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Foodapalooza - the longest food draft of all time - The beef finally arrives in rounds 51 & 52 (1 Viewer)

Also my dad (77) still has his eyes light up whenever potato skins are on the menu at any restaurant so they get bonus points from me. And second also, my lovely wife makes them for almost every family get together for him, but we never say they're for him of course. Because then we'd be fussing over him. 

 
I’m not kidding that this was nearly my pick earlier today.  I love some fancier apps, but when it comes down to it I think I’d always choose the potato skins (second of course to Chile con queso, which I took as my first app).  Was just waiting to see what other apps would get cleared out by other people.  Too many to choose from.
I think we could have a good time eating food together. Fancy and non-fancy. 

 
36.xx Thanksgiving dinner, Main course, Poultry

dongitnobettah. juicy bird, crispy skin, cornbread stuffing, spuds, giblet gravy, yams in maple syrup, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce. dongitnobe......wait, it does. next day, wikkid gets out the waffle iron, stirs some chicken broth & a couple eggs into leftover stuffing and makes stuffing waffles to pile the leftovers on. dongitnobettah.

 
35.x -  Deviled Eggs (appetizer)

I like them fancy, with toppings like lobster and caviar.  And I like them cheap as hell, just mayo and a sprinkle of paprika.  Maybe a slice of a gherkin and some hot sauce.  At cookouts and family reunions, I let the others fight over the various cole slaws and potato salads while I bogart those eggs.  And when a restaurant has the guts to put them on the app menu, I pick them every time.  Next month, some dyed eggs are going to meet their maker this way.

 
RD 36:  APPETIZER - WAYGU CARPACCIO

pic

it doesn't need anything more than a nice drizzle of olive oil, some shaved parmesan reggiano and cracked black pepper ...maybe some arugula.

I will won't squawk if you want to throw some roasted, blackened romas or some other rich accoutrement - but not too much - just letting that meat melt on your tongue is what you're after here

 
Round 36  -  Appetizer  -  Eggrolls

The best ones in town used to have tiny shrimp in them.  Alas, that restaurant closed a ways back.

And duck sauce.  Must have that.

 
Moving this to this thread:

HOLY ####BALLS.  Just found out a close friend is a finalist for a James Beard award, for Outstanding Bar Program.  Might not seem like a big deal since Mr. krista worked for James Beard winners before, but this a friend I met when she was an investment banker.  She and her wife, who used to be a lawyer, are not food-scene-connected at all and just opened this bar last year with a partner whom I don't know.  Nobody's Darling is a fancy cocktail joint with a relaxed vibe.  Stop by if you're in Chicago; started as a place catering in particular to LGBTQ, but anyone can find a comfortable home there.  

They are up against, among others, a bar from Jose freaking Andres.  As much as I love him, hope they kick his ###!

Ramsay, the Rasika folks are up for best restauranteur.  Full list here.

 
36.  Banchan (appetizer)

I love the small bowls of kimchi and other delicacies that precede a Korean meal.  It does exactly what an appetizer should do---stimulates your taste buds without filling you up too much. 

The second best thing about Banchan is that it's free. The best thing is the variety of flavors and textures that it brings.  We used to go to a restaurant that gave you 16 different types of Banchan.  I tried them all (even the little bait fish) and liked almost all of them. The Korean places I've been to lately have cut it down considerably on the Banchan choices. I guess beggars can't be choosers but I loved it when I had absolutely no idea what I was tasting.

 
Round 36:  the very humble House Salad, appetizer.

I'm not selecting the house salad for its culinary excellence, but because it's hands- down the greatest set-up artist for a fine meal. I love that 20-ish minute zone of satisfaction and anticipation while knibbling knowing that medium-rare is just around the corner.

I prefer a blend of greens with arugula, two or three cherry tomatoes, parm-reg, and a slice of red onion.  My first choice for dressing is anything with poppy seed and creamy parm is second, but honestly almost anything works.

 
Round 37/38

Dinner main dish - Shellfish
Dessert - Cookie
Condiment

 

1d9, rolled once.

Roll set 1
Die rolls: 7
Roll subtotal: 7
Roll total: 7    

1d11, rolled once.

Roll set 1
Die rolls: 9
Roll subtotal: 9
Roll total: 9    

1d16, rolled once.

Roll set 1
Die rolls: 3
Roll subtotal: 3
Roll total: 3   

 
Round 37  -  Cookie  -  Coconut Macaroon

I'm not even sure this counts as a cookie, and i don't care.  I especially like the ones from Kenny and Ziggy's.  They have a bit of chocolate throughout, and it's the right kind of chocolate that goes with the toasted coconut.  Oh, yeah.  That's it, right there.

