The Traveler's Lunchbox
I've really tried to get more blogging done at this site, but personal events have prevented me from doing as much cooking as I'd like, but I ran across this idea for a post, and it sounded like a fun one. The basic concept is to list 5 things to eat before you die. A daunting task, as there are probably thousands of items, from delicacies to simple pleasures that everyone should enjoy before death, but I'll try to list 5 that are personal to me.

So with out further ado, my 5 things to eat before you die. (In no particular order.)

1. A tangerine picked fresh from the tree. Here in Florida, a lot of fresh citrus is available, but to me, the tangerine tops the list. I have vivid memories of being a child, playing in the backyard, or somewhere in the neighborhood and walking up to a tree, picking a tangerine, and just sitting down, peeling the tangerine, and eating it segment by segment. Still to this day, I can not resist the urge to pick a tangerine when walking by a tree.
2. Baby arugula tossed with a little truffle oil and champagne vinegar (and possibly topped with Maytag blue cheese). This to me, is one of the most sublime flavor marriages I've ever tasted. Something about the peppery flavor of the rocket, the richness of the truffle oil, and the sweet tang of the vinegar just sends me to another world. Add to that the Maytag, and it's probably the simplest, most ethereal salads I've ever eaten.
3. Fish right out of the water. I've spent a lot of my adult life a vegetarian, but as a professional chef in Florida, and a closet fisherman off and on through out my entire life, there's no denying the pleasure of fresh fish. But to consume fish that's only been out of the water a short time, preferably raw as well as cooked as soon as it's been caught, is something that every meat eater should experience. I won't go into the scientific explanations of what happens to the flesh after it's been removed from the water, but suffice to say, that every minute it's out, flavors and nuances dissipate, so as the obvious saying goes, the fresher the better. Not to mention, I think that anyone that consumes the flesh of an animal should really understand the full implications of taking the life, and by consuming it right away, I think the experience is much more personal.
4. Ben and Jerry's ice cream at the factory in Vermont. I don't actually know if the original factory in Burlington is still there, and whether or not you can still order ice cream there, but back in the early 90's, after spending 5 days camping in the Green Mountain National Park, my friends and I drove up to the factory, did a little tour, and proceeded out to the patio to sample flavors that we had never seen down here in Florida. One that stands out in my memory was the Apple Pie, which was simply chunks of apple pie folded into a really good vanilla ice cream. Maybe it was the fact that it was the Fourth of July holiday, maybe it was other influences, but that one stood out. But after having sampled about a dozen flavors, that one was the one I went back for seconds.
5. Fresh mango with habanero pepper. Nothing says tropical more than those two flavors. From the most basic combination of taking a bite out of the mango, and then a bite of the chile, to making a mango habanero chutney, the two flavors were simply meant to be consumed together. The sweetness of the mango, the complex heat of the pepper, shear heaven. You could knock out two of my items with one dish, by eating the fresh fish with the mango and chile.
I'm sure I could go on and on, but the goal was to list five, and I think that these 5 embody me, and what I think everyone should try at least once before they pass on to the next life...