Foodie Friday: what's your desert island food?

by PHOODIE

My least favourite question in the world: “So really, what’s your favourite food?”

Come ooooooon. FAR OUT. You’ve GOT to be kidding!?

That question is honestly up there with “who’s your favourite child?!” Ok, not really, but it’s definitely one that I struggle immensely to answer. First up, are we talking sweet or savoury? Hot or cold? Natural or artificial? Summer or winter? Individual food or group of foods put together i.e. a specific dish? Drunk or sober? Entree, main or dessert?? The list goes on and on and on and on!

Realistically, if I had to, I think I could name about 30 foods that are my favourites. However, if we’re talking, gun to the head, have to choose, pick one or die, then I think I could do it properly. Well, almost properly. I could never get down to one. I’d have to be allowed to have two.

The first would be known as Desert Island Food A (DIFA) and the second would be Desert Island Food B (DIFB). Desert Island Food A would be the *real* desert island food. The one, assuming there were no health ramifications, that you really, genuinely, could eat every single day, every meal for your entire life. Typically this would be something with a ‘neutral’ or perhaps even boring flavour and texture. You would have to actually imagine yourself eating this EVERY. SINGLE. DAY for the rest of your life. Breaking it down like that, I’d have to say my DIFA would be rice. I love rice. It’s comfort food at it’s best for me. Cooked in butter with some salt and pepper or made into a fancy risotto, I really could easily eat it forever.

And DIFB? This one is the food you absolutely could not live without. It’s probably something that, in reality, you couldn’t stomach 24/7/365/forever, however, it’s your number one “go-to” food for when times are tough. (Or even when they’re not but you just bloody feel like it!) Anyone who knows me well, or perhaps even if they’ve met me just once, would know that without doubt, my DIFB would have to be chocolate chip biscuits. From the local supermarket variety to a batch fresh out of a Parisian oven I’d rarely, read: never, turn one down. I also happen to have the BEST RECIPE KNOWN TO MAN for these, and it is below (with pictures!) for you to test out.

The BEST [Dark Choc chip, White Choc chip and Honeyed Macadamia] Cookies EVER!

Ingredients:

250 grams unsalted butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg – large, whisked
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour, sifted
150g dark chocolate chips
150g white chocolate chips
150g honey macadamias – chopped very roughly (I buy these from my local farmers market. You can get them at the grocery store, supermarket or you can make them!!!)

Method:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 180 degrees celsius.

1) In your mixer, beat together butter and sugar until there are no lumps ‘n’ bumps.
2) Whisk your egg in a small bowl and then add it to the above mix, also add in the baking soda and mix, by hand, well.
3) SLOWLY, add in sifted flour and stir by hand until pretty well combined.
4) Add in nuts and chocolate and stir to evenly distribute and completely combine.
5) Divide into golf-sized balls, do this roughly at first….
6) Then round the balls off making sure they are the same size. Place on baking paper on a tray, about 5cm apart and into oven for about 15 mins, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
7) Out of the oven and onto a rack to cool.

Now over to you! Tell me MM’ers, what are your DIFA’s and DIFB’s!? And on the flip-side, what are the foods that you just absolutely cannot stomach!? Mine’s sultanas! Blerghhhhhhh!

After graduating from high school, Phoodie studied Interior Architecture at UNSW. She worked for several years as a designer before having the courage to throw caution to the wind and run, very, very fast to the Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in London. She is a cookbook, restaurant, and all round food obsessed blogger and Mum of 2. She can be found posting recipes here, tweeting here, or on Facebook here.

You can also read last week’s Foodie Friday here (hint – it contains recipes for three different varieties of rocky road. Three!). And for even more food and recipe inspiration head over here.