Food "Bucket List"?

[Passadumkeg]

We just saw the tear jerking movie The Bucket List. What I wonder is what would you want to find to eat, that you never have had, if you knew you're days were numbered? Gorge on truffles? Puffer fish shashimi? Beluga caviar?

[bulavinaka]

Spend a full (and in this case, my last) year in Kyoto and enjoy as much kaiseki as I can to sample each season's best offerings. I'd start in winter just because my final season of the full year would be fall - an incredibly beautiful time in Kyoto...

[Raboi]

I actually put together a list of things to eat recently... Made up of stuff I have never eaten. Not necessarily the best food but stuff I want to try before I kick the bucket. Get ready for this one.

Americas

1. Ragout de pattes de cochon – French Quebec – Pig Feet’s stew
2. Le Riopelle de I’Sle – Quebec – Triple cream cheese
3. Dulse – Ireland or Canada - Seaweed that can be roasted, sauted, made into chips
4. Poutine – Quebec French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown BBQ chicken

5. Muktuk – USA – Alaska – Eskimo frozen whale skin and blubber
6. In-N-Out Burger – USA – Fast Food
7. Cake Batter Milk Shake – USA – Marble Slab or Cold stones Creamery
8. An authentic Lobster bake – Maine
9. Pastrami sandwich at Carnegie Deli – New York
10. Hotdog on any corner – New York
11. A Proper New York Style Pizza – New York – New York
12. A Proper Chicago Style Pizza – Chicago - Illinois
13. The Recession Special at Gray’s Papaya – New York City
14. An authentic cheesesteak in Philadelphia – Philadelphia
15. Steamer clams in Boston – Boston
16. Eat New England Clam Chowder in Boston - Boston
17. Steamed blue crabs - Maryland
18. Muffaletta - Louisiana – Sandwich with ham, olive salad, cheese
19. Boudain sausage - Louisiana
20. Jambalaya from New Orleans – Louisiana
21. A Louisiana crawfish boil – Louisiana
22. Monte Cristo sandwich – USA – Deep fried sandwich of meat/cheese
23. Peach Cobbler - USA

24. Barbacoa – Mexico – Meat or whole sheep cooked over an open fire
25. Tik-in-Chick – Mexico – Grilled Snapper with Achoita Sauce
26. Black Sapote – Mexico – “Black pudding” Fruit
27. Corn Smut – Mexico
28. Cheap Tequila – Tijuana, Mexico

29. Jelly coconut – Barbados – From a street vendor
30. Salt Fish and Ackee – Jamaica – Fish with fruit
31. Real jerk barbecue from a roadside jerk hut - Jamaica
32. Stewed Manicou – Dominica - Stewed possum type animal

33. Anticuchos – Peru - Grilled Beef heart
34. Saltado de Pollo with Aji Sauce – Peru - Sauteed Chicken/Onions/Tomatoes

35. Feijoada – Brazil - Stew of beans with beef and pork

36. A real parilla – Argentina – Steak House

Europe
37. Cream Tea – England – Tea with scones
38. Steak Pie – England – Stewed Steak and beef gravy in pastry
39. Roast Marrow Bone and Parsley Salad – England - St Johns, London
40. The perfect potato topped mince pie - England
41. Bangers and mash – England- Sausage and Potatoes
42. Snow cream – England – British Desert
43. Bakewell Tart – England – Freshly baked Dessert
44. Jellied Eels - England

45. Bara lawr – Wales - main meal lamb dish

46. Haggis – Scotland – Stuffed sheep’s stomach
47. Neeps & tatties – Scotland – Basic Potato and turnip dish
48. Coulibiac of Salmon – Scotland – Pastry stuffed fish

49. Pint of Guinness in a Pub - Ireland

50. Horchata de chufa - Spain – Drink/Milk made from the Tiger nut
51. Pipas – Spain – Giant toasted salted sunflower seeds
52. Ibérico de bellota – Spain – Cured ham
53. Turrón – Spain - Nougat confection
54. Chorizo con sidra – Spain – Spicy Spanish sausage in apple cider
55. Angulas – Spain
56. Gooseneck barnacles – Spain

57. Brioche – France - Highly enriched French Bread
58. Potimarron soup – France - Chestnut pumpkin soup
59. Soupe de Pistou – France - Cold soup
60. Salade au chevre chaud – France – Salad with goat cheese
61. Brie de Meaux – France – Cheese
62. Dry J Lescure butter – France – Creamy unsalted butter
63. Vacherin cheese – France – Cow’s milk cheese
64. Cambazola – France - Cow’s milk cheese
65. Tomme de chevre with fig bread – France – Goat’s milk cheese
66. Cassoulet – White bean casserole with sausage and meat
67. Aligot – France – Melted cheese in mashed potatoes with garlic
68. Pot Au Feau au Trois Viandes – France - Iron Pot meal with three meats
69. Macarons from Pierre Hermé – France
70. Un moelleux au chocolat – France - Soft chocolate cake
71. Profiteroles – France - Cream puff
72. Marron Glace – France – Chestnut candied in sugar syrup and glazed
73. Flamekuche – French style pizza
74. Salade aux Gesiers de Canard – France – Salad with Duck Gizzard
75. Epoisses – France - Fresh, unpasteurized cheese
76. Duck Confit – France – Preserved duck leg dish
77. Andouillette – France - Susage made of pork tripe
78. Tartiflette – France - Dish with potatos, cheese, and meat
79. Pain au chocolat – France - Aka chocolatine, French pastry
80. Rose ice cream – France - Le Cinq in Paris
81. Sorbet de cassis – France - Paris preferrably at Berthillon
82. Salted caramel ice cream – France – Berthillon’s in Paris
83. Calissons d' Aix – France - Almond-paste delicacy with a sugar icing

84. 'Rijstafel' – Holland - Dinner of rice with 12-30 side dishes
85. Huzarensla/ Hussar Salad – Holland - Dutch Potato Salad
86. Crunch Bread – Holland

87. Indonesian Layer cake from Amsterdam – Netherlands

88. Blinde Kuh – Switzerland – Zurich Restaurant where you eat in darkness
89. Pane Vallemaggia – Switzerland – Dark bread with large holes
90. ”Zopf" covered with butter and honey – Switzerland – Egg Bread
91. Bresaola ticinese – Switzerland – Dry cured meat
92. Miele di Castagne – - Switzerland - Chestnut honey
93. Rösti – Switzerland – Potato Dish
94. Zuger Kirschtorte – Switzerland – Cake
95. Real Swiss Raclette – Switzerland - Semi-firm, salted cow’s milk cheese
96. Basler Leckerli – Switzerland - Basel Cookies
97. Lindt dark chocolate – Switzerland – Specialty Chocolate

98. Ravioli di Castagne (Chestnut Ravioli) – Italy
99. Gnudi – Italy - Gnochi type thing
100. Risotto allo Zafferano – - Italy - Risotto with Saffron
101. Panettone – Italy - Traditional Christmas Bread
102. Caciocavallo – Italy – Cheese
103. Suppli – Italy – Dish of a ball of rice (generally risotto) and meat
104. Orecchiette com Cime di Rapa – Italy - Pasta with broccoli rabe
105. Brachetto d’Acqui – Italy - Northern sweet wine
106. Thin-sliced lardo drizzled with honey – Italy - Pork product
107. Carne cruda – Italy - Steak Tartar
108. Marron Glaces – Italy - Candied chestnuts
109. Olive Ascolane – Italy - Ascolane Olives
110. Crema Fritta – Italy - Fried Cream
111. Rainbow Cookies – Italy – Tricolor Marzipan Cake
112. Umbrian White Truffles – Italy – Fungus

113. Giant beer and pretzel with sweet mustard at Oktoberfest – Germany
114. Kartoffelpuffer – Germany - Potato Pancake
115. Dampfnudeln with hot vanilla sauce – Germany - Sweet Yeast Dumplings
116. Germknodel – Germany – Yeast Dumping Dessert

117. White asparagus – Austria – From the Marchfeld
118. Farmhouse bread – Austria

119. Krofi – Slovenia - Doughnut

120. Kifli – Hungary – Pastry
121. Kovászos uborka – Hungary – Pickled Cucumbers
122. Langos – Hungary – Deep fried dough

123. Gogosi – Romania - Doghnuts without holes

124. Zuckerei - Poland – Desert

125. Spelt bread – Estonia
126. Estonian sourdough rye bread – Estonia

127. Latvian Pancakes – Latvia - Crepe type dish

128. Poronkäristys – Finland - Sautéed reindeer

129. Västerbotten Cheese on crisp rye bread – Sweden
130. Dajm candy – Sweden
131. Kraftor – Sweden - Swedish-style crawfish

132. Lutefish – Norway – Fish cooked in Lye

133. Friesentorte – Denmark – Cake
134. Danish Fjord Shrimp – Denmark

135. Asia
136. Kakis/Sharon fruit – Israel - Fruit like a Persimmon

137. Zereshk – Iran - Dried barberries (usually cooked with chicken)
138. Black Iranian Caviar - Iran

139. Khachapuri - Russia - Cheese filled bread dish from Georgia
140. Great Vodka in Moscow – Russia

141. Manti – Uzbekestan - Lamb dumplings

142. Full 13 course Chinese wedding or New Year’s banquet
143. Yum cha – China - Cantonese custom of drinking tea with several different foods
144. Jiao.zi – Chinese Dumplings
145. Chinese Waffles
146. Char Siew – Chinese barbecued pork Roast Pork
147. Neptune Braised Sharks Fins with Abalone - Hong Kong
148. Fresh mochi still warm from the oven – Chinese rice cake
149. Chinese New Year moon-cakes
150. Century Egg – China

