ottawa foodies

I remember a morbidly fascinating site run by the Texas department of justice that detailed the final meals of death penalty recipients. It tended to be things like "3 cheeseburgers, onion rings, grits, Coke." Sobering but very interesting, that site was taken down several years ago.

TIME just published a much less morbid slideshow of the ideal final meals of celebrity chefs: www.time.com,29307,1673230,00.html

I remember that site! It was amazing. It really made me think of what I would want to eat just before I die... I guess being in jail would allow you to think about that a lot! It was amazing how many opted for homecooked style food, just comfort dishes. Sad...

I remember all one guy wanted was Baskin & Robbins mint chocolate chip icecream which I enjoyed as that's my favourite too! I often ask people this question and the most common answer is a big turkey dinner however, my Dad pointed out that you won't have much of an appetite knowing you are going to die the next day!

"It really made me think of what I would want to eat just before I die... I guess being in jail would allow you to think about that a lot! It was amazing how many opted for homecooked style food, just comfort dishes. Sad..."

I find it is neither sad, nor surprising....one could raise all the political, sociological and ethnic issues related to who is on death row and how that might relate to food requests....but from a simple human perspective, I think many of us might in fact think "comfort food" were we in that situation.

It's certainly what I would want as my last meal....

After all, "comfort" is the whole point....some measure of the familiar, the safe, the known in a situation of the ultimate unknown.

I'd want a huge, greasy potato pancake.

Kristl

Well, if it was my LAST meal, I'd be in need of comfort and for this I usually mean carbs.

As perverse as it sounds, I would want risotto (with mushrooms) on a bed of mashed potatoes. And there had better be bread and wine with that! I always jokingly claim that if anything truly awful ever happens to me, risotto and mashed potatoes is what I would eat....so I didn't even have to think about it.

Also, a cheese plate for dessert if I still had room.

I think I meant that the concept of having to decide a last meal was sad... not that a comfort food was a sad selection for a last meal. I would probably have prime rib or beef wellington with fondant potatoes and wild mushroom duxelles, right up comfort food alley!

Although hopefully I'll never be put in a situation where I have to make the choice, I can see my last meal being one of two things:

1) Steak frites, mayo or béarnaise on the side, sautéed onions and mushrooms, copious amounts of Bordeaux.

2) Classic greasy spoon breakfast: scrambled eggs, home fries, buttered toast, breakfast links, and lots of coffee.

When's lunch again?