Birthday Food: What's your must have item(s)?
Hi Everyone! I've been MIA lately but wanted to take some time today to read and post. A present to myself as tomorrow is my birthday. :-) And I was just thinking-what should I eat? It's my birthday so I should have whatever I want, right? Seems I'm at a loss; school and work have turned my brain to mush. So, then I thought to ask you Serious Eaters...What do you like to eat on your Birthday?
At the moment I may have to make cupcakes-those are sounding very good right now. I possibly want some Mexican or Italian too...See how confused I am?
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41 Comments:
Really good bread and butter. Also, some taramasalata with fresh pita. Both are treats I like to indulge in on the big day. Obviously cake is always present as well :)
laurelie at 2:35PM on 02/17/09
First of all - Happy Birthday, sister!!!
I don't know that I can give you a good answer, since I don't have a "regular" birthday treat, it depends on what I feel like when the time comes. One year it was a very high-end Chinese restaurant, one year it was Japanese, another one - Brazilian (rodizio grill) and last year, OH cooked an amazing dinner for me (seafood, mostly)...one thing for sure - a birthday girl has got to have good wine and dessert!
No matter what you end up having, hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!
brooke29 at 2:45PM on 02/17/09
Roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. Or, for something completely different, tons of sushi. I hate birthday cake, so I usually have a yummy drink instead (lemon drop, gin martini made with Hendricks, sidecar, etc.).
Junie at 2:50PM on 02/17/09
Happy birthday!
I very rarely have the same birthday dinner. When I was a kid, I always wanted chinese take-out and ice cream cake. As I've aged, my tastes have become more diverse – on my last birthday, I had paella and Greek yogurt for dessert, and the year before that I ate pumpkin polenta with a mushroom ragout before going out for fancy martinis, and the year before that I had stuffed bell peppers with coffee ice cream cake.
So just eat what you feel! Enchiladas might be really nice - in fact, my birthday's at the end of the month and that might just be the dinner I make!
KarynMC at 2:56PM on 02/17/09
I normally do my favorite sushi place for lunch and Mexican with friends for dinner, lots of queso and margaritas!
TaraTot at 3:11PM on 02/17/09
Black forest torte. That's what my mom always made me for my birthday cake, so that's what I always want on my birthday. As far as the rest of the meal, it varies depending on my mood. This year it was sushi.
Amandarama at 3:14PM on 02/17/09
Happy Birthday! Last year, I was in Vancouver. I had some JapaDog hot dogs (delectable!), then my husband took me out for a very fancy dinner of chilled fennel soup w/crab & pink grapefruit and something big and meaty. It was awesome!
The previous year, I had a big hummus sandwich with all the fixins for lunch, Spanish tapas for dinner.
Also, wine. Lots of wine :)
bitchincamero at 3:15PM on 02/17/09
I really like to grill (here in Wyoming, it's called a "barbecue", even if there isn't any barbecue, lol). It just means friends, a grill with some meat and veggies, some dips and fruit and whatever anyone makes / brings, some music, and definitely beer. My birthday is June 1, right at the onset of summer, so it's a nice way to say YAY SUMMER!
Oh, if my mom's around, also: Dirt Cake. I know, gross, but it's a family recipe, and I eat it about once every two years, and it's deliciously strange and rich and sweet and...yum.
lo82070 at 3:36PM on 02/17/09
Lobster and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
And a very happy bd to you
NanaJoie at 3:37PM on 02/17/09
Thank you for the Birthday Wishes! :-)
@Brooke: Hi there sister!!
@bitchincamero: Wine will be present-I hear ya!!
@KarynMC: May I have the Enchilada recipe? I've been having a serious craving for them-hence the thought to get Mexican.
I am already getting Japanese, so i have that covered...Some co-workers are taking me out to lunch on Thursday and I chose the Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar by us, it's called Mikimoto's.
But then, I thought maybe I should make something. My Honey gave me 2 lovely cookbooks as part of my Valentine's Day presents and I am itching to try something out of them. Well, one isn't really a cookbook-The Flavor Bible-but I want to try some of the flavor combinations mentioned...
