For all of us, this is hard, nearly impossible. But think of those glorious food moments and capture one bite of the moment. For me, I might think about family reunions in North Carolina, and the one bite would be this. Real southern hushpuppies. As I bite into this recently fried, perfectly bready southern delight, the smells of frying catfish fill the air. I can hear my Aunt Muriel's deep southern drawl as she lets out, "I'll declare, them is some good hushpuppies."
Describe the bite and the scene.
Have fun...and prepare to be hungry. Writing and reading about food makes me want to eat...
It was a cold chilly night out in the streets of Los Angeles. The cold stung on my cheeks as I cuddled into the warmth of my jacket. We arrived at our destination, a family member's house, and they invited us into the party taking place in their backyard. Before we sat down we got our plate of recently made popusas, a traditional Salvadoran dish made of thick, hand-made corn tortilla. They smell of the maize, corn, filled my nostrils and I could feel the warmth of the popusas heating paper plate and warming my hand. We got to our seats and were served champurrado,a warm and thick Mexican drink like hot chocolate with flour. My first bite was magical; the warm melted cheese flowing from my mouth to the popusa. I could still hear all the "mmmmmmm's" coming from our table. It was an experience unlike no other. We were speechless for no word could describe what we had just experienced. I still remember to this day the lady who was hand-making all the popusas by herself. To this day we have not tasted any other popusas like the ones we ate that cold chilly night in LA.
ReplyDeleteI have tasted popusas before and when you were describing how the cheese melted in your mouth and so forth, I could picture a popusa in front of me. Great descritive wording, really made me feel as if I had one in front of me.
Deletenice start to the blogging, with the pupusas, Nancy! Yum!
DeleteI have never tried popusas or champurrado before but you made me want to track some down.
DeleteNancy great post! You took me in a place where I was not only eating the popusas with you, but I also felt the cold night and the comforting warmth of the jacket. I was also able to visualize the lady who was hand making the popusas. I never had a popusa, but now I have the craving and urge to have one.
DeleteAfter reading your post i cant wait for it to be winter so that i can have some champurrado on cold winter night.
DeletePupusas are so yummy.
DeleteI remember my first time trying Pupusas, they are delicious. Especially if they are made from Salvadorians.
DeleteIt was a little over a year ago and my fiance and I decided to go to Pismo beach. We love the beach and wanted to enjoy a nice, sunny day out and relax. I remember it was getting late and we had not eaten all day. Our stomachs were empty, water could not sustain us any longer and buying snacks were not the answer for us. After walking around for an hour we decided to eat at Brad's Barbeque at Pismo. I remember being so hungry that when I only recieved my salad I devoured it. Then came the main course, which was something that I have eaten many times before (but never at this restaurant), a tritip sandwich with barbeque sauce smothered over it of course. Once the waitress put that sandwich down in front of me I could already tell there was something special about it. The bread was nice and toasted, the meat look as if it was cooked perfectly, and the barbeque sauce; oh man the barbeque sauce was dripping from the side. I picked up that sandwich and bit right into it. Chewing and chewing that first bite, my taste buds hoping around with excitement. I finally swallow and paused. My fiance looks at me and asked me, "hey babe, what's wrong?" After a couple of seconds I look back at me and reply, "this is the best thing I have ever tasted in my life before." Till this day, that tritip sandwich is the best food I have ever eaten. My fiance and I have gotten up out of bed and decided to drive to Pismo just for a tritip sandwich. Even writing about it is making my mouth watery, I wish one of those sandwiches was in my hand ready for me to devour it at this very moment. So if you are ever in Pismo, go hungry and enjoy a delicious tritip sandwich at Brad's barbeque!
ReplyDeleteBraving those roads for one delicious bite? That must be delicious! I'll have to try that place.
DeleteAndrea I have to be honest and say that I'm not a big fan of tritip sandwiches, however when you described it being cooked to perfection and the barbecue dripping it sounds delicious. I seriously would like to go to Pismo right now and find Brad's Barbecue. I can't however because it is late and I have class tomorrow. One day however I will track that place down and I'll try the tritip sandwich from Brad's Barbecue.
DeleteIn 2001 I had a pretty nasty crash racing my dirt bike. After an ambulance ride to the ER and a leg that was broken, literally, from one end to the other, I found myself on a TON on heavy pain killers, which made me so sick I could not eat. After about three weeks of this and 30lbs later, the pain had subsided and I could finally eat something besides soup and crackers. By this time, my birthday had snuck up. When my birthday comes every year, it means only one thing, HOMEMADE champagne cake! As far back as I can remember my Grandma has made me champagne cake once a year on that very same day, well until she passed a few years ago. This one particular year I could hardly handle waiting for her to come to my house with the cake because I still hadn’t really eaten anything too amazing since all this happened. So, my Grandma shows up on my birthday with a giant, two layer, champagne cake, and, I’ll have you know, I had already come-to-peace with the idea I might have to eat myself into a coma to get the full experience. We did the whole blow out the candles and make a wish song and dance, and, finally, my Mom cut me the best looking piece of cake I had ever seen. I took one bit of that cake and it was OVER. It was the most amazing this I had ever tasted. I have no idea what goes into a champagne cake, but I can tell you this one had been infused with a little piece of heaven! The filling, literally, melted in my mouth and the cake was so light and moist. She would always put lots of chocolate shavings all over the outside, so I felt like I was eating the most phenomenal food creation ever made. Anyway, long story short, I sat in my wheelchair and worked on that cake until my Mom felt I was about to slip into a sugar-coma. I would encourage all of you to convince someone in your family to master the art of the champagne cake.
