Cold Food

[laliz]

I am aware that there are certain foods that can be eaten hot or cold; and some of these I really really prefer cold rather than hot.

One is deli mac and cheese, and I don't know why. I just love it cold out of the deli case eaten as a salad.

One that I really really like cold and won't eat hot is baked beans. Not deli baked beans or out of the can baked beans, neither of which I enjoy ~~ but good home made or "doctored up" baked beans are delish cold.

another is meat loaf. I just love, Love, LOVE cold meatloaf.

Cold pizza, and cold chicken of course. I even like cold chow mein and spaghetti.

any other cold food eaters?

[suzigirl]

Sitting down to a delightful bowl of cold leftover Betty Crocker au gratin potatoes. Mmm mmm

[jbsiegel]

My kids will eat cold Hot Pockets. Just defrost on the counter and serve - talk about a lazy meal! I wouldn't go NEAR those!

[KSlink]

Strangely enough, I've found that I actually prefer grilled swordfish to be room temperature, or better yet, refrigerated.....go figure!!!

[ttoommyy]

And grilled tuna!

[cacruden]

I prefer my tuna not to be cooked in the first place (Toro).

[cacruden]

Of course I also quite enjoyed raw horse and even raw chicken when I was not afraid of it killing me :o (forget the names though). Raw horse is a specialty around Kumamoto (S. Japan), and raw chicken at a specialty place out in the countryside at a place that raised their own special chickens.

[Tripeler]

In Japan, places that serve raw horsemeat and raw chicken invariably know what they are doing. It tastes great, and I have never gotten ill from it.

[HillJ]

During college I dined on room temp cooked spaghetti with cold ketchup and the blue box mac n cheese prepared but eaten room temp.

But mayo salads (tuna, pasta, chicken, egg) ice cold-really cold.

I don't like cold fruit, vegetables and especially anything where an avocado is the main ingredient. I like Chinese or Thai leftovers (especially rice) cold.

Not a fan of cold pizza but my one son loves cold meatballs!

I always add ice to my cocktails or soft drinks (although I don't drink soda at all) and warm or hot drinks always taste more like dessert to me.

Can't drink water without ice.

[melpy]

Love cold blue box or room temp. Used to make while camping and store un ziploc and eat for breakfast tr next day with a fork out of the bag.

[ttoommyy]

London broil! Forgot about that one. I made a London broil last night and there is enough left over to eat cold later this week. Sliced very thin and then tossed with salt and fresh ground black pepper and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Served on a plate with sliced avocado drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Makes for a great Saturday afternoon lunch.

[1sweetpea]

My husband loves cold pizza. For me, I think the standard issue pizzas taste better hot, but when it comes to the gourmet, wood oven, thin crust pizzas, the herbs and gourmet toppings often have a more pronounced taste when cold. This is particularly true with pizzas that use basil pesto instead of tomato sauce. The basil, pine nut and garlic blend seems to get muted when hot and competing with the pizza's other ingredients.

[ttoommyy]

"The basil, pine nut and garlic blend seems to get muted when hot and competing with the pizza's other ingredients."

I agree. I like this kind of pizza when left to cool for a while. Again, I believe it is the taste buds being compromised, in this situation by the extreme heat, that mutes the flavor of the pesto.

[Mattkn]

This is embarrassing. I prefer the dreaded green bean casserole cold. I even like it before it is baked! Also, pumpkin pie must be ice cold, I can't even eat it if it's warm or room temp.

[UTgal]

I've eaten it cold too. :-) It isn't bad!

[melpy]

I like stuffed shells prebaked. Sometimes I wish I could fill the shells and top with the sauce hot and eat them that way.

[UTgal]

Mmmmm. I like lots of things cold. Echoing others: fried chicken, spaghetti, lasagna, plan pasta...heck, I even ate a cold pork chop the other day.

I do prefer my pizza to be hot, however.

[randyjl]

Just to show that everyone can accept what everyone else likes! Great thread! BTW I love milk in a frozen glass!

[laliz]

did I mention cold chicken dipped in cold BBQ sauce?

[melpy]

I really don't mind cold food and some things taste better cold leftover than warm. My mom's meatballs are good fresh or cold (no sauce) but I don't like them as much warmed up. I love cold pizza and other Italian food. For work most of my food I let get to room temp instead ofnheating except soup.

As a kid leftover cold lo mein with duck sauce packets were a favorite breakfast, no need to heat.

[melpy]

"I don't like cold food, even my fruit I like room temperature"

...
"I do [like a cold apple] but apple pie I like hot"

Name the movie :)

[melpy]

No takers?

"get the honey!"

[NellyNel]

I have no idea, but I feel like I just saw it...its not from "The Right Stuff"?? is it?