 
Rd 37 - Green chile, condiment

Gots to be representing the 505, muchachxs. i became a human being when my HS sweetheart invited me out West to her mountain commune when showbiz pressures had broke me. she had me meet her at the Santa Fe restaurant, El Conquistador, she worked at cuz the commune was a string of homesteaded miner shacks on a fire road outside of town that i never would have found on my own.

When i got there, they were sitting down to a staff meal between lunch & dinner service. i was invited to take a plate and help myself to beans & rice & cheese enchiladas with a snotty-lookin' sauce on top. with that bite of Chimayo green - many areas of NM have grown their chiles in the same ground for 100s of yrs, so each village's product has a difference of terroir not alike wine grapes (Hatch is only the most famous because of their consistent hotness) - i was transformed and i have never taken a subsequent bite without wondering if it couldnt be enhanced by a little green.

For the record - green chile, the condiment, is roasted, peeled & seeded greens chiles, onion & garlic sauteed in lard, dusted w flour then made saucy with liquid, usually chicken broth (though i use milk when i make it for my biscuits & green gravy). nufced

 
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RD 35:  CONDIMENT - LAOGANMA SPICY CHILI IN OIL

pic.

We put this on and in damn near everything.  Definitely the most used condiment (outside of salt/pepper if you want to consider those).  It's one of the first ways we add heat - it's complex and has several layers of taste.  

LaoGanMa has a large assortment of variations - including their version of chili crisp that is so popular.  Our main "go to" is this one - its hotter and has more overall flavor.  I haven't splurged for the Momofuku Chili Crisp for like $15 - when we can get this stuff for $3.  

 
Round 36 - Appetizer - Chạo tôm (shrimp paste on sugar cane)

I was introduced to this on our first trip to Vietnam, and it immediately became one of my favorite dishes, but it's surprisingly difficult to find at Vietnamese restaurants in the US.  I only ever found one restaurant in each of Chicago and Seattle where I could get it.  Maybe more in San Francisco?  Anyway, it's well worth digging around to find a place to have this.

 
Round 36 - Appetizer - Chạo tôm (shrimp paste on sugar cane)

I was introduced to this on our first trip to Vietnam, and it immediately became one of my favorite dishes, but it's surprisingly difficult to find at Vietnamese restaurants in the US.  I only ever found one restaurant in each of Chicago and Seattle where I could get it.  Maybe more in San Francisco?  Anyway, it's well worth digging around to find a place to have this.


what restaurant in Chicago?

 
RD 35:  CONDIMENT - LAOGANMA SPICY CHILI IN OIL

pic.

We put this on and in damn near everything.  Definitely the most used condiment (outside of salt/pepper if you want to consider those).  It's one of the first ways we add heat - it's complex and has several layers of taste.  

LaoGanMa has a large assortment of variations - including their version of chili crisp that is so popular.  Our main "go to" is this one - its hotter and has more overall flavor.  I haven't splurged for the Momofuku Chili Crisp for like $15 - when we can get this stuff for $3.  


I've never had any problems with food allergies but there's something in the Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp that gives me canker sores in my mouth.

 
37 - condiment - Sriracha, specifically Hoy Fong with the rooster on the bottle

No need to overthink this, it makes everything better. 

 
37.  Amora Dijon Mustard  (condiment)

I love mustard in all its forms but I'm only drafting this particular one.  Amora is a basic supermarket brand of mustard in France.  It's part of the same mustard conglomerate as Maille but it has a distinct flavor that you taste from your lips to your sinuses.

Amora's motto is Fine et Forte (fine and strong). I fell in love with it on my first visit to Paris and I've associated the taste and place ever since. Fortunately it's easy to order now as an import; one of my few foodie extravagances is to always have a jar of Amora in the frig.

 
Seems like we’re petering out, but I love this draft!  I’ve learned of so many new dishes but been reminded of old favorites, too.

 
We're not petering anywhere until I get my next meal.

Round 38  -  Shrimp in Diabla Sauce

Mr R and I went to a tiny Mexican restaurant where they spoke no English.  I ordered the camarones a la diabla, a favorite of mine.  The owner seemed very concerned that pasty white me might not understand that they were going to be spicy.  Very spicy.  We were amused.  I ate every bit of sauce I could scrape up.  So good.

 
Ok, I'm behind, so I'll just post some picks with very limited commentary.

36.x -- Chicken Marsala

Maybe not the most exciting dish, but one that I find a reliable standby for my home cooking repertoire.  This is one of those dishes that really benefits from Kenji's trick of adding gelatin to the pan sauce.  It gives the sauce a satin-y gleam and some nice body.  The flavors are pretty classic if you get the balance of umami and acid right.  

