Timewaster's Guide Archive

General => Rants and Stuff => Topic started by: The Jade Knight on April 30, 2009, 08:40:24 AM

Title: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on April 30, 2009, 08:40:24 AM
If it's in the "other" category, or a broad group like African, please share!
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Renoard on April 30, 2009, 11:06:21 AM
Well jade with only the two of us reporting it appears we agree on French and Mexican.  I'd like to narrow it and specify Federal District Sea Food and Provencal and Alsatian.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Eerongal on April 30, 2009, 02:33:22 PM
american, mexican, chinese, french, german, and italian for me! :D
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: SarahG on April 30, 2009, 08:49:10 PM
Indian food is my overall favorite, I think, especially in restaurants since I haven't quite gotten naan and papadams figured out yet at home.  I picked "German/Scandinavian" purely on the merits of potatis korf, which is a truly delicious type of sausage that I believe is actually an invention of Swedish immigrants to America - at least, the Swedes I've talked to have never heard of it.  I picked African because of two excellent dishes: ground nut stew and Moroccan apricot chicken; I'm not especially partial to any other African cuisine I've sampled, and some is actually quite disgusting.

By the way, it looks like somebody cheated - there are 38 votes from only 6 people.  Not that I object - I would have picked more than 6 options if I'd known I could get away with it.   ;)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Reaves on April 30, 2009, 09:54:07 PM
Best Italian dish I have ever had was at Carraba's, called the Spiedino di Mare, a simply delicious seafood dish with scallops and shrimp. Sooo good  :o
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 01, 2009, 08:13:14 AM
By the way, it looks like somebody cheated - there are 38 votes from only 6 people.  Not that I object - I would have picked more than 6 options if I'd known I could get away with it.   ;)

42 votes to 7 people right now...
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Renoard on May 01, 2009, 08:42:24 AM
42 votes?  I see only 8.

Quote
Question:      What is your favorite kind of food?
American (including Western, Southern, Mormon)    - 6 (14%)
Mexican    - 7 (16.3%)
Chinese (including Tibetan)    - 5 (11.6%)
Japanese    - 2 (4.7%)
Southeast Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, etc.)    - 2 (4.7%)
Korean    - 1 (2.3%)
African    - 1 (2.3%)
Middle Eastern (including Jewish)    - 2 (4.7%)
French    - 3 (7%)
Indian    - 3 (7%)
German/Scandinavian    - 4 (9.3%)
British/Irish    - 0 (0%)
Italian    - 7 (16.3%)
Eastern European    - 0 (0%)
Other Asian    - 0 (0%)
Other European    - 0 (0%)
Other Latin American    - 0 (0%)
Something else?    - 0 (0%)
   Remove Vote
Total Votes: 8
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 01, 2009, 10:14:18 AM
42 selections, rather.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Renoard on May 01, 2009, 10:20:21 AM
Ah.  Under types of American cooking it lists Mormon.  Are there any distinctives of Mormon cooking other than the use of Kraft products? ;P
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on May 01, 2009, 03:51:28 PM
Yes: Casseroles, homemade bread, zucchini, funeral potatoes. But you're right about the Kraft products, since jello is a staple.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: ryos on May 02, 2009, 12:12:17 AM
My choices, ranked in order (with ties on the same line):

Southeast Asian
Italian / Chinese
Mexican / American
Nicaraguan

Though some Nicaraguan foods are amazing (you'll never look at a tortilla the same way after you try güirila; also, the unpronounceable buñuelo puts our donuts to shame), most of it is bland dreck. Hence, it's last on my list of favorites, though when it's good, it's amazing.

Edit: Hah, I forgot that I actually started the Wikipedia page on güirila (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Güirila). Sadly, it's not much to look at.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 02, 2009, 09:56:43 AM
Renoard:  I actually read an entire article studying the distinctive characteristics of Mormon cooking.  Quite fascinating.

In addition to what Ook said, Mormon food can be characterized by more cultural diversity than standard American fare (Russian and Mexican dishes, for example, may be Mormon staples), a large quantity of hearty stews and soups, and an overabundance of desserts (Statistically, Mormon cookbooks contain significantly larger dessert sections than their non-Mormon counterparts).
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Eerongal on May 04, 2009, 03:59:39 AM
Renoard:  I actually read an entire article studying the distinctive characteristics of Mormon cooking.  Quite fascinating.

In addition to what Ook said, Mormon food can be characterized by more cultural diversity than standard American fare (Russian and Mexican dishes, for example, may be Mormon staples), a large quantity of hearty stews and soups, and an overabundance of desserts (Statistically, Mormon cookbooks contain significantly larger dessert sections than their non-Mormon counterparts).

