Sniffle... Cough, Cough

Okay, it's official. I'm sick.

After coughing my lungs out and many sleepless nights on the couch, I decided it was time for medical intervention. I saw my doctor today, and he diagnosed a dreaded sinus infection and a very red, irritated throat. So I wasn't just being a baby after all!

I'm not letting a little sickness deter me from blogging, but I am going to take it easy until I feel better. By taking it easy, I mean I'm going to shamelssly steal ideas from bloggers I admire. My first theft is from Tari at The Grass Widow's Diary. I enjoy her writing - it's a mixture of faith, family, and politics that is very interesting.

100 Things to Eat Before You Die

If you want to play along, the rules are simple:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (I'll never say never. 15 years ago, I would have sworn I'd never eat raw fish, but now sushi is one of my favorite foods.)

Here's my list, with some editorializing as we go along. If I had to look it up, I included a link, in case you don't know what it is, either.

1. Venison.
2. Nettle tea.
3. Huevos rancheros.
4. Steak tartare - um, I almost had this in Paris. I sent the steak back twice before I gave up. I ended up eating McDonald's that night, no joke.
5. Crocodile.
6. Black pudding - Okay, I will say never on this one.
7. Cheese fondue - Yes, lovely cheese fondue. A favorite.
8. Carp.
9. Borscht - Oddly, no. But I love beets.
10. Baba ghanoush.
11. Calamari - love it. I have a great memory of great calamari with the Hubmeier clan in Atlanta.
12. Pho.
13. PB&J sandwich.
14. Aloo gobi - I hope they have this on the buffet at Jyoti's Naturalization Party this weekend.
15. Hot dog from a street cart - in New York City, no less.
16. Epoisses - a pungent, unpasturized French cheese? Nope.
17. Black truffle.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes.
19. Steamed pork buns.
20. Pistachio ice cream.
21. Heirloom tomatoes - Maybe?
22. Fresh wild berries.
23. Foie gras.
24. Rice and beans - with Tabasco, mmmmm.
25. Brawn, or head cheese - this might be an exception to my never say never rule.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - Who would even do this?
27. Dulce de leche.
28. Oysters.
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda - No, but please, sometime in my life, I'd like to.
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - Clam chowder, yes. Sourdough bowl, yes. But never together.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float - one of my favorite things.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - no, but this is one of Chris' favorites.
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - two words: float trip.
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat - Jyoti's specialty.
42. Whole insects.
43. Phaal - I swear this has to be another one of Jyoti's specialties!
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more.
46. Fugu (pufferfish.)
47. Chicken tikka masala - love it.
48. Eel - unagi!
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - Heaven on Earth.
50. Sea urchin.
51. Prickly pear.
52. Umeboshi.
53. Abalone - I just bolded this one. Chris said "You've eaten abalone?" I said yes, it's like tuna. he said "That's albacore."
54. Paneer - What's with all the Indian food?
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - embarrassingly often.
56. Spaetzle - at a great Bosnia restaurant in the city.
57. Dirty gin martini.
58. Beer above 8% ABV: I grew up 2 hours from Montreal - of course.
59. Poutine - This is real?
60. Carob chips.
61. S'mores - Yep. Even won a contest for best s'mores.
62. Sweetbreads - same as head cheese.
63. Kaolin - Okay, so I used to dry toothpaste on the back of a toy chest as a kid. Then I would scrape it off and eat it. No joke. So I'm sure I've had this.
64. Currywurst - sounds intersting, in a weird sort of way.
65. Durian - Please click on the link here. It cracks me up.
66. Frogs’ legs - Oh, I used to so make fun of a girl in college who had been "Giggin' frogs."
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - Yes, yes, yes, yes!
68. Haggis - Why did I say never say never?
69. Fried plantain.
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette.
71. Gazpacho.
72. Caviar and blini.
73. Louche absinthe.
74. Gjetost, or brunost.
75. Roadkill - Even though I grew up in Oklahoma, I am no redneck.
76. Baijiu.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - Cherry.
78. Snail - Lovely in Paris.
79. Lapsang souchong.
80. Bellini - Oh, really lovely in Venice. I want one now.
81. Tom yum.
82. Eggs Benedict - When I worked for Anheuser-Busch, I traveled to New York and ordered this from room service every single morning. This was when I was skinny. I've never had such good breakfast since.
83. Pocky.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - Someday...
85. Kobe beef.
86. Hare.
87. Goulash.
88. Flowers - candied, on cupcakes.
89. Horse - to borrow from Tari, how could you?
90. Criollo chocolate.
91. Spam - Unfortunately.
92. Soft shell crab.
93. Rose harissa - sounds good, though.
94. Catfish.
95. Mole poblano.
96. Bagel and lox - my husband grew up in New York.
97. Lobster Thermidor.
98. Polenta.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
100. Snake - I don't think so.