Trav (the dear!) inspired this one. In a recent entry he talked about putting together a meal consisting of all his favorite foods. I thought I would give it a try. If you were to come over for supper,  this would be my menu.
As I wrote and edited this post I struggled between what I want to eat vs. what I think I should eat. The ‘shoulds’ stemmed from feeling obliged to pick things exquisite or good for me. In the end I settled on favorites not the impressive. Thems who say otherwise are itching for a fight and the cook allows no substitutes.

Cocktails

Urs Truly loves a good cocktail, especially one made well. I want a base of quality alcohol, no rubbish. My favorite? A ‘perfect’ Manhattan.  Start with a good bourbon like Woodford Reserve. A perfect manhattan is made with sweet and half dry vermouth in equal portions; it is served with a lemon twist. If I were to lean towards a sweet Manhattan I would substitute the twist with a luxardo cherry. They don’t look appetizing, sort of like something the surgeon may have just removed during an exploratory, but they beat the nasty acid-red maraschino types by a country mile. There is no comparison. Shake don’t stir. Shaking is for effervescent drinks. Serve in an elegant long stemmed martini-style glass to keep your grip away from warming the libation.

Nibbles: it’s a toss up between an excellent homemade salsa made with fresh vegetables OR shrimp served with cocktail sauce made with a touch of hot sauce.

Appetizer: Bruschetta is my vote, provided the tomatoes are proper and not those ghastly pale things from a strip mine in Texas.

Soup: I love soup. The winner is onion soup, served with a Melbac wine.

Salad: Homegrown no rubbish tomatoes with buffalo cheese, sprinkled with basil and drizzled with a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Entrée: Dear me, how is one to choose?  Alaskan sockeye salmon, broiled, with some sort of rub. Serve with potatoes other than russet type, along with diced carrots and rutabagas sautéed in soy sauce.  Umami dearest.  A glass of Pinot Gris for this one.

Dessert: I seldom eat such but when I do I forgo the sugary things for the cheese plate. Urs Truly loves cheese, especially if there are smidgeons of several types. Serve with 2nd growth Darjeeling tea.

Afters: If I actually ate all this, at this point I would be quite crapulous. I would be a bloated goat.  An after dinner liqueur perhaps. Nocello is my favorite.

Spo-fans are invited to play along.