Massive Food Survey!

I think I’ve done this survey already, but I’m too lazy to check. I’ll look around when I have time but the cool thing about doing the survey more than once is that you can compare the answers and see if the changed over time… which is what I’ll try when I finish writing this up. But for now I’ve for a bit of time and since I love food and surveys, this is pretty much a no brainer for me. If you do fill this out, let me know cause I love to read everyone else’s answers. Have a good weekend and I’ll be around…

Peter

1. What’s the last thing you ate?

I had Mr. Noodle for lunch while here at the center.

2. What’s your favourite cheese?

I’m a fan of a lot of cheeses, but I’m a real sucker for a brick of Harvarti. Gouda, Brie and a few others arae my fav, but my fall back is always Harvarti.

3. What’s your favourite fish?

Shark, eats like a steak and has all the goodness of seafood. Has little or no fat and also makes a kickass sandwich when mashed up with a little mayo.

4. What’s your favourite fruit?

Lately, it’s been apples. Especially those soft yellow ones.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives?

A few years ago, probaby around 2004… I had a pizza with my Dad that had green olives and I loved it. I’ve been eating green and black olives every since much to the disgust of my wife Leah. There’s been a lot of things she hates that I’ve gotten into lately. I guess my taste buds are just maturing.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer?

I have a few beers when I was younger, but I never really developed a taste for it. I think they’re disgusting. I’m more of a wine and liquour kind of guy… so I don’t drink beer. There is a really cool alcoholic cider called “Strongbow” that drinks like a beer, but is really isn’t. That one I could drink all night.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish?

I adore shellfish. Mom and Dad had it every now and then but since moving to the island I eat a lot more of it. Shrimp, scallops, mussells and Lobster are my absolute favorites and I eat them every chance I get. My Mom always has Lobster when she comes down cause it’s so much cheaper here, even when its out of season. Dad is more of a shrimp person so I always make sure there’s a few rings in the freezer for him.

8. What was the best thing your mom/dad/guardian used to make?

My Mom makes an amazing Turkey, and that is usually what I look forward to the most during the holidays. She makes a stuffing with rasins that I just adore. Hmmmm…

Dad is more of a BBQ kind of cook, but he has been doing a little better with the crock pot and such. When I was a kid, I always loved it when Dad made fried egg sandwiches for breakfast on the weekends. We loved it when he wouldn’t toast the bread and eat the hot egg with the soft warm bread. That was always the best…

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown?

On the island, it’s a dish called “Jiggs Dinner”. You take an enormous stewing pot, and put a crapload of veggies into it, and then toss in a few pounds of salted beef. You let them cook for hours and the flavor from the salted beef goes into the veggies, making them the best damn vegetables you will ever eat. Even turnip tastes amazing when eating them this way. You also coak a roast chicken or turkey with this and it’s a traditional Sunday dinner for families. Leah makes a kickass Jiggs Dinner, so I look forward to many with the kids in the near future.

10. What’s your comfort food?

Right now, it’s been crackers and cheese. Give me a block of gouda and some nice butter crackers and I’m smitten to enjoy a good night of television. I’ve also been eating a lot of sardines with crackers lately too… again to Leah’s disgust.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate?

Chocolate is cool, but I don’t eat much of it now. I used to love eating chocolate oranges. Those things rock!

12. How do you like your steak?

Medium Rare. I like it with no blood but a nice pink line going through the middle…. leaving it nice and juicey.

13. How do you like your burger?

I like it medium well. I don’t like any pink at all in my burgers. I also like it with cheese, ketchup, relish and pickles. Tonnes of pickles…

14. How do you like your eggs?

I love them scrambled, but I also love omeletes with lots of goodies and cheese stuffed inside!

15. How do you like your potatoes?

Baked with a crapload of sour cream and bacon bits on top!

16. How do you take your coffee?

I don’t drink coffee anymore. I never was really fond of it and just cut it right out and I’ve felt better for it…

17. How do you take your tea?

With a lot of milk and a lot of sugar.

18. What’s your favourite mug?

I have a few kickass mugs. Here are a few of my favorites:

– My Hooter’s Mug from Tennessee.

– My Harry Potter “Slytherian” Mug

– A mug that says “Who Says I Never Lift A Finger” and is has a picture if a bird being lifted. Priceless…

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice?

I like Fig Newtons. Amazing stuff.

Right Now Ethan is into bearpaws… which are a lot better for him than a lot of cookies other parents are getting their kids his age. I usually restrict him to the oatmeal, banana and apple flavored ones and he loves it.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast?

I would love to have a scrambled eggs, with a side of sausage and toast. That would kick ass…

21. What’s your ideal sandwich?

Sour Dough bread, Smoked Montreal Meat and a nice slice of Swiss Cheese and real Mayo. Some pickles would be nice too.

22. What’s your ideal pizza:

If it was just me eating it, I would get olives, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni and Anchovies. Nope, I’m not joking here… I adore anchovies on a pizza. I get it everytime I have Pizza with Dad cause he loves them too.

If other people are having the pizza with me, Leah and I usually go with Pepperoni, Green peppers, mushrooms and bacon. That usually goes well with everyone…

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)?

