Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

bread in France.

@Gator Pam & @Cakelove - I wholeheartedly agree with you guys, and for my carnitas where I boil the pork in coke and orange juice it's the best because it ends up caramelizing SO MUCH BETTER!

@curlycook - Where around Stuttgart!? That's precisely where I was!

Also I have to add, the milk in France is the best. It's even the namesake of a book!

Homemade yogurt in India. Can never replicate it here, unless you can smuggle a bit through customs.

Italian pizza, calzones and espresso.

French yogurt. Nothing in the US comes close, not even the French "style" yogurts we have.

P.S. Why isn't it creamy in the States?

Coconut, bananas (both the eating and cooking kinds), pineapple, chicken and roast pork in the Philippines.

French and German bread and pastries, especially any pastry with apples, which don't taste like any American apple I've ever eaten.

Soba or any other noodles in Japan. Fried tofu and even the green onions in Japan taste different--better--than here, probably because of the ajinomoto.

Hot tea and scones with clotted cream in Ireland.

Wonder what non-Americans think after a visit here. . .Do you suppose they go back raving about our fried chicken and cornbread, our pizza, our hot dogs and burgers? My Filipino and German relatives who've visited us in Seattle have never gushed rhapsodic about the food when we've gone out, but they have marvelled at the number of restaurants and the huge portions. When we lived in Illinois, White Castle and Home Run Inn Pizza were always a big hit with the foreign relatives.

@curlycook--okay, I get it now. I so would have loved to have done something like that for my wedding. Ina Garten has a Roasted Shrimp Salad recipe that is so good! Keep in mind that she added the citrus dressing to the shrimp and vegetables so as not to overdress it. It would be lovely in lettuce cups lined ramekins or tea cups. This Oven-Dried Toma Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives would be a nice side along with green salad and rolls or baguettes and also fit right in with your wine, cheese and fruit.

Nattou... Nattou spaghetti is an amazing way to use nattou in a cooked dish as much of it's usage is just a topping for rice or alone.
I recommend some red chilis, butter and shoyu. You can even dot it with parsley at the end and cook it with some onion or shallots.

I use either garlic and oil with the pasta cooked in chicken broth (an adaptation of the Silver Palate version which we adore) OR roasted tomatoes with olive oil and garlic. I also love anchovies and garlic in the oil. Sometimes I infuse it, sometimes not. I also love butter and parmesan.

It must be served with some homemade garlic bread too. A must.

Meatballs! Or onions or mushrooms or red pepper flakes...

This is nice and spicy. You can hold back on the chipotles if you're frightened by spicy food.

Spaghetti Inferno

5 slices peppered slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 seven-ounce can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1/2 cup marsala wine, or dry white vermouth
2 tablespoons tomato paste, or ketchup
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 pound spaghetti
Lots of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon wedges until they render some fat, then add the diced onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned and the onion is translucent.

And meanwhile, in a mini-processor, pulse the chipotles and their sauce with the wine and tomato paste until fairly smooth, but not completely pureed. Deglaze the skillet with a little wine or water, add the chipotle mixture and the pine nuts to the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the mixture until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti and toss with the sauce. Serve with plenty of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Yield: 4 servings