Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

1. What is the most adventurous food you've ever tried?
I had alligator once - it was ok. Nothing particularly thrilling

2. What is the most adventurous food you'd be willing to try?
Always wondered what haggis would be like. I've had boudin (could also put boudin on #1 - it was tasty!)

3. Would you have a problem eating dog meat and why or why not?
I should have a problem eating any meat but yeah, I'd not be able to eat dog meat since they're "pets" in my head.

4. For the most part, do you consider your diet to be balanced?
I try to make it balanced. I could probably stand to eat more fruits but I eat veggies instead since I like them FAR better

5. Which is more appealing: being a vegetarian for the rest of your life or being a strict carnivore for the rest of your life?
Vegetarian - for sure. I can't give up eating veggies or carbs.

1. What is your favorite vegetable?
Spinach. Though there are a scarce few veggies that I don't like.

2. What is your favorite fruit?
Lemons, though not to eat like you would oranges. As opposed to veggies, I'm not as fond of fruit in general. I'll get strawberries or apples or bananas and it's difficult for me to get the urge to finish them so I don't get them fresh much. Even frozen, they tend to end up getting freezer burn.

3. What is your favorite cheese?
Of the dairy variety, there's a baked lemon ricotta that I'm currently being bad and eating. As far as non-dairy, I love Kite Hill ricotta. When I see it go on sale, I snap it up.

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Years ago it used to be Meyer Lemon Gratin from a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Nowadays...um....maybe some dark chocolate?

5. What is your favorite beverage?
I do love my coffee. Lately I've been using coconut milk and sugar

A belated Friday Five on Monday. These questions come to us from miss_s_b on Dreamwidth. I don't think I saw this the first time it was posted a few months ago so I'll answer them now.

1, What is your favourite food?
Dim Sum. Hands down. Especially har gow

2, What is your favourite food preparation method?
Roasted - it makes vegetables even more fabulous than they already are

3, What is your favourite cuisine or style of cooking?
See #1. If I could only pick one country's food prep, it would be China (which is kind of a cheat since there are so many different regional variations)

4, Do you have any dietary restrictions and if so what are they?
Light on red meat and raw onions since they don't like me. I also avoid deep fried food

5, If you could introduce the whole world to one ingredient to improve their culinary experience, what would that be and why?
Sesame oil. It takes an ordinary dish and elevates it.

With the start of Autumn just a few days away in this hemisphere and Spring about to start in the other –

1. Do you have the urge to do a Fall/Spring cleaning as soon as the weather turns?
I'm getting there. Unfortunately it starts with battling ants that like to sneak in my kitchen door area. But I'm hoping to do things like a shampooing of my big area rug soon. It's overdue. I also need to dig some things out of closets and see if I have enough to participate in the townwide garage sale in a couple of weeks.

2.What tells you that the season (a certain smell, a certain taste, that sort of thing) has changed?
The ants LOL. Anyway, I love the transition to cool nights in the autumn and there is some sort of vibe that I can't put my finger on.

3.What do you look forward to the most with the change of seasons?
The colors. I adore the reds, golds and oranges of the fall leaves. I hope that we'll have a decent stretch of it this year. I am going to Massachusetts on the train in a month for a work conference and I'll be gazing out the window the whole way. 

4. What is something that you probably should accomplish but won’t this season?
Celebrating Halloween properly. I both want to go to a party and don't. 

5. What is the most enjoyable part of the oncoming season for you?
The cooler temperatures. I can start using my oven again to roast veggies and other things. Even when they turn on the heat in the apartment, if it's cool enough outside, I can offset the heat inside with a window fan rather than cranking up the AC

These questions were written by versailles_rose.

1. What is your favorite food?
2. What was your favorite food when you were a kid?
3. What is the best tasting, quick to cook meal that you make for yourself?
4. What is your favorite food to order in a restaurant?
5. If you could go anywhere in the world to any restaurant, what would you order for yourself?

1. DIM SUM. DIMMMSUMMMMM
2. Spaghetti with tomato sauce. Though no one ever made it as well as Mom so it became a running joke when I'd order it at a restaurant and they'd try to remind me that I wasn't going t like it
3. Hm...I'd say an omelet. Made properly with the pocket of lovely veggies and cheese inside the pocket of egg (or egg white if I'm being good) and not "diner style" where they cook the stupid contents into the egg. That's not a proper omelet.
4. See #1, though on a more ordinary day, good ol' Chinese food. Usually something like chicken with pea pods in white sauce
5.I need to get to Flushing. For realz. See below.


Oh and what did I have for lunch today? Chinese. LOL We tried a new place that sent out an ad in our work email since they're on Rutgers property. Their salt and pepper fish was ok but I like the place on Easton Ave in Somerset NJ better since on this one, the breading was more obvious whereas the place on Easton you can barely tell that there's any breading - just The bubble tea was lacking, alas. 

Linky link back to the Friday Five community post

1. What was your favorite childhood meal?
Fondue - more specifically, beer cheese fondue. Yes, I was a kid in the 70s, y'all

2. What is the best holiday for eating in your family?
Most often, Thanksgiving. Dad made the turkey, stuffing and waldorf salad. Mom made fabulous dumplings with the turkey drippings and made the mashed potatoes. Carb fiesta!

3. If someone could fix you a meal, and you didn't have to worry about cost or calorie count, what would you ask them to make?
I could go for Mom's dumplings about now.

4. What food(s) do you truly dislike/hate/have allergies to?
Canned peaches. Bad association with elementary school. In fact it's only now that I eat much in the way of fruits. I'm more of a veggie gal.

5. Could you give up eating meat if you wanted/needed to?
Yeah probably. Although especially if I could have an exception for dairy/eggs.

From thefridayfive community:
1. What's your favorite restaurant in your city?
2. What do you like to order there?
3. What's your favorite appetizer, at any restaurant?
4. What's a restaurant dish you've tried to make at home?
5. What would make you refuse to go back to a restaurant?

1. New Jersey is a bit odd that there are only a couple of cities with pretty well defined borders. I'll use the town where I live in Highland Park. My fave restaurant is the little Dish Cafe
2. One of their super yummy omelets on the special weekend menu with grits on the side
3. I'd say dim sum but that's a meal full of appetizers so I'll go with fried calamari
4. I've tried to make homemade Chinese food since I took a class but you just can't duplicate that at home. Interestingly I was having a conversation last night with my Mom where ChiChi's came up and I wondered if there were any restaurants around since I used to love their cancun/seafood chimichangas. I have a "cheat" recipe and I'm tempted to make it. Oh and ChiChi's closed their restaurants in 2004
5. Bugs. Yeah, you know that they're in restaurants but if I see one, it sticks in my head