I like Peacan Pie, but don’t eat it too often. Just once in a blue moon cause Leah can’t stand that particluar pie. I’m not fond of any others so we don’t have pies that often in our home.

24. What’s your ideal salad?

I love caesar salad, with oddles of caesar sauce all over it. I’m also a sucker for a good macaroni salad too. My Mom makes an amazing potato salad, and I always ask her to make it when I come over.

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge?

Always got to have milk and juice in the fridge for something drink. Always good to also have bread and meats to make something quick for a snack too.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer?

Always love to have skinless, boneless chicken breasts and some frozen cod as well. Leah always wants to have spare loaves of bread in there too.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard?

The one thing I love to have in the cupboard at all times is soup. I always love to have a few cans up there just incase I need it. Soup is a very realiable thing to have as you can just whip out a can and slap together a quick mean (Soup and Sandwiches, anyone) with little or no notice. Leah loves to have Chicken noodle, but Ethan and I have been feasting on Clam Chowder and Italian Wedding soups lately. Ethan loves then and they’re both good for him too. Lots of iron and other goodness…

28. What spices can you not live without?

I love using basil, lemon-pepper and Paprika. Anything else is a bonus, but I gotta have those three.

29. What sauces can you not live without?

Sauces are nice, but not a necessity. I like them as much as the next person but they’re not that important.

30. Where do you buy most of your food?

I usually get mine from a grocery store like Sobey’s or Dominion. I try to go to markets or indepedent vendors but when time and expenses are an issue I’ll usually got the big chains to save time and money. They do offer healthy choices to I don’t feel too bad about going to them.

31. How often do you go food shopping?

Leah and I sometimes try to do it about once every two weeks but occassionally I’ll have to go back for a few things here and there when necessary.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own?

That would be our George Forman indoor Grill. Damn, that thing is amazing and worth every penny we paid for it.

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen?

That would be a new coffee machine for Leah. It allows her to brew single mugs at a time, which is good cause she’s the only person who drinks coffee in our household.

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without?

Leah would tell you it’s the coffee machine, but it’s clearly our can opener. Try going without that for a few weeks man and you’ll be convinced.

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients?

I’d say Leah and I cook about 50-70% of the time from raw ingredients. We try to do the cooking from scratch as much as we can but will take shortcuts as often as possible.

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients?

That would be the Omelete I made for Ethan last week. He loves it when I whip him up a nice Cheese omelete, and I love cooking them up for him. Since Leah got a new pan for Xmas, I’ve become a real Omelete pro, much to Ethan’s full approval.

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry?

This will likely be the answer that gets me the most hate notes. Here are the meats I’ve eaten besides the meats listed above:

Fish: Obvious since I live so close to the ocean. Cod is huge here as is salmon and halibut.

Seal: The Seal hunt is big over here and I have a lot of friends and family who take part in the hunt. The meat actually tastes pretty good, and I think I’m the only person I know who loves a good piece of seal flipper pie… which is a traditional meal here on the island.

Snake: Something I tried when I went to South Korea to teach English as a second language. Didn’t mind it, but wouldn’t go out of my way to eat it again.

Eel: Pretty much the same as snakes, just different type of animal. I found these rather rubbery and I usually am not fond of foods like that.

Octopus: I had a lot of octopus when I was living in Korea, and I had this served to me in many different ways. I loved it when they were chopped up and boiled in a soup, but I had real fun trying to eat the buggers when they were still alive. It’s not fun having your food fight back, but this was a traditional meal for that part of Korea so I at least tired it once, was quite an experience.

Dog: Yeah, those crazy Koreans will eat anything, and this traditional meal was something I tried during their thanksgiving holiday. The newest generation doesn’t think it’s very PC, but the south coast where I was working ate it often and like it was Sunday Dinner. I’m a strong believer of never hacking anything unless you try it first, so I gave it a try. It was actually really good, and I had it a few times before heading home.

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor?

It was when I dropped a cookie. Was down for less than 5 seconds… so it didn’t count.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild?

That would be when I did a little work on an orchard. I picked my own berries and apples. Was hard work, but fun.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: (Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Sushi and Indian.)

6. Thai
5. Sushi
4. Chinese
3. Indian
2. Mexican
1. Italian

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: (Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Beer and Rum.)

5. Beer
4. Rum
3. Brandy
2. Whiskey
1. Vodka

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: (Garlic, Basil, Caramel, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed.)

7. Caramel
6. Mint
5. Ginger
4. Lime
3. Aniseed
2. Basil
1. Garlic

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: (Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana.

7. Pinapple
6. Cherry
5. Watermelon
4. Orange
3. Strawberry
2. Apple
1. Banana

45. Bread and spread:

I prefer Sourdough Bread the most, but also enjoy fine grained breads as well. As for spread, lately I’ve been very picky about my margarines, only going for stuff that is non-hydrogenated.

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order?

Two places I love hitting for fast food is Taco Bell and Harveys, both of which are not available on the island. So usually I’ll hit Dairy Queen and get the Mushroom Swiss Grillburger combo.

If I actually get a chance to hit a Taco Bell when visiting someone off the island, I’ll get something new I’ve never tried before and experiment a little with new menu options.