ReplyDeleteBrandon I have never tried champagne cake, but it sounds very delicious. I actually wish I had a piece right this minute. I am going to find the recipe and tell my boyfriend's friend if he could make it for me. He is a great cook so I hope this will not be as hard as it sounds, because I really want to taste the little piece of heaven your describing. All this cake talk is making my mouth water.
DeleteChampagne cake is delicious. My fiancee and I have been cake tasting for a couple weeks now and our favorite is..by far..the champagne cake!
DeleteHaha I think everyone needs some champagne cake all the time! My wife doesn't like it, so, of course, there wasn't any at our wedding...
DeleteHello Brandon, I am sorry to hear about your grandmother passing and you being in a dirt bike accident. I cant believe you lost that much weight in such a short period of time. Is your leg better now? While I was reading your blog and got closer to the end my mouth started watering. I really have a sweet tooth and so does my son. I think he would love for me to attempt to make a champagne cake. I can honestly say I have never had many homemade cakes before except for the ones I have made which are not the best.
DeleteDorm life, what a joy! There are slumber parties, endless activities and keggers every night of the week. I can truly say that living in a dorm was the best time of my life and I met friends that I will always share a close bond with. Yet, there was one major downfall – the food! I use to cringe at the thought of eating another stale sandwich or tasteless cheeseburger. But I had little money and was on a meal plan. Nonetheless, 15 meals a week were at the cafeteria.
ReplyDeleteWhen my birthday came around, my parents begged me to take the 8 ½ hour train ride home. I just didn’t think it was worth it, especially for just one weekend. Well one word changed my mind, cheesecake. My mom explained that my grandpa was planning on making me a cheesecake if I came home. My tickets were bought instantaneously! Cheesecake, with its velvety texture and creamy goodness was my official birthday cake. I only got it once a year and it was always a special treat. I'm not into sugary desserts, so cheesecake has the right amount of sweetness. It’s tangy and sweet with the slightest hint of nuttiness. My grandpa is a perfectionist, usually it’s annoying, but I'm so glad he is when it comes to his cheesecake. It is perfect! He always makes it a couple days ahead so it has time to chill. I can only eat it right out of the fridge. When I finally got to Bakersfield and settled in, I broke the cardinal rule and had dessert first. But boy was it worth it! Oh how I enjoyed that first perfect bite. And by perfect bite I mean a bite that included every element of the dessert. A little bit of the buttery graham cracker crust, a little bit of the creamy soft middle and a little bit of the hardened top. The dense smooth filling is a perfect combination to the crumbly crust. It melted in my mouth as I savored the moment. Not only is cheesecake my official birthday cake, but it’s my reason for traveling 8 ½ hours each way.
I cant believe you waited to settle in. I would of walked in the door and probably ate half of the cheesecake before i even said hi to my parent the way you described it.
DeleteI would have taken that same ride to get that cheesecake as well! The dorm food is so horrible I bet it was worth it.
DeleteI agree with Octavio, I would have gobbled up the cheesecake like there is no tomorrow. I think cheesecake is worthwhile to go home too.
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ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread. Every morning while living in France, I would have to walk past all the bakeries on my way to school. The urge and the want to stop and buy a baguette would be too much, even for my own self-control. The first part to understanding the artistry of bread making is to realize that these people wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning and start hand rolling and throwing the flour-covered dough in a massive oven. The moment when you step into the bakery, my nose inhales the dough, the croissants, and maybe even some of the pastries if they had some finished. Then after asking for a baguette, I finally get the warm loaf in my hands. As I bite into it, my tastebuds get a nice, soft, warm awakening. As I step back outside in the early morning brisk air, I have to walk past all the rest of the bakeries before finally getting on the tram. There is nothing like smelling all the bread being baked all across the city and it’s even more incredible to think that these people finish their day in the late afternoon and wake up and do it all over again. It's a feeling that I miss having every morning.
ReplyDeleteI love the smell of freshly baked bread. My mom used to buy the dough from Costco and would bake it in the winter. It made the house smell amazing, and the taste of the bread when it was fresh out of the oven... I can't even explain that!
DeleteNice description of it.
I also love the smell of baked bread right when it comes out of the oven. Also, you got to eat great bread and pastries plus enjoy a new enviornment with amazing sites.
DeleteI as well love the smell of bread! My mom usually prepares some kind of bread to eat when she cooks a larger dinner, and when it comes out of the oven it is such a great smell! At my job we make our cornbread from scratch there and when it is baking I love walking through the baking area to get a whiff of the delicious smell! Its even better when I get to have one fresh from the oven with honey and butter!
DeleteI love bread. However, Mexican sweet bread is my weakness.
DeleteOne of my favorite bread treats were something called "Chouquettes" (shoo-ket). They were these open bread rolls with sugar crystals on the outside. Soooo good!
DeleteHey Grant
DeleteI've never been much of a bread person, but I've been known to kill a donut from time-to-time. Your story make stuff I already know I don't like sound good. Nice post.
That seriously sounds heavenly! I want to travel to Europe so badly, so hopefully I will get to sink my teeth into some of this bread!
DeleteIt was December 9, 2005; I had just graduated Marine Corps Basic Training in Parris Island, SC and was ready to get out of there. I had spent the past three months eating food that was good, but not great, and I wanted to go home to see my family and eat some “real food.” Unfortunately, we had an emergency landing in Dallas, TX due to the weather. The airline put the passengers in a hotel for the night, and amazingly enough, there was a waffle house just a block away from where we were staying.
