What would your last meal be?

It's my favorite question to ask people. A stupid 'what if' question, sure, but a great one nonetheless. Other than sex, the act of eating is probably one of the most pleasurable experiences we as a species partake of on a regular basis. Of course, we can't always, but we'd love to be able to eat that great steak or two-foot high sandwich.

It's impossible to pinpoint one's favorite dish...it's like picking a favorite parent. It just won't happen. So, what's the difference between inquiring about a favorite dish and asking about an individual's death-row meal? Easy. Your last dish may not be the best thing you've ever eaten, or the most lavish, exotic plate you can wrap your mind around. Quite possibly, your last meal would be a comfort-based meal; one your mother prepared when you were younger, or that specific plate you order every time you visit your neighborhood dive.

I know that when I have to pick a final meal, assuming I have the teeth to still chew it, it'll be my grandmother's Mehshi, a Syrian Jewish dish of zucchini stuffed with ground beef, rice and spices, simmered long and slow in a sauce of dried apricots and figs. It's simple - I challenge you to find it on any restaurant menu - and it's a peasant food, but it's the last thing I want to digest if ever I have to make that decision.

So I ask you - what is that one meal so close to your heart that it's the last thing you ever want to eat?

Best meals in Burlington under $10

5. KKD --> rise and shiner
You really can't go wrong with 12 inches of eggs, cheese, breakfast meats of dubious composition and grease-covered potato patties. It could be 1 PM after sleeping in late, or 1 AM after a couple too many drinks around the corner or up the street. Really, there is no specific time of day to consume a 'shiner', seeing as there is no real good way to digest this cardiac catastrophe waiting to happen. This plus a drink will put you back 9 bucks. Feeling cheap? Get a small (it'll certainly add a couple of years to your life to go small rather than large) and the total will barely be over 5 bucks.
4. Bueno Y Sano --> steak burrito
Really, anything mixed with beans, rice, salsa and guacamole and wrapped into a burrito too big to pick up is generally a good thing. Bueno Y Sano, hands down the best gringo Mexican in town, will give you all of this plus a drink for about $8.50. The quality of the food at Bueno is better than that of Mo's, and the portion sizes blow Bolocco out of the water. Really, it's the best of both - quality (relative, of course) AND quantity.
3. Skinny Pancake --> coconut curried potato crepe
The French ghosts of my past may be turning in their graves at the mere mention of a crepe stuffed with curried russet and sweet potatoes (or, to be more specific, the entire business model of the Skinny Pancake, up to and including the name), but I'm willing to ignore the disembodied screams of horror and dismay simply because, well, it's delicious. Spicy, savory, sweet - this crepe may not resemble the traditional French variety, but at 7 dollars, who cares? Though both KKD and Bueno out-do the Skinny Pancake for sheer volume of consumable product, the feeling you get after ingesting this (or, really, anything of the S.P. menu) marvel of culinary blasphemy is one of satisfaction, not of bloated flatulence.
2. Asiana House --> maki rolls
Everyone who's ever eaten sushi will tell you that maki is a very personal. This is why I'm not suggesting specific rolls. When I eat at Asiana (in my opinion, much better than Sakura and far more convenient than Koto), I generally go for Spicy Tuna and then whatever the chef recommends for that day. Two rolls will run you just shy of 10 bucks, so if you're trying to stay under budget, don't order off the (quite extensive) menu of novelty fruity drinks (in some cases more costly than the food itself).
1. Pho Dang --> Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)
Slightly out of the way (about 10 minutes walking distance from downtown Winooski along route 2) Pho Dang is a somewhat seedy, hygienically questionable, horribly decorated establishment. The one waitress can usually be found sprawled across a vacant table texting away on her cell phone, the menus are permanently attached to the tabletops, they have no liqueur license (and therefore no booze in sight) and Vietnamese music usually emanates rather annoyingly from a boombox somewhere in the kitchen. So, you're wondering, why the hell is this the best meal in Burlington? Well, for $6.50, you can happily slurp your way through a piping hot bowl of Pho, Vietnam's (wonderful) gift to the world. Somewhere between ramen, your mom's Matzah Ball soup, and beef stew, Pho (pronounced FUH) is essentially a spicy beef broth with rice noodles, various cuts of rare and well done beef, beef tendon, meatballs, lemongrass, bean sprouts and scallions. You won't look pretty eating it, trust me. Between the broth dribbling off your chin and the chili-induced sweat that will almost certainly develop on your forehead, don't come here if you're trying to lure someone home. Trust me, though, when I say that a bowl of Pho will satisfy every taste receptor in your mouth (in a relatively masochistic way) and will (yes) cure even the most vile of hangovers. If you can look past your surroundings and focus on the food, Pho Dang may well be the best cheap place to get food in Burlington.

