Live to Eat

My dad says there are those of us who eat to live, and those who live to eat. Clearly, everyone in my family is the latter. We LOVE food. Food is how I experience new places, how I cement memories, how I define events. I just finished a fluff book where the main characters traded Top 5 Food lists, and it inspired me to make my own. Now, as soon as I hit "post" I know I'm going to think of something else that really should have been in the top 5, but I'll rack my brain as I type to get it as accurate as possible.

1. My grandma's mayonnaise cake. I had to throw this on for a couple of reasons. First, pretty much anything my grandma made was better than anyone else's. As it should be. Chicken and noodles, sausage gravy, mini pizzas--all better in Grandma's kitchen, and really all of which could be on the list. But only mayonnaise cake was truly iconic of visits to grandma, and only mayonnaise cake has proven so elusive to re-create. The moist, rich, dark chocolate, the thick icing that didn't turn runny in the Indiana humidity, the way it coated your entire mouth until you downed a huge glass of milk. We've never been able to make it quite like Grandma. When I get to heaven, pretty much the best greeting ever would be Grandma handing me a huge slice, "Laura, I saved you a whole row."

2. The bread pudding at Free State Brewery in Lawrence. In keeping with the dessert theme, this was a treat that I had recently that blew me out of the water. Every bite was an explosion of flavors--warm cherries, homemade ice cream, some sort of sinful cream sauce--yum! As I ate it, I thought, "I would give up chocolate for this!" Yup, I would.

3. Pear ravioli--I can't remember the name of the restaurant we ordered in from in Maxincuckee, so I've never been able to go back, but oh the ravioli was so good! I don't know what was in the filling but it was slightly sweet and nutty and covered in the best cream sauce. Literally every time I have ravioli I think of this meal, gathered around the table at the lake house, listening to the water lap at the dock and watching the sun go down.

4. Bison filet at The Fort--the best (and probably most expensive) steak I've ever had. Cooked to perfection, melt in your mouth tender, and accompanied by a mariachi band singing Michelle and me "Happy Birthday". Too bad you only turn 18 once.

5. Butternut squash soup--at this little cafe that is a favorite of my aunt's. It was warm and creamy and delicious and everything you've ever thought soup should be (the salmon tart that came with it also could go on the list--flaky crust, goat cheese, yum!).

Runners up--Chicago dog at Wrigley (iconic!), grilled corn on the cob from Caldonia's at Taste of Colorado (drip down your chin juicy and slathered in butter), Aunt Carol's sticky buns, most of the Neapolitan pizza that I've ever had.

Okay, gotta stop now before I start drooling on the keyboard. What are your Top 5?