A while back I read a book entitled “500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late” by Jane and Michael Stern. In it the authors detail a lot of great foods that need to be eaten in a lifetime. I must admit that when it comes to food I am usually pretty adventurous. I have eaten things that I never dreamed I would eat. On a trip years ago to see my mom I forced encouraged her to watch a couple of episodes of Bizarre Food America on the Travel Channel starring Andrew Zimmern and to say it was eye opening for her would be to put it mildly. Especially when he delved into a freshly delivered cow placenta. Fortunately she had left the room for that portion but I do think she saw the blood drinking.
According to the book I read there are a lot of foods that just have to be eaten and although I have written about this book before it was years ago and I think we can revisit it. All you foodies out there —weigh in on what you would add to this very short sample from their list in the book.
- Cheese Curds. A favorite in Wisconsin and Michigan these little lovelies are enticing and tasty. They are also addictive. I have a love of all things cheese curds.
- Fish Boil. Door County, Wisconsin. YES! I have enjoyed being at a fish boil in Door County and it was every bit as wonderful as I was led to believe.
- Iowa Pork Chop. Of course I have had this one—several times over. Just this week we grilled up a lovely butterfly chop seasoned with Rustic Seasoning from Tastefully Simple. Yum.
- Loosemeats (Iowa) . Actually my first experience with this sandwich was in Greenville, Ohio at the Maid Rite. Their drive through still boasts a “gum wall” where folks stick their gum on the way to place their order. Not very sanitary but a part of the charm, I guess. In Mason City, Iowa Chris and I visited Pro’s Sandwich Shop — read about it by clicking here.
- 5 Way Chili from Cincinnati, Ohio. I have a fabulous recipe for Cincinnati Chili that I need to make soon and share on Slightly Savory Saturday! It is a lovely concoction that always pleases. Top the spaghetti with the chili, add oyster crackers, shredded cheese and onions and I am happy. I omit the beans but I guess to make it 5 way you need the beans.
- Fish Tacos –Southern California. I think you can honestly get these about anywhere—i have gotten some really excellent ones in Austin, Texas as well as other places. My brother, Mark, is the king of fish tacos. He and his buddies have them every time they go on a fishing adventure and I bet his beat any restaurant by a mile.
- Lexington BBQ–North Carolina. Yep. Have had it and it is delightful. I make my own BBQ and I recently posted a super easy recipe. You can find it by clicking here.
- Key Lime Pie –Florida. While you can get key lime pie just about anywhere these days there is absolutely no substitute for a piece found and eaten in the Sunshine State. No substitute.
- Fish Head Stew —Mt. Pleasant, NC. I have been to Mt. Pleasant but never knew about this delicacy. It sounds like it is a gumbo type dish with the meat picked from the heads of fresh grouper. Anyone had this???
- Creamy Grits–Charleston, South Carolina. Nothing like grits cooked with milk and butter and often served with cheese and shrimp on top. A hugely popular and wonderful dish.
If you had the chance to add to this short list handpicked from the book what would you add? I would love to see what your must eat items would be. Share in the comments so I can add them to my ever growing list of things to not miss the chance to eat.
