What are your favorite foods?

[Winston]

My favorite foods of all time are spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and pizza.

My favorite Chinese dish is ma po tofu, and garlic fried string beans. And of course, the ones with veggie meat.

Dianne's favorite is the baked ziti dish at Sbarros, which is about the only good pasta and pizza place here.

What are yours?

[Jackal]

My favorite food is sushi when I can get it from a restaurant that looks safe and professional. Right now I'm living out in hick country so I don't trust any of the local sushi.

I like yellow tail sushi the best. The feeling after I eat sushi is a nearly sexual feeling of pleasure as all the protein and vitamins from the fish and seaweed rush through my body and give me a glowing sense of well-being.

I also greatly enjoy bacon cheeseburgers and apple pie.

[KristineTheStrawberryGirl]

Probably my favorite at home would be Chebureki. They could be described as a Georgian/Russian version of giant fried wontons. I've never seen these at any restaurant, but I'm sure they'd be a big hit. They are delicious, and usually it takes 3 generations of women to make them. I also really like a hot bowl of good red borsch with sour cream and fresh baked bread.

I also love sushi, caviar, pizza, dim sum, Lebanese/Greek food, Spanish tapas, Italian food and California cuisine. I like to try new restaurants all the time, so I have new favorites all the time.

I like vegetables and fruit from the garden or farmers market. Avocados, heirloom tomatoes, frisee ... Kumquats, strawberries, melon, white peach ...

My favorite desert is a honey cake Napoleon. I also like gelato and this Persian ice cream I had one time ... It's made with pistachio, saffron and rose water. There are also these little chinese sesame balls with yam that are pretty yummy.

I'm hungry lol!

[Jackal]

Probably my favorite at home would be Chebureki. They could be described as a Georgian/Russian version of giant fried wontons. I've never seen these at any restaurant, but I'm sure they'd be a big hit. They are delicious, and usually it takes 3 generations of women to make them. I also really like a hot bowl of good red borsch with sour cream and fresh baked bread.

I also love sushi, caviar, pizza, dim sum, Lebanese/Greek food, Spanish tapas, Italian food and California cuisine. I like to try new restaurants all the time, so I have new favorites all the time.

I like vegetables and fruit from the garden or farmers market. Avocados, heirloom tomatoes, frisee ... Kumquats, strawberries, melon, white peach ...
My favorite desert is a honey cake Napoleon. I also like gelato and this Persian ice cream I had one time ... It's made with pistachio, saffron and rose water. There are also these little chinese sesame balls with yam that are pretty yummy.

I'm hungry lol!

What about strawberries?

[jamesbond]

I love pasta, pasta sauce, fish, turkey, chicken, lean and healthy beef and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The food I do not eat is meat loaf, pork, pizza (it's supposedly the hardest food for your body to digest) I also avoid any spicy food or food with high sodium (like canned souped). I love instant oatmeal and protein bars and some occassional yogurt. I also take some supplements like multi-vitamins and fish oil. I avoid caffeine like the plague so I do not drink any coffee and I do not eat sweets of any kind. I love to drink natural fruit juices, bottled water, decafinated hot and cold tea. I never eat at fast food restaurants and almost never eat out period. I haven't eaten a hot dog since high school (now that I know what's in them! ) I stay away from dairy products like milk and cheese. I do love brown rice and chinese food (like Chinese buffets). Since I never eat sweets, I have not had a cavity since I was 10 years old! Just looking at pizza almost makes me ill, since I saw a show on tv on what the body goes through trying to digest pizza! A persons body goes through hell trying to digest pizza, plus there is a lot of sodium and trans fat in pizza.

[momopi]

There are so many different good foods out there, it's hard to list what I like best.

As a general preference, I like fresh foods prepared with minimal seasoning and sauces. Many fresh foods have good natural flavoring, it's a pity to smother it with heavy sauces.

For example, cold water lobster has a nice, natural sweet flavor. But if kept for too long, it becomes "fishy". It's a waste to smother good lobster with heavy butter/cream sauces.

I went to a crawfish restaurant recently and they smothered the food in heavy, hot spices. The spices tasted fine, but you're not really tasting the crawfish. There are some dishes, such as curry that does equire a good mix of spices, but we're not making curry crawfish here.

The same applies to good, fresh pasta. I really don't like to soak it in tomato sauce. A little olive oil will do just fine.

I actually have a mild allergy with shellfish, so cannot eat too much of it. Fortunately I'm OK with fish in general, and love pan-fried sand dabs with a little lemon juice. They're difficult to find in restaurants, I usually have a take a boat out and catch them in deep water.

For birds, I like quail medium-rare. Be warned that some restaurants substitute with squab. The problem with this bird is that the meat is really ruined if well done, but there's health/safety issues with medium-rare, if not prepared properly. I've been told that it's better in Canada, where the temperature is colder and you have fewer active parasites.

