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What’s Your Favorite Weird Snack Combo?

foodplease at 12:40PM on 04/22/09

Interesting question as I thought about the Paula Deen bashing re her deep-fried bacon-wrapped mac & cheese. We are a society that doesn't know what to do with itself unless someone's on the bottom and someone's on the top. I love foie gras, but also enjoy Kraft Mac & Cheese. I love Veuve Clicquot and had a lovely Spanish cava at my wedding. I enjoy reading all the opinions here, elitist and commoner. Food is food, and maybe we need to just lighten up.

foodplease at 2:58PM on 04/15/09

red velvet cake for easter?!

There's a recipe on Food Network. Search for Sara Moulton and Cake Man Raven. I think it's supposed to be his.

foodplease at 4:17PM on 04/10/09

weird reasons for not trying certain foods?

This was HILARIOUS! I don't like unincorporated eggs, like fried or sunnyside, but will eat hard-boiled eggs in a salad except egg salad. I don't like mashed potatoes and loose ground meat (as in shepherd's pie) but like meatloaf & mashed potatoes (the texture is different). I don't like raw celery, but like celery salt and will use celery in mirepoix. And I like hot dogs but don't like baloney/bologna, and I love foie gras, but don't like liverwurst. Ok, I know I'm strange.

foodplease at 4:13PM on 04/10/09

French in a Flash: 80-Cent Citrus Corn-Muffin Madeleines with Raspberry Confiture

My mom used to make Jiffy corn muffins and put a dollop of grape jelly in a few of the cups; batter, jelly, batter. If you were lucky, you got one of the jelly muffins, and to this day, I still only eat corn muffins with grape jelly. Ah, memories.

foodplease at 10:09AM on 04/03/09

Dinner Tonight: West Indian Rice and Beans

Actually, this looks like a Wednesday meal we used to have called Stew Peas & Rice, which was wetter. It just didn't have coconut milk, which would make it Rice & Peas, and the rice wasn't cooked with the peas.

Sorry, I'm really not a snob - I'm just fussy about Jamaican food, and haven't had any as good as Mom's!

foodplease at 10:51AM on 04/01/09

Dinner Tonight: West Indian Rice and Beans

My Jamaican (right from Kingston) mother NEVER served wet/soupy rice like this, didn't use veg stock, and didn't use allspice, AKA pimento (not the same as pimento peppers). I mean no disrespect, but what Caribbean provided this recipe and said it was authentic? The only thing "right" here is listing rice first, as in rice & peas (they don't call them beans, another non-Caribbean thing) because you have more rice than peas.

foodplease at 9:39AM on 04/01/09

Snapshots from the UK: Walkers' Crazy-Flavored Crisps Competition

@mandylyn - seriously? Where in Canada? I first tried the Lay's Poulet Roti et Thym at a rest stop in France and was HOOKED! I don't eat potato chips except for these, and the only time I get them is when a good friend brings them from France for me once a year, or when I go there once a year.

foodplease at 7:31AM on 02/27/09

What is your foolproof, fallback dessert?

Chocolate souffle cake in the winter, lime cheese tart in the summer (softened cream cheese, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, juice of 1 lime, maybe a little more; whip together, pour into a premade graham cracker crust, grate a little lime zest on top, chill for at least an hour)

foodplease at 2:41PM on 02/26/09

Cooking for your Valentine?

Honey has a business trip, leaving Sat. evening, and I have to work Sat. evening, so I'm making brunch, which will probably be salmon scrambled eggs, some kind of baked good (haven't decided if I'm baking, defrosting the last 2 pieces of homemade coffee cake, or buying something), and either mimosas or fuzzy mimosas (adding peach schnapps). Meh, I got a coupla days to work it out.

foodplease at 4:50PM on 02/10/09

weird reasons for not trying certain foods?

Growing uo on a farm in KS my brother and I wouldn't eat chicken because we knew them personally.

NanaJoie at 6:53AM on 11/11/09

weird reasons for not trying certain foods?

p.s.- oops I lied...when I was little I wouldn't eat the legs in calamari and other squid/octopus dishes because I thought the suckers would stick to my tongue...

Qyoon at 3:59AM on 11/11/09

weird reasons for not trying certain foods?

