The Food List

I stumbled upon this very interesting tag at one of my favorite blogger's corner: GGPEDIA. Now this is a food blog, so I'm really hoping I score well!

The Rules:

1) Copy this food list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold in RED all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results


The comments in parenthesis are mine, the words in White have been previously looked up by GG for the definition.

Here goes....
THE LIST

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros (Thanks to SK and his love for Mexican food)
4. Steak Tartare
5. Crocodile (Yes, fried crocodile at Pappadeaux, was interesting, for want of a better word)
6. Black pudding - X
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba Ghanoush (At Gilbert’s Café, was delicious)
11. Calamari (Hell yeah!, fried calamari)
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo Gobi (Uhh, which Indian hasn’t?)
15. Hot dog from a street cart (Yes, the most memorable one being in NYC)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Plum wine, I think though can't remember where)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream (The best ever is the one at Naturals)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans (I admit to this at the risk of sounding like a Mexican)
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters (I’m a sea-foodie if you haven’t realized as yet)
29. Baklava (Greece’s best gift to mankind)
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi Peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (I’m sure the two count separately too)
33. Salted Lassi (prefer it sweet though)
34. Sauerkraut (comci comca, as G jn. would say)
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (made it myself too!)
39. Gumbo (I’m salivating, a true Georgian huh)
40. Oxtail
41. Curried Goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken Tikka Masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs (once, Dad made me try it, I swear)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (Funnel cake at a 4th of July event)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (tried making it once, soaked up too much oil)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette - X
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini (half a point for just caviar)
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill - X
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail - escargot
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (Thanks to T, who introduced me to the little Japanese grocery store on Buford Hwy)
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers X (reminds me of the marigold eating guy in Monsoon Wedding)
89. Horse - X
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam - X
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake – X

TOTAL: 40/100

I solemnly swear to score at least 90 one day. The remaining 10, well I’m a conservative Virgo for a reason.

Birthday Cake

Twenty something and counting. A year older, Am I any wiser?

Fresh 2 Order

Fresh 2 Order or F2O is a salad chain spread accross the country. They serve a variety of salads, soups and sandwiches. The menu isn't all that exhaustive actually, but what they lack in variety they make up for in taste and portion. The portion size is huge. The salads can easily serve two and it comes with a freshly baked bread roll. The salads are also mostly vegetarian and meat toppings can be added for a few extra dollars. It's a great lunch spot, the decor is bright and colorful and the service quick. However, I think it's a wee bit pricey. For almost the same price I can enjoy an entire salad buffet at Sweet Tomatoes!

Hibachi Express

Hibachi Express is a tiny Japanese restaurant located in Alpharetta. It is in a strip mall at the intersection of Old Milton Parkway and Devore Road.

To begin with, a Hibachi is a traditional Japanese grill, akin to the Indian tandoor. It is meant to slow cook food over charcoal. This is what gives the food the tantalizing aroma and tenderness. For the last three years I've been going to the Starbucks right next to this restaurant and have always appreciated the smells wafting out. Last week I decided to step in. I'm glad I did. They serve all kinds of Hibachi food, from chicken to scallops. The entree comes with a big portion of rice and a choice between various stir fried vegetables. The low-carb'ers like me can opt for additional veggies, no rice. All this for $8.

The picture alongside is a Hibachi. I'm definitely going back.

Veggie Delight

We had a 'Girl's Night In' a couple of weeks ago. D & S asked each of us to bring a 'surprise ingredient' for the Veggie Lover's Pizza. So as you can see for the picture above, the pizza was a rich medley of flavors; pesto sauce, capers, black olives, caramlized onions, sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese.

And who says Pizza goes with beer only? We paired it with Sangria, a great combination.

Eclipse di Luna

Eclipse di Luna is perhaps the best tapas restaurant that Dunwoody has to offer. I've been here twice in the recent months and both times was amazed by just how crowded and popular this place seems to be. The tag line says ' A Different State of Mind' and that's perhaps pretty accurate. You have to be in a mood to kick back and enjoy a leisurely time with friends and let the sizzling chic undertone that this restaurant offers seep in.

The outdoor seating is great with the wrought iron furniture and the live band playing inside adds to the uniqueness of this place. They have a wide assortment of tapas. I have enjoyed the spiced potatoes and the fried calamari the most. However, what takes the cake is the cake, literally! The Tres Leche on the dessert menu is a soft sponge cake soaked in cream and an assortment of other ingredients that were simply mouth watering. So the next time you want to dine at the Perimeter, stop by Eclipse di Luna. It’s worth it.

Here & There

I've had a blog sabbatical, it may seem like. That's not because of a lack of things to write about, in fact, I think I've been eating way too much and have gotten lazy! This post is a random assortment of the different tastes, stores and places of the last three weeks.

Gelato -
I discovered freshly made Gelato at Harry's Farmer's Market last week. They apparently have a little Gelato and smoothie corner - I tried two flavors; mango and banana-strawberry, just perfect for a hot week-day afternoon.

Falafel -
Al-Medina at Norcross is huge an Asian Grocery store. They are known all over Atlanta for their fresh goat meat and in fact distribute to many of the local retailers. What I discovered on Saturday, was that they sell Falafel's and an assortment of other delicious looking food as well. The spicy chicken Falafel; reminiscent of New York, was really very good and oh so filling!

Coffee -
I discovered a quaint little cafe at the GSU campus two weeks ago. After almost three years of patronizing various different campus vending machines, and eating more pop tarts and honey buns than I can ever imagine, I find the cosiest little coffee shop, nestled in the basement of the main library. It's called Saxby's.

Chinese -
I've rediscovered the joys of eating greasy Chinese Food at the mall. After swearing off that food for the longest time, I succumbed and ate at Panda Express twice in the last three weeks. When you've window-shopped yourself to death, the only thing that can compensate for a bad shopping day is a nice oily meal at Panda Express! Heaven.