can save and reheat any leftovers.

4 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 1/2 tablespoons flour
3 cups water
1 1/2 heaping tablespoons chicken base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon Brand)
3 cups half-and-half
3 cups milk
2 1/4 cups red beer (like Killian's Irish Red)
1 1/2 pounds high quality muenster cheese, shredded
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish

In a small bowl, cream the butter and flour to make a paste. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water, chicken base, half-and-half, milk and beer to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Slowly whisk in the butter/flour paste and return to a simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. (Watch the pot and adjust the heat so the mixture does not boil over.)

Reduce the heat to low and very slowly whisk in the shredded cheese in small additions, making sure each addition melts completely before adding the next. Add the sugar, hot sauce and salt, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Serve hot. Garnished with chopped chives. Serves 8 as a main dish.

To make a Bread Bowl: Choose firm round loaves of bread such as sour dough, French or whole grain the size in which you want to serve the soup (usually about 5 to 6 inches in diameter). With a sharp knife, cut a 3- to 4-inch diameter circle out of the top of each leaving about a 1-inch shell. Pull off the top and set aside. Scoop out the soft inside leaving about an inch of bread around the side and bottom. (Save the scooped out bread to make breadcrumbs or croutons.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil the inside of the "bowl" and place on a baking sheet in the center of the oven 10 to 12 minutes or until the bread is slightly crisp. If you serve the soup in the Bread Bowls you can eat the whole thing by scraping small bits into the soup as you go along. By the time you reach the bottom, that part will be ready to eat.