The "Tinidog"
I am very intrigued by the combinations of foods or foods and drinks that people have as their favorites. For instance, one of my very favorites is a corn dog along with a gin martini. This combination has come to be known as a “tinidog” in our house. And although I do not have names for all of my personal preferences, I do have a certain relationship with some foods and drinks that others find to be rather curious. And I know that I am not alone.
For most people, coffee is the drink of choice for breakfast. The caffeine gets them going and ready for the day. I personally cannot drink coffee as it does not agree with me but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want my caffeine in the morning. Therefore, my drink of choice with breakfast has been Diet Coke. I can get that extra jolt and the cool fizz of the soda is just perfect for me.
I have also found myself to be a big fan of having dinner as they do in Europe where the salad is served after the entrée. I could never figure out exactly how much salad to have at the beginning of my dinner so that I did not end up with too little room for my steak and potatoes. I mean why would you fill up on all of that greenery and then have to waste the real reason that you so carefully chose what you truly wanted for your meal?
There are other combinations that I really like that seem to be regional in nature. I grew up on the East Coast and one of my favorite uses for left-over turkey was turkey and gravy on waffles. However, here in California, when I mentioned making this for dinner, I got the strangest looks from my friends. They told me that they had never heard of this combination and that it sounded funny to them.
I also have a list of other foods that my friends have indicated that they did not know existed. Included on the list is scrapple and Lebanon bologna (also known as summer sausage) and cosmos and pickled eggs and beef heart with stuffing and Pepper Pot soup, to name a few. And I am a fan of having cold pizza for breakfast or perhaps starting a meal with ice cream and working backwards from there.
I am now on a quest to find out what others conjure up for their special food combinations or what food and drinks are their favorites. I am sure that there are many unique ways that people prepare certain foods that are outside of what many others consider to be “normal” and I really would appreciate it if you would share your personal choices with all of us.