151. Bowl of noodles eaten whilst standing at a Tokyo railway station – Japan
152. Shabu Shabu – Japan – Hot Pot
153. Kobe or Wagyu beef – Japan
154. Pork congee with preserved duck egg – Japan
155. Sushi & Sashimi at the Tokyo fish market – Japan
156. Tora Fugu – Japan – Puffer fish
157. Raw sea urchin – Japan
158. Sakura ebi – Japan
159. Scallop Roe
160. Kobe Beef Sashimi – Japan

161. Lumpia – Philippines - Eggroll appetizer
162. Sweet spaghetti – Philipines
163. Bagoong with green mangoes – Philipines - Fish Paste with Green Mangoes
164. Kesong puti – Philipines - Cheese made from water buffalo milk
165. Fresh Carabao milk – Philipines – Fresh Carabao (water buffalo) milk
166. Bonuan Bangus – Philipines – Milkfish
167. Puto Maya – Philipines - Black sticky rice with mangoes
168. Green Mango with Salt – Philipines
169. Freshly roasted baboy damo or wild boar – Philippines

170. Ragi mudde – India - Finger mullet flour made into dough, cooked hot
171. Uttapam – India - Dosa like dish cooked in a batter
172. Poli – India – Sweet Pan fried flatbread
173. Aloo Gobi – India - Potato/Cauliflower Curry
174. Pani puri - India - Fried crisp stuffed with pototo
175. Potato Bhaji – Indian Fried potato fritters
176. Misal – India – Spiced sprouts with toppings eaten as a snack
177. Tomato Rasam – India – Southern Soup
178. Chagem Pomba – India - Fermented Soya and Fish
179. Suttar Pheni – India – Desert
180. Srikund – India - Yoghurt-saffron cream desert
181. Idli Sambar - - South India - Savory cake
182. Turumbai – India – Fermented Soya and Pork

183. Bhapa Ilish – Bangladesh - Bengal Steamed Hilsa Fish

184. Prahok – Cambodia – Fermented Fish Paste
185. Samlor Machou Yuon – Cambodia – Tamarind sour food
186. Fish Amok – Cambodia – Fish cooked in chiles and coconut milk
187. Kampot Pepper – Cambodia
188. Fried Spider – Cambodia
189.

190. Nems – Vietnam – Springroll
191. Pho - Vietnam - Rice noodle soup
192. Bun Cha Gio – Vietnam - BBQ pork balls in fish sauce with vegetables and noodles
193. Bun cha – Vietnam – Broiled Pork with Rice Vermicelli

194. Khao Soi – Thailand - Soup with egg noodles, pickled cabbage, shallots, lime, nam prik pao (plain), and meat in a curry-like sauce
195. Mango and sticky rice – Thailand
196. Durian

197. Oceana
198. Soto Ayam – Indonesia - Javanese Spicy Chicken Soup
199. Sate Gule Kambing – Indonesia - Goat Satay and Goat Curry
200. Sambal Roa (Roa Chili) – Indonesia – Chili using smoked Roa fish
201. Kue Jongkong – Indonesia – Bite sized snacks of cakes/cookies/puddings
202. Klappertaart – Indonesia – Coconut Cake
203. Paniki – Indonesia -Manado authentic cuisine made from bats
204. Ayam Taliwang – Indonesia -Spicy Grilled Chicken
205. Empek-empek Palembang - Indonesia - Fish and sago delicacy
206. Naniura – Indonesia - Jhakarta - Marinated raw fish
207. Nasi Padang – Indonesia - Banquet of meats, fish, sambals eaten with rice
208. Satay padang – Indonesia - Spicy cow or goat offal grilled with yellow sauce
209. Ayam Tangkap – Indonesia - Fried spicy chicken with alot of temuruy/curry leaves
210. Ikan Sale Ubi Tumbuk – Indonesia - Smoked Catfish with Smashed Cassava Leaves)
211. Gulai Itiak Samba Lado Hijau – Indonesia - Sumatra - Duck Curry with green chillies paste
212. Babi Guling – Indonesia - Bali – Roast Suckling Pig
213. Ikan Bakar Sambal Dabu-dabu – Indonesia – Mando Spicy Grilled Fish
214. Bebek Goreng Surabaya - Indonesia - Surabaya Style Fried Duck
215. Kepiting Saus Padang – Indonesia - Crab in Padang Sauce

216. Roti Canai – Malaysia - Flat bread
217. Nasi Lemak – Malaysia – Coconut cream rice with sides of vegs/meats
218. Malaysian Satay – Malaysia – Skewers of meat/checken
219. Grilled stingray wrapped in banana leaves - Malaysia
220. Ikan Bakar – Malaysia - Fish grilled with charcoal
221. Laksa Lemak – Malaysia – Spicy noodle soup with coconut and fish gravy
222. Penang Assam Laksa – Malaysia – Sour Tamarind soup
223. Rambutan – Malaysia – Hairy fruit
224. Bread Fruit - Malaysia – Fruit

225. Chwee Kueh – Singapore - Breakfast steamed rice cake
226. Barbecued Sting Ray – Singapore

227. Oka – Samoa - Fish marinated in lemon, coconut cream, salt and onions

228. Vegemite with butter on hot toast – Australia
229. Damper with golden syrup – Australia - Outback soda bread
230. Quandongs – Australia – Fruit
231. Kangaroo Meat - Australia
232. Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey – Australia

233. Hāngi - New Zealand - Maori method of cooking food
234. Feijoa - - New Zealand - Pineapple Guava or Guavasteen

235. Africa
236. Ramandan soup with lamb and lentils – Libya

237. Injera - Ethiopia - Bread

238. Sadza – Zimbabwe – Maize porridge with tomato and onion

239. Generic
240. Tasting menu at a true "grand table" with accompanying wine
241. A Dinner Hand-Prepared By a Celebrity Chef
242. A gourmet picnic at the top of a mountain, after hours hiking

243. Sassafras tea
244. 100 year old Vintage Tawny
245. Sugarcane juice

246. A ripe fig, straight off the tree
247. Fresh raspberries, straight from the bush, still warm from the sunshine
248. Fresh mulberries anywhere you can get them
249. A ripe yellow watermelon (the whole thing)
250. Diced Fresh Fruit with Lime Juice and Red Pepper
251. Fresh mangosteens
252. Pickled Watermelon
253. A blood orange sliced, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt
254. Roasted Chestnuts
255. Fresh buko (young coconut)
256. Medjool dates

257. Fresh porcini
258. Batter-fried Zucchini Flowers
259. Coriander Potatoes
260. Ramps
261. Salsify – Rare root vegetable
262. Mâche – Heirloom green (Lamb’s lettuce)
263. Squash Blossoms
264. A Dish with Black and White Truffles (Together)

265. Quinoa - Species of goosefoot grown primarily for its edible seeds

266. Pumpkin soup
267. Turtle soup

268. Black truffle cheese
269. Goat cheese with fennel honey
270. Raw milk from a pastured cow who was milked that morning

271. Roast rabbit
272. Reindeer
273. Insects
274. Beaver
275. Chicken Kiev

276. Wild barramundi
277. Fresh Hogfish Snapper
278. Razor Clams
279. Eat a lobster I picked from the tank

280. Avocado shake
281. Baked Alaska
282. Wild honey and honeycomb, straight from the hive
283. Warm cloudberries over good quality vanilla ice cream
284. Olive oil sorbet
285. Avocado Ice Cream
286. Cocoa Nibs – Roasted Cocoa beans separated from husks, in small bits
287. Donut Bread Pudding w/ Rum Glaze
288. Salt caramel
289. Coconut Jellies
290. Sweetened condensed milk – Eat a spoonful straight from the can
291. Bread pudding with Bourbon sauce
292. The perfect Banana Split

[Miss Needle]

Quite the list! I think I'm bookmarking this thread just to have your post as reference. I hope you're not 95 years old and have many years left for you to enjoy everything on your list.

btw, the Pierre Herme macarons are definitely a must do! Huge difference between them and other macarons.

[moh]

Oh! Yummy list! Makes me very hungry!

Hmm, I feel very lucky, a fair amount of your list is relatively easy to do in my home city! But then again, there is something to be said about eating certain foods in their native country. Sounds like you've got your next few holidays planned out nicely.

[dolores]

Raboi, what an AMAZING list! I hope you can do #290 right away where you are, it's sooo good.

I haven't read reallly carefully, so I hope there are no live animals or pets on your list.

Here's my 2 cents on # 9 -- everything you've heard; #10 -- different, but worth trying -- if you see a ginormous cruller and coffee for a dollar, get it!; #11 -- very good, not the best; #14 -- there are two competing places, I can't recall which I had, but boy are they good; #15 and #16 -- don't like the town, but the food is good; #17 -- fun, but I don't get the appeal, too much work;
#18 -- one of THE best sandwiches in the world; and add #18a, the beignets in NO, out of this world.

You can find #258 in NY, they are delish and used to be, you could find ricotta cheesecake in NY at the same place, you should add that to your list.

#292 -- I have yet to find that outside my own home.

Again, outSTANDing list, it's a keeper, Raboi. Good luck in reaching all your goals.

[Passadumkeg]

Wow! I hope you're young! Good luck. Love the locational aspect. Only comment, better than choosing a lobster from a tank, come up to Maine, go out w/ a lobsterman, choose the feistiest and cook "em. The best lobster I ever ate was one that chomped down hard on my right index finger, blood & bruised! Revenge is sweet. After working a couple summers on a lobster boat, I take a perverse joy in tossing them in the pot. Nasty creatures.

[FoodWine]

:-D :-D Sorry that I am laughing Passadumkeg! But you make it sound so funny. I read your comment out loud to my husband, and he let out a sound of pain!

I loved having lobsters in Maine. It has been too long.

