Darla from Messy Cucina tagged me for the “You Are What You Eat” meme. So here are my Top 10 Favorite Foods in a very particular order (least to most):

• 10. Quinoa - I only just tried quinoa for the first time two weeks ago. But I literally dream about it now. The other night I dreamt that I was eating quinoa and as soon as I woke up, I made some for breakfast. It’s so nutty and delicious and I’m sad that I wasted the first few decades of my life living in a quinoa-less wasteland. I’m definitely going to make up for lost time.
• 9. Red Bull - I’m probably the only food blogger who will list “The Bull” on her foodie wish list. But hey! That’s how I roll! If you’ve never experienced the sublime pleasure of sipping a desperately needed Red Bull, then you are missing out. If you have a headache, the Toro Rojo will fix you right up… 9 times out of 10. It’s seriously like a tasty, liquid-candy version of drugs. Red Bulls are magical and I don’t care what snobby foodies have to say about it Yum!
• 8. Risotto - This is another one of my more recent culinary discoveries. Rich and creamy, risotto feels sinfully indulgent but isn’t actually that horrible for you. I could eat this for three meals a day and in fact I did a couple weeks ago.
• 7. Artichokes - Artichokes have a strong childhood connection for me. My mom made them a lot and it was a family activity eating the leaves and watching my dad delve into the heart. Then he’d split it up for us and it felt like such an adventure. The first time my husband had artichokes was at dinner with my parents. He didn’t know that you were supposed to scrape the meat off with your teeth, so he tossed the whole leaf in his mouth and chewed. Oops!
• 6. Raspberries - I’m not a big fruit-eater, but raspberries are my favorite, followed by blueberries. I love the consistency of raspberries. They’re like gummy candies, but healthy for you.
• 5. Fish (Sushi and otherwise) - I’m not a big meat eater. I’m more of a fish-etarian. (I know that’s not really a word! Don’t worry!) Raw or cooked, I really don’t care. But I probably eat more raw fish than all other types of meat combined. My favorite place for sashimi is Nobu or Matsuhisa. I make a lot of salmon at home.
• 4. Cheese - If I were lactose-intolerant, I don’t know what I would do. Cheese and crackers are a perfectly acceptable meal in my book. My goal for the coming year is to learn all I can about cheese. I can’t wait!
• 3. Avocado - Buttery and rich, how could anyone not like avocado? That’s another snacky food that can be a meal for me. Chips and guacamole is dinner, to my mind. Avocado in salads, quesadillas, and anything else I can think of. My friend Brooke suddenly became allergic to avocadoes in her mid-20s. If that happened to me, I would almost prefer to die. OK, fine… that’s perhaps overstating it, but a sudden avo-aversion would definitely be really hard on me.
• 2. Coca-Cola - I consider myself a Coke connoisseur. My husband loves Red Bull the way that I love Coke. I only drink regular Coke and I will only drink it on ice. From a can, I really wouldn’t waste the calories unless I was desperate. Another food goal for 2006 is to track down the Kosher for Passover Coke that is made with the old sugar formula rather than high fructose corn syrup. I love Coke!
• 1. Dark Chocolate - A day without dark chocolate is like day without a kiss from my husband. I don’t know how else to say it. It’s essential. I keep a bar (or two) of the Trader Joe’s 72% dark chocolate in my fridge at almost all times. All I need is a little square a couple times a day and I’m a happy girl. I used to say that I liked chocolate to be as dark as possible. But I’ve recently tried 80+% chocolate bars and I didn’t like them. So it’s 72% for me, daily.

The interesting thing about my Top Ten list is that it includes a couple of foods that I hadn’t even tried a month ago. I’m sure the list will continue to change with time as my tastebuds change and I discover new culinary pleasures.

That’s definitely something to look forward to…!