the best for last

What would you eat on your last day on Earth?  Choose an item or a dish.  What would you drink with it??
       My professor of Foods and World Cultures asked me a question similar to this the other day.  Now, I have many favorite foods, but I really tried to imagine which lasting, lingering taste I would want to have in my mouth for those last few hours.  I thought about a big bowl of pasta, which on any other day might be a favorite, but feeling overstuffed with deliciousness would simply not be enough for the last day.  I want richness and flavor and memories......So...I said simply. cheese.  Preferably an assorted cheese tray from the places that shaped my cheesy palate (parmesan from Parma, Italy, extra tasty cheese from Australia, Humboldt Fog from Arcata).  I would pair death with a simple glass of Merlot from Sonoma Valley.

                           

Here's how a few family/friends responded to this oh-so-difficult question:

Momma T's lasagna with a bottle of Newcastle

mango and shrimp sushi roll with a coca-cola

antipasto plate with a glass of Chappallet Meritage

fresh baked english muffin from the Tahoe House with a pat of butter and boysenberry jam, paired with a fresh squeezed mimosa

Eggplant Parmesan with a glass of Alexander Valley 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

BOILED CRAWFISH, CRAB, AND BUD LITE

 buttery grilled fish with white wine

Theo's Cheese Please, no onions, with extra sauce to dip and Sam Adams draft

Kraft Mac and Cheese, elbow noodles, with a side of ketchup and a glass of milk please

Freshly made crunch tacos:  tortillas, ground beef, cabbage, tomato, avocado, queso fresco, little salt, hot sauce with Cerveza Comona (Herradura Tequila if I'm being executed)

Tuna Melt with tomato on rye paired with a 99 cent Arizona green tea. Delish!

      Chazuke and hot green tea
Chad's barbeque shrimp with crusty french bread with a glass of good red wine to put me sleep
 really nice, gooey in the middle chocolate raspberry brownie, then a nice Caipirinha
wedding cake!!

         

a flock of frenzied feathers

gathering a flock of frenzied feathers
we dove inside their bowels and
returning. empty-handed with only our tears
none to share, despite deserving dry souls
awaiting redemption? in whose dirty hands?
yours. ours. and heaven
but none responsible and none redeemed

I wrote this a while ago when I first started to care about what I put into my stomach, what others put into theirs, and how those choices affect us all.  This little diddy gave me a boost - semester # 2 dietetics school started today!

Let the Children Cook

Cook:  Savannah Hooge (my eldest god-child)

Profile:  10 year old novice cook, expert baton twirler - who enjoys arts & crafts and all things pink

Favorite Food: "pizza or mommy's gumbo!  mmmmm gooooodddd!!!!"  

Dish (left):  Meticulously Layered Parfait
Ingredients:  blueberries,granola, yogurt




Dish (below):  Vegetarian Nachos

Ingredients:  pinto beans, mozzarella/cheddar cheese, jalapeno peppers,tomatoes, sour cream, and Granny's homegrown lettuce.

Q (Nanny): What is the hardest thing about cooking all by yourself?

A (Savannah): There was nothing really that was hard.  It was fun, easy, and delicious!!!