Mormon cooking sounds delicious  ;D
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 04, 2009, 05:35:28 AM
I personally think it's pretty good, Eerongal.

Another strange Mormon custom:  Funerals become feasts.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on May 04, 2009, 05:54:35 AM
Thus the funeral potatoes. But it's not all that strange—at least, I think that wakes are big parties in some cultures.

http://www.celtic-lyrics.com/forum/index.php?autocom=tclc&code=lyrics&id=196
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Pink Bunkadoo on May 04, 2009, 06:50:57 AM
We recently went to a non-Mormon funeral where food was served.  I would imagine it's pretty common.  (Though my brother-in-law's girlfriend commented, in kind of a stage-whisper, that the Mormons put on a better spread.   ;) )
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: SarahG on May 04, 2009, 09:23:48 PM
Mormons certainly do not have a monopoly on funeral food; most church funerals I've attended also include a meal at least for the family members, if not all attendees.  I wouldn't be surprised if the LDS funeral food is better, though - usually the Lutheran and Presbyterian funeral lunches consist of ham loaf or chicken casserole, with jello and cake.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: benvolio3 on May 05, 2009, 01:26:07 AM
I went to my friends house and his mother cooked some really delicious food. It was a bit spicy but I really enjoyed it (even though I'm not a big fan of spicy stuff). I asked him what kind of food it was and he said it was some Indonesian type of chicken. It was awesome! so... yeah Indonesian foods == awesome. And of course American foods, Italian foods and Japanese foods, etc.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on May 05, 2009, 02:57:37 AM
An Ahlstrom favorite is Indonesian Bami. Yummy stuff.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: darxbane on May 08, 2009, 06:11:22 PM
We always have a collation after funerals here, and it always involves a ton of food.  I picked American, though I really don't have a distinct favorite. 
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Tage on May 08, 2009, 10:05:16 PM
Oy, how has this thread not been moved off to Rants already? Off with you!
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on May 08, 2009, 11:27:02 PM
I believe that it was in the [EDIT: Suggestions Box] forum so the poll would show up on the TWG main page, and now the main page poll is the holiday name poll (again?)...
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 09, 2009, 01:58:26 AM
That's exactly why, and for that reason I'm moving it back until we have a new poll up.  (Sorry, Tage.)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Tage on May 10, 2009, 07:37:26 PM
Oh, well shows what I know. I didn't realize the poll was connected like that. Apologies!
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 11, 2009, 10:46:03 AM
No big deal.  Nice to see you around on the forums again, Tage, BTW.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on May 12, 2009, 06:01:38 AM
So, we have 14 total votes, but 17 for Italian?  Something doesn't seem right here...
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Liathiana on June 18, 2009, 09:54:02 PM
Thai
Italian
Chinese/American

My absolute favorite food is Thai, especially the curries!  In fact the only curries I've liked have been Thai. And all the food I've tried has been fabulous. My favorite restaurant is Indochine, found in Tacoma, Washington though recently I found a fantastic (if not as good) Thai restaurant in Reno. I can't wait to go again!

Italian was my favorite until I encountered Thai food. I love pasta's and bread and Olive Garden is still one of my favorite restaurants.

Chinese food is just a classic. Nothing like going to a Chinese restaurant, drinking the cups of tea, figuring out your Chinese sign yet once again and all those yummy noodle dishes and sticky rice, mmm. American is on the list because I love BBQ's and Burgers and Steak!

I think Religions/Denonimations can definitely have a distinctive food culture. Growing up as a Seventh Day Adventist, my family was one of the more liberal Adventists. The health message is almost as important to the Church as is the Prophetic side of things (not trying to get into religious debate here, just saying what was important in my Church). I would say that at least 50-60 % (if not more, maybe I'm guesstimating too low) of Adventists are Vegetarians. And about 40 % of those are Vegans. Most of the churches I went to had purely Vegetarian potlucks (I'm assuming most of you know what those are) with a smattering of Vegan dishes thrown in. These were the mostly "white", mid-conservative churches that my parents preferred. Some of the more cultural churches (predominantly black or spanish or Samoan/Tongan) served mostly meat dishes. Anyways, that is probably only interesting to me.

My family ate both meat and vegetarian dishes regularly. However, we did so according to the Clean foods in Leviticus, avoiding any of the Unclean meats. I find that prejudice (I don't really consider it a belief on my part anymore) still affects me to this day. I find shrimp and ham completely unappealing (to name some). The only weakness I really have is for pepperoni and that is strictly on pizza.

