JENN MCKINLAY: It’s summer time! This makes me nostalgic for all of the snacking my brother and I did between riding our skateboards, rowing our boat on the lake, swimming at the beach, and in general just running wild for two months with limited supervision. The glory of being Gen-X. We fancied ourselves quite the accomplished chefs when we made Jell-O or popcorn or anything that required use of the stove or oven.
My love of snacks continues to this day and I remember when I was working in Youth Services at the library in 2010 one of my coworkers introduced me to the best fast food hack ever: French fries dipped in a Wendy’s Frosty. It’s still a go to comfort snack for me as it is that perfect balance of salt and sweet, hot and cold. Yum!
I believe this kicked off my love of weird food combinations, and I am always up for trying a new one, however, the dill pickle in a Dr. Pepper was a huge bust for me…seriously, bleck. Although I might have done it wrong.
How about you, Reds? What’s a weird food combo that you love?
HALLIE EPHRON: Celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter! Easiest lunch ever. Hot honey and Camembert. Chicken livers and pineapple.
LUCY BURDETTE: Pickled jalapenos on anything, but especially on half a bagel with melted cheddar over the top! I don’t want honey on my French fries, but please pass the sharp French mustard…
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, prosciutto and melon is a staple around here, I have to say. And peanut butter and bacon is ambrosial. And agree, Hallie, on PB on celery, and on apple slices, too. Balsamic on roasted brussels sprouts, yum. I have never tried watermelon and feta, but I know it is hip and ubiquitous. But! cottage cheese with applesauce. Seriously. SO delicious. It tastes like a completely different thing–almost like…butterscotch.
RHYS BOWEN: Everything Hank said and I must try the cottage cheese with applesauce. I too love snacks food rather than a big slab of steak put in front of me. Dominic introduced me to fries with mayo. Better if the mayo is mixed with ketchup and a dash of Worcester sauce. Chutney on Brie. Or baked Brie with cranberry sauce. One go to lunch is grilled cheese dipped in Malaysian sweet chili sauce.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I’m with Rhys on the fries with mayo. Not mixed with ketchup, though! A favorite snack growing up was slices of banana with peanut butter and mayo. Trust me, it is delicious! I still love it.
How about you, Readers? What's your weirdest food combo? Be sure to pop back in on Thursday where I'm sharing the lastest bookdom kerfuffle/gossip!
I don't do much combining of foods, but I might be persuaded to try that peanut butter and bacon . . . .
ReplyDeletealthough I try not to eat bacon, it seems to improve everything, doesn't it Joan?
DeleteOh yes, so delicious!
DeleteBacon makes most everything better :)
DeleteHighly recommend - on toast!
DeleteSince I was a child I have loved peanut butter and LETTUCE sandwiches. Yum! Peaches in red wine also yummy - it has a French name I can't remember.
ReplyDeletePB and lettuce? I don't think I'll adopt that one Edith:)
DeleteTry it! The crunch is the perfect combo for the sticky peanut butter.
DeleteKaren's comment below reminds me of how good homemade Chex Mix is on ice cream. And a peanut butter-chocolate chip cookie pairs beautifully with sips of Scotch. Just saying...
DeleteEdith - crunchy lettuce with peanut butter is probably similar to celery and peanut butter.
DeleteIs peaches in red wine in France called Peches au vin rouge? Or just peches au vin.
DeleteIn Spain fruit (like oranges, strawberries, etc) in red wine is Sangria which is so good too!
Another perfect with Scotch: soft gingerbread cookies (Not gingersnaps too much spice.) Elisabeth
DeletePeaches and wine sounds devine.
DeleteAt my high school there was no cafeteria; we brought our own lunches. But if you forgot yours you could buy a sandwich from the mums. You got whatever they were eating that day. They had the most delicious peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches on homemade bread. Someone said that they made their own peanut butter, too. It was so tasty!
DeleteDebRo
From the nuns, not the mums!!!
DeleteHad a vision of a table filled with sandwiches made by moms dressed in Betty Crocker gear.
DeletePastry wrapped brie with fig jam.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, thank you for the reminder. I love Brie and figs. In another lifetime before I developed allergies to dairy free.
DeleteYes, please!
DeleteSome fun combos here, Jenn. Some I have tried, some are new to me, and some sound dreadful.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I bought a bottle of aged blackberry balsamic vinegar, because the vendor said it was so good on vanilla ice cream. Next level fabulous!
I bought chili crisp because of a NYT article, and tried what they recommended: putting some on ice cream. Wow.
When I have homemade Chex Mix around the house (I make it before Christmas and then do several batches), a little bit is so good on ice cream!
