100 things to try before you die

100 things to try before you die, by Dr. Seuss

Not Really..... I came across this list of a hundred things, that is supposed, all omnivores should try in their lifetime, and was compiled by Andrew Wheeler at Very Good Taste. This comes from a British website, so some of the names could be unfamiliar. I've put a link on some of the terms that even I didn't know, I've bolded the items that I have tried, and I also put a list of things that I think should be included.

Please feel free to copy and paste, and try it yourself.

1. Venison, (I slayed, cleaned and butchered the entire thing. It gives you a great appreciation for where your food is coming from)

2. Nettle tea, (nope sorry)

3. Huevos rancheros (Si, tengo los huevos de un toro)

4. Steak tartare (with a nice quail egg and ponzu....not the tradition French, but it was awesome)

5. Crocodile (Alligator….. not croc, but I think that counts)

6. Black pudding (The breakfast staple in the UK, has never crossed my lips)

7. Cheese fondue (are you kidding me? top 100......)

8. Carp (we have a recetly opened International market down the street. They have the most unbelievable fish department with live carp and eel swimming in tanks)

9. Borscht (I've had the Russian, rich beet soup, but not a good version)

10. Baba ghanoush (like little Armenian hush puppies/ Alladin's in Columbus always make a good one)

11. Calamari (My 9 year old's favorite)

12. Pho (is there anything that can compare with bowl of hot steamy noodles?)

13. PB&J sandwich (probably a thousand of them, in every which way you can dream of.)

14. Aloo Gobi (What? This is one I had to look up. Curried Potato and Vegetable Stew okay...I guess)

15. Hot dog from a street cart (my chef stomach is immune to 3,465 strains of bacteria......bring it on.)

16. Epoisses (I have not had this apparently, very stinky, ripened, French cheese. Brillat-Savarin himself classed it as the "king of all cheeses," but I have ingested some of the most appalling, foul, cheeses to ever grace your nose……and love all of them.)

17. Black truffle (I have had white, but never black….It’s not a racial thing)

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (cherry, dandelion, apple, cranberry)

19. Steamed pork buns (I’ve had Potstickers….but never buns)

20. Pistachio ice cream (Graters Columbus is the best)

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras (bring it on)

24. Rice and beans (ffffrrrrtt)

25. Brawn, or head cheese

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (Oh yeah…on a dare…it kicked my ass…..uh, literally)

27. Dulce de leche (Si, Si señor)

28. Oysters (east coast, west coast, whatever…my favorite is still Chincoteague or Bluepoints)

29. Baklava (and every other Greek phyllo pie you can imagine)

30. Bagna cauda, (Italian anchovy fondue....what's with this guy and fondue?)

31. Wasabi peas

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (my clam chowder is famous)

33. Salted Lassi (nope)

34. Sauerkraut (Uuggghh. The only time I will eat this atrocity is on New Years Day. It’s said to bring fortune in the coming year, but after the track record (0-31) I’ve had, I might just give it up all together)

35. Root beer float (A&W, baby)

36. Cognac with a fat cigar

37. Clotted cream tea

38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (what man or woman born after 1950 hasn’t downed a couple of jello shooters)

39. Gumbo (I garontee! )

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat (On my one and only trip outside the US: Mexico circa 1991)

42. Whole insects (not on your life, but maybe a cricket or two)

43. Phaal (huh?)

44. Goat’s milk (When I was younger, our uncle used to give us goats milk soap from his goat in Toledo. That’s zestfully clean!)

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (Bloody right I did)

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel (just look at that crispy, broiled unagi, how could I not?)

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (Resch's Bakery in Columbus Ohio has them beat a million fold……hugh, Krispy Kreme.)

50. Sea urchin (one of my favorite Nigri sushi items)

51. Prickly pear (I make an awesome prickly pear and tamarind BBQ sauce with Perfect Purees from California)

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer (Indian cheese)

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (this only gets a ½ bold, only because I feel so bad after eating it)

56. Spaetzle

57. Dirty gin martini

58. Beer above 8% ABV

59. Poutine (I thought this sounded farmiliar. It's french fries topped with fresh cheese curd, brown gravy, and various other artery clogging accôutrément. And I thought the midwest was bad)

60. Carob chips (why?)

61. S’mores

62. Sweetbreads

63. Kaolinite (this is a food additive and can also be used as a pesticide. So, whether we like it or not, most of us have probably eaten this anyway.)