I know a guy who is so put off by milk that he won't eat any dairy products or anything that looks remotely dairy...his reason "it's white"

it seems in my area fish in general is just a big "ew" but I can't get anyone to give me an actual reason why they won't eat it

my father...most confusing of all...refuses to try sushi because it's raw fish yet he swears up and down it can't possibly be raw because "americans have poor immune systems and would just get sick" he fails to acknowledge his own contradiction

as for myself...maybe it's because both of my parents are immigrants or maybe it's because my dad is a chef but I can't remember ever flat out refusing to try any food...well other than anything involving bugs...I was always the kid to try anything from cat/dog treats to leaves to the glazes in art class (which pretty much all taste the same btw)

among friends I have a bit of a reputation as "a foodie" solely because I actually know what's in/goes into foods and how they're prepared...I find it alarming that other people don't know and/or don't care to know

Qyoon at 3:52AM on 11/11/09

What’s Your Favorite Weird Snack Combo?

I used to go to the LA Reader office on Friday mornings to collect my mail, then I'd stop in the chain drugstore nearby to pick up a piece of beef jerky, and a package of vanilla creme sandwich cookies, which I'd eat while driving to my day job. Not together, just back-to-back. Can't remember if I ate the jerky or the cookies first, nor why I thought those would make a good breakfast.

groonge at 12:54AM on 09/10/09

French in a Flash: 80-Cent Citrus Corn-Muffin Madeleines with Raspberry Confiture

Sorry Kerry.......I loved your story & your directions were very exacting.....great quality when relaying a recipe. However, in the end this was a whole lot of work for what turned out to be dry, so-so flavored Madeleines. I guess I just prefer them buttery/vanilla tasting. Thank-you for inspiring me to get that plaque back out............I will make Madeleines again soon with my old recipe.

jackie2830 at 9:45AM on 08/29/09

French in a Flash: 80-Cent Citrus Corn-Muffin Madeleines with Raspberry Confiture

Kerry: I'm absolutely going to try this. I love corn muffins. I have made madeleines. My husband (of 50 years) was from Brittany and I'm familiar with lots of French goodies and lived with French cuisine all these years. Thanks again. surrah

surrah at 4:21PM on 07/29/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I am not really big on soda anymore BUT last summer I was in Nags Head, NC and found the famous Cheerwine, a NC thing. It is fizzy cherry-flavored soda, not cherry cola, just cherry soda. It is out of this world delicious.

Last week when we were close to the border of NC and leaving for WV, I hit a supermarket and bought myself a 12 pack to take home to NJ. We can't get it here. It is my favorite soda in a really long time.

Otherwise I really like Cherry 7Up but they don't sell it in cans around here, just 2 liter bottles, which I have no room for in the refrigerator. I also love Crystal Light Wild Strawberry (comes in a powder that you mix with water) and their Citrus stuff too. Excellent mixed with some green tea! I make fusions of all kinds of things.

I have never liked Fresca. When I was a child, all the skinny cool girls drank the Diet Fresca and that was all they drank (that and lots of folks drank Tab) - neither of which I could get a tasting for. My favorite soda at the time was Pepsi - just plain Pepsi. To this day, I prefer plain Pepsi over anything Coke, don't know why. BUT I prefer Diet Coke to Diet Pepsi.

RisaG at 6:17PM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I'm a firefighter, and our rehab vehicle would always have a dry mix powder of something called Squencher, it was sort of a generic Gatorade knock-off. There is nothing that tastes better than that stuff after a structure fire. It was randomly citrusy and just spectacular.

firechick614 at 5:25PM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

First of all, I love this post & reading all the comments - so many unknowns to me!
Fresca, LOVE! Just tried the Black Cherry which was excellent! Never thought to use it as a mixer!
Polar Orange Dry, which we picked up when our usual Lemon Seltzer was out; we didn't realize it was pop but loved it!
Tahitian Treat, good memories with this one! Somehow delicious with its sickening sweetness!
Ale-8-One, I can't believe it hasn't come up yet! It's an excellent ginger ale with a pun-y name. Maybe just a regional thing but you could only find it in KY where it's made forever. Then a few years ago, they started to allow it to be sold "'cross the river" in Cincy and southern OH. I loved this stuff!
Canada Dry Green Tea, a new favorite! Great combo (though a bit sweet) & such sparkling goodness!

mimi_thi at 4:11PM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

honestly, none..

a few years back i used to drink vanilla coke almost exclusively, and root beer every now and then, but i can't even finish a soda (or pop as we call it here lol) anymore because they're just too sweet to me.. after drinking mainly water for so long now, anything else is too much

the closest thing to soda i drink now is sparkling naturally flavored water.. i usually just save my calories and flavor for actual food

Control at 3:15PM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

BobbieAnne, it's TAHITIAN Treat and is made by Canada Dry. I know this because I, too, used to love it!

onedrummer at 1:27PM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

Here in southern California we are fortunate enough to have Jarritos brand soda, we love tamarindo, mandarina, pina (pineapple), toronja (grapefruit), fruit punch and my own personal favorite - mango. Delicious and always in bottles and in my opinion, soda tastes better from a bottle.