For beef, I like Japanese style yakiniku with the round wire grill. I don't like the Korean flat iron grill where the grease sticks to it. The roundish wire-grill allows the grease to drip through. You can see pictures of it here:
http://yakiniku.or.jp/

Prices are higher at Japanese restaurants, but the cuts are better. My personal favorite around here is Tamaen in Lomita, California, which I think it's superior to the famous Gyu-gaku chain. The sliced beef tongue with a dash of salt and lemon juice is very very good:
http://www.tamaen.com/

My favorite fruit, fresh and ripe persimmons & mangos. I also like dried mangos, but not dried persimmons. As of April 2007 the US lifted the ban on import of excellent Alphonso mangos from India. If you're lucky, you might be able to find an importer in your area in April-May 2008 season.

[Winston]

Just looking at pizza almost makes me ill, since I saw a show on tv on what the body goes through trying to digest pizza! A persons body goes through hell trying to digest pizza, plus there is a lot of sodium and trans fat in pizza.

W: Really? I didn't know that. I thought only asian stomachs had a hard time digesting pizza. No wonder I feel a knot in my stomach after eating pizza. And trying to play sports after eating pizza left me feeling like I had a hard time breathing.

Does this apply to thin crust too? That tomato sauce in pizza is so unbeatable though!

Have you ever tried UNO's pizzeria? Me and my family used to eat there all the time in California. It was the best pizza I ever tasted! It was Chicago style deep dish pizza. I'm surprised that it doesn't exist in some states, such as Washington. Or that it hasn't become an international chain.

Is European pizza that hard to digest too? It didn't seem so.

[jamesbond]

Just looking at pizza almost makes me ill, since I saw a show on tv on what the body goes through trying to digest pizza! A persons body goes through hell trying to digest pizza, plus there is a lot of sodium and trans fat in pizza.

W: Really? I didn't know that. I thought only asian stomachs had a hard time digesting pizza. No wonder I feel a knot in my stomach after eating pizza. And trying to play sports after eating pizza left me feeling like I had a hard time breathing.

Does this apply to thin crust too? That tomato sauce in pizza is so unbeatable though!

Have you ever tried UNO's pizzeria? Me and my family used to eat there all the time in California. It was the best pizza I ever tasted! It was Chicago style deep dish pizza. I'm surprised that it doesn't exist in some states, such as Washington. Or that it hasn't become an international chain.

Is European pizza that hard to digest too? It didn't seem so.

I think thin crust is easier to digest than thick crust pizza. I am not sure if European pizza is as hard to digest as American pizza. Tomato sauce is good for you (it has a lot of anti-oxidents) but it does tend to have a lot of sodium.

[Jackal]

I think calzones are the ultimate version of pizza. A calzone is like a pizza that has been folded in half before it's baked so that the sauce and topings stay nice and moist and don't get burnt. Also, the crust is usually thicker and more flavorful. I like to get calzones with artichoke hearts and ham.

[momopi]

W: Really? I didn't know that. I thought only asian stomachs had a hard time digesting pizza. No wonder I feel a knot in my stomach after eating pizza. And trying to play sports after eating pizza left me feeling like I had a hard time breathing.

Do you have any sensitivity to lactose, cheese, or gluten?

What Asians do with Pizza:
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2 ... izzas.html
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2 ... -kong.html

[KristineTheStrawberryGirl]

I've not had any issues with pizza, but then again, I've never had pizza stuffed with hot dogs! LOL!!!

PS I have tried Uno's, Pizano, Gino's etc... pizza in Chicago, and agree it is delicious. However, I like Brooklyn/NYC style pizza the best.

[kristy_571]

a few of my favorite things:



Chick-food.

[KristineTheStrawberryGirl]

For birds, I like quail medium-rare. Be warned that some restaurants substitute with squab. The problem with this bird is that the meat is really ruined if well done, but there's health/safety issues with medium-rare, if not prepared properly. I've been told that it's better in Canada, where the temperature is colder and you have fewer active parasites.

This would possibly explain why I didn't like quail when I cooked it, because I made it well-done. I didn't think that I liked duck until I tried it no so overcooked/slightly pink. I like quail eggs allot, and heard that they are very healthy. It's the only type of egg that I'll eat raw.

[KristineTheStrawberryGirl]

a few of my favorite things:

Chick-food.

I like that stuff too, but I have to confess that sometimes I like the bad stuff too .. like pizza, fried stuff, alcohol and deserts .. oh my! LOL

[kristy_571]

That's why I only said a "few" of my fav things. The chocolate is my sinful secret I don't really talk about. Although if you get a craving, try the Lindt or Godiva brands. I'm a big pizza head myself.