ReplyDeleteAs we got closer to the waffle house, called “Waffle House,” I could smell the fried chicken and oil, which made me feel sick to my stomach. The outside of the building looked grungy and the lights on the building were flickering until they no longer lit up. I was starting to regret walking there in the middle of a Texas winter night, but wanting something, anything, to eat, my mom and I headed in.
When I walked in the door, an overwhelming smell of syrup washed over me, it filled me with excitement and my mouth began to water. The place was small, not many people were in there, and we were instructed to sit anywhere we’d like by an older lady with a strong southern accent. Our waitress came over moments later with menus. There were so many dishes to choose from, but the smell of syrup that lingered in the room was an obvious sign to me that I needed to get a waffle. The waitress took my order, she was a wonderful lady, she reminded me of Aunt Jemima – the syrup lady. She was a large woman, loud but kind, and had flour all over her apron.
It didn’t take her long to bring out the waffle, and when she did, the aroma permeated the entire room. She sat the plate in front of me, steam rising off the golden piece of heaven that was sitting in front of me. I put the syrup that I had desired all over the waffle, then took my first bite. The crispy, thin, perfectly cooked, syrupy waffle crunched in my mouth as I chewed. It was like the entire diner went silent and empty, I couldn’t have cared less that there were other people there, I closed my eyes and enjoyed that moment. The syrup made pieces stick to the roof of my mouth and my taste buds felt as though they were dancing around in my mouth. The combination of the crispy texture of the waffle and the smooth, thick texture of the syrup were amazing. I savored that bite for as long as I could, but then realized I had more on my plate, then finally dug in!
Waffle house, what a great addition, Brandi. I love seeing those signs as you drive around the south. We need one out here because you are right, they have perfect waffles!
DeleteI used to live in Alabama. "Waffle Houses" were all over. Reading your story makes me want to take a trip to the south to get some waffles from the best waffle place! It's a good thing I ate breakfast already or my stomach would be rumbling. Great post!
DeleteOne of the main reasons I love going to Mexico is for the food. I can picture myself getting out of the taxi to the smell of old diesel trucks driving around the city. As I start walking to the taco stand I can smell the meat cooking before I can even see it. Once I arrive my mouth waters by just seeing the rotisserie slowly spinning with juices dripping down and sizzling as they hit he grill. As I sit down the waiter ask for my order and when I reply 20 tacos please, he looks at me as if I am crazy. He asks me once again to make sure he heard me right, and I reply once again 20 tacos please. Once I get my plate I take a look at it and smile as if I am a kid in a candy store. Not being able to wait any longer I take the first bite of the first taco, everything around me just stops, the noise of the traffic, the smell of the old diesel trucks even my annoying brother, all I can feel is perfect harmony. As I swallow it down I think to myself how can something so small and so simple be so good. After I have taken my first bite I wash it down with an ice-cold coke burning my throat as it goes down. After I have truly enjoyed the first taco I get ready for the next 19 that I have left to devour.
ReplyDeleteHello Octavio, I have heard from many people that Mexico has really good food. I was amazed when I read your post because twenty tacos are a lot of tacos for just one person. One day I would like to see for myself how tasty the food is in Mexico; however, my mom said it is far too dangerous now to visit even for one day.
DeleteHello Octavio. I understand exactly what you mean about the tacos from Mexico. I went to Mexico this past December (hopefully this year I will go again) and every night i would eat tacos for dinner. There was a lady 4 streets away from my grandma's house and I would go with my cousin everyday just to get some tacos. It was our obsession.
DeleteThe best thing I ever ate would be in Calcutta, India. Calcutta is a very crowded old city in India, and when you walk around the city you can see the big beautiful architectural buildings, which were built by the British. For the first time when you visit Calcutta, you will be in a cultural shock because it is just so different from the United States. My maternal side of the family is from India, so during childhood I did spend some of my summer vacations in India; however, I had not been there for many years, so few years back I was able to convince my husband to go to Calcutta during our Christmas vacation. As I expected, he was in a cultural shock because he just saw myriad people everywhere and it is also not the cleanest city in the world; however, while we were there, we decided to visit my aunt, who I hadn’t seen for fifteen years. It was very hard to find her house without a proper street address, and we kept asking in the crowded bazaar for some navigation, but the only thing we could see was narrow roads, street vendors, and uncountable human heads. After knocking on couple of wrong doors, finally we found the old green door that we were looking for. My aunt came to open the door and she recognized me right away and welcomed us with open arms. According to Indian culture, it is not needed to ask your guest whether or not they would like something to eat, rather, the host just offers. As my aunt heads for the kitchen, my husband and I followed her. It was a very small kitchen with no electrical stove, oven, and refrigerator. As she sat down on the floor of her kitchen, she asked us to sit next to her. Since there was no heater and carpeting in the house, therefore, the floor felt really cold. Her small kitchen was extremely clean and she had all her shinny pots and pans all lined up, and she grabs one pot and starts to mix in some flour with her hand. By this time we were famished and couldn’t wait for one tortilla to land on our plate. The aroma of the fresh tortilla was present in the air, and she brought out some homemade butter, which also smelled very good, and she puts some butter and sprinkled sugar on top of the tortilla. She served us on a stainless steel plate, and the heat from the fresh warm tortilla penetrated through the plate onto the palm of my hand. Once I took the first bite, I felt the warmth of tortilla not only in my mouth, rather, I felt it all over my body and all in a sudden the floor just didn’t felt cold anymore. I don’t even remember how many of those soft thin tortillas I ate that day, but my mouth still gets watery when I think about that day and those handmade tortillas.