We also have a wonderful store in Los Angeles called Galco's Soda Pop stop. They carry EVERYTHING in soda. For instance, they have 46 kinds of root beer, alone. Brands that you didn't even know were being made anymore. Website is galcos.com and it's fun to visit.

sandydee8 at 1:22PM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I love Barq's diet root beer - but they've stopped making it! (At least in the 2-liter bottle - I can still find the 12-packs of cans occasionally.) Everything I love eventually disappears. Companies should pay me not to like their fringe products so they won't fail.

tomfodw at 11:12AM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I love Fresca. When I was a kid my favorite thing in the world was an ice cream soda made with Fresca and strawberry icecream. Hmmm, I haven't had that in years, but you know, it doesn't sound half bad.

chisai at 9:41AM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

In South Florida/Miami there are three sodas in particular that I'm nuts for, and now that I live in Arizona they are pretty hard to find (though I've occasionally found them): Jupiña (pineapple soda), Materva (yerba mate soda) and Ironbeer (I have no idea what kind of soda this is, it's dark like cola but is kinda fruity with a bit of a bite). And since I, too, prefer to CHEW my calories, I was thrilled to find diet versions of all of these (in Florida of course). So those are my must-haves when I visit my parents in Miami.

OH! There is another one that is really good too, Coco Rico - a coconut-water soda.

Seriously - no amount of Fresca, Sierra Mist, Diet Mt. Dew or Diet Sunkist will ever top my South Florida favorites.

ivonneb at 9:40AM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

Fresca is definitely my favorite soda. I like the original, Peach, and Black Cherry Fresca flavors.

Meewlee at 9:36AM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I was a Fresca addict for a few years, and I still enjoy it occasionally. Then I discovered flavored selzter. When I lived in Colorado all I drank was Canada Dry Cranberry-Lime Seltzer. Sounds odd, but was it refreshing, and as I've gotten older (alas!) I don't enjoy sweet drinks as much as I used to. Now I live in St. Louis now I can't get it here. However, I've found LaCroix "Pamplemousse" seltzer, which has the grapefruit taste of Fresca, but without the sugar or artificial sweetner. Does anyone out there like flavored seltzers?

portail32 at 9:30AM on 07/20/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

my friends and i were obsessed with fresca when we were about 13... useed to put pez in it to make it fizz vary the flavor, and drink it out of shot glasses to be "cool." now that im a semi-grown up i should try it with alcohol :)
squirt is also good... it has a weird flavor and seems more "juicey" than other sodas to me. every once in a while i get this weird craving for orange soda [and speaking of being 13, does that remind anyone else of keenan and kel?]... when youre super thirsty and orange crush tastes SO GOOD, like nothing else.

redzerostar at 11:31PM on 07/19/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

So glad others like Polar! Diet Polar cranberry dry for me...
Polar (based in Worcester, MA I think) still makes birch beer...and golden ginger ale - much better than "dry" ginger ale. Moxie isn't bad as long as it's cold.

AdamH at 10:26PM on 07/19/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

OK here goes...I used to live in Concord NC.The first time I ever went in a Wat-A-Burger they had a drink called a "Witch Doctor" on the menu.I asked the nice young lady whats a Witch Doctor? Her reply "you get a big cup,put a handful of pickle slices in it,some ice,then a squirt of every fountain flavor thay had,all together".MMMMMMM.....Wat A burgers in Florida never heard of a Witch Doctor. Have you?

onepercent99 at 5:26PM on 07/19/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

Oh and Aranciata is also a must!

mtgall at 3:48PM on 07/19/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I've never had the chance to try Fresca. But I remember when I was younger and on vacation, drinking some fruity sparkling drink on a big, slender blue bottle, I think it was Clearly Canadian, but can't really say, way too much time ago.

mtgall at 3:45PM on 07/19/09

The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas

I heart Fresca too (and my mom is the ultimate Fresca addict!), but my absolute favorite is Diet Sunkist. I had a huge orange soda craving while pregnant with my daughter three years ago and have been hooked ever since. I'm pregnant with my second child now and am staying away from caffeine, so Sunkist is out... Diet Fanta Orange is caffeine free and quite a good substitute, though. Also LOVE Sundrop (a Carolina thing) and, when I could find it a few years ago, Diet Grape Crush.

PinkCupcake at 1:54PM on 07/19/09