[Passadumkeg]

FoodWine, you just made me add a few to my list. A farewell rapu (Finnish for crayfish) fest w/ copious amounts of iced Korskonkorva vodka by the Baltic on midsummer's eve. A lijha pirraka, kaksi nakkia, agurke, senape and ketchupi (Finnish junk food) at the Helsinki train station and burbot roe on buckwheat blini w/ sour cream and diced onion. Hyvaa! Hyvaa!

[FoodWine]

That is a fun list, Raboi.

Your list reminds me of many items that I used to love, but have not had for a long time....

Some of them:

270. Raw milk from a pastured cow who was milked that morning" = When I was a little kid I had that while staying at my Mom's cousin's farm. No wonder that I loved milk as a kid.

283. Warm cloudberries over good quality vanilla ice cream = one of the most delicious things I have ever had. That is one thing I miss, not living in Finland.

128. Poronkäristys – Finland - Sautéed reindeer= love it. Love reindeer any way it comes. And, btw, it is very lean meat. The hotel that we used to stay in when visiting Helsinki, had this awesome breakfast spread and it often included reindeer cold cuts. I could never resist them. On super delicious rye bread & some greens on top.

126. Estonian sourdough rye bread – Estonia = my favorite is actually the sourdough rye bread that you can get in Finland. A huge round Häälimppu -bread is the best. Put some thin slices of that reindeer on it and you are in heaven.

129. Västerbotten Cheese on crisp rye bread – Sweden= yes, and some summer fresh Scandinavian tomatoes on top crowns it all.
130. Dajm candy – Sweden = Used to love it, now it is too sweet for me.
131. Kraftor – Sweden - Swedish-style crawfish= I love the Finnish crawfish, but have to believe that they are the same species than those in Sweden. Best crawfish in the world. I used to host crawfish parties on my summer island every summer. Oh, how I miss that!

134. Danish Fjord Shrimp – Denmark = delish

....ahh, walking down the memory lane... better quit now, before I write a novel....

[Passadumkeg]

I didn't read the above post before my previous reply.
What is the name for the baked cow's colustrum, after giving birth, that is served on Finnish farms?
Finnish wedding bread and muissta leipa (black bread).
Baby reindeer chops.
Saur sill (sour herring)
Stromming- small whole herring.
Grilly makkara (sausage) after a sauna.
Kulturni (sour milk)
Cloudberry Liquor (Laaka?) w/ vodka on the rocks
Cloud berries w/ whipped cream (myllta)
And one of my fondest memories of entertaining; coffee, cognac, and a cuban cigar for dessert.
I moved from Helsinki to North Haven Island, and the above lobster episode, to raise our boys away from capitalist temptations.
We will be in NYC next week. My Finnish born son and I will drive down to collect my Norwegian born son and his pregnant Korean wife at Newark Airport. Phantom of the Opera on Wed. and lots of chowhounding! My Bolivian daughter flies into Portland from Austin.
I work as a Maine Registered sea kayak guide for the summer.
Ain't life great?
We have a beautiful mykki (cottage), hytta, dacha on Tunk Lake here. Party time! All 5 kids together again for the first time in years.

Hyvaa iltaa!
Which summer island? We had a summer place on an island, Haukkeniemi(?), about 35 k west of Helsinki. What memories!
Are you a Swedeofinn or Suomalainen?

[FoodWine]

Hyvää päivää, Passadumkeg!

:-D
Most of the items on your list, I love, too. I also love your Finnish junk food list! And karjalanpiirakka - rice pirogis. With mashed egg-butter on top. and, umm , the Koskenkorva booze was a bit too much for me, even though, of course you had to have at least a little ice cold schnapps with you rapuja, crawfish.

I am both suomalainen och finlandssvensk, that is, bilingual from birth.

Colostrum is "ternimaito" in Finnish.
(the only item on your list that I did not understand, is the "kulturni" the sour milk... Maybe piimä? or Kefiiri?)

Wow, I envy your mökki on Tunk Lake! Lucky you! And what is better than to enjoy it with family members!

The island I referred to was in Sipoo/Sibbo, east from Helsinki. Close enough to drive to work in Helsinki, about 30 kilometers.
My parents have an island in the western archipelago, outside of Kemiö - gorgeous! I did a lot of fishing and grilling fish on that island. (Or got fish from the local fisherman, off his boat). Bought the new potatoes and greens from the local farmers. That was life! I still miss it. I do not like New York very much in the summer. Way too hot and humid, too. Smog.

One of my fondest memories was having picnic on one of the outer islands north of Åland, sitting on the smooth, rolling granite rocks, by the water, and eating small, smoked fish, new potatoes and home made rhubarb pie and drinking cheap, sweet white wine from empty viili-cups.
Did you like viili? (the sour milk product that is sort of like yogurt, but smoother).
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viili
)At my maternal grandparents summer home on the Western coast, just outside of Kokkola (Gamla Karleby), we used to make our own "viili". You put a bit from an existing "viili" on the bottom of a little dessert bowl, poured milk on top (that was farm milk, yum), stirred and let it sit for a day (or two... it is such a long time ago, details escape me) until it solidified. And got that little cream layer on top. So good. We put a little cinnamon and sugar on top. Maybe nuts, or freshly picked blueberries, too. If there was a thunderstorm brewing, the "viili" would not solidify.
Sweet food memories.

Yes, life is great! Talking about that, and the bucket list: I have never kayaked, not in the sea. One day I want to do that. (gotta work on them arm muscles...). I have rowed and used a motor boat. I have canoed (in Sipoo), but not ventured very far from the island.

I hope you and your family have an awesome time in New York! Where are you planning to eat?

[FoodWine]

Oh, sorry Passadumkeg, I forgot to answer your guestion about baked "ternimaito" (colostrum) (also known as beestings or first milk or "immune milk"). I just looked that up :-) .

My guess is that you are referring to "uunijuusto"? ("oven"cheese), also called "leipäjuusto"? ("bread" cheese). Love it.
And guess what: it is awesome with lakkahillo (cloudberry jam) on top.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leip%C3%...

Ternimaito milk is super rich in vitamins, etc, but baking it will destroy most of those vitamins.

You can also use ternimaito for pancakes, you barely need eggs then.

[jfood]

any dish that requires 25 year parmesan and the cheese was made yesterday.

[otps]

A shore lunch of Sunfish, with a little flour, salt and pepper, cooked on an open fire in a cast iron pan with some oil, on the shore of a Minnesota lake in May. A side of baked beans in the can heated in the fire. The bucket would very easy to kick after that

[Passadumkeg]

Hey, you forgot the Hamms!

[Sam Fujisaka]

"...from the land of sky-blue waters..."

[Firegoat]

I think of the bucket list as something I haven't done or tried that I'd like to do before I die.

Mine would be dinner at the French Laundry for the chef's tasting menu with 3 good friends.
Still haven't gotten there.... but a girl can dream.

[walker]

Exotic, expensive foods don't really do it for me. The very best food is that eaten with a person/people you love. Some of my very best meals have been simple but really taste delicious.

[MobyRichard]

I think I've had a bucket list all my life, although I've thought of it more as a 'one of these days' list. Still on it: summer pudding, a lobster roll (or three), an oyster po' boy, a witchety grub (gotta be drunk for that one), rattlesnake chili, real absinthe, beignets, haggis, tagine, kumiss, roasted hedgehog, jellied eel, maitake 'shrooms, cardoons, and brunswick stew (with squirrel). That's at least half on the list.

[Olallieberry]

Sounds like you need to pay a visit to the South.

[Gooseberry]

Maitakes are great. Had them for the first time a year or so ago. Ditto the beignet.

Cardoons are on my list, too. And salsify.

[Caroline1]

Call me strange, but I have trouble longing or wishing for something I've never tried before. Not that there aren't such things. There are! But every once in a while, there is a confluence of time and mood and flavor that makes certain foods at certain times the food memories that sparkle for a lifetime. That said, my personal "bucket list" would be:

Tacos: The street vendor tacos of Tijuana from my childhood. The giant corn tortillas were fried up into flaky layers as if they were made of puff pastry. Incredible meat, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. The flies inside the glass cases probably contributed to the flavor too. God, they were good!

Caviar: The kilos of fresh-caught Black Sea beluga caviar I used to serve at parties. When chewed, it snapped brightly, then squirted a flood of fresh sea flavor not to be believed! I do not want chopped eggs or chopped onions or sour cream or any of the other travesties that are foisted on caviar. Just give me a nice mother of pearl spoon and a big bowl full. Heaven!

Sea Urchin. I would like to sit in a dive boat one more time and have a diver come up and toss a diving bag full of urchins into the boat. Cut out the beaks, rinse out their inside with sea water, then grab a spoon and work your way around the inside of the shell. I've probably eaten in excess of a hundred urchins, all less than an hour out of the ocean, most only minutes, but there is one that I would like to taste again. Out of a hundred or more, just one. It tasted like fresh spring flowers. Undoubtedly freshly picked by Neptune himself and sent as the gift of a lifetime. It was quite simply, "incredible."

Stuffed Mussels. Way way back in the '50s, there used to be a wonderful supper club called the S(h)aydirvan at the Hilton in Istanbul, with an opulant luxe menu. Among the hors d'ouvres was "stuffed mussels." The stuffing was lightly tomatoed rice perfumed with exotic spices that filled the shell and surrounded the mussel meat. I've never met a mussel I didn't like, but these were brain branding delicious! I would love to have a platter full of them one more time!

Steak: This one is really a "confluence of time and flavor." Danish strip steaks flown back to Turkey by a pilot friend as a gift. I seared them "blue" over great local lump charcoal, then served them with a light salad and a truly lovely Turkish red wine. It was the evening of the night of my debut as "girl singer" with a jazz combo on base. There are incredible musicians in the armed forces. Our pianist was a graduate of the Stan Kenton band (as if anyone today knows who he is), our base player had not only played with Basie but looked like his clone. Fantastic and equally talented trumpet player and drummer. And me. I was the "virgin" of the group, and probably too young or stupid to have nerves. But one of the guys had strongly urged me to have a nice but not too heavy dinner. After all, who needs a microphone to pick up their growling stomach! That steak, naively cooked and innocently eaten, turned out to be THE definitive steak of my lifetime. No other steak -- and I've had some awesome beef -- has come close to that benchmark. I would love just one more bite.