Usually when I go to Harveys, I’ll get the double burger and onion ring Combo.

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city?

I’ll pick a few…

Cleveland: The only meal I’ve eaten in this city was hotdogs and nachos, but since that was eaten at Jacobbs Field during a kickass Indian’s game… it was quite memorable. Dad and I went in the summer of 2004, and watched the Indians lose to the Mariners of Seattle. Fifteen rows behind first base was not too shabby, and we picked up a cool outfit for Ethan as well.

Detroit: While their stadium food is quite good, the best meal I had was when my Dad was working in this city. Just down the street in the middle of the downtown area is an amazing pizza place that makes the best deep dish pizza I have ever eaten.

Nashville: One word: Longhorns. An amazing steak house where I love to dine everytime I visit.

Osaka: I had a tuna burger at McDonald’s there… was a tad freaky.

Toronto: My all time TO favorite is Honest Ed’s which I last had in 1992 before going to see Les Miz at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Amazing Stuff…

San Francisco: I was in the city only for a few hourse while on layover before flying 12 hours to Seoul, I had a authentic sourdough sandwich that was $8 but to die for. I loved it so much, I bought another to take to Asia with me to snack on during the long flight.

Seoul: I had a lot of memorable meals in Korea, as you can tell from previous answers. One of my all time favs there was the first when I had a positive take out for my first asian meal. Was a lot of fun and made a good first impression.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day?

For those who are not aware of what a tipple is, it’s a fancy word people use to describe an end of the working day alcoholic drink. If I had a really rough day and wanted something to take the edge off… my tipple of choice would be Crown Royal, straight on ice.

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat?

Supper, when I get home from work. Leah isn’t sure what we’ll have yet but I’ll try to whip something up when I get back.

50. Are you hungry now?

Not too much, but I’m sure I will be when I get home.

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday?

I try to, but sometimes I just don’t have the time when trying to get ready and take care of the kids at the same time.

52. At what time do you have breakfast?

Usually between 7am – 8am during workdays…

53. At what time do you have lunch?

Usually whenever they’re scheduled during my shift.

54. What do you have for lunch?

I think I answered this already, it was a Mr. Noodle. Nothing earth shattering, but I find it good to eat when I have a sniffle.

55. At what time do you have dinner?

Usually around 5pm, when Ethan gets a little dramatic about his stomach.

56. What do you have for dinner?

Leah and I usually like to serve a variety and keep things fresh. That seems to be working with Ethan who enjoys most of our selections.

57. Do you light candles during dinner?

I used to do that for Leah and it was just us… now with the kids that is way too dangerous.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair?

There are only four chairs and none of them are a main chair. if there was one, of course I would sit in it.

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one?

I acutally use both, which ever is closer to the glass.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most:

I like them all but peas… those little green fuckers are EVIL!

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least?

Fruit is Pinapple… refer to previous answer for veggie.

63. You like your fruit salad to have more:

Melon, that orange shit is awesome!

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more:

Cheese, never have enough in there. Croutons and bacon bits are cool too…

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread?

Mayo… forget that Miracle Whip Shit. Helmans all the way!

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar?

Usually I don’t mind a Coffee Crisp every now and then…

67. What’s your favourite dessert?

I’m a sucker for some jello, always room for that!

68. What’s your favourite drink?

Strongbow, a nice refreshing alcoholic drink. Usually for non-alcoholic… I like a good soda. Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper.

69. What’s your favourite snack?

Cheese & Crackers… always filling

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour?

I’m not a big fan of bubble gum, the stuff is just nasty.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?

Hmmm… Rocky Road.

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour?

When I was in South Korea (see what an impact that had on me…) i had curry flavored pringles. I’ve been dying to try them again and never have.

73. What’s your favourite soup?

Right now I’m smitten over Clam Chowder. Ethan and I have been eating once every week or two.

74. What’s your favourite pizza?

As I stated above, (getting repeditive her a little) I love to eat a pizza with anchovies on it.

75. What’s your favourite type of dish?

I like something with a bit of variety. One main course with a few good side dishes. This is why I like buffets, lots of variety.

76. What food do you hate?

There are not too mnay foods I’m not fond off… peas and pinapple being the biggest… but I also hate foods that are just utra spicey for the sake of being spicey.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant?

I have to pick just one? I guess the Chinese Buffet I had in Tennessee was pretty kickass just cause it was authentic. Hooters was pretty cool too…

78. Do you eat homemade food, food delivered from outside?

Both actually, depending on our mood and what kind of time and money we have available to us.

80. Who cooks at home?

Usually Leah does a lot of the cooking, but I’ve been picking up the slack and helping her out a lot more. I’ve been bold and tried to do my best, and I think she appreaciates any help I can offer cause she shouldn’t have to do it all.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have?

Right now, we’re not on any special diet. Just making healthy choices and working around things that will stick to our bones as much as possible.

82. How do you keep yourself fit?

Right now, I’m walking every now and then to work. But as I said before I’ll have four floors of stairs to help me out and then I plan to hit the gym… so this year could be a good one for me exercise wise. We’ll have to wait and see.