[melpy]

1980 Dom Deluise and Anne Bancroft. Food is practically a supporting character. Last hint!

[suzigirl]

Fatso. Classic do you know who wrote and directed it? Don't cheat and look it up

[suzigirl]

To bad I didn't see this post until today. To bad I didn't see it earlier. I loved that movie

[melpy]

I'm 90% sure Anne Bancroft did those as well.

Fatso is my family's favorite. We quote it constantly. We text/call eachother with quotes and then hang up.

[suzigirl]

She did. Multi talented woman. And not to be a smart a** but it's 'get the honey junior'. That is such a great movie. I think we were spun from the same cloth as i also quote movie lines to friends now and then. Old movies.

[melpy]

Actually I was posting "get the honey" as a chorus of all three of the chubby checker members (Sonny, Oskar, and Dom). Nice to know we aren't the only people who have seen it.

[suzigirl]

Gotcha. Way underrated sweet movie. Made my bf watch it with me and he liked it but didn't embrace it the way we do.

[melpy]

My father has a habit of making people watch it. We find that only the Italian Americans or those who are often around this type of culture really 'get' it.

[njmarshall55]

"Ok...everybody stop trottin'"

[suzigirl]

I'm stumped. ???

[melpy]

Love it when Sonny says this!

[njmarshall55]

He was also one of the cavemen in History of the World, Part I, but obviously only had a grunting role.

[jamieeats]

i actually like to eat cold things at room temperature, and hot things hot. i'll leave out most of my beverages for a while before drinking them (the only exception being cocktails or mixed drinks).

my boyfriend was appalled the other night when he wanted to put the remaining pizza in the fridge, and i insisted on leaving out just one piece to keep on the counter until i wanted it later! i also let my yogurts sit out for a few hours before eating them, and let my ice cream melt too.

[ttoommyy]

"...and let my ice cream melt too."

Melted ice cream tastes much sweeter since the taste buds are not numbed as they would be eating it straight from the freezer. That's probably one of the reasons why you like it melted...the sweetness is much more pronounced. :)

[jamieeats]

i think that's it! i think food in general is much more flavorful when it's not too cold. the same goes for foods that are super hot, but the only very hot foods that i eat are soup and coffee or tea, so i'm having it to warm myself up. otherwise, i also let my fresh-cooked meals sit for a little while before eating them.

[ttoommyy]

Many food items are served room temperature in Italy. In fact, one of my favorite trattoria in Bologna has an antipasti table spread out with about 20 items: roasted potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, salads, etc. all at room temp. You order the antipasti and then go and fill your plate. They will put the plate under the broiler if you want, but it seems like mostly tourists do that.

[huiray]

Well, you might find these two reports (amongst others) interesting...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/815002
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/819194

[ttoommyy]

Fascinating, huiray. Thanks for posting. People can be so ethnocentric sometimes. It boggles the mind.

[huiray]

Oh, I wouldn't think of the poster as ethnocentric (if that is what you mean). He was expressing his personal preferences in a candid way. I dare say lots of folks - including me - dislike lots of cold greasy food. :-)

[laliz]

tuna noodle casserole, haven't had it in years, but it sounds good cold. I despise tuna melts because I don't want hot tuna, but I never thought of the casserole cold.

Tuna salad must be very cold.

AND, after yesterday ~~~ COLD HAM

[noodlepoodle]

I like all cold drinks (except milk, beer and white wine) over ice. I don't like cold soda in a can. I need to pour it in a glass over ice. Soda needs to be over ice...IMHO. Food that was originally hot like casseroles or stews II like warmed up, except maybe leftover cold meat tucked into a sandwich. I do like cold meat loaf. Fresh apple pie is good warm or room temp., not cold out of the fridge. Not crazy about cold pie crust.

[phofiend]

Buttered bagels must be cold. I can't stand melted butter oozing out.

[suzigirl]

So I'm not the only one. But the butter must be room temp.

[njmarshall55]

For me, nuked bagels and cold butter...but it needs to be eaten before the butter melts. I like the contrast fo the hot and the cold.

[jbsiegel]

Not me...can't STAND cold butter. It has to be all nice and melted! To me the cold butter is just this massive glob of icky fat - LOL!

For those of you that do the warm butter thing - do you like it better heated ON the bagel (like under a broiler) or cold butter put on a hot bagel and allowed to melt? I definitely go with the first option...

[huiray]

Have you had toast with butter and kaya? :-)
Yes, the toast should be warm, the butter cold, the kaya room temp. I would want it that way myself too.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/800864#7166935
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaya_toast

[ipsedixit]

I think I thought of one thing I like better warm than cold.

Hard boiled eggs.