And for dessert,

Baklava. Again time and place mix with taste and texture to create the unforgetable. It was over 120F in our apartment that day -- no air conditioning simply because it wasn't yet available in that part of the world -- and we desperately wanted to go where the air was cool. A friend to the rescue! A long up-mountain ("up-hill" doesn't come close!) climb into the Taurus Mountains, then into the Ciclician Gates. Fabled in history as the place where the army of Alexander the Great used sacrifice and finesse to take control from Darius of Persia. The rock walls of the gates still bear the grafitti where Greek soldiers carved their names, now many meters above the river that has carved a deeper bed with time. Rickety wooden tables with ancient bentwood chairs were set up as an impromptu restaurant on the rocks beside the river. White table cloths held down by rocks luffed gently in the cool high altitude breeze. Lunch was cooked over charcoal brazers; broiled chicken. I'm sure it was delicious. But the first bite of dessert was a sky rocket of flavor that outshone everything else. Flaky buttery phyllo packed with the world's greatest pistachios, in turn drenched in dark wild mountain honey. Amazing, and perfectly underscored by a demitasse of rich Turkish coffee. My first baklava ever is with me still.

What is it about these magic moments in time that etches them indelibly in my memory? As I write, I'm also watching Anthony Bourdain's ecstasy at the French Laundry. Look for it. Bourdain's joy is palpable. But he talks to Thomas Keller, and Keller, in turn, talks about the importance of the link between memory and food. And it's true. Life does have magic moments when time, taste, and memory set a landmark that stays with us through all our lives. These are my personal greats. And while I cherish my ability to remember the magic, I have to ask myself... If I could taste them again, would they taste as good? Somehow I think not. The flavor of memory may be too rich to match.

[Sinicle]

Although I've had before, would stuff myself on fois gras, steak tartare, and Bojangles chicken thighs

[Sam Fujisaka]

Funny, in international agricultural research that targets poverty, we say that we go through three stages marked by the key question we ask as we enter a new place. When young, we ask, "Where are the girls (aka "nightlife", so please don't be offended)?". At some middle stage we ask, "Where is the food?". As we age we ask, "Where is the pharmacy?". I've been very fortunate by having my fill in the first and second stages and by not yet being overly dependent on the pharmacies. The food stage has treated me so extremely well--especially in my seeking out street and market foods all over; and in getting to/being forced to eat in the homes of small, poor farmers all over the globe. I don't have anything that I have left to try (other than some work in Tajikistan in a couple of months will close a personal food gap). I truly give thanks! Now, if the OP had been asking about going back for seconds....!!!!!

[gryphonskeeper]

Sam, if you found out you had a mere one month left to live, what foods from your adventures around the world would you want to have for the next month? Me personally I would go for as much shellfish in butter as I could stuff into my stomach before I could taste it in the back of my throat.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I’d have to divide my time into three day stays in several places. In the air from place to place, let’s revisit elementary through high school cafeteria foods like bierocks and “chop suey” and junk and fast foods like BigMacs, Chef Boyardee ravioli, NYC pizza slices and street cart hot dogs and 7-11 corn dogs. As to our destinations: Mexico, maybe Puebla for morning tamales and atole in the market or plaza, mid-day mondongo and other market foods, and rich moles, chiles rellenos, dishes with huitlacoche, and so much more. Savannakhet, Laos, for khao niyao, laab, slightly sweet and spicy sausages and dried meats, water buffalo in 15 ways, and the sides of many greens, including leaves from forest trees. Canh Tho in the Mekong of Vietnam back with my friends cooking (still?) on packed dirt floor kitchens—stuffed bitter gourd, claypot fish, and so much more—and these after pho and banh mi on the early road trip from Saigon. In China, please let me eat again as a guest at the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences. The highways outside of Lahore, Pakistan, remind me of the Central Valley of California in the 50s—but with the heavenly stops for unleavened breads, mutton, lamb, and so much more. In Rome let me return to the open air market (Testaccio??) to graze happily among the foods being sold, lunch at the FAO or IFAD cafeterias, and dinners at my no-name-in-the-window favorite places for my favorite ravioli and house wine and salad—so simple and so good. Finish in Kyoto and Yokohama with me cooking half the time. Oyakudonburi, musubi with ume, inarizushi, tsukemeno, hot gohan and sashimi, shabu shabu, and yokan and mochi sata shoyu to finish.

[Gooseberry]

Amen.

Maybe I should go into rice research...

[Passadumkeg]

I'm soooo happy thay you left Spam off the list! What no pulque?

[Scargod]

What's pulque like? I read that the canned is not very good so you need to be where they make it to be able to drink it. Does it need to be cut with fruit juices?

[Passadumkeg]

Tex, pulque is the most disgusting alcoholic beverage invented by man. Only a pervert could enjoy drinking a big mug of vile liquid filled with a viscous semi-liquid with the consistency of snot. I love it, but good buzz, bad hangover. Yes it can be cut w. fruit juices, but I love the pain!

[Sam Fujisaka]

keg, you coudn't have put it better.

[Caroline1]

Does that mean all you have to do is wash down live octopus with a glass of pulque and you have the world's most disgusting meal? You guys devotees of Andrew Zimmern or something?

[Sam Fujisaka]

No, not at all. I love octopus. A good disgusting meal is pulque, yak butter tea, and Bhutanese sun dried pork fat. Devotees? No way--he's an amateur!

[Caroline1]

I will leap to the conclusion that the Food Network is not one of the choices on cable TV in Cali, Colombia, so I'll tell you about a poor schmuck who makes his living traveling and eating on TV. Maybe he's on the Travel Channel...? He currently has two shows going. Anyway, his name is Anthony Bourdain, you've undoubtedly ran across the name on these boards but may not know much more. Tall good looking dude in a boney sort of way, smokes like a chimney, former executive(?) chef of Les Halles in NYC, a writer, a traveller, and an eater. Last night I watched a recording of one of his shows of a few weeks ago where he travelled Namibia. And ate what the bushmen ate.

The bushmen downed some sort of very large animal. I don't recall what. I think a pecary (Do they have those there?) or some member of the very large wild boar family. Because of a limited water supply, they just slaughter, cook and eat. The lower colon and anus are squeezed relatively empty, the "part" is cooked directly in live coals (medium, but close to medium rare) and then shared by all with relish. Same with the critter's head, hair, horns and all. And they do "omlettes" by whipping the eggs, then pouring them into the hot coals and burying them with more hot coals, take it out, shake it off and eat it. Bourdain said it was rather "gritty ." And when it came time for him to chew and swallow the anus, his remorse and revulsion was palpable, even through the weeks old recording.

One of the things I find (peculiarly) fascinating about Bourdain is his chewing. Sometimes he chews amazingly fast! I've known a few chefs but never one who chews that fast. Or non-chefs that chew that fast, for that matter. And he was chewing really fast with the bushmen! But! Curiously, the night before on his other TV show, he dined at The French Laundry, met with Thomas Keller, whom he thinks is the greatest living chef, then dined on about a gazillion dishes in the company of his choice of the country's three best chefs. Annnnnndddd.... He chewed slow. Really slow! So I'm thinking, no matter what he says about how good something is, if he's chewing fast he's probably lying. And I'm also wondering if chewing (and swallowing) really fast is the answer to getting through distateful food? Well, except how do you swallow fast? I don't think that's possible.

I don't think a network could pay me enough to eat something like that! Ever! He said it was the worst meal of his life, but would not/could not bring himself to offend his hosts by refusing to eat anything they served him.

I could not have eaten what he ate no matter how hard I tried. And I know with certainty that I would never put pulque in my mouth. Live octopus I could probably handle without any problem. But when it comes to not offending a host who profers "unique" food, I have to ask myself what is more offensive to the host: Refusing the food, or throwing up all over the place from trying to eat it? I try not to put myself in such situations... I feel equally confident there must be times when you, through work, find them unavoidable. So if such situations do arise, keep in mind that chewing fast may help. But no guarantee... '-)

[Sam Fujisaka]

We do get many channels on our cable systems--with some programs dubbed (horrible) and others sub-titled (great). We don't get FN (which I watch when passing through the US), but do get Travel and Living for Bourdain shows. Fortunately, both of Bourdain's series have been on, many episodes so many times from only a few seasons that I've memorized the dialogue (like his description of eating iguana). Love the guy! And he gets to eat real winners 99% of the time. Only 1% is Namib hedgehog anus. Also get Zimmern's show, but dubbed. Zimmern is the amatuer (compared to some of us here on CH). What really, really pissed me off is that we only got one or two seasons of Top Chef. We're downloading Gordon Ramsey's program on rescuing restaurants (mostly) in the UK: usedto think the guy was a prick, but he's great, really, really cares, and knows his stuff.

[Miss Needle]

Agh! Just found out that bravotv.com deleted all the episodes. Sam, not sure how fast your Internet connection is, but Bravo shows entire episodes of the show on its website as the season progresses. So you can watch Season 5 with the rest of us and join in on those inane, but fun Top Chef threads.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Fanastic!! Thank you, Needle. Abrazos! Might have to watch at work over the lunch hour.

[Miss Needle]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but they're in between seasons now. They just started filming Season 5. So the episodes aren't there. Not sure when Season 5 starts but I'm sure you'll start seeing threads on the Food Media board. We all can get pretty obsessive about this show.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I loved it twhen it was on here.