64. Currywurst (this just doesn't even sound good)

65. Durian (Tastes like a mushy mango, with a little pineapple flavor in the aftertaste)

66. Frogs’ legs (Straight from the creek on a wood fire, in Ohio Power capming grounds. Remember that Pat?)

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (yes, yes, yes, and hell yes. Growing up in the mid west, we served funnel cakes at every meal. Our state fair even had deep fried snicker bars, twinkies, and deep fried chocolate chip cookie dough.)

68. Haggis

69. Fried plantain (Tostones made by and old woman I worked with who had made them almost every day of her life. That’s perfected delicious.)

70. Chitterlings, or andouillette

71. Gazpacho (Ain't no Gazpacho like my gazpacho)

72. Caviar and blini (I get bonus points for adding champagne)

73. Louche absinthe (Nope, but I’ve had some really good mushrooms)

74. Gjetost, or brunost (again, artisan cheese)
75. Roadkill (no way, dude)

76. Baijiu (ouza, grappa, raickia……all some forms of moonshine made a local people, and made from the ingredients they usually have ample amounts on hand)

77. Hostess Fruit Pie (Apple is the best, and if any of you say cherry, I’m going to punch in the kidneys. You disillusioned freaks.)

78. Snails (sorry about the swelling Aunt Jenn.)

79. Lapsang souchong (apparently a smoked tea from China)

80. Bellini (I still have aversions to the smell of peaches from making so much of this mix at a previous job.)

81. Tom yum (various versions of Taiwanese hot and sour soup)

82. Eggs Benedict (We had to make so many of these during Sunday brunch, that the name alone send shots of adrenaline through my body.)

83. Pocky (I have seem this so many times in the supermarket, but never picked any up. Here’s my excuse to.)

84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. (sadly…..no)

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare

87. Goulash

88. Flowers

89. Horse

90. Criollo chocolate

91. Spam (no. I actually have a can in the pantry at home. My wife seemed sickened by the fact that I’ve never tried spam. And there it still sits. No spam, no scrapple for you eastern folks……no spiced lunch meats……but I’ll eat the hell out of some well prepared head cheese (see number 25)

92. Soft shell crab (pan fried right on a toasted baguette with a little remoulade, spiked with Old Bay Seasoning)

93. Rose harissa (Chili paste)

94. Catfish (Visiting relatives in Florida, and grilling freshly caught ocean catfish from the Gulf, right on the pier with a little salt and Tony's Chachere.)

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox (How about some sliced lox, straight from the curing container, on a piece of Colleen Vickers toasted foccacia with a little dollop of house made crème fraiche, and a That, my friend’s is a chef’s breakfast)

97. Lobster Thermidor (the only cheese that is acceptable with any fish is the American cheese on a Filet O’ Fish Sandwich at McDonald’s. Lobster Newburg is about as close as I will get to this dish)

98. Polenta (the creamiest, most delicious polenta, with a light whipping of Italian Fontina, straight from the Bergamo region)

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (I’ve had good coffee, but I’m not sure)

100. Snake (Never had the pleasure)



Things I think this guy missed

1. Ann's Dairy Creme Footlong Chili Double Dog with cheese served with a chocolate milkshake

2. Resch's Bakery Apricot Danish, the ones in my childhood memory

3. A really good, I mean, really good, fresh baquette

4. Uncle Bill's Pancake House avocado and monterey jack omelet with two of their fluffy pancakes

5. Veal Osso Bucco Milanese

6. Properly made Chile Relleno

7. Hand pulled chinese noodles

8. An entire meal cooked outside over an open fire and not MRE's

9. My Tiramisu formula

10. A Donato's Hawaiian pizza, complete with cinnamon and almonds