ReplyDeleteHello Kazi,
DeleteI have a friend who is from India. I was once invited to try some food from her culture when I visited for a study group over her house. One thing I noticed in my experienced was that the food reminded me a lot like mexican food. The food was eaten with our hands with a tortilla like bread. It was so delicious I wanted to know how I can cook it myself. I never did get successful enough to capture the same flavor and taste that her food had. The experience tasting food that I was not familiar with was great and wish I had that opportunity again.
The most eccentric bite of food I have had would be Chelow Kabab for the first time. Chelow Kabab is the traditional dish of Iran, which is where my father is from. I never tried Iranian food when I was younger, but the first time my father made it I was encouraged to try. The smell was unlike anything I smelled before. It smelled flavorful so my mouth started to water. As we sat down at the table, I couldn’t wait to feast on this new, delicious smelling gourmet. It came with red moist grilled tomatoes, heated flat bread, acidic limes, fresh asparagus and Persian rice topped with buttery saffron. The presentation was very colorful and bright which I loved. My father once told me that foods that come in colorful presentations usually taste the best. The first bite of that Kabab gave me the biggest rush. The meat was tender and juicy filled with so many flavors. The rice was a mouthful of creamy delight. The tomatoes were thick and succulent. The bread was fresh and doughty and the asparagus was crisp. As soon as I gulped down all the food, I looked at my father and said, “Thank you, I love it!” Even after finishing the meal the whole house still had the aromas of the spices from each dish. Since that day, I have become interested in sampling other Iranian dishes. Even though I enjoy other foods, Kabab has to be my favorite of all. When I visit my family, I ask my father to make Chelow Kabab.
ReplyDeleteTHIS REPLY IS FROM TAREN BOLIN...
DeleteTavon,
Iranian food sounds delicious and also very similar to the food served at Flame and Skewers. Do you know if they are the same type of food? That is one of my favorite lunch spots! You really had my stomach growling they way you described each dish, especially the rice topped with the buttery saffron! And I think your dad is right, the best tasting dishes do start with the presentation. You eat with your eyes first.
Family time is something I look forward to since I live far from my family. The holidays meant more to me than just a get together among family and close friends. Family gatherings during holidays meant a ton of delicious food brought by everyone in the family. Everyone has their own specialty item that they enjoy sharing with the rest, the sense of pride for someone to compliment on their dish and how great it tastes and delicious it is. All the food combined in one room smell so delicious. The dishes are many, but one in particular always stood out for me, the green casserole enchiladas my sister in law makes. The chicken and cheese shredded, the onion, green chiles dices fine, and the sauce was always a mystery to me but always tasted so good and creamy over layers of corn tortillas. The first sight of them getting out of the oven smelled so delightful with flavors that make your mouth water. The first bite I would always have to mix with my rice because it was so spicy. The spice required for you to continue eating otherwise your mouth will burn from the chile flavor. Spicy but filled with flavor. Everyone would wait and ask if it were spicy enough for me to answer, but it was and has been perfection when I would take that first bite. My sister in law never asked, "What should I take?" when asking what is needed at our family functions because she knows the answer to that.
ReplyDeleteI never had a spicy green casserole enchiladas; I did have enchiladas but not that spicy. I love spicy food, and there is something about it makes you want to scream, but at the same time you love it. I eat a lot of Thai chillies, and they are hot but it does bring a special flavor to your food. From your description I can even smell the warm enchiladas, and that is making me feel hungry.
DeleteThe best food experience I have ever had was a mixture between glorious and sad, as I was able to experience the greatest food ever, but the occasion was one I will remember my entire life.
ReplyDeleteIt was my last day as a student at UC Irvine and having experienced some of the best moments with my two roommates, both decided to take me out for a goodbye dinner. One of my roommates was my hometown friend, while the other was our new roommate and friend, Eunice, a student of Korean descent. Eunice took us to one of the greatest places for Korean barbeque she knew resembled her culture the best. Everything from the tapestry to the silverware made us feel and appreciate the culture. The waiter came and said something to him in Korean making him come back with a plate filled with the best looking meat I have ever seen. Eunice turned on the grill and began to cook the meat using what looked to be soy sauce, but that had the most marvelous, mouth-watering aroma. The aroma was a combination of an earthy, spicy, and smoky smell that made me taste the meat in my mouth. When Eunice was finally done cooking the meat, she began serving us each our plates. The suspense was killing me as I couldn’t resist much longer I took my first bite and was tremendously surprised at the taste of this meat. It was nothing like how I had pictured it. The meat was so tender and chewy that I was able to savor the taste of the soy with a hint of smokiness from the grill, but until this day I cannot fully describe what else the meat tasted like. However, I just know that I fell in love with Korean barbecue from the minute I set foot into that restaurant on March 8, 2009, a day filled of joy, good food, and great company.
Oh man! Korean barbecue is so good! I just got a recipe to make korean chicken. To be honest, I did not do it justice, but I am determined to keep trying. I ate a chicken dish at my friends house who happens to be Korean. I couldn't believe the tenderness of the chicken she had made. It did have a smokey, spicy taste. Everytime we get together now, I ask her to make that dish. :)
DeleteYes! It is so tender that I am still trying to get my beef to come out this way! Seems like their own little secret touch.