[Passadumkeg]

Caroline, the Grand Dame of Fredricksburg, I've read 2 of AB"s books, I'm not a tv guy. About "when it comes to offending the host", we visited my daughter-in -law's grand father's farm after the wedding and were honored with a dog feast. We couldn't say no and despite being life long dog owners, thoroughly enjoyed the meals. Much better than octopus. Evewr have rocky mountain oyster? All the above not on my bucket list.

[Caroline1]

Ever had Rocky Mountain oysters? Once, a looooong time ago. Far too chewy for my taste. Combine that with my then-husband making double, triple, and quadruple entendres, and I never felt the need to find out whether the first were just poorly prepared or if all are that tough.

As for dog, Andre Simon, the great and fabled Brit food critic of mid-20th century, and founder of their Wine and Food Society, compiled an amazing "Concise Encyclopaedia of Gastronomy," in which he reports:

DOG
Lat. Canis familiaris. Although no Member of the Wine and Food Society could possibly entertain for a moment the horrible thought of eating dog, it is on record that the great Hippocrates recommended dog's flesh as being of light digestion and excellent taste. The Greeks of old were very partial to it, but in ancient Rome the patricians left dogs to the poorer people to eat. In China, dogs, especially Chows, have long been specially fattened for food, and are a highly-esteemed article of diet in some parts of the country. Whether Labouchere really meant it or merely wished to shock his friends, he wrote that when he was in Paris, during the siege of 1870, he enjoyed various breeds of dogs, and he placed them in the following order: 'Spaniel, like lamb; Poodle far the best; Bulldog coarse and tasteless.'

I don't quite understand how anything reasonably edible could be considered repulsive when starvation is playing a tune on your ribs like they were a xylophone. That's the stage where you start grabbing flies out of the air and eating them. Dog would be far more preferable, though probably not dear old Spot. Nevertheless I do believe Jim Leff, and all of us here, owe a vote of gratitude to the Chinese. Or at least one breed of their canis familiaris.

Ummm... I'm flattered by the epithet, but uhh, where exactly is Fredricksburg? :-)

[Passadumkeg]

Fredricksberg: Texas Hill Country, west of Austin (Motto: Keep it Weird). Just past Luekenbach and Predernales State Park and the LBJ Ranch; beautiful area.

[Caroline1]

Motto: Keep It Weird? Hey, never been there but I'll fit right in! And isn't Leukenbach, Texas, Willie Nelson country? Or does he just sing about it?

Oh, and just for the record, Plano ain't exackly ugly. On the other hand, you might want to take into account that I moved here directly from El Paso, the World's Largest Sensory Deprivation Tank.

[southernitalian]

The "Keep it Weird" motto has been played out all over the states. First saw it in Asheville, NC. Then Austin.

[Scargod]

"Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas,
with Waylon and Willie and the boys."
Note spelling.
Famous for women's chili cook off and the Fourth of July Picnic. Luckenbach has been frequented by Willie Nelson.
On one stop (you have to stop and get a Shiner), there was an old guy pickin' his guitar outside, in the shade. It's not really a "town" in the true sense of the word. It's a big, shady area with a post office and store.
I've got my "keep it weird" t-shirt from the Hula Hut, (on Austin Lake). A fine place to spend some time on the water and eat Tex-Mex. Pics are of Hula Hut and foodie bird (who helped me with my chips). My Luckenbach pics are on film or I'd show 'em to you.

[Caroline1]

Spelling noted. We now have three different ways, two yours and one mine. But who's keeping score? '-)

Thanks for the pictures! Is it fair to assume E.A. Poe joined you for lunch, or just his pet?

Sorta sounds like Orogrande, New Mexico. Ever been there? Just beyond the northern peripmeter of White Sands Missile Range on Highway 54. As you approach the town, you pass one lone tree standing all alone with a sign in front of it that says, "Orogrande National Forest." The town has difficulty keeping sign replacements up. Then there is a tall rickety looking wooden platform in town with a sign on it that says something like "Control Tower, Orogrande International Airport." No runway, of course, but lots of open dessert. Then, in town there is a restaurant, the name of which I forget, run by a very independant chef whose hours of opearion are damn well when he feels like it, The unchallenged best seller of his breakfast menu is (or was? Haven't been there in years.) scrambled eggs with genuine for-real Perigord truffles! I think they were about twenty bucks a pop back then, and he often sold out. When he was open...

Sometimes I think the Southwest may be the capital of weird for America!

[Caroline1]

Oooops! MY bad! Spelling noted and it's one for you, one for me, and one for the Keg Guy! Okay, does that meand I gotta look it up? My Willie Nelson is probably pirated, so no guarantees there. <sigh>

[Passadumkeg]

Hey! I just spelled it in the original German, Not in Teximerican!
Why does it only cost $.50 to talk to the devil in Plano?
A local phone call!
I'm a bad speler and a worsee tyyyper.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Dog is not all that bad, just not all that good either.

[Caroline1]

Yes, but was it poodle????

[Passadumkeg]

No, that's French cuisine. It musta been Chow chow. It was good, however. Sam, ever have a whale of a meal?

[Sam Fujisaka]

Mindanao mutt.

I'm anti-Japanese whale wolfing.

[dolores]

Did you eat it alive, like the octopus?

[Caroline1]

The dog of the whale he doesn't eat?

[Passadumkeg]

Spam, Pop Tarts, Eggos, Lite Beer & Chain Restaurants. I have standards. Oh, yes, Pearl beer too.

[Caroline1]

You don't like Spam flavored Pop Tarts????

[Sam Fujisaka]

Nahh. This was the tale (again). I worked with farmers on soil erosion control in the uplands of Northern Mindanao. Part depended on farmer-to-farmer training and visits between farmers from Cebu and in Mindanao. Many of those in Mindanao origainlly came from Illocos--where dog is eaten. At the sit down part of the meeting I saw a guy with a dog on a leash and thought, "Cute, first time to see a guy and pet dog!" Bit later the dog was dead, hanging from a tree and getting its hair singed off. Then it was on to making cracklin's and stewed fido. Good time was had by all--well except for the Mindanauex mutt.

[dolores]

Excellent, thanks for the warning for me never to go to Mindanao.

[dolores]

Describe in detail how the dog tasted.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I've mentioned this before: kind of like shark--strong, slightly acidic, NOT like chicken. A bit stringy. The cracklin' skin was OK.

[dolores]

Thanks, how excellent to know that.

[Scargod]

Cat's better than dog. Speaking of nuts, calf fries, mountain oysters or beef testicles can be very good. Better, IMHO, than chicken gizzards. My youngest brother cooked up about 100 of them for a party and everyone was enjoying them a lot till he told them what they were. He was encouraging women to try them and waited till they had eaten several before he told them. I agree, it was a mean prank, but once in on it, nobody was willing to warn the next person.

[moh]

Chicken gizzard is delicious, one of my favorite parts of the chicken. Don't consider it mean if everyone was enjoying them, I'm afraid I can't understand why chicken gizzard is any different from the rest of the chicken. The stomach is after all, a muscle just like the rest of the chicken meat.

[linguafood]

You know, the koefte place down the road from me has lamb testicles that you can have fried up on a grill and served in a sandwich. I am not shy about offal (I like sweetbreads, brains, kidney, liver), but as someone who does not like to waste food -- in case I hate it, and also - BIG surprise here -- non of my male friends will share one with me ...

what does it taste like, and what is the texture like? I only have experience with, um, raw testes, and I imagine they remove the inner... cartilage, is it? In the glass case, they look floppy and pink.

[Olallieberry]

If this means something I haven't had, I'd have to try a deep fried snickers bar, veal, and all of the following cuisines: Moroccan, Indonesian, Laotian (sp?), Korean, Nepalese, Persian, Argentinian...I'm sure there are more...

If it means things I just don't let myself eat: butter and cream-laden pasta, including lots of alfredo sauce, bacon cheeseburgers with fried eggs, pancakes pancakes pancakes with as much maple syrup and butter as I want, cheesecake, fried chicken, tempura vegetables, chimichangas (can you sense a theme there?), buckets of movie theater popcorn, and lots of deep dish pizza.

That was kind of mean. Off to drink a diet coke now...

[Gooseberry]

Mmmm...

fresh abalone
dim sum in Hong Kong
tasting menu at El Bulli
pizza in Naples

Mainly, eat foreign food in situ. Vietnam, Spain, China. But I'm not waiting 'til I'm on my last legs to do it. I think that's the sad thing about Bucket Lists. Those things need to be done while you can appreciate and savour them.

[torta basilica]

Done all those (& would do them again in a heartbeat), but the one I miss the most is fresh abalone... it's been years and I would kill for it :( We used to go to a restaurant south of Ensenada in Baja, called La Cueva de los Tigres, right on the beach and eat abalone in an egg batter with some sort of crab sauce til we were stuffed to the gills - what I'd give for that again...

[Gooseberry]

Lucky thing.

Up until about five years ago, it was possible to get abalone locally, if you had a permit and pried one off the rocks yourself. but poaching's gotten so out of hand it's been illegal for anyone to harvest or eat them. Old timers get all nostalgic when they talk about 'the abalone of their childhood'. Drives me green with envy.

I put it in the category of foods without price, because you simply can't get them. It's a question of availability, not a willingness to mortgage the house. Those little fragolini/frutti di bosco, wild alpine strawberries, are also on the list. I grow maybe five tiny berries in the spring, and that's it for the year. I'd seriously kill for more.

Strangely, decent local tomatoes also fall in that category, but I've been growing heirlooms from smuggled seeds this past summer, with quite a bit of success. Now all I need to do is figure out how to grow abalone in a pot plant...