Not deviled eggs, not egg salad, not poached eggs, but straight hard boiled eggs.

Definitely prefer those slightly warm (straight from the pot, dunked in ice water, peeled, and then plated immediately).

[jmcarthur8]

Absolutely! With coarse-ground fresh black pepper on top. At the sink, alone in the kitchen.

[sunshine842]

because at the sink, all the calories and cholesterol fall out and go down the drain...

...and if you're alone in the kitchen, nobody saw it, so it doesn't count.....

:D

[jmcarthur8]

;-0

[Will Owen]

I agree with everyone here. Especially about the calories and cholesterol. I do require salt, which I apply by simply dabbing the egg into the salt jar. I love it when the outside was cool enough to peel but it's still really hot at the core. Yowzah!

[ipsedixit]

Especially if the yolk is just *this* side of runny ...

[huiray]

Fruit tarts (not fruit pies). Chocolate tarts, ganache tarts. Fried chicken - either hot/warm or cold; preferably not room temp. Most tossed green salads I like on the cool-ish (slightly chilled) side. Uh, gazpacho - of course. Warm gazpacho is no diff from ho-hum veggie soup. Meats in aspic. Zungenwurst. Pickled cukes.

Champagne. White wine. Certain sherries and ports. Most beers. ;-)

[cacruden]

Cold KFC chicken - absolutely love it - actually the skin .....

[sunshine842]

Quiche -- I like it hot, no doubt -- but a slice of cold quiche on a picnic is a lovely thing, indeed.

[Will Owen]

When every eatery in Nashville HAD to have quiche on the menu, it was almost invariably made last night and refrigerated - which is how I like it best - and then totally ruined by zapping it before bringing it to the table, flabby and tepid, with a film of water between the custard and the bottom crust. I would beg, I would plead, PLEASE bring it cold, but they'd insist that this is how it's done. I had at least two managers, when appealed to, say that the Health Department wouldn't allow it, though they'd serve a sweet custard pie cold as a matter of course.

[sunshine842]

I zapped the leftovers I had for lunch today (which is what prompted the line of thinking) -- but at least it wasn't weepy -- and it was actually hot. (it was chilly today, so cold food just didn't sound all that appetizing)

[gingershelley]

Yum! COLD quiche! If it is as it should be, when cold it gets denser, and creamier. Cold quiche for breakfast!

[kubasd]

I keep reading this thread to see if there is ANYTHING I prefer cold that is also served hot, and I have yet to come across one. I mean, if I'm drinking milk it MUST be cold, but that's pretty standard. I like my food on the hot side of warm. I also take tuna salad out of the fridge a good half an hour before I'm going to eat it to take the chill off. I'll keep checking back to see if anything appeals to me.

[freia]

Cold milk. Cold potato salad (vs warm German style potato salad), I personally prefer most things warm or hot.

[EWSflash]

Leftover pasta, with or without sauce. Cold or hot

[jhopp217]

With a few exceptions, there are no foods that I like hot, that I won't eat cold. I completely get what you mean with the mac and cheese. I actually don't love mac and cheese hot. I prefer it cold. My favorite is cold KFC mac and cheese. Other foods

Prefer cold: pizza, lasagna (especially if it's veggie lasagna, pretty much all veggies I prefer raw.
Like cold: Meatloaf, steak, chicken, and pretty much any Chinese food
Dislike Cold: Fish and lamb

[PotatoHouse]

Milk, as cold as possible! Turkey, dressing (stuffing), and jellied cranberry sauce (NO BERRIES!) between two pieces of white bread. The PERFECT day after sandwich!

[mrbigshotno.1]

Ice cold leftover fast food frenchfries that have been in the fridge at least 2 days. mmm mmm!

[huiray]

Ick. No accounting for taste. :-)

[mrbigshotno.1]

Finally got a rise out of someone, I was just kidding.

[Will Owen]

One of my first favorite cold leftovers was spaghetti; when I was a kid I'd even make sandwiches with just white bread, butter and spaghetti. Don't think I could handle that anymore, but I do love just about any pasta dish cold, especially mac'n'cheese and tuna-noodle casserole. My big test for judging pizza is how good it is cold, too. And of course meatloaf; I love it hot, but my principal reason for making it is for sandwiches.

[suzigirl]

Tuna noodle casserole....mmmmm. I just went in the 'way back machine'. I need to make that this week. And yes, I prefer it cold. I think I could wrap my head around a spaghetti sandwich. I made twice baked last night. Might give it a third round this afternoon in a sandwich. We'll see.

[LA Buckeye Fan]

Cold red wine poured over cold chocolate layer cake.
Cold limp green beans that were cooked with garlic and olive oil and put in the fridge.
cold, thinly sliced eye of round.

