2010 census: favorite foods

Yesterday Mrs. Hoagie Central surprised me by making a deluxe, 4-course meal and having it hot and ready when I got home.

First Course:
Super 4-cheese garlic bread: Provolone, asiago, parmesan, and romano + olive oil, butter and lots of garlic = delicious.

Second & Third Course:
A fresh, Stockman & Dakota porterhouse (my favorite cut of steak), that was probably a good 10 ounces. Plus, my favorite greek-style potatoes, made with lemon juice and LOTS of garlic.

Fourth Course:
Not one but two desserts: a homemade chocolate mousse pie with whipped cream and a butterfinger/dark reeses candy topping. And a double fudge pan of brownies. I didn't even get to the brownies really, everything else was so good and filling.

Plus, she got Sprecher root beer, something I saw in Wisconsin and didn't get and figured that I missed my chance. (Rated #1 by NYTimes according to its label and it was damn good.)

Of course the way to my heart is through my stomach.

- - -

During the meal she told me that the hardest part was coming up with the menu. She wanted me to make a post with my favorite meals, so that if she ever wanted to do this again, she'd know what to make.

Here goes.


First off, there are the things that don't require or can't really be done at home: picking up a slab of ribs, or rib tips (aka pork burnt ends) from a barbecue place. My favorite Chicago carryout order is the Italian Beef / Italian Sausage combo sandwich with hot peppers (Johnny's, Portillo's, Al's, Buona, it doesn't matter.) Of course you can't go wrong with a sausage deep dish from Edwardo's or if that's not feasible, how about a Hawaiian? (pineapple, ham and bacon from Dominos or wherever is a winner. If you're limited to two toppings: pineapple, and then half-bacon, half-ham!)

And packaged things from the grocery store: Hot & Spicy Cheez-its, Kettle brand chips (NY Cheddar or Yogurt/Sour Cream & Onion), Mint Milano cookies, and Snyder Jalepeno Cheddar Pumpernickel Pretzel bits if you can find them (weren't at my local Jewel).

For appetizers, I love garlic bread. Also, "pigs in a blanket": lil smokies rolled up inside crescent rolls baked in the oven. Also, meatballs in BBQ sauce. Oh yeah, good cheese on crackers: like Black Diamond brand Aged White Cheddar. Oooh, Tostitos with Lime, paired with sour cream and salsa.

For side dishes, love those greek-style potatoes. Also, cheesy au gratin potatoes remind me of childhood. A healthier option is oven fries (20 minutes at 450) or a simpler option is TJ's sweet potato fries.

For main courses, it's hard to go wrong with steak. A burger on sourdough is nice (any way to get more sourdough bread inside me is always good). Italian sausages on the grill are good. And I like fajitas, especially with the full-out sour cream, Pace Picante, and guacamole. As for options that could be vegetarian, I'd enjoy homemade baked enchiladas, or lasagna (no-boil noodles make it simpler) or homemade pizza with fresh mozz and peppers, although you do need to make the homemade sauce, so it's only good if that's already made.

And then dessert. Anything with chocolate is a winner. Brownies with chocolate chips (I like them in a 9x13 pan), mousse pie with candy topping, chocolate chip or pecan pie. Dutch apple pie is good too.

To sum up, I want to weigh 4,000 pounds.