[susancinsf]

torta or gooseberry: if you ever find yourself in Northern California in the months of April through June, or August - November, email me off line. The fresh abalone thing I can get you. Seriously. Easily, in fact, so easily that it surprises me to see it on anyone's bucket list......and no, I DON"T mean poaching or anything illegal, just that I will be happy to invite you to a potluck dinner where it is the main course, served outdoors less than 250 yards from where it was caught by me and my friends....anyway, that it is on your bucket list because of depletion: makes me sort of sad to think that the same thing could happen here if we aren't careful about poaching... (fortunately, CA is good about that, and actually, you can get fresh farmed abalone in California, though to be honest, I've never tried it. Can't think of any reason it would be different than the stuff we pull off the rocks ourselves other than just the 'flavor' that comes from picking it ourselves and serving it very, very fresh. )

I am not sure what would be on my own list in terms of foods. Live octopus, no way. I can barely eat them well-grilled, even though I like the taste, because yes, they are probably the most intelligent of the invertebrates and a joy to watch underwater besides....

Now, if I could time travel, I'd go back to Mexico City, 1969, for my first bite of quesadilla from La Senora de las quesadillas, who set up 'shop' on the street corner at the end of my block. I have this fantasy that her daughter (who was perhaps three at the time and already was 'helping ' shape the dough), all grown up now, has purchased the bakery on that corner (which was only average by DF standards) and turned it into a wonderful taqueria that also served those quesadillas....So I really need to go back and see what restaurants are on or near that street corner now!

I guess my list comes down to cuisines, not necessarily just particular foods, but eaten in the country of origin. So, before I die I'd like to eat in Vietnam, Argentina and Sardinia. and I've never even been to Italy, even though I have travelled to six continents!

I really need to get busy!

[Sam Fujisaka]

Can I come too someday on a visit back to California?

[susancinsf]

You know the email! :-) but you have to promise to give me hints for my trip to South America! That one actually might come sooner rather than later....seriously leaning towards South America as my next non-diving related trip. (Next dive trip is Alaska and British Columbia, followed by Fiji in the Spring. Other than one night in Vancouver on the way home from the first trip, I don't anticipate food being the highlight of either of those. But, one never knows.....)

[Sam Fujisaka]

I learned to dive in 69 or 70 in California, with lots of dives along the coast where a buddy and I would just stop along Highway 1 and look down at the water, rocks, and kelp--and then hike down with all our gear and go. Down here, we could go together to Providencia. I only snorkle now. San Andres would be good for you--stuff is at depth.

[Passadumkeg]

ME TOO. PLEASE! The last time I had abalone was when I dove for it w/ my cousin husband near Santa Maria in 1973! And maybe Sam and I could drink pulque together!

[Caroline1]

Pulque? You're sick! But I'll join in for abalone. '-)

Susan, all of the farmed abalone I can find on the web are three tiny inches in diameter. That's the shells, not the meat. At thirty bucks a pound. I'm afraid to order them. I might think I was eating scallops!

[susancinsf]

yes, the problem is that abalone mature very, very slowly, so I don't think it is economical for the ab farms to let them get much bigger than that. (at a year old they would still be less than an inch across). This is of course also one reason why they are vulnerable in many areas: reproduction takes a while.

by the way, I have to take back my statement that I've never tried the farmed, at least in part. I've had Chinese dishes at banquet that included abalone. In most cases it was canned or dried, but one or two times it could have been fresh; I am thinking particularly of the abalone and egg white dish at Jai Yun in San Francisco (which was delicious, btw, though completely different in preparation than any of the abalone I've eaten at ab dive potlucks).

Here's a link to an SF Chowdown where Melanie and a few others, including yours truly, discuss fresh vs dried/reconstituted abalone as being the cultural divider....

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/33584...

I've tasted pulque, btw. One taste was enough for me....

[Caroline1]

I admire people who have tasted pulque for the first time, but have trouble understanding those who taste it the second. '-)

[Passadumkeg]

Hey, Texana, don't knock it 'til ya try it. From what part of a pig does the ham come? It is considered repulsive by millions of muslims and jews. Food is all in the head.
I've gotta go be a sea kayak guide now, I think I'll have my customers eat some raw kelp.

[Caroline1]

Hey, I LOVE raw kelp! We used to sail through the giant kelp forest off of La Jolla (with a sounding board so we didn't get fouled) and I would grab lunch! I just do not, will not, cannot eat or drink something somebody else has chewed for me and spit it back in a bowl! I don't care how long it ferments, how high the proof, just ain't gonna happen. Ever!

[Servorg]

I still recall my final check out dive for SCUBA certification when our instructor took us into the middle of a large kelp bed at the west end of Catalina, while on the surface in full gear and had us bite through the kelp to get free. He explained that using your dive knife in that situation was a lot more dangerous to you than it was to the kelp. We also ate fresh urchin roe on that trip (and fed it to the Garabaldi as well - who seemed very excited and happy to get it).

Caroline, do you mean you had a pivoting centerboard or more likely a removeable daggerboard on your sailboat? I am not sure what a "sounding" board is.

[Caroline1]

Yes. Centerboard! I'm sure the mistake in nomenclature is mine. Dimentia? '-) Charlie was (is) a smart guy and a really good sailor, and I'm sure he got it right.

Wait a minute! "Really good sailor." Gotta think that through. One day after a truly glorious sail that included petting migrating California grays, when we went back to his place, for the first time I noticed an outboard leaning in a corner in his kitchen.

"Shouldn't that be aboard the boat?" I asked.

"It's broken. Gotta have it fixed first." was his offhanded reply.

"Charlie! We went out beyond sight of land today. What if we'd been becalmed with no radio? How would we get back?"

"Oh, I have oars aboard. I steer, you row."

I took the damned outboard to the repair shop that day.

Lots of fun things you can do with giant kelp, besides eating it. My kids took two pods each home one day and used them for water wings in the swimming pool. Then I made salad. '-)

[susancinsf]

Now, wait a minute! Just went back and looked at this thread and what is being said about pulque more carefully, and I don't think it is accurate.

While I didn't like the taste of pulque, (I gather it is an aquired taste, and part of the issue is that it doesn't keep very long and can go bad easily, well other than the canned variety) this idea of chewing pulp and spitting it out it isn't in any of the references I found...apparently one uses a type of gourd with a hole in it and starts sucking to get suction to get the sap out of the maguey plant, but that isn't the same as what you are describing at all (and could be done without getting any saliva in the drink at all in the same way that one could siphon gas by sucking on a tube).

This article has a good description and a slide show showing the process;

http://www.newfarm.org/international/...

[Caroline1]

Thanks for the URL. I've read the article, and it describes one of the two traditional (and most acceptable) ways of making pulque. The hollowing out of the agave as described in the article takes a long time. I think as much as two years to get to the very short fermentation process. The chewing of the pulp of the plant to start the breakdown of the agave to produce a fermentable liquid is much faster, therefore cheaper. But not something the authors of the article probably wanted to discuss. But this sentence from their description is a giveawy to me that they are at least aware of the method I've been refgerring to" "Lactobacilli, well known for promoting gastrointestinal health, are also active in the fermentation." Lactobacilli are found in saliva, as well as the intestines and other mucuos generating human tissue.

Maybe someone else will chime in with more information, but as far as I know, the original method of making pulque, along with many other alcoholic drinks in all sorts of cultures around the world (including the earliest forms of sake in Japan), was to chew the material -- in the case of pulque, the agave plant -- because the enzymes in human saliva break down (digest) the starches in the plant bringing them to a fermentable state. In some early methods for making pulque, the resultant liqud was boiled, in other brewing methods it was not.

There were/are several alcoholic beverages native to Mexico that were created in this way, both prior to and long after the Conquistadors arrived, and as far as I know, while this would certainly not be a commercial preperation method, I think it is still practiced in some isolated (read "primitive") areas of Mexico today.

Hopefully Sam or El Nopal or one of our several resident experts on all things agricultural and/or Mexican will be able to chime in and shed some light on the matter.

NOTE: I've had several distractions interrupt me so I hope by posting this late i'm not duplicating what someone else has already said.

[Sam Fujisaka]

C1, you're right. Chicha in the Andes and most millet and sorghum beers in semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa are all started with someone chewing and spitting the starch mass into the gourd or plastic jug. Pulque that I've tried always seemed to have been started by a toothless chewer with several unknown infectious diseases.

[Passadumkeg]

Seriously, chicha, the mild alcoholic one, is chewed and I enjoyed it. But is pulque really chewed as a starter? I thought not.

[Scargod]

Yes, He's sick, but very lovable! ;)
They call him "Ol' Green Teeth"... (among other things).
Bite some pig butt for me, Pass

[Passadumkeg]

I'm being repressed! History repeats itself. Big Texans ganging up on a poor old (quasi) New Mexican! Remember El Paso!

He who laughs last, however; had great Sonoran style stacked enchiladas last with NEW MEXICO HATCH RED CHILES! (With pork)
Don't ever drink the Texas canned pulque!

Wait a minute. You guys are chowhounds and you're dissing me for drinking a popular fold drink? Think about it. I like chicha too.

Beaten but not bowed,
The Mighty Passadumkeg

[Caroline1]

Well, until you started talking about it, I've never heard of canned pulque! Sounds like another food "oxymoron" to me. I just don't like anything with saliva in it. Which is why I don't eat tripe in any form. I've told the tale of being licked full face by a buxom bovine while playing with her calf. She meant the lick up my face, from bottom to top, to be an act of affection, but having one's nostrils filled with cow spit didn't cut it for me! Conseqnently I don't do any foods or drink that has been prechewed.

But if that's your bag, Keggy Boy, you can have mine. ALL of "mine." Just don't tell me how great it tastes and insist I have a bite/sip 'cause that ain't gonna fly.

And I had stacked (Hatch) green enchiladas with a fried egg on top for breakfast yesterday. With shredded grass fed dry aged beef and fresh cotija cheese, so there! '-)

[Scargod]

Oh, doodie! Drink stuff that has been chewed? Is Caroline correct or just spreading vicious rumors? I read that the canned stuff is just piss.
BTW, I am shredding my pork butt (roast) today and making burritos, soft tacos, taco de harina or "what ever"...., so there!
Should I use Hatch (hot or mild), Ancho or pasillas or Guajillo??
I'm such a beginner! Which would be best? I don't want to do it wrong. '-)

[Passadumkeg]

Pace salsa, perfect!

