Ciao Readers!

In looking back through this blog, it’s almost scary how much time I spend thinking about food…  and here I am again (sorry, you have to wait till Monday to read about the Guggenheim!).  Sometimes in life ya just gotta give in and spend some time wistfully daydreaming about things; for me that means dreaming of what I would buy at the grocery if I could (i.e., if it were available, not if I could afford it [like caviar]).   Here’s the stuff dreams are made of:

Groceries I Dream About Now

• Poore Brothers’  jalapeno potato chips
• a bag of restaurant-style extra thin/crispy tortilla chips
• really HOT salsa to dip those chips in (a nice local NM favorite like Sadie’s or El Pinto)
• roasted green chiles (this time of year, ones that were fresh-frozen)
• Tostito’s queso (yeah, I know, not very glamorous, but add green chile and YUM!)
• a bag of shredded cheddar/Monterrey jack/Colby mix
• pecans
• ziploc bags
• sour cream that’s sour (and yogurt that’s got a bite)
• good quality cold cuts of the non-pork variety
• Reese’s peanut-butter cups, Andes mints, Hershey’s kisses (it’s weird, they have yummy chocolate here [though rather hazelnut-centric], I just miss my comfort candies)
• 100% juice other than orange (ooooo, maybe a nice pomegranate/cranberry combo)

(There are many other foods about which I dream – huevos, bagels, pho, pad thai – but this list was solely for the grocery store in my dreams.)

And, as it is my goal to be “fair and balanced,” I also include a list of:

Groceries I’ll Dream of Back in the States

• several varieties of fresh pesto
• many varieties of delicious prosciutto
• countless varieties of pecorino cheese
• truffle stuff! (sauce, butter, cheese, spread)
• fresh (and CHEAP) loaves of Italian bread
• dry pasta in every shape and size you could imagine (also CHEAP), and tons of fresh pasta as well
• Ciobar (ridiculously thick hot chocolate mix)
• whole rabbits (okay, that one will actually be in my grocery nightmares…)

Ah, the stuff of dreams: 

What groceries would you/do you miss if you couldn’t/can’t get them?