Tasty

Elessar jumped in to help again, this time with his favorite tastes. When I asked him why there were no meat, he said it was because he became a vegetarian in 1973. I almost wouldn't let him do this, but he'd worked so hard (he also had a comment that was hilarious but I can't print it here, because my mother patrols these waters like a gator in a castle moat). Elessar broke down his tastes by Sweet and Savory.

Sweet

(no comments--you know these tastes or you haven't lived a full life!)

10. Vanilla
9. Apple
8. Orange
7. Ginger
6. Tomatoes (gotcha--fresh from the garden they are the most versatile fruit in the pantheon)
5. Strawberry (with or without cooperative partner)
4. Pineapple
3. Sugar
2. Blueberry
1. Chocolate

Savory

10. Onion. For mexican and italian and polish and American sauces, burgers, submarine sandwiches: if you can't eat these, you are seriously depraved.

9. Garlic. It's good for you, separates the loved ones from the hangers-on and flavours the humblest sauce with a sharp snap.

8.Bread. It smells better fresh from the oven than it tastes, but even the taste is innately human-friendly, and it is the staff of life. Whether it's a rye, a toasted bagel, banana, whole wheat, challah, spelt, crackers or a pumpernickel--you gotta have the stuff.

7. Lime. Lemon's good, but lime is better, if less versatile in cooking, and superior in cocktails. Nuff said.

6. Basil. No comparison between fresh and dried, though either is essential to a slew of sauces, and pesto lifts me from the short 'n' curlies right on up. (There's that garlic again!)

5. Nuts. I lean towards peanuts (groundnuts), pecans, cashews, almonds and walnuts, but that's just for starters. Whole or in paste, toasted or raw or baked--here's some serious protein. I pity the modern generations who have an allergy.

4. Beer. Canadians make some decent hot weather ales & lagers, and the Americans developed some tasty quaffs in the last couple of decades, but I think the Germans and Brits win in the full-taste department. You can drink an English beer at 40 degrees F., and it still tastes good.

3. Peppers. Some of you can't stand the heat, but I thrive on it. My favorites are roasted poblano, red bell, chilpotle and, right up at the top in both heat and taste---the mighty habanero!

2. Dill (weed). Simply, my herb for all seasons.

1. Cheese. Run the range from a melty brie to a sharp Canadian cheddar to a nutty Edam to a piquant Danish blue to yo-yo mozzarella to creamy chevre...cheese just plain rocks.

[Elessar and Ajax are my all-star raters. Can anyone match them?]