DeleteIt was the day of my baby shower. My husband knowing I was a big cupcake addict asked his friend's wife to order some cupcakes for me. The cupcakes were so adorable from the outside. On top of the cupcakes were adorable little pink baby blankets covering either a baby's face or his little bum. The best part was that they were made out of the most amazing sweetest chewiest fondant ever. Actually there was something better than the fondant. The bread was red velvet and the frosting was cream cheese frosting. After savoring the delicious fondant I went for taking a bite out of the bread and cream cheese. Taking a bite into the cupcake was heaven in my mouth. The cupcake was moist and full of cocoa. My sweet tooth was just asking for more, but unfortunately I had to leave some for the guests.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so delicious! I have a really bad sweet tooth, my cousin whom I used to live with would bake cupcakes regularly and they were so delicious! The one's you have described here sound like heaven in my mouth, but since I lived with my cousin I have become a cupcake lover! I am just thinking about it now and have not had any in a long time.
DeleteI've had the most amazing red velvet cupcakes here in town. I don't mean to give them publicity, but Sweet Surrender has the best red velvet cupcakes ever!
DeleteThis is a hard question for me because I have so many favorites and good experiences with food! But I will pick one that I have experienced for most of my life and one that is very recent. For Christmas we always open presents at my mother's house on Christmas morning, my paternal grandparents would come over (now just my grandmother) and we would open gifts. We always have made Christmas lists for "Santa" and have a big Christmas experience. So my two younger brothers (now 14 and 20) would be awake at 5am playing with the one gift "Santa" left out for us, and as it grew closer to 7 or 8am everyone would arrive. We would open gifts, laugh and cry depending on the joy from the gift; and then my favorite part the smell of the delicious food my mother prepared. We have always had this huge sticky bun, or it is also referred to as monkey bread, bacon and this wonderful breakfast casserole! I have a huge sweet tooth but in this case I can not wait to eat the casserole, comprised of tons of cheese, potatoes, onions, egg and ham! I look forward to this every year on Christmas morning, because of its great taste but I also get to celebrate with those closet to me! I also salivate over my grandmother's pecan pie which comes out later in the day! So this has been going on since I was a little girl, but my more recent food obsession has come from my job at Jake's Tex-Mex Cafe. We serve this "Socially Irresponsible" chocolate Texas sheet cake, with divine chocolate frosting! Prior to working here I had never tasted the cake, so me being a sweet tooth had to try a piece the first day of work. I took it home with me where I could enjoy it with some milk after my first long day of work, I took one bite and was in a chocolate coma! I found my self taking a piece home at least 3 or 4 days a week! I have calmed down on the cake more recently in my push to become more healthy and lost 10 pounds. Although, I do find my self craving a bite or two but I almost always seem to finish it off! My friends tease me because when I eat it my toes seem to curl and I just enjoy it so much! I warn you who try it you will be addicted!
ReplyDeleteHello Erika, I enjoyed reading your post! I could not agree with you more on Jake's Tex-Mex Cafe chocolate cake. That cake is undeniably delicious!It is terribly tempting to not grab at slice every time on my way out of the restaurant.
DeleteI know what you mean! Every customer says that and we put it right where we people can barely or can not at all resist!
DeleteErika,
DeleteYour family's breakfast casserole seems absolutely mouthwateringly good! Even with my stomach full from my breakfast my mouth is watering at the thought of how good it sounds. I have never been to Jake's Tex-Mex Cafe and therefore, never tried the chocolate cake. Although I am not a huge sweet tooth (I usually can only have 3 or 4 bites of something as sweet as you described before I am good), I might have to make a trip to Jake's to try this amazing cake! Great post!
I agree Erika, Jake's Tex-Mex Cafe chocolate cake is amazing.
DeleteAbby you must come try a piece of cake! You could share it with someone!
DeleteAlthough I am a bacon lover the breakfast casserole sounds delicious. I also love the fact that your breakfast casserole is associated with Christmas traditions because I have similar favorite foods that my family makes for Christmas.
DeleteMonica I am sure you could add bacon too it and it would be delicious!
DeleteIt was the day of my wedding and I had the most amazing piece of cake I have ever had in my life. My wife and i had went to a small tasting before hand and barely got a little piece of this wonderful cake but it didn't have any icing on it so it did not taste the same. I was looking forward to having this slice of cake for months, just waiting and waiting. The cake looked amazing from the outside. It had 3 layers of different types of cake. The layer that i was worried about getting to was the layer that had strawberry cake with raspberry frosting, as well and fondant covering it. once the cake was served i had no choice but to dig in. I took a bite that consisted of the cake, frosting, and fondant all at once. The fondant tasted so sweet along with the mixture of the raspberry forsting and the wonderful moistness of the cake. My mouth was in heaven from the extravagant flavors mixing together in my mouth and making my senses go crazy. Looking forward for so many months to getting this one piece of cake was well worth it. The worst part about the whole process though was that i couldnt keep all of the cake for myself.
ReplyDeleteHello Bradric, your wedding cake sounds amazing! I was a server at a local country club for a few years, and was fortunate enough to be able to try many different types of wedding cakes. The cake you described; however, sounds like it would have been on the top of the lists of my favorites.
DeleteHello Bradric, your post stood out to me because you mentioned your wedding day. This is interesting to me reason being many of my friends are getting married within the next couple months. The way you described your cake sounds so delicious. I am looking forward to tasting my friends wedding cake, and hopefully they are as good as yours was.