[TampaAurora]

"Food is all in the head" ... or at least in the top half! I couldn't resist.

[walker]

I, too, would love to visit/eat in Vietnam and Argentina. I've been to various places in Italy, not Sardinia or Sicily yet. Maybe I've had bad luck or not spent enough $$ but I've had better Italian food in U.S. On my last trip to europe, I had great Italian food in Paris, called Da Positano.

[susancinsf]

that's funny: one of the many reasons I want to eat in Sardinia specifically (as opposed to the rest of Italy, though obviously the rest of Italy deserves some time and attention also :-)) is that one of my favorite restaurants (La Ciccia in SF) serves Sardinian dishes, and I'd love to compare!

[Gooseberry]

That's a truly generous offer, Susan. I won't be back in that neck of the woods for a while (I worked in North Berkeley for four months, June-August, in 2006!), but I promise you, I'll contact you when I do. Similarly, if your travels (diving or otherwise) take you to Cape Town, please let me know. I'd like to return the favour!

The irony is, my partner's father was the son of fishermen, so he grew up with a lot of the seafood which is now ridiculously expensive, or hard to find. So I get looks of unmitigated pity whenever someone in the family 'remembers' that I've never had abalone! The local name for it is perlemoen. Probably an Afrikaans derivative of 'pearl orange'.

[susancinsf]

Cape Town is at the very top of my daughter's 'want to get there sooner rather than bucket' list (one of her best friends lives there), so you never know, I may decide she needs a chaperone :-)

Pay attention to the months I mentioned, those are the only ones where recreational ab diving is permitted in Northern CA....

oh, and the offer isn't quite as generous as you think. Newbies don't have to catch the abalone, but they do have to pound them (for tenderness). A rather messy job, bring a plastic garbage bag or very old clothes! :-)

[Gooseberry]

I'm happy to pound. I'll remember the old clothes.

[Miss Needle]

"Those things need to be done while you can appreciate and savour them."

So true. My mom passed away in her 50s (everybody thought she'd live to be 100 -- well, everybody but me, but parents never listen to their children). She died 6 weeks after she got ill, and in no way did she have an appetite for anything. When people get ill, generally the last thing on their minds is food. What is so sad is that she was waiting for retirement to do all the things she wanted to do, and she never had that opportunity. So we should all cherish every day we have and do all the things we want to do while we can still enjoy them.

[michele cindy]

Sorry to hear your mom died young too. My mom died at 55. She was just like me when it came to food. My dad still is, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But, I remember my moms last night, someone bought her a box of Godiva chocolates to her hosptal room. Even though it was difficult for her to eat them, she did it anyway, and she really enjoyed it. When in the hospital, she told me, she would have never given up smoking if she knew this was going to happen to her!

[Miss Needle]

Thanks, Michele. Sorry to hear about your mom as well. I'm glad that she got to enjoy her Godivas one last time.

A couple of days before my mom died, she requested bi bim bap (Korean mixed vegetables and rice). Even though it was excruciatingly painful for her to eat, she ate every last bite. So every year on the anniversary of her death (lunar calendar) I make it for her.

Life is uncertain. While your mom said she would have never given up smoking, she may have died in her 30s if she didn't give it up. One never knows. My friend's mom (who also died in her 50s) gave up smoking for two weeks before she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now, I don't go all out and eat foie gras and chocolate cake and engage in reckless behavior every day. And, honestly, I don't want to eat like that all the time, even if a magic fairy said that I'd live to be 100. After a few days of eating very rich food, I don't feel so hot. While I love to eat, there's more to life than just food (at least for me -- not sure about some of the other posters here). I try to balance being healthy (and sane) with some indulgences now and then. My goal isn't to live to a 100, but to live a happy and productive life.

[Stillwater Girl]

On my 12th birthday my mom brought my great-grandma a slice of creme de menthe bunt cake. She was diabetic but it was her absolute favorite thing in the entire world. She passed away that night. It was nice to know that even though she was gone she got her sugar fix first!

[Miss Needle]

I'll bet that she was not able to have that for a long time. How wonderful that she got to have her favorite thing before she passed away!

[mbuitron]

Well I just came back from Spain where I had Abalone at el Bulli, so I guess I can die now!

http://imoralist.blogspot.com/2008/07...

[gryphonskeeper]

If I knew my days were numbered and it did not matter what I ate because I was going to die anyways I would go to this huge Lobster Buffet called Nordic Lodge and I would eat there every damn day until I died. feasting on Lobster, CrabLegs, Prime Rib and Gigantic shrimp all drowning in drawn butter.

[Cheflambo]

>>I hate to say, all of our days are numbered, some more than others, but we all have a time limit. Isn't that why we are all Chowhounds? I am always eating like my days are numbered! Life is too short to eat bad food or drink bad wine/coffee.<<

Thanks moh. My sentiments exactly.

That said, I hope my bucket is full of lobsters and drawn butter. To me, the latter is the main; the former, just its vehicle.

[tarteaucitron]

I thought the OP meant for things that haven't been tried yet, along the lines of pursuing a last culinary adventure that one has always dreamed about.

Me, I fantasize about travelling to some part of the world, and foraging for exotic berries, mushrooms and other wild things... and seeing how long I can survive. I have no clue where, though.

[moh]

"What I wonder is what would you want to find to eat, that you never have had, if you knew you're days were numbered?"

I hate to say, all of our days are numbered, some more than others, but we all have a time limit. Isn't that why we are all Chowhounds? I am always eating like my days are numbered! Life is too short to eat bad food or drink bad wine/coffee. I try to find yummy food all the time. But here is a list of things I'd like to have before it's over:

1. Any wine from DRC or Domaine Leflaive. Preferably in Burgundy. In a vineyard. With a baguette, some cheese, some charcuterie. In the fall as they are harvesting the grapes. With close friends (well, you can add this to everything on the list - food is much better with friends). I'd include family, but parents are teetotalers and rest of family doesn't really like wine.

2. Fried chicken and all the fixings in the Southern U.S. Biscuits must be present.

3. Soft-shell crab po boy from Uglesich's, New Orleans. Now defunct, still in mourning. Plus their shrimps in remoulade sauce, their oysters in any form. Since Uglesich's is no more, I'd settle for a week-long food crawl in N.O.

4. Hawker stalls in Singapore - I could just sit and eat and try all different foods all day. While there, i would also seek out my beloved fresh mangosteen off a tree, as well as all manner of fruits.

5. Eating my way through the markets of Seoul with my family. All those yummy soups and pancakes and squid products...

6. Soup dumplings in Hong Kong or Shang Hai, or wherever I could get them.

7. Jamon iberico and fresh seafood in Boqueria Market, Barcelona.

I could go on, but I actually consider myself very lucky, I often eat very well, and with great variety. If I died today, it would be without many food regrets.

[Miss Needle]

Moh, just wanted to mention that Uglesich's reopened. Not sure if it's the same owners (probably not) and don't know if the food's the same.

[moh]

AGGGHH!!! IS THIS TRUE? OH THANK YOU MISS NEEDLE!

(sorry for the yelling - that's just too exciting! must go look now)

[shallots]

OMG
I'll check with a friend who's still down there.
I even heard Rocky and Carlos in Chalmette was back.

Jack Dempseys for Parmesean Shrimp Scampi, anyone?

[chazzerking]

Good Lord!!! Has anyone been there? I have gone on and on that it was just as well that they closed, sparing them the heartbreak of the flood. I'm also curious as to whether it's family running it, as that is why they closed down; tired and the kids didn't want to take over. that's great news if it's anthing near the old place.

[chazzerking]

Miss N. Alas, it is not true. I've looked at their website and gotten confirmation form another CHer. They have not reopened. they are selling cookbooks and remoulade and doing events, but no restaurant. So sad.

[walker]

Uglesich was on Emeril one time plugging his cookbook; I've never been able to find it -- have you seen it any where?
I ate there one time when I was on vacation and it was memorable. Uglesich came over and sat at our table with us and explained why crawfish were not available -- it was around Thanksgiving time.

[moh]

I bought the original Uglesich's Restaurant Cookbook at the restaurant. No recipe for her remoulade sauce, and now I see why, she is selling it bottled!

If you go to their website, you can order their new cookbook, plus the remoulade sauce:

http://www.uglesichs.com/

[Miss Needle]

How is the original cookbook? I was thinking about getting it but I realize that just because the restaurant is good doesn't necessarily mean they're good cookbooks. Are the recipes accurate? Or did you just buy it because you loved the restaurant so much?

[moh]

The original cookbook is a little underwhelming. A lot of the recipes are pretty simple, and it is clear that much of the magic that was Uglesich's comes from the sourcing of the ingredients, and the freshness of the ingredients. I was also disappointed because their remoulade sauce is to die for, and there was no recipe in the book. Now I know why, they were planning to market it! Still, it is a nice memento of our tragically few visits there....

[FoodWine]

"Any wine from DRC or Domaine Leflaive".

Yes! Us, too.

I would add: as many wines (great years) from DRC as possible. Heaven.

[moh]

I have never yet had a chance to try a DRC , but have one lonely Richebourg 1999 resting in my wine fridge... So as you can see, I am working on my bucket list already! A perfect Pinot Noir is truly heaven. I have to drink DRC at least once in my life, and with any luck, will have chances to drink more.

[FoodWine]

Lucky you.
We have had a 1999 DRC Echezeaux. It was amazing.
So now our wish list is to have more of their wines, including (hopefully, one day) some of the top ones...