[ipsedixit]

Jelly donuts

[ttoommyy]

Which reminds me...cold cake! I love a good cake with buttercream frosting and filling straight from the fridge.

[ipsedixit]

... and Apple Pie.

[ttoommyy]

Yes, like another poster said, all fruit pies. I'm not a hot or warm fruit filling kind of guy. Never saw the appeal of hot apple crisp (or any crisp).

[Emme]

for me it's leftover steamed or roasted veggies. cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, etc. with salt.

i used to love leftover kung pao chicken or chicken lo mein either cold, or even better, when it was just starting to chill - cold around the edges and ever so slightly just a little bit warm in the center of the take-out box...

[suzigirl]

I also like cold baked beans. Eat them on a slice of white bread stuffed full and a squirt of yellow mustard 'taco style. Weird, I know but mama used to make them when I was a kid. Also taco bell bean burritos, pizza but meatless, spaghetti, sauerkraut, hot dogs, canned beets and leftover chilli on tortilla chips dip style. Yes, I am weird. I'm okay with that

[jmcarthur8]

A big yes on the meatloaf. Cold with ketchup. On good white bread.

Brussels sprouts. Yes, I did say brussels sprouts. I snack on the leftover ones in the fridge all the time, and just figured out recently that I simply like them better cold.

Pizza, yes, if it's really good cheesy pizza, thin crust.

Cold fried chicken dipped in blue cheese dressing.

Corn - right out of the can. Or cold leftovers of fresh or frozen corn.

[laliz]

cold roasted asparagus
and how could I forget one of my faves, cold roasted eggplant

so glad there are others. Thank you.

[laliz]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/759530

[ttoommyy]

There are many foods I like right from the fridge but anything with tomato that was originally hot I cannot stomach cold. Pizza right from the fridge is probably the worst offender to me. This is something I've had an aversion to since I was a kid. The same would go for pasta with tomato sauce. Room temp is fine; but cold from the fridge is out.

One think I have to have ice cold and even add ice to is milk.

[laliz]

I seldom drink milk any more, but when I do it has to be skim and it has to be over ice. I agree! OR heaven on earth aka chocolate milk over crushed ice.

[ttoommyy]

"OR heaven on earth aka chocolate milk over crushed ice."

YES!!!

[laliz]

I just saw this thread from last year on the same subject.

YES to cold chicken dipped in cold BBQ sauce.
YES to cold corn and/or peas
YES to cold rare roast beef
YES to cold fruit pies (hate hot fruit)
YES to cold pudding (LOVE IT)

[juster]

Ditto on the pie -- I like fruit pie COLD, even if it's a la mode. I'm not against hot fruit, and I'll eat warmed pie, but I LIKE it cold.

[jmcarthur8]

Cold sour cream apple pie for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving. Oh my.

Absolutely nothing better in this world.

[visciole]

Apple pie cold
Apple pie hot
As long as it's on my plate
And it's a lot.

[kubasd]

*like*

[njmarshall55]

Normally, I would agree across the board, but for ONE exception...a large slice of apple pie, with a layer of cheddar cheese melted on top. Hopefully, the fruit woudn't be TOO hot before the cheese melted, but cold and sweet vs. hot and salty...alot of contrast for the tongue!

[jennibakes]

I'm just the opposite. Give me anything tomato based, lasagna, spaghetti, pizza...and I prefer it cold the next day. In fact, I really don't care for pizza at all unless its cold.

However, I want my milk room tempature. I can't handle icy milk.

[suzigirl]

Someone who gets it. Room temp milk is the best! I know that most of you are getting a bit queasy at the thought of room temp milk but it is more flavorful that way. That is also true with cheese.

[jamieeats]

room temperature milk is definitely the best.

i did however have a horrible experience when i was a kid - i thought that heating up the milk in the microwave for a few seconds would get it to room temperature faster... instead i got soured hot milk!

[suzigirl]

Nothing worse that sour milk. Have you given anyone the heebies with room temp milk? I have freaked out more than one person with it. And when I tell people I don't like it with cake or spaghetti people just look perplexed.

[freia]

Milk with spaghetti???? Blech! I've never heard of that combo for anyone over the age of 6...
Now a frosty glass of milk with a slab of Death By Chocolate cake????
MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[suzigirl]

I know so many spaghetti/milk combo people. It must be a southern thing. We are kind of different in the south. G.R.I.T.S baby( girls rule in the south)

[jmcarthur8]

For years, I always had milk with pizza. And yes, everyone else went "Blech".

I still like it, too.

[freia]

Didn't mean to yuck your yum...just kinda caught me off guard as that's a combo I've never heard of!
:)

[melpy]

I drink milk with most of my red sauce food at home.