DeleteIt is hard for me to choose my favorite encounter with food, because I am a fan of its many varieties. I enjoy sweet, salty, and savory dishes. Although I have had many memorable cuisines, a specific bite that vividly comes to mind is a homemade pizza. Last fall my friend Rebecca’s family was coming to visit from the Midwest. This particular day was especially memorable, because for the first time I was able to put a face to a name. Her family was extremely warm and inviting, and I felt as if I had known them all my life. We all gathered around and started to prepare the ingredients. I began to knead the dough, Rebecca grated the cheese, and her sister chopped the tomatoes. All of the family played a part in preparing multiple ingredients for the pizzas. Once all the ingredients were ready, we all joined outside by the barbeque. Rebecca’s brother placed the dough onto the fiery grill, and the feast shortly began. Richard, Rebecca’s brother, started to call out short orders. The children of course ate first. The kids kept it fairly simple, cheese and pepperoni. Now it was the adults turn. I remember being overjoyed by the idea of tasting my first homemade pizza. “London, you’re up!” Rebecca said. I decided to choose ingredients that were uncommon for my average day pizza orders. There it was, a freshly made pizza topped with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella on a perfectly crisp crust. I recall immediately thinking that I had been missing out on good pizza my whole life until then. The smell of the basil and the taste of the mozzarella were captivating. I enjoyed every last bite.
ReplyDeleteOne year while I was visiting my best friend in San Diego, Ca, we decided to take a mini road trip to go get some tacos in T.J. She knew this little spot called Paco's Tacos that was close to the border. I stayed with her that summer for about a week. Since day one she would not shut up about how good those tacos were. She kept talking about how there was this elderly lady in the back making fresh hand made tortillas and the salsa was not hot it was just the right flavor. The onion and cilantro were chopped into tiny pieces. And the spicy pork meat "oh my god it is finger licking good," she said as she liked her fingers in front of my face. I finally gave in and told her to take me to this place and I will be the judge of everything she is saying. In arriving to Paco's Tacos I noticed that there was no parking near the restaurant. We had to park about a block away. In my opinion no parking is a good sign. That means there must be something good there that everyone wants, which made my curiosity about these tacos rise. Overall, the 30 minute drive to the restaurant, two hour drive back, 15 minute wait in line to order and another 15 minute wait to get our tacos was totally worth it. I have not found another taco place anywhere that tops Paco's Tacos in T.J. My best friend could not have described Paco's Tacos any better.
ReplyDeleteAlmost five years when I was pregnant, certain things that I would eat tasted better than ever. I had an appetite like I have never had in my life. One day while my mom and I were walking around the mall shopping for Christmas presents I became bored and started looking outside of the store window. To my surprise, I seen this man pass by with his hands occupied from holding this perfectly larger than average slice of pizza. This slice of pizza looked so lip smacking good. I felt as if for a few seconds I was in a trance. When he bite into the pizza and pulled it away I could see the cheese hanging from his mouth. I quickly looked at the box and it said “Sbarros”. I told my mom that I would be back because I was craving pizza. After what felt like the longest line ever, I was finally next to take my order. I ordered one slice of combination pizza. The smell coming from the box smelled incredibly delicious. Even though it was around Christmas time and the mall was busy with people the only thing that was on my mind was this picture perfect pizza. When I opened the box and looked inside, I could see it was very cheesy and covered in toppings. The first bite was scrumptious; the cheese was the perfect temperature. The sauce had this tomato taste to it which was really good. I could even taste a hint of garlic in the pizza. The bell pepper and the onions gave it that zesty flavor. The crust was the best part because it tasted so fresh. It wasn’t too much crust, but just enough to make it fluffy. Since this day I have never had a slice of pizza as good as this one.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like really good pizza. I'll have to look for this place. Also, as a minor correction: I think you meant five years . Not trying to be mean, just pointing that out.
DeleteThe finest bite of food I have ever had is something that I can never have again. It was the first bite of my first attempt at making slow cooked beef. The very fact that it was something that I cooked made it all the better. And the fact that it was my first attempt pushes this far beyond anything I have tasted since. To give an idea of how tender this was, I started the barbeque at 6:30 in the morning and pulled the beef off at 7:00 in the evening. I wasn’t very sure about seasoning, so it only was flavored by salt and pepper, but spending 12+ hours over mesquite charcoal cooking in its own juices gave it a flavor that you cannot imitate. Combined with my mother’s homemade salsa, there is no way to describe it. The only bad thing is the fact that since that was my first attempt, I can’t get the same experience ever again.
ReplyDeleteI had just watched a show by the name of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" hosted by a man by the name of Guy Fieri. I don't watch often, but this show is great! This episode I watched Guy was in Dallas, Texas at some restaurant that just serves lunch. Anyway, their specialty was pulled pork and brisket and this place slow cooked both for 14 hours. The end result looked sooo mouth watering delicious, I want to some day fly to Dallas and visit.
DeleteI was told by my doctor that my Body Mass Index was 36, this meant that I was 6 points above where I should be, the normal score for my height and weight being 30. I was obese as the paper work indicated, and I needed to lose at least 20 pounds according to my doctor. I started to diet eating boiled chicken, steamed vegetables and drinking lots of water. One night after my dieting ritual I ran 4 miles and had planned to go home, finish my homework and go to sleep. However, upon arriving I was welcomed with "Have you eaten? There is spaghetti and french bread in the kitchen." There it was in the pan spiraling in a chaos of meat and sauce. Every bit of my conscience telling me "NO!" and every sense in my body saying "EAT!" I gave in to the primitive desire to stuff my face with food. I stuck my fork in and grabbed a heaping helping of spaghetti, meat, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic smothered sauce. As I shoved the utensil in my mouth with the devil's seductive spaghetti I could taste every bit of oregano, garlic, pepper and tomato sauce. I slurped up what couldn't fit in my mouth, the remaining strings of spaghetti whipping every which way slapping my nose, chin and flinging the crimson sauce in the same uncontrollable directions. I must say that day was by far the most delicious bite of food I have ever tasted.