Butrflygirly at 3:42PM on 02/17/09
Happy Birthday!
I think most people are apt to eat something really decadent or rich on their b-day because it's their special day and they try not to indulce too much during day-to-day meals. I tend to go for things that I won't let myself buy the rest of the year because I'm too broke or cheap. I usually settle on sushi, specifically unagi rolls or rainbow rolls.
PumpkinBear at 3:46PM on 02/17/09
Pie. Any kind, as long as there's no meringue on it. yack.
FoodieSearching at 3:46PM on 02/17/09
Butrflygirly - I can't eat cheese. I make the potato and kale enchiladas from Veganomicon (you can search the book on amazon for the recipe) - they are really terrific - you use kale, potatoes, peppers and pepitas. If you want to add cheese, I promise that I won't tell!
KarynMC at 4:15PM on 02/17/09
Oh, but the VCON recipe calls for corn tortillas and the recipe's way better with flour tortillas (I use whole wheat).
KarynMC at 4:17PM on 02/17/09
Crabmeat cheesecake, Redfish Katie (grilled redfish topped with lump crabmeat) and a really good bottle of red wine. Now I've made myself hungry.
Happy Birthday!
klmontz at 5:15PM on 02/17/09
happy birthday butterfly girl - whatever it is you like - hope you have it...!
for me, guacamole with crab, shrimp, shrimp, shrimp - baked in a green sauce (ala el faro) - crusty bread to dunk .... dirty martini's .... before hand, some kind of deep, dark chocolate raspberry something that doesn't stick to my hips.... black sambuca -- friends & more friends.....
pooch at 7:06PM on 02/17/09
happy happy birthday:)
i have to have a spinach pie and eat it at the park and some realllllyyyyy sweet frosting. the cake is optional. all washed down with a iced coffee.
dearrie at 7:20PM on 02/17/09
Happy Birthday to you!!!
If it were my birthday (b'day is St Patricks Day)it would be a toss up for a really good barbeque. (rib eyes, grilled thick chicken cutlets marinated in fresh lemon juice and olive oil and seasonings, chicken wings, hot dogs, ribs-all b-b-q fare) with b-b-q sides-fresh corn, really great macaroni & potato salad-all homemade of course! OR Sushi & all things Japanese or Thai--my absolute 2 favorite ethnic foods!! Gee, I guess I'm confused too! But one thing I do know, I have to have really good dessert!! I love Beard Papa's cream puffs and really good cupcakes & really good cake...a trip through Manahttan and I will make up my mind! Also a good bottle of dessert wine!
Whatever you choose to eat, have a beautiful day tomorrow!
Italiancupcake at 7:21PM on 02/17/09
carbonara. with a fresh salad and cheesy garlic bread. delish! i had this last year. when i was little i always had corned beef and cabbage, its always been one of my favorites.
listener at 8:19PM on 02/17/09
Happy birthday! I think it sounds like you need Mexican for lunch, Italian for dinner, and cupcakes for dessert.
When I was little, I always used to beg my grandmother to make her homemade macaroni and cheese. Then, since it was my birthday, I would hog the crusted part on the top to myself...and then hog most of the cheesy inside part to myself too. She left us the recipe, but neither I nor anyone else in my family has been able to make it nearly as good (probably because it was more one of those "little bit of this, little bit of that" rather than "1 cup of this, 1 tbsp of that" recipes). Now I usually go for a huge bowl of pasta with some type of seafood (frutti di mare, shrimp fra diavolo, linguini with clam sauce, shrimp scampi over pasta, etc), but I'll always remember those days of my grandmother's ultimate comfort food.
No cake or ice cream for me though. Who wants to waste valuable stomach real estate on cake when there's pasta to be eaten?!
cycorider at 9:50PM on 02/17/09
I have to have my cake... for a few years in a row, my mom would always get the same cake for me from my favorite bakery that is on the other side of town.
