Five Things To Eat Before You Die

La & myself were both tagged by our friends, the Squirrel Family to participate in the blogging event Five Things To Eat Before You Die. This was a tough task & we spent a whole morning coming up with our lists. Of course we ended up with a few of the same dishes, so we revised our lists, making sure there were no 'repeats'. I have to say, we could have easily come up with a list as long as Suge Knights wrap sheet, so we put a lot of thought into it narrowed it down to five a piece.

Collin's List

1. Whole Fried Catfish. It has to Mississippi Farm Raised catfish too, not that cheap stuff from Vietnam. Fried fillets do not do this fish justice, although they are still excellent. Whole catfish should be crispy on the outside & moist on the inside. Dredged only in cornmeal, salt & pepper. Served with a slice of Vidalia Onion, ketchup & Tabasco Sauce...& you can't forget the hushpuppies.

2. Stone Ground Grits. Cooked slow. With cheese. Or with out. For breakfast. Or for dinner. The epitome of Southern Soul, however & whenever you eat them.

3. Blue Crab 'You' Caught Yourself. Store bought crabs are good....but NOWHERE near as good as crabs you caught yourself. All they need is some drawn butter & the sound of the ocean crashing near your dinner table. There is something about watching the little buggers crawl in to your net at the bottom of the ocean that excites you & whets your appetite.

4. Fresh Hogfish Snapper. With a roasted red pepper zabaglione. I have only had this once & it was at Cafe Sole in Key West. It was THE best fish I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. It is delicate & flavorful & it has to be caught by divers adding to the 'cool factor'.

5. Tik-in-Chick. A Yucatan specialty of grilled red snapper with achoita sauce (spicy mayan sauce made with achoita). We had this on Isla Mujeres in Mexico & I have to say this was one of our top dining experiences. The fish caught minutes before it was grilled of an open fire right on the beach. Our table was literally 10 yards from the emerald blue Caribbean...Best. Dining room. Ever.

Laura's List

1. Salt Fish and Ackee. On a beach in Jamaica. The Ackee is scrambeled like eggs with the salt cured cod. It sounds gross but it is the best breakfast ever. (pic of Ackee on the left)

2. Raw Vidalia Onions. You really could eat them like an apple they are so sweet.

3. Pork Ribs....Done Right. If you think you've had them "done right" you are probably wrong. 10 or more hours smoked. Dry rub only. Beautiful.

4. French Fries in a Cone aka Vlammes Frittes. A treat we fell in love with in Amsterdam. With a little mayo, preferably when it's so cold outside, that the cone steams.

5. Good Chile Verde ¡Mucho Gusto! On anything...a plate of scrambeled eggs, a burrito, enchiladas, with tortilla chips....you get the point.

Now time for the tags.
-The gals at one of our favorite Food & Wine Blogs, Everyday Wine Pairings.
-Sean, who has another favorite blog we read at More Is Less.
-Michael, who also blogs from beautiful Midtown Memphis at Midtown Stomp- A Memphis Wine Journal.
-Last but not least, another fellow Memphis Food & Wine Blogger, Benito at Benito's Wine Reivews.