ReplyDeleteI love your description of the spaghetti! I sometimes feel the same way when I eat that dish. I just cant turn it down.
DeleteI love spaghetti and garlic bread too. It is my comfort food and I never get tired of eating it.
DeleteFor me, good food requires a good experience to accompany the meal, or in this case a single bite. You could have, what is said to be, the best meal in the world and you could build up your expectations just to have them crushed by a horrible experience. (This I have found to be true in my own experiences.)
ReplyDeleteMy one delicious bite (actually the first sip) accompanies a very fond and recent memory. I can not think of any bite of food that has topped a spectacular chai tea I had the pleasure of tasting a few weeks ago. So, I am going to assume that a drink will suffice in place of a bite of food.
I had the pleasure of tasting this tea a few weeks ago while visiting a friend in Fullerton, CA. He built up my expectations with how spectacular this chai tea was and how I would have to try it when I came to visit. So, for several weeks, I waited with anticipation to taste this highly recommended chai tea. (There was also great anticipation to see this friend but that is a different story). After a completely wonderful day talking and hanging out with this person we went to the cafe to have chai tea and relax. It was this eclectic, "college styled" cafe with couches, live music, and patio furniture outside. The night was slightly chilly but we chose to sit outside to enjoy the fresh air. The moment came to try this long awaited, highly spoken of, yet, simple cup of tea...The tea was a perfect temperature. Thankfully, I did not burn my tongue! The blend of chai spices and cream was perfect. This cup of chai tea was hands down better than any chai tea I had ever tasted, even Starbucks (it was cheaper too). The best part of this tea tasting experience was the person I was with. Conversations with friends are always loved and cherished but this one held special meaning. Just as the chai tea was new and lived up to the 'hype' and expectations of greatness, that night marked the beginning of something great and that night was only the beginning of many wonderful memories to come with this friend of mine.
Dark brown wrapping with silver letters imprinted across the top, how I love the sight of this wrapping. This moment marks the start of the memorizing deep trance I fall deep into every time I revisit it. I call this sheer ecstasy; some people would call it Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. As I stare at this perfectly whole bar of pure milk chocolate, I sink down in my seat and put my feet on the coffee table in front of me. Completely comfortable in my own home, my motuh begins to water in anticipation. Sweet delectable creamy cocoa blended perfectly into twelve small pieces. I peel back the bright and shiny foil wrapping exposing the first column of the chocolate bar. I break one column of three pieces and split them up. The first bite is always the best. I place the small piece on my tongue, right in the center of my mouth. As it begins to melt, I feel all the stress around me melt away as well. I am immediately lost in happiness, floating in comfort, and thriving from satisfaction. I close my eyes and drift away into a deep thought. The smoothness of the chocolate makes me feel warm all over, and the milky creaminess fills me up with joy. This feeling is familiar; as if I were sitting in front of the fireplace drinking hot coco on a winter day. All I can do is smile as I enjoy this one small piece of sheer perfection.
ReplyDeleteI am so right there with you Britt! Hershey's chocolate is the best chocolate ever! I don't want Ghirardelli, See's, or Ferrero Rocher. Just give me a Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar or even some Hershey's kisses! Those are really dangerous to have at my house. Especially the little kisses. I will fill up a candy dish, and seriously a day later it will be empty.
DeleteOh yeah! I love Hershey's bars, Kisses and Kisses with almonds. The bars go perfect with a large perfectly cooked marshmallow in between two Graham Crackers. I love to camp...
Delete@ Lisa Im so glad you agree! I love the kisses as well!!! I need to visit your candy dish! @Joseph I love to camp too! And yes the smores are definitely perfect for camping.
DeleteI love food. Narrowing down all the delicious meals I have had to just one memorable bite is not an easy task but I think I have figured out the perfect bite. Burritos are my favorite food; I have lived in California all my life and with that enjoyed all the amazing Mexican food this state has to offer but by far burritos are my favorite dish. I am always on the look out for the perfect burrito and I finally encountered it a few months ago. My friends and I were studying for a particularly stressful organic chemistry test when we realized it was three o’ clock and we were all starving. One of my friends suggested that we go find her mom’s food truck to get some lunch. After some searching we finally found it. She offers tacos, burritos, and tostadas; I, of coarse, opted for a burrito with carne asada. My friend’s mom handed me the burrito wrapped in tin foil on a white paper plate, little did I know that this unassuming wrapping contained the best burrito I have ever tasted. This burrito had everything I love in a burrito. The bears were cooked to perfection; they were refried but you could still see some whole beans in the mix. The rice was not overly seasoned, which tends to happen. The carne asada was chopped for easy eating and had the perfect grill taste to it. The salsa was spicy but not so much that it over powered all the other flavors in the burrito; I hate it when all I can taste is spice. And all of these lovely ingredients were wrapped in a soft, warm flour tortilla. Now my friends and I go get this delicious burrito when we have to study for exams.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem with narrowing the foods that I love to just one that I could write about. This assignment seems easy until you start actually trying to define a single, favorite food.
