Isaiah 25:6--On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.


SO....

Giving God the benefit of the doubt, I'm interpretting this to mean that in whatever comes after this life, call it heaven, eternal life, nirvana, Elysium, Paradise, Valhalla, Olympus, what-have-you, that there will be some truly awesome victuals (don't you love that word) in the 'sweet by and by.'

So what five foods do you hope to meet in heaven?

The Rules (because I say so):
A. In heaven, none of the negatives associated with food consumption are relevent (fat, cholesterol, calories, flatulence, indigestion, etc.).
B. No actual animals will die if you choose a food containing meat, so knock yourself out.
C. Cost is not an issue, nor is the role any particular food item might have in any current socio-political struggle on earth. (i.e., Nestle's products aren't evil in heaven--what with grace and all).
D. A particular combination of food, so long as it is normally served together, counts as only 1 "food."

1. Blue Bell Cookies and Cream Ice Cream.
Since developing lactose intolerance in my 30's, this is the food I miss the most. It is, in my memory at least, the richest, most satisfying frozen concoction on the planet, nay, in the universe.

2. Chips, salsa & green sauce from the original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston, Tx.
There is no better restaurant lagniappe.

3. My family's versions of turkey, dressing, homemade mashed potatoes, and giblet gravy.
I mean it...in my family we get this Trifecta (not counting the gravy) of Triptophan (sp?) about as perfect as can be. And is there anything else that is more comforting and conducive to building a sense of family than a huge pile of these coma-inducing foods on one's eternal Chinet divided dinner plate?

4. Chocolate cake and a glass of ice cold milk.
The cake can be almost any kind (except flourless), so long as it has at least 2 layers and so long as the icing is not made with milk chocolate...it must be either semi-sweet or dark.

5. Tamales (preferrably beans and barbacoa), with sauce du jour (alternating among tomatillo, chili, mole, salsa fresca, and chimichurri)
The pork must be tender enough not to be stringy and the tamal must be just thick enough to hold it all together. It must be steamed enough to be hot, but not enough to be soggy. This simple staple is, I have recently decided, my favorite "basic" foodstuff in all the world. They are tasty, filling, warming, comforting, flavorful (if done well), and portable. The perfect food.

So there are mine. How about yours?