The following list is of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his/her life.

Wheeler challenged bloggers to copy and paste the list into his or her blog and boldface every item they have eaten before. Then, we are supposed to put a line through what we refuse to ever eat. I italicized what I won’t even try.

I didn’t think I’d do very well, but I’m actually surprised by the number of bold words in my list! Although I’m not so sure that I should be proud to boldface “roadkill” and not “a tasting menu at a 3-Michelin-star restaurant.”

It was a deer that my dad hit, OK? It wasn’t a possum!

The Omnivore’s Hundred

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (does moonshine count?)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese

Read more »

My big sister, Kim, called me on Saturday with a question.

She was in her grocery store in Spartanburg, South Carolina looking for the ingredients she would need to make a cake she’d found a recipe for in her local paper.

Kim’s a sucker for anything key lime, so when she saw the recipe for Key Lime Cake, she was all over it. Since it actually turns out green in color, it also seemed like an appropriate treat to make for her co-workers just before St. Patty’s Day and Easter.

But Kim had a question. She couldn’t find key lime juice at her store and wanted to know if I thought she could just use lime juice instead.

Read more »