Ideas for leftover Turkey - more to come late

Pulled Mediterranean Turkey Salad
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: N/A
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs cooked white meat turkey, pulled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
5 artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 red onion, julienned
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
4 tbsp capers
4 peperoncini, small dice
3 tbspns dried tarragon
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tarragon vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Garnish with zest of 1 lemon
Salt + pepper to taste

Directions:
In large bowl, combine vinegar and dijon, and whisk in olive oil slowly to allow emulsification. Combine remaining ingredients in separate bowl and then mix with dressing thoroughly. Garnish with lemon zest

Turkey and Egg Hash Sandwich
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs white meat turkey, pulled, diced
4 eggs
4 sandwich rolls
8 slices Gruyere cheese
1 red pepper, small dice
1 yellow pepper, small dice
1 bunch scallions
2 shallots
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt + pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet. Add scallions and shallots and let brown slightly. Add peppers and allow to soften. Add turkey, cumin and Tabasco. Saute on high for 3-5 minutes. Add eggs. Cook another 3 minutes. Separate into four even servings and place on sandwich rolls, leaving sandwiches open-faced. Add 2 slices of Gruyere to each and place in preheated oven for 3 minutes. Remove, close sandwich and serve hot.

Potato Gnocche

Prep time: 1 1/2 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1. 3 pounds russet potatoes (quartered)
2. 3-4 cups all purpose flour
3. 2 eggs
4. Salt + pepper to taste

Directions:
Add potatoes to saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let boil 5-10 minutes. When you can insert a knife with minimal resistance into a potato, turn off heat. Let sit in hot water additional 5 minutes. Strain out water. While still hot, peel potatoes (note: this will be easier if you have a bowl of ice water next to you, as it will keep you from burning your fingertips).

Using potato ricer, mash peeled potatoes till smooth. Fold potato puree out onto floured surface, creating mound. Create a 'crater' in the middle of potato mound and break two eggs into it. Sprinkle 3 cups flour around outside of crater. Using fork, begin to incorporate eggs and potatoes, working from the center outwards. When egg is fully incorporated, fold in remaining flour and potato and kneed dough that forms until smooth and uniform. This dough ball should be roughly the size of a honeydew.

Fill medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil (salt and oil water)

Cut dough ball into four equal parts. Roll each separate piece into its own ball, and then slowly work to create a 1/2 inch diameter dowel. Cut into 1 inch dumplings. Repeat with remaining dough.

When water comes to a boil, roll each dumpling off the back of a fork into water. You will know the gnocchi have finished boiling when they rise to the surface. Remove individual gnoccho as they rise to surface and drop in cold-water bath to shock. Repeat until all gnocchi are finished.

When ready to serve, heat sauce of choice in large saute pan, and, when simmering, add gnochhi for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until heated through

homemade tomato sauce

Prep time: less than 5 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: N/A (makes about a quart)

Ingredients:
1. 2 large cans diced tomatoes
2. 2 large spanish onions, medium dice
3. 5 cloves garlic, minced
4. 3 tablespoons tomato paste
5. 2 tablespoons fresh or dried basil
6. 2 tablespoons fresh or dried oregano
7. 2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
9. Salt + pepper to taste
10. Optional: 1 cup chicken stock

Directions:
In large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic. Let cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add cans of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, salt, pepper and optional cup of stock. Bring to simmer and reduce heat to low. Let simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and store in airtight containers under refrigeration.

Sauce will last 1-2 weeks if stored properly.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 (6 as appetizer)

Ingredients:
1. 6 cups chicken stock
2. 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
3. 1 cup arborio rice
4. 1/2 cup chopped scallions
5. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
6. about 5 tablespoons dry white wine
7. 3 tablespoons chopped sage, plus 1 whole sprig
8. 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
9. 1 tablespoon olive oil
10. Salt + pepper to taste
11. Parsley, for garnish

Directions:
In medium saucepan, bring stock to boil with whole sage sprig. Reduce to simmer when stock reaches boil.

