What are your expensive food indulgences

[LucreziaBorgia]

Grass fed beef, top quality oysters on the half shell, professional level sushi, pate, caviar, lobster

[USMCHokie]

Also top shelf cognac and single malt Scotch.

 

Alas, something we can agree on!

 

Cheers!

[carhill]

Brie /ˈbriː/ is a soft cows' cheese named after Brie, the French province in which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern département of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under a rind of white mould; very soft and savoury with a hint of ammonia. The whitish mouldy rind is typically eaten, the flavor quality of which depends largely upon the ingredients used and its fabrication environment.

 

There are now many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including plain Brie, herbed varieties, double and triple Brie and versions of Brie made with other types of milk. Despite the variety of Bries, the French Atlantic government officially certifies only two types of Brie to be sold under that name: Brie de Meaux (shown above) and Brie de Melun.

 

Perhaps this is similar to the French preoccupation with champagne. When I fly overseas, I'm often asked if I'd like a glass of champagne. Since I know their wine list, and know it doesn't include French champagnes, I respond 'thank you, no, but I will have some sparkling wine and that nice goatsmilk brie to go with it'

 

Brie and crackers/crisps, washed down with champagne, was always a favorite of my ex-wife's.

[Green]

I like eating gold for a treat. In NYC they have this Gold infused icecream that you get to eat with a gold spoon and a gold plate and the owner comes and serves it to you with expensive caviar and other expensive crap. http://laurela.us/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/most-expensive-icecream.jpg

 

There was also this really good pizza that costs over 1k in nyc made with all sorts of sea food like lobster tail and over 6 types of caviar and special cheese. http://files.sharenator.com/4_The_most_expensive-s400x261-35730-580.jpg

 

My most regular indulgance is fondue http://www.tonydu.com/wp-images/images/fondue.gif

[Veronica K]

I treat myself to Belgian chocolate now and again.

[Feelin Frisky]

Italian gnoshes like mozzerella balls in oil, brocolia rabe sausages, veal cutlets, dried sausage, gardiniera, sun dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms in vinegar and oil, braciola, fried spinach rolls with riccotta. Fine Greek feta cheese and oil-cured olives. Falafel. Kosher treats like smoked lox and other smoked fish, tongue, brisket, corned beef, pastrami, natural casing frankfurters.

[Leigh 87]

I hope no one reads this when they are hungry and on a diet. LOL!

 

Lobster is nice - I eat it once a year for Christmas with my mum, with loads of prawns too.

[just_some_guy]

Balsamic vinegar - the real stuff (not the cheap garbage put on salads), which is crazy, wildly expensive. It is wonderful just a few drizzle on hard granular cheeses like parmesan, or on vanilla ice cream. Or really decadent to drink a bit as an aperitif. The real stuff starts at $75 for a tiny little bottle and some goes for hundreds of dollars for 100-200ml.

 

Steaks - have a butcher who carries USDA Prime beef and dry ages certain cuts on premises. There is nothing better than a dry aged prime steak. I cook them at home and have developed the skills to do this properly. I can hardly go out for steaks anymore, unless it is a really expensive, very first class place.

 

Wine - so many wonderful wines. Spend too much, enjoy too much.

[denise_xo]

High quality olive oil and fresh olives, pickled peppers stuffed with feta cheese, proper Lebanese mezze, cherries (very expensive here ), tropical fruits, dried mangoes.

 

Less expensive but causes instant bliss: my colleague's oreo cake

[Pyro]

goota love the Lobster. I live close (kinda) to Maine and have been eating lobster and steamers all the time. It is only $5.99 here. yum!

 

sometimes you can buy it cheap directly fromt he fisher man out of the traps.

 

I also eat as indulgences.

Smoke salmon pate

Swordfish

raw Oysters

champange

french cheese (or artisan cheese in general)

Crab

good wine.

 

I remember you giving me some good tips for when I went on that trip.

 

The lobster was cheap there for us as well, but here its a different story.

[Kamille]

High quality olive oil

 

High quality olive oil is my absolute biggest indulgence along with wine and balsamic vinegar. I also never scrimp on yogurt. Or chocolate. Or bread. But, yes, the most I ever spend on a grocery item is on olive oil. I always have degustation olive oil and cooking olive oil on hand.

 

I also eat lobster, scallops and oysters. Used to live in a region where these were cheap and I now have to consider them a treat.

[reservoirdog1]

Tamari almonds. Almonds are a bit pricey at the best of times, but the tamari ones are SO worth it.

 

I don't indulge in it often, but there's one cheese I'd almost sell my kids for. It's called Dubliner cheddar. God DAMN, is that amazing cheese. $6 for a pretty small block, but worth every bite.

[LisaLee]

I recently read an article where some scientists compared several olive oils and found that the one that was of the highest of qualities was actually Wal-Mart's store brand.

 

It said it beat out the quality of all the other expensive well known brands. I posted the article on another forum, I'll have to look for it.

 

I love seaweed in all forms, especially dry seaweed. Not the Japanese kind, the Korean kind (big difference). It is quite expensive, though.

Edited October 1, 2010 by LisaLee

[Kamille]

I recently read an article where some scientists compared several olive oils and found that the one that was of the highest of qualities was actually Wal-Mart's store brand.

 

 

Does it taste good? With the perfect balance of fruit and acidity? Like liquid sunshine?

 

If it does, I'm sold. Right now my favorite is from Acropolis organics.