So...this cake is awesome, it's called the Festival of Lights Cake (or Chanukah Cake, as I call it). The cake is a layered poppyseed cake, first filling layer is chocolate buttercream, second is apricot jam, third is chocolate buttercream, and the thing is frosted with vanilla buttercream. Needless to say it's not low fat and the thing is big. We eat it for days...and it's just yummy.
During college, I had a good run on cake but one birthday was rainy and stormy and my good for nothing brother (I love him...but sometimes he can be a PIA) suggested getting a carrot cake at the local bakery because driving to the other bakery would take too long in the weather.
I like carrot cake, I really do... but I had a birthday meltdown when I found out that I wasn't getting MY cake.
So, fast forward to 2008... my mom nicely asks what I would like for my birthday.. I rolled off a few things, but finished with... what I really want is a piece of Chanukah Cake.
Birthday rolls by... no cake. I didn't lay it on my mom as I had before, but I did whine about it.
So, the weekend after my birthday, I had a few friends over for pre-Christmas dinner, and what did I get for a late birthday surprise? Chanukah Cake! Let's just say, Best Birthday Ever!
I suppose that as an adult and prolific maker of poppyseed bunt cakes, I should learn how to make the Chanukah Cake... but there's just something about this cake!
mcanna at 11:02PM on 02/17/09
Mine was a couple of weeks ago; we had very good Chinese takeout (my husband wasn't feeling well enough for a sit-down dinner). Next year, maybe barbecue.
gentlyferal at 11:36PM on 02/17/09
Happy Birthday, fellow born-in-February foodie!
Only things I require on my birthday are: something fried, and something vodka. Preferably lots of the latter.
hungryinhouston at 11:41PM on 02/17/09
A once a year Banana Split !
Ribster at 5:24AM on 02/18/09
There is one specific Irish pub by my office that I must go to for lunch on my birthday. They make the most perfect bacon cheeseburger on the planet and they also make really great fries. I really prefer Irish pubs for burgers here in NYC, as they don't bat an eye when you ask for mayo for your burger. Everywhere else? Not so much.
chisai at 7:47AM on 02/18/09
@chisai: Mmmmm...Cheeseburgers. LOVE them. And I absolutely have to have mayo on them. I mean, it belongs there, right? Hmmm, maybe I should have 5 guys soon.
@klmontz: Dear god-crabmeat cheesecake? Wow. That sounds good! Please elaborate.
I have already started the day with some good coffee...Still have to choose what the rest of the day will bring. Pretty sure a cupcake will be involved...Hopefully a chocolate one with a delicious cream cheese icing. Yup, that's what I want.
Butrflygirly at 9:43AM on 02/18/09
Happy happiest of Birthdays!
I'm new on here but always feel that people should be celebrated, especially on such a wonderful day!
I hope you get that divine chocolate cupcake with cream cheesy-sugary deliciousness.
I always love a divine chocolate dessert and a gourmet frosting needs to be involved.
Dark chocolate/white chocolate chip cheesecake smothered in cherries is also a wickedly delightful indulgence.
moliza at 10:05AM on 02/18/09
First off, Happy Happy Birthday. I usually like to go to someplace whatever my palate at the time wants. I love Mexican food so more then likely a Mexican place. But for the last 4 years we get reservations for a group at this restaurant on the water of Lake Union (called Ivar's Salmon House) because my B-Day is on the 4th of July and we view the fireworks at Ivar's. I also love to have a rich piece of chocalate with whipped cream on top, not a whole cake just one single piece.
pjracz10 at 10:14AM on 02/18/09
@Moliza: Welcome to the site! Hope you enjoy I know I have. :-) Some lovely people here.
Speaking of lovely people: I haven't seen postings from Izzy or MissTexas-are they still on here? I was worried about Perky-but I saw her comment recently, so that's good. I know it's a little off topic but I just wanted to know...