Add cubed butternut to separate medium saucepan and fill with water until chunks are completely submerged. Bring to boil and let cook until squash cubes lose their form (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and roughly mash with potato ricer or masher.

In saute pan on high, heat olive oil and then add scallions and garlic. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Add rice and toss with oil, scallions and garlic, allowing to toast slightly.

When rice tips begin to turn opaque, add 2 cups of heated stock and begin to stir. Stir continuously. Rice will begin to absorb liquid (you want liquid to disappear). At this point, add white wine slowly, so as not to ignite pan, all the while stirring. When all the stock has been absorbed by rice, add another half cup. Repeat this step for remaining stock until all has been added to pan (note: it may get tiring, but do not stop stirring - doing so will allow rice to clump and you will lose the 'risotto' consistency).

When most, but not all, of the stock has been absorbed, begin to stir in mashed squash. When all the squash has been incorporated, slowly stir in parmesan and sage. Remove immediately from heat. Serve immediately, garnished with a sprig or 2 of parsley.

Farfalle alla Pancetta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1. 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
2. 1/2 pound sliced pancetta (cured bacon), roughly chopped
3. 1/4 cup olive oil
4. 3 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
5. 1/4 cup sage, chopped
6. 1/4 cup oregano, chopped
7. 4 eggs
8. Parmesan, for garnish
9. Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Bring 1 quart of salted water to boil. In medium saucepan, heat olive oil with whole garlic cloves. This is for flavor. After cloves have browned (about 3-5 minutes) remove from oil (discard) and add pancetta to pan. Saute for 5-6 minutes, or until rendered and crisp. Add sage and oregano and immediately turn heat off.

When water reaches boil, add farfalle and cook 7-8 minutes.

Remove farfalle from water using spider or slotted spoon and add to pan with pancetta and herbs. Turn heat back on and incorporate all ingredients together for 1-2 minutes. Remove contents to large bowl and let cool slightly.

With remaining oil in pan, crack and fry eggs 3-4 minutes on one side.

To serve, portion pasta into 4 deep bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and top with fried egg.

Bluebird Tavern...tee minus 29 hours

Burlington has a lot of good food. Really. It does. But what separates Burlington's food scene from that of the major food capitals (NYC, Chicago, Montreal, etc...) that I've been to in the US is its lack of high-end creativity. Sure, the comfort food is certainly here, and I'll be the last person to complain. But where the hell does one go to try something new and adventurous? Up until now, there wasn't really anywhere to go to satisfy said urge.

Bluebird Tavern, boys and girls, seems to be the answer to the riddle. I've yet to set foot inside the restaurant, but already know the menu backwards and forwards. Check back tomorrow if such menu items as Uni (sea urchin roe), black spaghetti with squid, monkfish cheeks and steak tartare seem in any way appealing. I know I'm excited, and in a town like this one, a restaurant really needs the support of the public to stay afloat - especially one like Bluebird Tavern. The more people that get excited about it, the better.

This one's for the veggies -- Spicy Kombu and Warm Shitake Mushroom Salad

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups dried kombu (kelp), julienned (note: dried kombu can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets
2. 2 cups shitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
3. 1 red bell pepper, julienned
4. 1 cup red cabbage, julienned
5. 1/2 cup peanuts
6. 1/2 cup soy sauce
7. 4 tablespoons thai style sweet chili sauce
8. 4 tablespoons olive oil
9. 1 thai chili, seeded, minced
10. 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
11. 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
12. 1/2 cup basil or thai basil, julienned (for garnish)
13. Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In medium saucepan over high heat, add soy sauce, chili sauce, garlic and ginger. Slowly whisk in three tablespoons of the olive oil until properly emulsified. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Let reduce by half. While still hot, pour over julienned kombu and immediately remove to refrigerator. Let marinade at least an hour (ideally 3-4 hours).

While kombu is marinading, combine bell pepper, cabbage and peanuts. After enough time has passed, remove kombu from fridge and combine with vegetables. Save marinade.

In saute pan, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add shitakes, and saute 3-4 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Add salt and pepper and let cool to just above room temperature.

Just before serving, add chilis and peanuts. Toss in marinade and top with warm mushrooms and basil.

The Alchemist Pub and Brewery

I hope this will be the first of many restaurants I visit that is good enough to compel the laziest man on earth to write a review.

