No braised passenger pigeon available? I'll just wait, then?

[slipjig3]

I am very pleased to announce that I have exacted revenge on figmentj for getting me hooked on Mad Men, by in turn getting her hooked on Top Chef. (Yes, I know it's madness, but it's a shared madness, which makes it totally okay.) We started on Season Four, because of (a) Chicago and (b) Stephanie "Pardon Adam the Geeksexual Whilst He Trips Over His Distended Tongue" Izard, and moved on to the NYC Season Five, which we just stuck a proverbial fork in today. The antepenultimate episode of that season had one of the most nerve-wracking bits in the history of the show: the five contestants had to cook for a panel of five ridiculously big-name chefs (including Wylie Dufresne and Jacques fucking Pepin), preparing meals based on each of the panelists' answers to the question, "What would you choose for your last meal?"

So naturally, our conversation immediately turned toward our own answers to that question. figmentj knew her answer immediately—pizza from Mazzio's in Fort Worth. I hemmed and hawed, then hemmed and hawed some more, and now eight hours later my haws are still chafing against my hems, if you catch my drift. Possibilities:

* If the sky is truly the limit, I'll gladly hop a plane for a meal at Alinea in Chicago, or the French Laundry on a night when Thomas Keller's about, or hell, even El Bulli, where the waiting list will prolong my demise by a few years.

* Failing that, I'm going comfort food. A really good Thai green chicken curry with Thai iced coffee would be lovely, for instance, or maybe pad Thai if I'm not sick to death of it that week. Or go with my hometown carniphilia and get a nice slab of slow-cooked ribs, with all the fixin's.

* All right, you want the true grubby, disreputable, lowbrow answer? If I'm about to leave this mortal coil, and you catch me in the right mood, even a plateful of fatty Shake 'n' Bake pork chops, Stove Top Stuffing and corn can be just the right thing.

* Regardless of which of the above we go with, we're ending with chocolate mousse, dammit. Lots of it. Keep it comin'.

So, answer, my minions: what would you choose for your last meal?

Comments

[rain-herself.livejournal.com]

Ooh, ooh, the chocolate Irish mist mousse cake thing from Masse's too.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. That. Talk dirty to me some more.

[entrope.livejournal.com]

What what?? Am I to understand that you lived in Texas?

[rain-herself.livejournal.com]

I did! I grew up there, lived in Ft. Worth 'til I was 14, then San Antonio 'til I was 20. :) My dad still lives in Midland, and my mom lives in Tulsa, so I get to have my beloved pizza every now and then, at least.

[felisdemens.livejournal.com]

SO TORN.

Okay, halfway between "Seneca soul food from the rez - frybread sammitch with salt pork, corn soup, samp, mashed wild strawberry drink"

AND

"El Bulli"

AND

"Fuck it, might as well eat an ortolan on my way out. Maybe it'll turn out to be a psychopomp."

[brujah.livejournal.com]

I've never been able to answer this.

I think, though, it'd be something Southern soul and simple.

My choice at this moment

[maverick-weirdo.livejournal.com]

To Start:
Sourdough bread with roasted garlic & grated parmesan/romano cheese

Salad:
Eggplant Napoleon

Main course:
White pizza with prosciutto, caramelized onions, and broccoli

Desert:
Cupcake trio: Red velvet cake, Chocolate raspberry cake, Peanut butter banana bread

[ckd]

Something that takes a long time to prepare? :-)

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

I'd likely choose an Ethiopian vegetarian platter. Nom.

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

I'd be willing to chance Per Se on a night when Keller was there as well. I might decide to go to the Basque region and wander around, as the food there is supposed to be quite spectacular.

But aside from those, I think I would choose for my last meal:
Caesar salad from Posto in Davis Square; plus
baked brie in phyllo with slices of organic honeycrisp apples and seedless black grapes
vegetarian French onion soup gratinee
grilled swordfish with lemon and drawn butter
french fried carrots
steamed peas with caramelized onions, butter, lemon and salt
baked potato with sour cream, butter, chives and cherrywood smoked salt
real hot chocolate, with maple whipped cream on top
lemon sorbet
creme brulee
and one mint. It is waffer thin.

Each item from the soup to the hot chocolate would be cooked by my Flesh clone, because I cook all of those things comparably to or better than most restaurants.

[cluegirl.livejournal.com]

A Hundred-Year egg, please. That one right there will do, just get it started now.

[rubian77.livejournal.com]

Crabcakes, ribs, a gyro, and parmesan orzo from Burgundy's. Maybe a lobster tail if I'm still hungry after that. Tiramisu and their homemade baklava (they're Greek, so it's AWESOME) for dessert.

...or maybe sushi at Mt. Fuji in Carlisle. Huh. Can I have both??

But then, I really like Thai food. Om nom nom.


More importantly than the meal itself, I would want my friends there. Not to eat, but for the company. I'd eat just a chicken patty on a bun if I could have all my friends there.

[captain18.livejournal.com]

Assuming it's restaurant food, it'd involve a trip to the original Berghoff in Chicago for their classic wiener schnitzel and creamed spinach.

[mac-arthur-park.livejournal.com]

Kent's not quite forgiven me for getting him hooked on Top Chef, as well.

I always have a hard time with the question. If restaurants are involved, I would *love* another meal at Pura Vida in Atlanta. The chocolate creme brulee....omg.

Otherwise, roasted garlic with crostini, shrimp with Kent's spicy cocktail sauce, crab legs, and steak with carmalized onions. And cheesecake iced cream with blackberry sauce.