DeleteThere is nothing like putting a piece of bitter pickled ginger in your mouth to cleanse the palette right before you place a spicy tuna roll on your tongue. That is right! I said "on your tongue," because it just melts in your mouth! To me, eating sushi is an art form. It is something you want to take your time with and savor. The first time I ate sushi, I really did it for the experience, but I fell in love right away. I placed the ginger in my mouth and lifted it up with my tongue to my palette. I knew right away that pickled ginger is something I would have to acquire a taste for. My natural reaction was to spit it in my napkin, but I was determined to continue the experience whole heartedly. After a few seconds or so, the ginger slowly vanished and I was ready to taste my very first piece of a spicy tuna roll. I got that slender piece of fish between my chop sticks and dipped it into the soy sauce and green pasty wasabi, and then placed it into my mouth letting it settle on my tongue. My taste buds were popping with joy from the combinations of texture, and the richness of flavors. The freshness and delectable flavors that I tasted for the first time was now with me forever. I knew I was hooked, and I would now have a craving to eat sushi whenever I got the chance.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't handle ginger and wasabi like you, but I do enjoy some awesome California rolls.
DeleteAfter a long day of watching my fiancé and his best friend compete at a strongman competition in Phoenix, Arizona, we decided to celebrate by eating out at a nice restaurant. We did not know our way around Phoenix because we had never been there before. Our hotel attendant suggested some nice restaurants nearby. From the list of restaurants she suggested only one stuck out in my mind, The Cheesecake Factory. I have heard many great things about The Cheesecake Factory and I was dying to try it. It took a little convincing but eventually my fiancé and the other couple with us were on board. I typed the address into the GPS and off we went. We chose to sit outside on the patio because it was a nice night, not too hot or too cold. The patio was enclosed by a waist high iron fence with beautiful green vines growing on the individual iron bars and the wall. We sat down at our candle lit table and looked over the menu, I ordered a filet minion with a side salad and my fiancé ordered a hamburger. While we waited for our food, we talked about the competition we were at earlier that day. Once our waiter brought us our food we dug right in, after such a long day we had only had time to eat breakfast. I was expecting my steak to taste good, just like any other steak but this steak WOW! The steak was so tender and juicy it melted in my mouth. I could taste the combination of herbs it was marinated in and favor exploded in my mouth with every bite. I usually use A1 steak sauce when I eat a steak but this one did not need it. The steak had an rich smelling herb butter on top and on the bottom of the plate you could see the juices gathering at the center of the plate every time I cut another piece. That steak was by far one of the most flavorful and tender steaks I have ever had. I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to go eat at The Cheesecake Factory again, I wish we had one here in Bakersfield. I almost forgot to mention we took a cheesecake to go, we could not go to The Cheesecake Factory and not try a cheesecake.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things from The Cheesecake Factory are the fried macaroni and cheese balls! They sounds sort of gross, but they are seriously so delicious. They are the perfect appetizer. So, next time you go, you should try them!
DeleteThey sound interesting. I'll remember that for the next time I go!
DeleteOne of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had was at Luigi’s Delicatessen, which is one of my favorite restaurants in Bakersfield. I had ordered the “Wild Mushroom Agnoloiti”. It’s a type of Italian ravioli that has mushroom inside. Luigi’s serves the ravioli with a brown butter, sage, and thick shavings of parmesan on top. I remember when I first tried it and all the flavors that made my taste buds go crazy. There was the richness of the brown butter which had the consistency of olive oil. Then there was the sage that was sprinkled on top. It was bursting with flavor. The thick flakes of parmesan added a sharp, salty goodness to the ravioli. But, the best part was sinking my teeth into the hot, steamy “agnoloiti”. It was like a puffy pillow filled with a creamy, yet chunky mushroom mixture. Lathered in brown butter sage sauce, the ravioli melted into my mouth. The textures of this dish were all so different. There was the smooth, flimsy noodle-like outside to the ravioli, but inside was the thick, cottage-cheese like mushroom filling. Not to mention the liquid, syrupy butter sauce. With the rigid parmesan slices, the dish had just the right variety of textures. The atmosphere of Luigi’s adds to the enjoyment of my meal. Usually filled with regular customers, the restaurant is cozy and covered from wall-to-wall with pictures from different decades. The different scents of all the herbs fill my nostrils. Pretty much any dish at Luigi’s is like comfort food to me, but the “Wild Mushroom Agnoloiti” is one that completely satisfies me and my stomach.
ReplyDeleteI am the type of person that really enjoys eating. If I could eat and never get fat, I would take advantage of it to the fullest. There are a lot of different foods out there that I really enjoy eating. Among my favorite foods are: fried chicken, spaghetti, and anything chocolate or with chocolate in it. The one experience that I could simply point out was eating a burger from a restaurant called Smashburger. My boyfriend had told me about this place and bragged about how delicious the burgers were. His favorite part was that they sell beer to drink with your burger. I did not want to believe that the burgers were as great as he claimed them to be. This past summer in July, I went to Las Vegas with him and my friends. On our way back he convinced us to stop at Smashburger. He really wanted us to try the burgers that he swore were delicious. As I was standing in line I saw that they let you build your own burgers the way you want them. I thought to myself that it was a good idea to let people do that. I then ordered a classic with bacon and French fries. When we all sat down and got our food, we looked at each other until one of was brave enough to taste it. That person said it was one of the best burgers they had tasted. Finally, I decided to give it a go. I am not going to lie, that was the best burger I have tasted in my entire life. Other fast food restaurants focus on the sauces in the burger. This burger tasted delicious because the meat had a distinct flavor. The seasoning on the meat was delicious. It is indescribable. I advise everyone to track down a Smashburger and try it. It is worth it.
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