My Favorite Things

Bacon and butter and whiskey and vino
Indian and Polish and most things Latino
Fresh fettucine and fried onion rings
These are a few of my favorite things

Boiled Maine Lobsters and hot Texas chili
Stacked Philly cheese steaks and Long Island iced tea
Real New York Pizza and Buffalo wings
These are a few of my favorite things

When my day sucks
When my friends bail
When I'm feeling sad
I cook up a few of my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad!

Rodgers & Hammerstein bastardizations aside, there are several ingredients that make their way into 90% of my recipes.  Without further ado, here is my list of foods for which I'd sell a vital organ before giving them up:

• Bacon - I'm not that different from the dog on the "Beggin' Strips" commercial.
• Butter - Not going to lie, I eat it plain.  Two pats for the pan, one for my mouth.
• Pasta - I'd be a pretty half-arsed Italian if pasta didn't make it in my top 10.  Pasta is one of the most versatile basic ingredients available, and using it allows the cook a tremendous amount of creativity.  It's the culinary version of a blank canvas.
• Sushi - from plain old California maki rolls to more exotic sushi and sashimi choices like eel, flying fish roe, and sea urchin, there's something for everyone.
• Oysters - stay tuned, I'm learning how to shuck oysters on Saturday!  Although I generally prefer mine with nothing but a squirt of fresh lemon and a quick grind of black pepper, I have an interesting twist on a mignonette on deck. 
• Scotch - Johnnie Black was my gateway scotch.  I graduated to single malt after buying a bottle of Ardbeg 10-year, which I diligently hunted down simply because Bon Appetit referred to it as "liquid bacon."
• Lemons - when life gives me lemons, I believe it's God's way of dropping a subtle hint that he's craving chicken piccata. 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - cooking with anything else is like funneling O'Douls.
• Chiles - chile flakes?  Always.  Chipotles?  Yes, please.  Habaneros?  Thank you for making my vodka sting and my bloody marys kick.
• Anchovies - don't say "eew!"  They're fantastic.  I dare you to find flavor in a a Puttanesca or Caesar dressing made without them. 

Honorable mentions:  hardneck garlic, bottarga, lacinato kale, heirloom tomatoes, basil, heavy cream, jicama, and roasted red peppers. 


What are your favorite foods and ingredients?  Leave a comment!