Let's see:
All but: roadkill & Haggis & no Cigars (don't smoke). I'm enjoying The Balvenie 21 year old Port Wood Single Malt (gift from happy client) as I write this.
Had horse in Paris, Fugu at Nobu in NYC. Had Uni last Friday. Have had Elk, Moose, & Venison - and have shot an elk (packing the meat out was tougher than an 18k climb) and any number of deer and Wild Turkey (finest hunting story: got one with a Bow - a friend called him in within 30 yards). Ostrich & Bison are readily available at Whole Foods these days. If by Chocolate & chiles you mean Mole - I've had that - and the firebars (candy bars) that are an interesting chocolate and chile confection.
Have Lapsang here in the office - and at home - and the Brits import the best.
I don't want to mention the number of bottles of Absinthe I've been through since it became legal to import / distill in the US again (nor, the bottles of Rye - making the First Cocktail - the Sazerac - with Peychaud bitters and a twist of Orange).
I like my Martinis with Noilly Prat & Bombay Sapphire - 1:2 ratio stirred and served with a twist.
The first time I served Tom Yum soup - I did it as a first course with a few Enoki mushrooms floating in that deceptively innocent looking broth. A neurophysiologist dinner guest picked up the bowl like he would to consume some Miso and expectorated halfway across the dining room .....
I remember Hostess and McDonalds from childhood - today I might buy an iced tea or coffee - on a road trip - but never eat their food.
I'm very happy with American Caviar - and, it is way cheaper, too.
Come to think of it - how about smoked fish? Sable, Sturgeon, Herring (Kippers), Salmon, Trout, Lake Trout, Dolly Varden, Brook Trout, Eel, and smoked Oysters and Scallops too boot.
I prefer my Oysters raw and briny - but I have had Northern CA BBQ Oysters (garlic, butter & chive or garlic, shallot & sweet red commercial BBQ sauce).
Your favorite breakfast is mine, too. I prefer an Onion Bagel with cream cheese, sliced red onions, a slice of ripe tomato, Lox and sprinkling of rinsed capers.
Now, you missed one of my odd western tastes (or, odd that a westerner has a taste for it) NATTO. Fermented soybeans. Had Natto three times last week - once with grated Daikon - and that detracts from the flavor.
You also left off a whole litany of cheeses and olives.
Most don't like oil-cured olives and fewer still like the "stink" of the much, missed Liederkranz and Limburger - however they are but child's play to some of the really interesting Blues.
Amd, how is it that two climbers haven't had Yak Butter?
Hey, howdy, hey. Followed you from a Pharyngula comment thread. Did you know your posting ID there has the url of your blog misspelled? I had to use deductive reasoning to find you (go me!).
You may have seen my posts from time to time at the JREF forum (under the monker: Gr8wight). I'm expanding my reading in the atheist and skeptical blogosphere, and thought I'd check you out. Mind if I hang out a while?
Also, I'm perpetuating this meme.
Hi, found you off BitchPhd.
1) Please! Don't drink Bombay (although I like it), it is a horrible horrible repug conglomerate that supports Tom DeLay [and includes Dewars, Martini & Rossi, Grey Goose, and, most importantly, Bacardi, who besides being basically evil are destroying Puerto Rico]. I recommend Broker's gin, or other reasonable alternatives.
2) I am so glad you drink Sazrac cocktails. If you can ever find Van Winkle Family 13 yr old Rye it makes the best damn Sazrac evar!1!11!
like the blog, keep it up,
SA
The Bombay drinker would be me. I merely like the botanicals in that Gin - but I can retreat to another hyper-botanical Gin - like Luctor International's Van Gogh Gin.
According to their website: All Van Gogh flavored vodkas, gin and EspreXXO Ultimo 19/09 are distilled and bottled by the Royal Dirkzwager Distilleries in Schiedam, Holland. . . .A family owned business, passed down from father to son since 1891, the original Dirkzwager distillery was recently rebuilt under the supervision of the Holland Monument Society.
Dirkzwager Distillery, in 2005, received a Royal Appointment by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, for 125 years of consistent excellence and reliable quality.
Van Gogh spirits are imported into the United States exclusively by Luctor International.
And, none of my favorite Scotches or Bourbons are made by anything but small entities.
As for Pappy - of course I use his 13 year-old - occasionally- Rye of that quality must be savored neat. I use Wild Turkey Rye for the Sazerac - it makes the Turkey tame.
I only managed 59, so when I posted it at my site I added a few odd things that i thought should have been there. And, like you, moose was at the top of the list.
The original seems to have a strong East Coast slant.
John,
While I'm a NYC boy - I wouldn't consider Elk, Moose and most of the Indian dishes remotely east coast.
I live in the midwest these days and business takes me to both coasts several times a year.
My version of a street hotdog was a NYC Mustard & Kraut dog - not the Rev's NO dog. And,speaking of NO - Gumbo is purely NO.
I suppose we could put in the national dish of my current adopted City, Kansas City: Smoked Brisket. Burnt Ends, to be specific, are an art form and every year in the fall we have "The Royal" a BBQ competition like no other in the US.
The Rev would contract diabetes from our sauces - but he would love the smoked meats sans sauce (of, course - we would not like his vinegar and mustard sauces - except that I do...)
Fugu is entirely Japanese. You can only experience it in the US where special arrangements are made and the non-toxic muscle is imported sans the rest of the puffer fish. I don't think any state but Hawaii serves Uni aside from Japanese restaurants in other states (poi is missing).
Quite a bit is southwestern in origin.
The Rev left off the Florida specialities - the funky crab claw and none of the real New England foods are represented: Poutine is a bastard Canadian potato / cheese curd and gravy dish (that really ought to have been a Wisconsin dish) that makes a double cheese Whopper look healthy.
By New England dishes and I mean a new England Boiled Dinner, Finnian Haddie, Pastrami at Katz's deli, smoked fish, steamed clams, clambakes, fried clams, fingerlake wines, and trout, bluefish (and, a long time ago, Cod) NY & Vermont Cheeses....
Just FYI, your 108, 'chittlins', is the same thing as my 70, 'chitterlings'! I fully understand the confusion, though; my Southern friend Maria assures me that no one in the South spells it 'chitterlings'.
Cheers,
Andrew. (Author of the original list!)
Yeah i doubled up there. Too many things to remember.
Some good stuff on that list. I only scored 50, though. You can see it here. I added a few of my own, thanks to my Greek wife's heritage.
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