[Green]

Balsamic vinegar - the real stuff (not the cheap garbage put on salads), which is crazy, wildly expensive. It is wonderful just a few drizzle on hard granular cheeses like parmesan, or on vanilla ice cream. Or really decadent to drink a bit as an aperitif. The real stuff starts at $75 for a tiny little bottle and some goes for hundreds of dollars for 100-200ml.

 

Steaks - have a butcher who carries USDA Prime beef and dry ages certain cuts on premises. There is nothing better than a dry aged prime steak. I cook them at home and have developed the skills to do this properly. I can hardly go out for steaks anymore, unless it is a really expensive, very first class place.

 

Wine - so many wonderful wines. Spend too much, enjoy too much.

 

I'm trying to become more of a foodie but I don't understand what you are saying.

 

I bought a tiny black bottle of good tasting balsamic (thought it was real) but your telling me real balsamic cost 75$ a bottle?

 

I live the USA

 

In italy... tuscany for example great tasting olives (best I ever had) were given free the way bread is at most resteraunts in the US and the House drink was incredible and cheap.

[threebyfate]

Lox and Chateaubriand.

[redmelon]

The lobster salad at Wegman's - $30/lb. Gotta have it!

[just_some_guy]

I'm trying to become more of a foodie but I don't understand what you are saying.

 

I bought a tiny black bottle of good tasting balsamic (thought it was real) but your telling me real balsamic cost 75$ a bottle?

 

I live the USA

 

In italy... tuscany for example great tasting olives (best I ever had) were given free the way bread is at most resteraunts in the US and the House drink was incredible and cheap.

 

 

Genuine, the real-deal, Balsamic vinegar can cost $200-400 for a 100ml (little) bottle!!!!

 

There is LOTS of crap sold as Balsamic vinegar, especially in the US. You really have to read the label. The real authentic stuff is controlled appellation, comes only from Modena and Reggio Emilia. It is thick and syrupy, and absolutely amazing in flavor. The label will say, "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena" or "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia". The keyword is "Tradizonale". There are lots of bottles marked, "Balsamico di Modena" - which are NOT the real thing. Some of the false ones are also aged, but are not made in the true process and/or in the true region.

 

The next step down are "Condimento" Balsamics, which are made in the original process, but not in the correct region or without all the necessary approvals from the controlling consortium. Some of these are very good indeed. I bought some Condimento grade Balsamic at the Verrazzano winery in Chiante. It was about $60 US for a 100ml bottle. It was pretty good stuff, somewhat lacking in the depth of flavor of a more aged authentic bottle from Reggio.

 

Everything else is usually just sweetened vinegar. Even places like William Sonoma sell a thick, expensive bottle of "Balsamic Vinegar" from Italy, with all kinds of italian writing on it, aged for 12 years. It is merely a mild vinegar with sweet syrup added to thicken and sweet it.

 

The real deal is amazingly complex and wonderful and the condimento grades frequently very good for less money. A tiny spoonful, like an espresso spoon, is a real treat!

 

The best olives I ever had were on the Amalfi coast. They were "home cured" instead of cured in brine. The fruit was still firm and bright green and the olives were literally sweet. Absolutely amazing. We were told they were not commercially produced or sold as the home-curing process takes 2 years. We also had "farmer's wine" which is unbottled, un-sulfited and of course, un-taxed!

 

Need to go back, Italy was amazing.

Edited October 1, 2010 by just_some_guy

[Chocolat]

Balsamic vinegar - the real stuff (not the cheap garbage put on salads), which is crazy, wildly expensive. It is wonderful just a few drizzle on hard granular cheeses like parmesan, or on vanilla ice cream. Or really decadent to drink a bit as an aperitif. The real stuff starts at $75 for a tiny little bottle and some goes for hundreds of dollars for 100-200ml.

 

Love it!

 

Must add strawberries.

[LisaLee]

Does it taste good? With the perfect balance of fruit and acidity? Like liquid sunshine?

 

If it does, I'm sold. Right now my favorite is from Acropolis organics.

 

It's actually not too bad, it has a lot of flavor. I usually pour the tiniest drizzle in some white rice and it takes it to the nth degree. I had a small bottle and ran out, so now I have Kroger's brand of olive oil. Kroger's is no good, has almost no taste to it.

 

You could buy one of Wal-Mart's really small bottles and see if it is to your taste.

[Leigh 87]

Thanks for educating me on true balsamic.

 

It is good to know the best, true stuff is from only those few regions. The balsamic I have right now is an organic one and its only ingredients are " grapes"

 

Or something. I forgot. But there was only one ingredient in it.

 

So although it is not that specialty one from Italy, I feel happy knowing that there is only one ignredient in mine, even if it is not th ebest processed or made.

 

It is about 3 times the cost of the cheap stuff, but then again, the cheap stuff is not what I consider a real food. It is a bunch of chemicals. A joke.

[Ruby Slippers]

Frisky, SHUT UP. You are killing me!

 

I am drinking pumpkin ale as I type. Other recent indulgences have been French cheese, some nice bottles of wine, an assortment of European cookies baked by bakeries all over Chicago, top-shelf dark chocolate, and beautiful organic rainbow chard.

[porter218]

King Crab Legs!! A staple in my house:)

[porter218]

Haven't been there yet so not sure:p

 

4 years ago I visited Maine and Lobster (or Lobstah as the locals call it there ) is a billion dollar business there and I ate it nonstop. Its so good.

 

There is this very nice and also very expensive seafood restaurant here and it helped me expand my taste and appreciation of seafood.

 

Mmmm, lobster:love:

The best one I ever had was in Turks & Caicos. We went out on a boat and a guy dove down and grabbed a few for me and then cooked it on the beach on a grill. He seasoned it to perfection!