MUCH LIKE A PARTY at my house, the party in my mouth only goes well when some forethought is given to who sits next to whom. Chocolate and peanut butter? Hate ‘em as a couple; love ‘em alone, which is the same damn thing I frequently hear myself say about many of my friends.
So I’m not the least bit surprised to apply the thought to my palate, bringing to mind a whole new way to look at food. Ham and tomatoes? Huge retching sounds heard now. Saltines with butter? Gross. Almonds and anything? Too gross. Hot dog and ketchup? Get out of the way, I’m coming for the bucket. Liver and onions? Ah, never. Of course, no two women’s palates are the same. My sister’s tastes are not my own.
She likes peanut butter and chocolate together; my daughter likes butter on, ah, hmmm, everything, though particularly on Saltines, which leads me to think of each mouth as its own sorority to which only certain members need apply. Kind of makes the world of food look like one big pan-Hellenic rush week, with every recipe vying for your attention. With my obvious distaste for some of the classics, I guess my sorority is for the offbeat and oddball, the not-so usual tastes. And with that in mind, I’ve made a list of my new favorite twin sets.
Here they are:
- Pen and Fork’s Buttermilk Pancakes with Quinoa
- Backseat Gourmet’s Blue Cheese and Bacon Combo
- Austin Agrodolce’s Radishes and Soy Sauce
- 101 Cookbook’s Green Beans and Raisins
- Apartment Therapy’s Blue Cheese and Rosemary Combo
- Smitten Kitchen’s Citrus and Feta
- The Women’s Colony’s Samosa Pot Pie (by Melanie)
Got a food combo that rocks your ‘buds, or one you can’t abide?
What’s going on in your sorority, sister?
(Thanks to Eudaemonius on Flickr for the vintage punch recipe card.)
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Right now I cannot get enough of the cayenne & cheddar crackers I just made. They are so good!
Though blue cheese and rosemary sounds pretty good, too…
Oh, Danielle, you are too modest. I just checked out the recipe for those on your blog and think that everyone should share in this marvelous mix. And they can, here. Thanks for bringing it to the sisters’ attention. Got more crazy mix-ups? Bring ‘em on.
Funny that you cite me and the PB and chocolate queen and the youngest member of our family as the Saltines and butter fiend. Guess what I like much better than PB-chocolate? Yup. Butter doesn’t last long here when there are crackers (or any other edible surface) around.
Big Sister/Aunty Margaret
Funnier that I didn’t know this about you, big sister. Sounds like your basic she said/she said to me.
I love sweet & salty together but especially M&Ms or Hershey kisses with popcorn. I’ve been avoiding salted caramels because I think that would sliding into an addiction that even going to The Betty wouldn’t help.
I can think of a few things that I don’t like (boiled okra – it’s a texture thing) but I can’t think of a taste combination that I don’t like. . .
I’m sure this will be one of those things that will wake me at 3 a.m. when my subconscious pulls something from the archives.
Oooooh: M&Ms with popcorn. Cool. Yummy. Weirdly wonderful. Thanks, Roadchick. I love these sorority-of-the-mouth personal tastes. So individual. So fun. Please come back soon.
Dear Marion… thanks so much for including my quinoa pancakes on the “good” side of combos.
There aren’t too many pairings I don’t like, unless Brussels sprouts is one of the two. But I’m especially fond of avocado and lime.
One of my favorites is french fries with a good malt vinegar. It’s a western NY thing.
Hi, Sandy. Oh, me too, me too. I first had french fries with vinegar in England during a semester abroad and thought they were the crown jeweIs themselves. Lovely, lovely. I did not know that they are a western New York thing. I love that detail, as I do any new piece of knowledge on regional food. Thanks so much, and come back soon.
Hi, Chef Gwen. Oh, you’re quite welcome, indeed. I made up a batch and adore them. Ah: Quinoa. So good, so versatile. Yes: avocado and lime is a wonder, though I am amused by your steadfast dislike of the brussel sprout. Very nice. Thanks for coming by. Hope to see you here again soon.
To steal one ingredient each from Roadchick and Chef Gwen, I like popcorn (salted) with raisins, and I like lime with tequila! And ketchup doused (piled!) with pepper for dippin’ fries into. PB & choc is the classic though.
Hi there, Lynn. Oh, I like taking one from one sister and another from another. Nice sister-mix, that. I will try popcorn with raisins immediately. Lovely thought. I can just taste it now. Please come back soon for more.