Anyways I'll stop rambling other than to say that Haystacks is a pretty common, widespread Adventist food that you can find in our churches everywhere.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 23, 2009, 06:40:55 AM
Reno has an excellent Thai scene, Liathiana.  I particularly recommend the Thai Chili, though Bangkok Cuisine is pretty good, too (especially their curry puffs).  If you want a more upscale experience, the Basil in Carson City is quite good, but it's priced accordingly (closer to Olive Garden prices, which is high for Thai).  Of course, where Reno really shines is Sushi...

Thai happens to be my favorite cuisine, too, and the one I have most experience cooking.  If you like authentic Chinese, I can recommend Shanghai Restaurant (also called "Da Shanghai" in Chinese).  It's out in Sparks (by Reed H.S.), but it's pretty dang good, and rather affordable.  If you call a day in advance, they can even make a lovely Peking Duck.

Haystacks, as in Hawaiian Haystacks?
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Liathiana on June 24, 2009, 11:49:16 PM
I've never tried Sushi, I'm not sure I"ll like it. I'm not a big seafood person. I'm pretty sure the Thai restaurant I tried was Bangkok Cuisine though I can't remember off of the top of my head, it's just down the street from the Peppermill. I live in Carson and I was a little leery about trying Basil Thai but I'll have to check it out now! The money would end up being about the same once you account for gas prices!

I've actually never heard of Hawaiian Haystacks but I looked it up and it doesn't sound similar. Basically haystacks is chips (usually Frito's) and then you can add whatever toppings you like on top. Refried beans, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, ranch, ketchup, beef, etc etc etc. It's really easy to make for a big group of people and they can pick and choose what they like.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Patriotic Kaz on June 24, 2009, 11:52:32 PM
I need like three votes atleast...unless i can put other and say red meat b/c if thats done right ill eat it any which way and be very very happy! i like steak tar tar even
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Shaggy on June 24, 2009, 11:53:05 PM
When you do, Liathiana, go for a california roll. They're pretty awesome.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 25, 2009, 12:35:32 AM
Personally, I find them (California rolls) pretty boring.  Locally, a lot of the Mountain Rolls, Godzilla Rolls, and Caterpiller rolls are pretty good (not all places may have all of these).  And it isn't on their menu anymore, but last time I went to Ichiban's, they had a good Spider Roll you could order.  FYI about Ichiban's, though: Locals get a big discount, so if you go, ask about it (you might need to flash ID).

BTW, if you're not sure if you'll like Sushi, then when you first try it, stay away from Nigiri at first.  I love Nigiri, but it's kind of weird for people who've never tried it, and most Americans take more naturally to the rolls.  So try some rolls—anything fried will probably be particularly appealing to the American palate, but I'd recommend a variety.  It's helpful, the first time you go to sushi, to go with a friend who knows it.  If you're ever feeling adventurous, and want to go on a sushi date in Reno, Ari (my fiancée) and I would be glad to double you and your date for sushi (we absolutely love it—and it's best to eat sushi with about 4 people, so you can taste a little of a lot of different things).

If you're weirded out by meeting online people (i.e., me), that's okay too—we here at TWG are a pretty tight-knit group that way, though (I have to admit, I was glad to see a local sign up—gets tiring having to travel to Utah to see any TWiGgers.)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Shaggy on June 25, 2009, 02:24:37 AM
Never heard of any of those in that first paragraph except for the Spider Roll. I find california rolls quite tasty, though, especially with tobiko on the outside.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Patriotic Kaz on June 25, 2009, 02:51:14 AM
Disregard my stupid earlier post... i put italian, korean, american (southern cooking is good even if its simple), other asain (vietnamese), mexican (traditional that you can't find unless you go to a hole in the wall or know people and i do both frequently), and something else (Texas style BBQ)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: little wilson on June 25, 2009, 05:23:38 AM
I'm confused how Italian can have 30 votes when only 21 people have voted....

Anyway. I voted for American, Mexican, Italian, and British/Irish.....I love British food. It's good. At least the stuff I had when I was over there a month and a half ago. I miss it....You just don't get bakeries in Idaho like you do in England... :(
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 25, 2009, 06:44:06 AM
Disregard my stupid earlier post... i put italian, korean, american (southern cooking is good even if its simple), other asain (vietnamese), mexican (traditional that you can't find unless you go to a hole in the wall or know people and i do both frequently), and something else (Texas style BBQ)

Texas food still counts as American food.