37.x Olive Tapenade (condiment)

A lot of the interesting spicy condiments have already been taken, but I also tend to really like something either briny or pickled on a lot of things.  Tapenade is really the best and easiest way to turn an unassuming mild white fish into an actual dish with flavors.  And, of course, it's great just on bread too.  More interesting than just olive oil and with a much healthier fat profile than butter.

38.x Steamed Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs with Old Bay, eaten at somewhere along the Eastern Shore with outdoor seating, a view of the water, and cheap cold beer.

Yeah, you have to work hard to get the meat with blue crabs.  It's not as simple as cracking a big old leg and getting a big chunk of crab meat.  But if you make an excursion out of it, it is so worth it.  Particularly with a large group.  I'm sure it's similar with crawfish boils and clam bakes.  Just a bunch of friends hanging out, getting a little buzzed, and going ham on some crustaceans.  I understand the popularity of dungeness and king crabs, and I'm sure I've never even gotten them at their best here on the East coast.  But I will put the taste of blue crab up there with any of the more expensive stuff.  

 
Rd 38 Mallomars, Dessert, Cookie

I do love a warm, soft, chewy homeade cookie - my Aunt Evangeline's surprisingly delightful prune cookies, even my own recipe of Asian pear-stuffed ginger cookies, as well as the classics - but this favorite chocolate format must be my dark master here. And i'll suffer no "store-bought-s'more" insinuations - mine were boxed well before Girl Scouts initiated any campfire melting orgies.

I like that Mallomars have a season - so they dont melt in transit - i like that a corporate brand is known more as a city boy treat than suburban indulgence and i love that i cannot buy them til i've made my peace with the fact that there might not be a second-sitting with any package i bring home.

Because i am an old man of troubling health and reduced circumstances, i have often wondered about how i'd take my own life when naught but suffering lies ahead. I've got it down to two - 1) what better time to do a speedball of the type that killed several of my friends in their youth than when you're an ol' heart patient looking for the exit?! 2) Mallomar after Mallomar after Mallomar, ad nauseum et infinitum, until the gooey dizziness of diabetic coma entombs my marshmallowy body in the hard shell of chocolate discorportation. Coda.

 
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38.x Steamed Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs with Old Bay, eaten at somewhere along the Eastern Shore with outdoor seating, a view of the water, and cheap cold beer.

Yeah, you have to work hard to get the meat with blue crabs.  It's not as simple as cracking a big old leg and getting a big chunk of crab meat.  But if you make an excursion out of it, it is so worth it.  Particularly with a large group.  I'm sure it's similar with crawfish boils and clam bakes.  Just a bunch of friends hanging out, getting a little buzzed, and going ham on some crustaceans.  I understand the popularity of dungeness and king crabs, and I'm sure I've never even gotten them at their best here on the East coast.  But I will put the taste of blue crab up there with any of the more expensive stuff.  


I've never had blue crabs, but the social aspect of them seems to be key.  We shipped another FBG on the East Coast some Dungeness, and he asked me how to compare them since he'd never had Dungeness.  Mr. krista grew up with the blue crabs, so I asked him.  He likes Dungeness better for flavor but said:  "The Dungeness are larger and sweeter but less fatty.  A lot more meat - you'd only eat one at most, whereas with blue crabs you can put a bunch in a bushel with Old Bay, sit down with some friends, and just keep eating them.  Dungeness are less work and therefore less fun.  But tastier.  Blue crabs make better crabcakes, though."

We both prefer Dungeness to King crab, too.  Snow crabs are low on the totem pole.

 
Round 38 - Shellfish main course - Shrimp and Grits

I don't usually like grits, polenta, and the like, but somehow when they are combined with shrimp and a proper sauce, I love them.  Mr. krista's favorite-ever restaurant job was working at Restaurant Iris in Memphis, which is an upscale French-Creole joint owned/chef'ed by a James Beard finalist who originally learned his craft at John Besh's restaurants in New Orleans.  They didn't serve shrimp and grits there, but they'd put it together for staff meals or whatever, and I swear Mr. krista can now make the most scrumptious shrimp and grits on the planet.  He's tried a lot of different grits, and I think his favorites are Anson Mills and Delta Grind in terms of online purveyors.  

 
38.  Fig Bars (cookie)

I used to travel to the East Coast about one week a month on business. I'd always shop for fruit and snacks on the first night I was in town. Fig bars were my standard hotel food because they were just as good with morning coffee as they were as something sweet in the evening.

I like the fruit bars with other flavors too but fig bars are the originals and still the best.

 

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