Recently I've started to look outside Burlington's immediate vicinity for quality dining establishments, seeing as, in 2 and 1/2 years of living here, I've exhausted most of the restaurant options this town has to offer. My visit to the Alchemist Pub and Brewery in downtown Waterbury (exit 10 off I-89) is one such excursion. Waterbury is a sleepy little town, overshadowed by the town of Stowe, 20 minutes to its south. As such, arriving after dark (it was close to 7:30 when I pulled off the highway onto Main Street), there was little to no activity. Most, if not all, of the local businesses were already closed for the evening, and the sidewalks were virtually empty. Naturally, I was expecting a similar level of inactivity when I walked through the doors of the brewpub, but was instead greeted with a 30-35 minute wait (FYI, it was a Wednesday).

No matter, I thought, as the Alchemist is perhaps more famous for its beer than it is for its food. The wait time allowed me and my roommates, along enthusiastically for the experience, to sample some of the brews (none of which, by the way, are sold outside the restaurant). The Harvest Ale, a seasonal variety, and the Lightweight, a pilsner, were my personal favorites, though the porter was also well above average.

The Alchemist, opened in 2003 by Jennifer and John Kimmich, is an elegant but casual example of the wonders of doing as much in-house as is possible. Every beer served at the restaurant is brewed by Mr. Kimmich himself. Don't bother asking for bottled beer - they don't have any, and drinking the house beer is part of the experience anyway. Also, don't go expecting a dimly-lit, Gothic themed pub. The Alchemist is a great example of contemporary Vermont style - seemingly mismatched artwork and junkyard scraps somehow creating a kind of harmonic cacophony. The mood, like the decor, is extremely casual - people standing three or four rows deep at the bar wearing everything from denim and Carharts to Express and Banana Republic, and everyone seemingly in extraordinarily good spirits.

But my real purpose in visiting the Alchemist was its food, good enough to make a Mark Bittman New York Times review about a year ago. When finally seated, I'd had enough time to peruse the menu and decide what I wanted. I ordered the Brew Burger, a pub classic that can be as run-of-the-mill and generic as almost anything. Nathan ordered the smoked pork burrito, another easy comfort food that can often be extremely bland. Ben ordered red beans and rice, also served with pork. I should note, by the way, that all the pork served is smoked in-house (another good example of how the Alchemist distances itself from most brewpubs). I also ordered the french fries, served, to my surprise, in a newspaper cone, the traditional Belgian way, with house-made garlic mayo and spicy ketchup.

When our meals arrived, any and all conversation stopped - no point in wasting air on talking when we could chew instead. My burger was extremely flavorful, with Bleu Cheese and caramelized onions. Nate and Ben were both highly satisfied by their meals, and the pork was some of the best I've ever tasted. Nick, who, to my slight disapproval, had ordered a salad. Fortunately for him, and proving me very wrong, the salad that arrived was huge and full of fresh ingredients - a man's salad, if I've ever seen one.

My experience at the Alchemist was quite good - and all for about $20 per person (2 beers and a main course). I will say with absolute certainty that I'll be returning sometime in the near future, hopefully with more people from Burlington. The Vermont Pub and Brewery is good, but it's worth it, without a shred of doubt, to drive an extra half hour to get to the Alchemist. The atmosphere is young and exciting, the beer is great and the food is a delicious mix of classic pub-fare and contemporary American cuisine.

When the food arrived, any conversations we'd been having

Stuffed Chicken Caprese

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Fresh Mozzarella (small dice)
1 Tomato (small dice)
1/2 Bunch Basil
4 Slices Prosciutto
or
8 Slices bacon
Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
Salt + Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for searing

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using tenderizer or heavy metal spoon, pound chicken until it becomes 1/2 its original thickness. salt and pepper both sides of each breast.

Portion 2-3 tablespoons of the diced mozzarella and 2-3 tablespoons of diced tomato onto each breast. Layer on a single basil leaf.

Roll the breasts around the mozzarella, tomato and basil. Wrap 1 slice of prosciutto (or 2 slices of bacon) around the breast and stick 2 toothpicks through to keep from unrolling.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Once hot, place rolled-up breasts down and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove to sheet pan with parchment paper. Finish in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until interior temperature of meat is between 165 and 170 degrees.

Remove from oven and serve immediately, with a couple more basil leaves and some grated Parmesan cheese.