Butrflygirly at 10:18AM on 02/18/09
Happy Birthday, Butrflygirly! Looks like everyone else on here has given you some great suggestions, so I don't have much to add that hasn't been said. But I'm a firm believer in the fact that calories don't count on holidays (I consider birthdays a personal holiday :) ), so eat whatever your heart desires, and enjoy every bite!
kimberlymac at 11:12AM on 02/18/09
For me, the meal varies each year depending on my tastes. But each one must, MUST, be capped off with a fabulous red velvet dessert, be it in cake or cupcake form. And I may be stoned for this, but no pecans. I lurve my RV with walnuts. Yum. Salivating right now. June 15th can't come soon enough!!
Happy birthday, friend!
mollykate678 at 1:51PM on 02/18/09
It is basically whatever is striking me at the time. Right now it is breakfast, so my parents and I are going to travel up north to go to a place with thest breakfast buffet that I can think of.
I can't wait to dig into the best cinnamon rolls, fried chicken, and waffles that I have had in a long...long time.
FrostyGhost at 2:09PM on 02/18/09
This community is so great...Thank you so much for the Birthday wishes. So very sweet of you all. :-)
@molly: I am totally with you-no pecans. But I can't follow up with the walnuts...Nuts are delicious but deserve to be enjoyed on their own. Not in anything.
I was going to buy a cupcake but the gourmet shop near me (which ALWAYS has cupcakes) but they have none today. :-( Looks like I will be making some at home later-or on Friday night.
Butrflygirly at 2:21PM on 02/18/09
Here I am! Houston said you were looking for us.
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!!!!
My daughter's was yesterday and I'm still in birthday mode (even though she's in NYC). I wish I'd known, we could have made plans.
The food is always different but two things are constant. There must be sufficient champagne and it must be in Texas with my friends.
I'm soo sorry to hear about your lack of cupcake!
Have a very wonderful birthday. Do whatever you want and do it with people you love and make you laugh. =)
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 3:03PM on 02/18/09
Hello! Houston was looking out for you today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! When we all get together, we will have champagne to celebrate!
In the meantime, have some Foie and Lobster. It does a birthday girl good!!
izatryt at 3:13PM on 02/18/09
@ Butrfly/birthdaygirly - Happy to have a partner in the "no pecans" philosophy, and appreciate yours on nuts in general!
I hope you have a FABULOUS day!!
mollykate678 at 4:47PM on 02/18/09
It varies from year to year but cavatelli with Sunday gravy is a favorite. And there must be cake.
chiff0nade at 5:32PM on 02/18/09
Happy Birthday! I would have to say the Gelato cake would be a birthday wish of mine. I fell in love with gelato when I was in Italy about 1 1/2 years ago and recently found one geletaria in Seattle that makes getlato that tastes pretty darn close to what we got there and best of all...they make gelato cakes! I bought one for my husband for his birthday, so yummy!
Deseree at 6:41PM on 02/18/09
I'm a "serious reader" of this website since a while now but it's the first time that I'm actually writing a comment. Birthday food has always been really important for me. I always eat whatever I fancy on my birthday, and I also celebrate it with my best friends having a meal in a restaurant that I love with each of them. So, it does involve a few meals! With my parents, I have a family tradition for my birthday, I pick exactly what I want for my meal, from the starter to the dessert, and my mom cooks it for me. This year, I was working on my birthday so I had French bakeries with my colleagues, then a very good italian lunch and after work drinks with corona and chocolate cakes, not very casual but super nice. For the actual birthday meal, it was grilled scallops, linguine with cajun seafood and "une galette des rois" as a desert (it's a French cake that we eat for the epiphany). I can't wait my next birthday!
parisianfoodie at 9:44AM on 02/19/09
Triple Berry Shortcake from Sweet Lady Jane in Los Angeles.
meechiko at 1:56PM on 02/19/09
@Izzy and MissTexas: Hi there!! Glad to see you still around...Was wondering about you guys. :-) I will do and did do as you suggested. The Birthday celebration is not over, so YAY for that.
@Deseree: Oh my...I can only imagine how wonderful Gelato cakes are. Mmmm. Sounds good to me. Someday I will visit Italy and I will eat my way across that country.
@Parisianfoodie: Welcome. :-) And enjoy!! It's a wonderful community.
Butrflygirly at 2:26PM on 02/19/09