Sunday, January 18, 2009

I heard a lady interviewed on the radio last week who had queried famous chefs from all over the world asking them what their last meal would consist of. She wrote a book listing what each chef's ideal last supper would be. They ranged from the most elaborate to the very simple.

I've read about those condemned to death who, just before they're executed are granted their request for a last meal. If I were in those circumstances I can't imagine wanting anything at all to eat. I can picture being served my last meal in a sterile room with glaring florescent lights buzzing overhead. No thanks.

But let's say you knew you were checking out of this life, not sick, with full capacity to enjoy one final dinner. What would yours be like? What would you eat? Where would you be? Who would you dine with?

My last supper might go like this:

I'd of course have my sweetheart with me, all my kids and grandkids old enough to enjoy a night out. We'd be in a small adobe style restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It would be in October, maybe the first or second week where it's still nice outside, but the evenings come with enough chill for a nice mesquite wood fire. We'd all be seated together outside with a view of the city below and the mountains above us.

Our appetizer would be deep fried oysters from the Blue Bell Inn in Blue Bell, PA, complete with their sauce. My entree would be a marbled prime, aged rib eye steak from the TPC Restaurant at the golf course in Scottsdale. The steak would be medium, charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. Garlic mashed potatoes from Flemings on the side with good sourdough bread from Pierre's in Salt Lake.

Dessert would simply be a fresh batch of my grandmothers chocolate chip cookies, made with love.

How about you?