Your post made me realize that, while I love good food, I am pretty content with what I have already tasted food-wise during my life (not to say that I would not still be interested in new tastes in this area), but, oh man, there are such glorious wines out there (and so little time) and that is where our real passion is.

While we like a broad spectrum of wines, you are right, a perfect Pinot Noir is truly heaven.
Besides, now they have found that of all red wines, Pinot Noir contains most Resveratrol of them all. ;-) Healthy choice ;-)

[moh]

"Pinot Noir contains most Resveratrol of them all. ;-) Healthy choice ;-)"

Yay! Even more reason to drink them! It'll help put off the inevitable need for the bucket list. Now if only I could convince hubbie that this means we need to buy more DRC...

[Scargod]

French bread with foie gras, chipotle and caviar stuffed Manzanilla olives, Maryland lump crabcakes with caviar hollondaise sauce, steak tartare with artichoke hearts and avocado, yellowfin ahi sashimi, Foie gras chile relleno, escargot tamales, truffle and crab enchiladas, grilled (over applewood), trout with morels in a white white sauce, Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia over tres leches cake made with Azteca de Oro brandy and milk from young..cows. Laphroaig 31 and a Cuban cigar.
My days are feeling numbered; I think I'd better start working on this list now...

[dd992emo]

Deep fried everything!!!

[TonyR]

Then you just have to go to Glasgow

[Passadumkeg]

Deep fried single malt????

[Panini Guy]

Not a specific food, but before I die I'd like to scrape up a few hundred bucks to get to NYC and get to Masa for the omakase. I don't know if I can say this about any other restaurant, but the idea of having chef Takayama feed me whatever he feels like for as long as I can take it seems an experience worth having. And I've never had a truly excellent bottle of sake.

[Beach Chick]

If my days were numbered, I would be eating grilled lobster scampi at La Terrazza at the Hotel Splendido in Portofino..

www.hotelsplendido.com

[ipsedixit]

Dunno if there is any food on my "bucket list".

I think I'm pretty content when it comes to my food diary.

Sure, there are things I would "like" to try, but there aren't necessarily things that I "must" try before I kick the bucket ...

[MMRuth]

Foie gras terrine, steak tartare, frites with mayonnaise, something sinful for dessert.

Alas - I probably have that meal once a month, meaning my days may be more numbered than those of others. But, I'd add on a half bottle of Chateau d'Yquem with the foie gras, and some truly amazing red wine for the rest.

[Miss Needle]

Honestly, I've already had a lot of the food that I've wanted to try already. But if I had to pick something, I'd probably say Korean live octopus -- the kind that sqirms in your mouth and could potentially cause choking.

[Passadumkeg]

I had the live octopus the night before my son's wedding in Seoul. It took a lot of So Ju to get it down!
We just had Sonoran style stacked enchiladas w/ New Mex. Hatch dried red chile pods w/ a fried egg on top. Might be my final request.

[Miss Needle]

Wow! That must have been quite an experience! I do have to admit that I'm still a bit chicken.

[dolores]

Is it a sign of courage in Korea to chew on a live animal?

[Miss Needle]

I think it's a machismo thing, but they only do octopus. There are two ways of eating it. Some people will stuff a live baby octopus down whole in their mouths while other people will cut it up and eat it. When cut up, it's technically dead, but it still squirms around. The tentacles are supposed to stick to your mouth and throat if you don't chew hard enough. Many people die every year from it.

If I would try it, I would probably try the one that's been cut up into a zillion pieces.

[Caroline1]

I can't decide whether I think all you guys are brave or crazy. I do love octopus, but I have to beat it like a cat of nine tails before cooking when I eat it. I refuse to put anything in my mouth that sucks or bites back!

[Miss Needle]

"I can't decide whether I think all you guys are brave or crazy."

I think it's a little bit of both. ; )

[bulavinaka]

I've had octopus sashimi straight out of the fisherman's grasp - not live. It's good, but I think it's even better straight out of the ocean, just boiled through, sliced, and served with ponzu sauce. Cooking it seems to enhance the flavor and brings out a nice sweetness...

[Miss Needle]

Yeah, I don't think the Koreans eat the live octopus for the taste of it. Perhaps that's why most octopus sushi/sashimi you see in Japanese restaurants are cooked.

[bulavinaka]

If they don't eat it for taste, that borders on sadism... What's the point other than what has been assumed by posters on this thread already? That's a big frowny face in my book...

[lynnlato]

They have some great videos of folks eating live octopus on youtube. I saw it on tv recently and was so in awe I looked for it on youtube. It's scary! I understand it tries to climb up your throat as you swallow. Ohmagawd.

[Miss Needle]

Ugh! I've seen those videos. The climbing your throat thing is not a pretty thing to think of.

[southernitalian]

Holy crap Lynn. I just watched them. Watch the one by "Old Boy" and one called "San Nachi". I was picturing small octopus but those things are huge. No thanks. I'll stick to my usual bucket list/desert island meal which consist of a great loaf of Arthur Avenue Italian bread drizzled with some wine vinegar, a chunk of really good Stilton and a Fresca.

[lynnlato]

Ohmagawd. I never saw the "san nachi" one before - whoa. I love grilled octopus (Ilios Noche style) but that is absolutely completely insane! I give props to whomever can get one of those things down. Ugh, is right Miss Needle.

[Passadumkeg]

Do you all know what So Ju is? Korean fortified rice wine. I needed to get a substantial amount down before I could get down golf ball sized octupi. It was kind of a dare from my sons. Dad couldn't back down. Ain't guys dumb? But yesterday I ate something worse......a hot dog!

[lynnlato]

Wow, you really ate live octopus? Give us the play by play, would ya?

Worse, hotdog? Wow, clearly you haven't had yourself a good dog. At least hot dogs don't try to climb back out once you've swallowed! :-)

[Passadumkeg]

Yakko's rule! (Allentown)

[dolores]

Yes, give us the play by play.

Do.

[miss_bennet]

That's exactly what I thought! I pictured Old Boy. Shudder.

I think I could do Chinese drunken Shrimp and Thai Dancing Shrimp. I don't know about live abalone sushi, but the octopus... I'd need a lot more than Dutch courage and machismo.

[rudysmom]

fugu, and take my chances.

[beevod]

The Bucket List was bad. Rent La Grande Bouffe, with Marcello Mastroianni -- 1973. Great last-meal ideas.

[chicgail]

Not like I haven't had these, but:
Baby Maine lobster
Foie Gras
Cold Stone Creamery ice cream
great, chewy, crispy bread and sweet butter
lox and bagels

[Passadumkeg]

Man, so little time and so much food! Eat my way around 3 cuisines in China, Mexico and France, oh, what the hell, the Mediterranean and all of Asia as well.
Champagne and Beluga every day! (Funny, I've only eaten Beluga as a poor student in the Old Soviet Union almost 40years ago.) w/ raw oyster chasers.

[michele cindy]

My husband always tells a similar story, while he was travelling in the 60's he was in either Afghanastan or Iran, and you could buy scoops of caviar for a quarter.

[TonyO]

A Peter Luger's Porterhouse for 2 served for 1 (me).

[Catskillgirl]

LOL! I'll be at the table next to you chowing down (alone) on the same thing. Medium rare.

[lynnlato]

Foie gras, good bread, prosciutto, onion bagels, Krispy Kreme donuts (I'm a diabetic so I would binge...well.... like there's no tomorrow). Hoagies, cheesesteaks... oooh, Whatchamacallit candy bars!

Okay, that's day one.

[Servorg]

Another great reason to be a chowhound considering that all of our day's are numbered.

[dolores]

Ha, good question.

Me? Peanut butter, donuts, and ice cream.

[Gooseberry]

you have never had ice cream???

[dolores]

Oh? I didn't understand the sentence to mean the food was restricted to items the person never had. I thought the food 'bucket list' was about those foods one could gorge on because one was soon going to be dead. As others have spoken about.

If it's something I've never had, there isn't anything in my 'bucket' then, and for sure an intelligent animal that I want to eat alive ain't in it.

Nope, it's still peanut butter, donuts and ice cream. Eaten with abandon.

[lynnlato]

Ooooh, I thought the same as you. Things you'd want to eat if you knew the end was near.

[dolores]

Yes, lynnlato. There really isn't anything out there that I have a hankering for, so for me, my 'bucket list' would be my current 'do not eat' list.

[Gooseberry]

I haven't seen the movie, but I believe the idea was to do all the stuff you hadn't done yet, but always wanted to. I don't mind if people list their have-to-have-again food experiences instead of never-had-must-try food experiences; I was just terribly concerned that you might not have ever eaten ice cream!

[dolores]

Thanks for the clarification, Gooseberry.

It's funny, though, I can't really think of any untried foods that I 'must have'.

I do know, though, that I'd like to find a source for top notch caviar. I had the 'burst in your mouth' variety once, and haven't found it again.

[Caroline1]

Unless you're exclusively interested in sturgeon caviar, I've had some truy delicious "pop in your mouth" salmon roe from Washington state. It's probably available on the web with overnight shipping.

[dolores]

Thanks, Caroline, I'll make a note of it.

[Passadumkeg]

we used to eat Burbot caviar in Finland often, very delicious and very cheap' Eaten on a buckwheat pancake w/ sour cream and diced onion.

[Gooseberry]

It's probably a sign of a life well-lived and well-eaten.

For the record, ice cream would probably come in my top five in a have-to-be-repeated bucket list.

[miss_bennet]

To me, ice cream would have its own bucket list. And a trip to Danmark would be necessary to complete it.

Stupid dairy allergy.

[dolores]

Thanks, Gooseberry. I have no outrageous or cruel desires when it comes to food, and overall, don't find food that interesting. Dessert is a different matter altogether, and again, my bucket is a simple one.

I guess you are correct, if I didn't have a week to gorge on my top three, I have had enough of them all to last me until judgement day.