DeleteI love tajin on mango - spice and sweet is delish!
DeleteFun theme!
ReplyDeleteAs a child I did like dill pickles and peppermint ice cream. Just delicious. One morning I had a lettuce sandwich and chocolate ice cream for breakfast. I guess our family ate a lot of ice cream!
Chocolate ice cream with pineapple sauce! When I worked at the Dairy Queen, that was my favorite.
DeleteAnother ? Odd? Combo- I love peanut butter with cashew milk chocolate ice cream.
DeleteI can't wrap my head around this so I will absolutely have to try it.
DeleteAround our house we and/or the grandkids like:
ReplyDeletequesadillas with applesauce
pizza with ranch dressing
french fries with vinegar
peanut butter with bananas and honey on bread
One of my sons-in-law used to eat ranch dressing on everything. Can't do that any more.
DeleteI approve these food choices!
DeleteUnexpected food combinations can be loads of fun, but be sure to alert your guests because people with unusual allergies are not good with surprises. Chefs are finding more and more things that are delicious with a little honey added. Yeah. Well. I did not expect it in the deviled eggs nor in the cole slaw. Just saying. Sometimes I am sick for only a day or two. Sometimes, I am sick for weeks. No fun.
ReplyDeleteAs for unusual combinations, just add berries or chocolate chips. It isn't daring, but it does the trick!
Wow, honey in deviled eggs and cole slaw is definitely unexpected!! I cringe at honey and deviled eggs!!
DeleteExcellent point! That sounds awful, btw.
DeleteCelery and peanut butter--yes! We call it "stuffed celery." I also love celery with cream cheese, especially (lately) honey pecan cream cheese. And here's one no one appreciates but me: a piece of wheat bread (open face) with crunchy peanut butter and little dots of butter (yes, you read that right).
ReplyDeleteLove celery and cream cheese.
DeleteYesterday, I had a drink at Panera that combined strawberries and fresh basil. Sounded intriguing, tasted delicious.
ReplyDeleteYes, bacon makes everything better. I had bacon-wrapped roasted dates once. Yumm. Even better dipped in melted dark chocolate.
Also, chocolate-dipped potato chips. Had them at a Dallas airport. Tasty.
I've never considered peanut butter and celery weird. I ate it all the time as a kid. With raisins - we called it "ants on a log."
Yes, ants on a log! Delish!
DeleteLiz, a favorite ice cream “fresh basil”. The shop, in CT, makes all its own flavors and (often to the dismay of folks who want always want peach ice cream) uses only “in season”. They have a huge basil plant growing on the counter. Elisabeth
DeleteLOL. I remember ants on a log.
DeleteAnything that mixes that sweet and salty is so great… That’s why M&Ms are so good in popcorn. Or with salted nuts. And broccoli with sour cream, does anyone do that?
ReplyDeleteHank, another lifetime ago I used to eat baked potatoes with sour cream and lots of butter. When I lived in England, there was a food stall that sold baked potatoes with everything you could choose. You could have pineapple topping. You could have broccoli or beans or cheese or all of the above. I know there were many more toppings though I can’t remember all of them!
DeleteNever tried broccoli and sour cream. Sounds awesome!
DeleteI have never understood sour cream on a baked potato. Even though I like butter on that or other vegetables, I try to stay away from it because I feel it is something I shouldn’t have so I just have them without adding anything.
DeleteOh, Diana, SO yummy! There was a year (or so) of my life when I had a baked potato with butter and sour cream and broccoli every night for dinner! I loved it so much!
DeleteI really don't have anything to add. I have tried probably less than half of the combos mentioned so far, but have enjoyed most that I have tried. However, a common combination that I have always disliked is cottage cheese with pineapple or really, any fruit. I guess to me cottage cheese is savory but not savory enough to hold its own in a sweet/savory balance. Give me a nice ripe tomato with my cottage cheese, please!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big green olive and cottage cheese lover.
DeleteThat sounds good!
DeleteI've never liked fruit with cottage cheese, either. I might try the olives, though! My snack of late when I'm writing and don't want to stop to make lunch is cottage cheese with Triscuits.
DeleteI like cottage cheese with pickled beets. Yum!
Deleteripe tomato with cottage cheese...with salt and pepper, too.
DeleteAnd Debs, I want cottage cheese with Triscuits right now. The cottage cheese would sink into the little strands and be so delicious!
DeleteGarlic triscuits with Alouette soft cheese.
DeleteA little dish of oatmeal with peanut butter and jelly on the side(in the same bowl but not mixed in!)
ReplyDeleteI have done PB with oatmeal, but the jelly makes sense, too.
DeleteInteresting!
