Strange food combinations that actually work.

[larry_stewart]

So, yesterday I was at a charity event in a fancy country club. During dinner they served , what they called , an exotic fruit salad. As I was serving myself, I noticed there was mango, strawberries , cranberries, pine nuts and Arugula. The arugula ( which I love) caught me off guard. Usually I have it in savory salads. My mind said 'no', but my curiosity said 'yes', and where it wasn't necessarily the greatest pairing I've ever had, I must say that it actually worked ( to the point that I'd try it at home).

So my question is , to all you folks, have you ever came across a food pairing that in your mind that you doubted, but after trying it, you actually liked ?

 

[Rocklobster]

I like toast and peanut butter with my sunny-side-up eggs...

 

[Steve Kroll]

I've always been surprised at how well roasted beets, goat cheese, and walnuts go together. Something about the sweetness of the beets, with the tang and saltiness of the of the cheese, and the crunch of the walnuts really explodes on your palate.

 

[Aunt Bea]

So, yesterday I was at a charity event in a fancy country club. During dinner they served , what they called , an exotic fruit salad. As I was serving myself, I noticed there was mango, strawberries , cranberries, pine nuts and Arugula. The arugula ( which I love) caught me off guard. Usually I have it in savory salads. My mind said 'no', but my curiosity said 'yes', and where it wasn't necessarily the greatest pairing I've ever had, I must say that it actually worked ( to the point that I'd try it at home).

So my question is , to all you folks, have you ever came across a food pairing that in your mind that you doubted, but after trying it, you actually liked ?

The cranberries caught my attention, they seem to be out of step with the seasons in that salad.

 

[GotGarlic]

The cranberries caught my attention, they seem to be out of step with the seasons in that salad.

I'm guessing they were dried. Dried cranberries are pretty common in fruity salads.

 

[GotGarlic]

Strawberries and vinegar I've made strawberries macerated with dark chocolate balsamic vinegar, served over grilled pound cake. Yummy

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The first time someone told me I should try an egg with orange juice and cream...Now I have one most mornings.

Pepper on strawberries, changes the whole flavor!

 

[larry_stewart]

I think they are dried cranberries that were kind of reconstituted with water / liquid. At first I thought they were cherries ( Which would have been good too), but after careful examination and multiple tastes, I determined it to be cranberries .

My only disappointment was I thought the fruit would have been more exotic. These days you can get just about anything anywhere, which makes what was previously considered exotic, just ordinary.

When I talk to my friend in Brazil and she shows me the variety of fruits they have there, Im so envious and jealous. I would love to go down there and do some kind of a exotic fruit tasting tour.

 

[Chef Munky]

When I was a kid my Mother would make peas and pineapple.

I loved that stuff haven't had it in years.

It's just one can of drained peas added to one can of drained pineapple chunks mixed with a little bit of Miracle whip. Chill and serve.

She quit making it when we all grew up and left the house.

When her diet changed, seemed to be a daily thing with her this last year. Nothing pleased her more than when I reminded my sister how much Mom loved it. She rarely passed it up.

 

[larry_stewart]

my son loved pickle and feta cheese sandwiches. And even though I can kinda see it, just the amount of salt alone. Sheeeesh!! And he ate it when he was like 3 years old. Not common taste profile for a little kid.

 

[outRIAAge]

First, a tame one: Peanut butter, marmalade, and cottage cheese.

Further out: orange juice and milk. You have about one minute to drink it before you need a spoon, but in the meantime it is excellent.

All the way out: Lobster and vanilla. You need courage to try that one. Even more bizarrely, it barely matters if you use real or artificial vanilla.

And one from childhood: cod liver oil and orange juice, which meant government-issued cod liver oil, and government-issued orange juice. I don't recommend the flavour, but it DID go down. The combination is so famous that there's a bawdy song written in its honour Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice.

(We also got government milk supplied free, in school, until it was cancelled by the Minister of Education, a young ambitious woman named Margaret Thatcher, earning her the first of many hateful nicknames: Thatcher, Thatcher, milk-snatcher!)

 

[jd_1138]

Dip your popcorn in some yellow mustard.

 

[Dawgluver]

Huge fan of Ruffles Sour Cream and Onion Chips dipped in cottage cheese. So much so that I've banned myself from them. Then I made the mistake of bringing back Sabritas Jalapeno potato chips from Mexico (also a Frito-Lay product) and they taste wonderful as well dipped in cottage cheese.

 

[rodentraiser]

Peanut butter on celery? I used to eat that all the time.

Tomatoes and cheese are always a good combination, but I like spooning Ragu spaghetti sauce over cream cheese and using that as a dip. I've never added crab meat to the top of it, but I hear that's also very good.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Huge fan of Ruffles Sour Cream and Onion Chips dipped in cottage cheese...

My Mom's way with chips and dairy were regular Charles Chips used as scoops for vanilla ice cream. Even better if you used the vanilla ice cream to make a tin roof sundae. I haven't used chips to scoop ice cream for decades and decades. Hmm, we have a bag of chips...
...heads to basement stash for potato chips...

 

[CraigC]

Chocolate and chilis.

 

[Aunt Bea]

My Mom's way with chips and dairy were regular Charles Chips used as scoops for vanilla ice cream. Even better if you used the vanilla ice cream to make a tin roof sundae. I haven't used chips to scoop ice cream for decades and decades. Hmm, we have a bag of chips...
...heads to basement stash for potato chips...

Crushed chips as a sundae topping sounds fantastic to me!

Sunday, July 17, just happens to be National Ice Cream Day!

 

[Asif Engdahl]

During one of my less fortunate... moments I had nothing except for some leftover mac and cheese, mashed potato mix and some nachos. I layered them in a small dish and nuked it in the oven toaster. It was the perfect drunk food and I couldn't be any happier.

 

[Janet H]

Peanut butter and crispy bacon sandwich..

 

[GA Home Cook]

Caprese salad made with Peaches rather than tomatoes. It's unbelieveable.