And Shaggy, Sushi rolls tend to be very local, with only a very few kinds of rolls that seem fairly universal (like the Philidelphia and the California, though the Caterpiller is pretty universal, too), so while a lot of Sushi joints in the same area might have similar/the same rolls, the menu might be totally different a state away.  And, of coures, each joint has its own specialties.

(We're all wondering about that, Little Wilson.)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Liathiana on June 26, 2009, 04:59:06 AM
It's helpful, the first time you go to sushi, to go with a friend who knows it.  If you're ever feeling adventurous, and want to go on a sushi date in Reno, Ari (my fiancée) and I would be glad to double you and your date for sushi (we absolutely love it—and it's best to eat sushi with about 4 people, so you can taste a little of a lot of different things).

If you're weirded out by meeting online people (i.e., me), that's okay too—we here at TWG are a pretty tight-knit group that way, though (I have to admit, I was glad to see a local sign up—gets tiring having to travel to Utah to see any TWiGgers.)

I would love to meet up! I have no problem meeting people online, the first time I met people I'd met online I flew all the way to Colorado to the mountains so driving to Reno is no great hardship! It would be fabulous to meet y'all ;D I'll pm you my #!
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Patriotic Kaz on June 26, 2009, 02:10:19 PM
BBQ is it's own catergory i just said TExas style because i dislike mustard BBQ which i think is from South Carolina... and a couple of other kinds of BBQ i don't care for
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Bastille on June 26, 2009, 03:40:28 PM
I really enjoy thia food which is in the "Other Asia" catagory. It's made up of mostly sea food like crab and fish and yummy things like that.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 26, 2009, 09:53:11 PM
BBQ is it's own catergory i just said TExas style because i dislike mustard BBQ which i think is from South Carolina... and a couple of other kinds of BBQ i don't care for

American-stlye BBQ is American food.

Bastille:  From where in Asia?
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Patriotic Kaz on June 26, 2009, 11:25:35 PM
I revised my vote..i selected the correct one for vietnamese this time too... i missed it the first time around :-[
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Renoard on June 28, 2009, 03:46:49 AM
Well in the sense that Taco bell and the burrito are American food then yeah barbecue is American.  But the fact that it is really just a reinterpretation of barbacoa, it's really no more American than Chow Mein or Gyros. . .
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 28, 2009, 07:49:13 AM
Chow Mien is American—or American Chinese, which is really not terribly similar to authentic Chinese.

Gyros, on the other hand, I think are pretty solidly Greek.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Renoard on June 28, 2009, 07:58:07 AM
Chop Sui means waste or leftovers and yeah it's Californio cuisine.  Chow Mein means stir fried noodles and it's Chinese, of course what we get at Panda Express is not much like the noodles from a shop in Shanghai.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 28, 2009, 08:03:24 AM
"Chow Mein" is Chinese?  Where in China do you think they say "Chow Mein"?

"Chow mein", called as such, and containing its distinctly American form, is nothing but an American dish with vague roots in Chinese cuisine.  It is no more Chinese than Apple Pie is French or than Hamburgers are German.
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: little wilson on June 28, 2009, 08:14:40 AM
What!? Hamburgers aren't German? But...what about Hamburg?

(and yes...I am joking...)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Renoard on June 28, 2009, 09:33:13 AM
Chow mein is transliterated yes.  But chowing is stir-frying in Cantonese and Mein is noodle.  Lo-mein is another type of Chinese noodle dish.  Unless the girl I dated from Shanghai AND my wife and the girl from Maylasia. . .no I think I have to right about this on or decide that girls who speak Chinese lie about noodles. :P
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: The Jade Knight on June 29, 2009, 12:58:15 PM
"Chow Mein" is not even proper Cantonese.  It's the Anglicization of a Taishanese word, and the dish as we eat it in the US today does not resemble Southeastern Chinese food.  Given that I generally eat (authentic, home-made) Cantonese food around a few days a week, I'm guessing I have a pretty good idea as to what it tastes like (though, I will admit, they'll sometimes make Hunanese or Szechuan food, too, to spice things up a bit).

"Chao Mian", on the other hand, is simply a Chinese word for ANY stir-fried dish containing noodles.

Moreover, there's actually an author who has claimed that this specific dish (in its current, well-known variety) was invented in the US.

(BTW, evidently, in the East [Coast], Chow Mein is usually served with crispy noodles.  In the West, it is served with soft noodles.)
Title: Re: Favorite food?
Post by: Patriotic Kaz on June 30, 2009, 01:04:18 AM
Well aren't french fries american...we call abunch of things names that aren't really accurate and have bissare beliefs on certain foods being authentic (i met someone who thought fortune cookies were from china like b.c. era) and people confuse tex mex with authentic mexican food all the time