DeleteLately ACAI bowls are very popular. It is like a fruity sorbet (slightly tart) with granola, sliced bananas and strawberries. You can get p-nut butter as an add on. It is really refreshing.
ReplyDeleteWe have a place near us - I'll have to try it!
DeleteJenn, Some of these food combinations are new to me. I already am familiar with some from artisan cafes and gourmet food cafes. I was reminded of something I saw on social media the other day about eating a crisp sandwich, meaning potato chips inside the sandwich. Before I knew about my allergies, I used to eat Boboli pizza topped with mayo and veggies. A boyfriend at Uni mentioned the ketchup/mayo combo in one of the European countries and the mustard/ketchup combo in another country. I know I like the combo of ketchup and Dijon mustard. I remember eating Sweet and Sour combo at Asian restaurants. I remember peanut butter on celery for lunch when I was a child.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, Happy Birthday to Debs!
Thanks for the reminder Diana - happy birthday Debs. Didn't you mention you were going to a special spa with your daughter for your birthday? How did it go? Photos?
DeleteYes, happy birthday, Debs!
DeleteThanks, everyone!! We haven't done the spa yet, but we did have a terrific day out on my birthday, which culminated in seeing the author Matt Haig, who is on tour in the US for his new book, THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN.
DeleteAsking any former Brits (that includes you Rhys!) and Canadians - do people still put vinegar on their "chips" (french fries).
ReplyDeleteMy husband has Canadian roots and although he grew up in the US he always asks for vinegar with his fries and he gets the weirdest looks. It's very good too.
Some of the weirdest foods I've heard of or tried were in Norway - whale, reindeer, moose, Brown cheese (stinky), gelatinous cod (Lutefisk). We won't go into Scottish breakfasts!
In Scotland, one hotel offered the porridge with a dash of whisky. It was just enough to be very aromatic.
DeleteLove vinegar on fries!
DeleteI often enjoy malt vinegar on fries as well. Learned it from eating fish and chips.
DeleteYes, malt vinegar is still the common thing on fries, at least if it's "fish and chips." In other circumstances they are often served with mayo.
DeleteLove the idea of a tiny bit of whisky on porridge!
Malt vinegar and salt on fish and chips is mandatory ( and really good but you have to eat them quickly before they go soggy And when I was young they were served wrapped in newspaper.
DeleteSeveral have commented that they do not like ketchup and mayo together. I've done that combo and it becomes Russian dressing.
ReplyDeleteWith relish added, right?
DeleteJenn, I am with Rhys regarding chutney and Brie. I loved that combo before I developed allergies to dairy.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, Brie and hot pepper jelly.
DeleteYes! Yum!
DeleteYes, yum.
DeleteThere have been Ten comments by Anonymous. Are these comments from the same person or from ten different anonymous people?
ReplyDeleteTen different, I think. Blogger is a stinker about making signing in difficult.
DeleteIs there a limit on how many comments can be made by an individual? Asking for a friend 🧡
DeleteNo.
DeleteI always add fruit to either cottage cheese or sour cream, depending on what I have available.
ReplyDeleteIt is usually sliced peaches, strawberries or blueberries. My mother would mix a variety of vegetables with cottage cheese and sour cream. I never cared for that combination.
Peanut butter with raisins. Brownies baked with raisins.
Brownies with raisins. I have to think about that for a sec.
DeleteBrownies with raisins. Hmmm..
DeleteSFF author John Scalzi is famous for his burrito “crimes” - basically almost anything can go into a tortilla.
ReplyDeleteFair.
DeleteCucumber and applesauce (homemade chuncky is best) sandwiches (any kind of bread) thinly buttered with lots of salt. Thanks to my Grammy’s housekeeper I became addicted at an early age. So glad to know others food desires. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteWow, I have to try that.
DeleteThat sounds...interesting. I'll bet it's good. In the UK, a classic cucumber sandwich is always made with butter, which is delicious.
DeleteMy brother used to dip Cheetos into cold milk. I couldn’t watch! He also dipped peppermint sticks into hot chocolate, which I DID try, and it wasn’t bad.
ReplyDeleteDebRo
Some of the combos don't sound weird to me--doesn't everyone eat prociutto with melon? Strawberries and balsamic vinegar are delicious, but strawberries, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic vinegar is the bomb!
ReplyDeleteAlso, no one has mentioned apples and hummus. That is a great combo.
Prosciutto with melon, yes, that is one of our staples around here. Equally good with cantaloupe or Honeydew! ANd add good balsamic to all.
DeleteI am so late to today's "party". :-) But would like to add my guilty snack ~ Chocolate covered potato chips.AAAA-MAZING!!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds SO good!
Delete