If you've read today's entry, you probably expect me to answer, "Four carrot sticks and a Slim Fast." But this one's easy.

Sushi. I'm going to die tonight, I want my last memory to be of really amazing sushi. And there had better be scallops.

Then again, maybe I don't want sushi prepared by the Texas correctional authorities. But I'm going to die anyway, so why the hell not.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Answers

You know what I found interesting about that list? The preponderance of T-bone steaks, hamburgers and fried chicken.

For my last meal, I'd go with one of my favorites: a chipotle marinaded pork chop, cooked medium rare, with creamy corn polenta, garlic green beans drizzled with brown butter sauce and some nice smoky salsa on the side. Also a mixed greens/mesclun salad with vinaigrette on the side and for dessert, flan with caramel sauce. Since this is the last meal, I'd forgo my customary iced tea and request a bottle of vintage red wine.

Conversely, I might also ask that my Dad be allowed into the prison kitchens to whip me up some of his scrambled eggs with pancakes, two sausage links and bacon, with mom's apple sauce on the side, accompanied by hot tea and a tall glass of cold milk.

Nothing like comfort food from home to see you out of the world, and my Dad's breakfasts are legendary in the family.

Of course if it's the prison staff making the stuff, I'd rather have a basket of fresh fruits, all different varieties, because institutional food just sucks rocks, no matter what you order.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

There is a restaurant named Jack's in Redding, California that makes the best steaks in the whole wide world. the. best. ever.

So I would have a 12oz filet mignon(medium), a baked potato(loaded), bleu cheese on my salad, and extra butter on my bread.

They also make excellent drinks, so I would request a gin and tonic with extra lime with my salad. With dinner, a glass of Pinot Noir.

For desert a piece of neopolitan cheesecake (this would have to come from my other favorite restaurant in CA), and coffee with cream.

Now I am hungry and homesick. Sniff.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Probably a very large grilled salmon filet with some kind of creamy garlicy sauce on the side, a huge bowl of garlic mashed potatoes with lots of butter, steamed broccoli (yes, I love broccoli) with more butter and more garlic, lots of sourdough bread with more butter... and for dessert, a huge pieace a tira misu and a double latte.

I'd want my butter flown in from the Netherlands, where the cows appear to be much happier and the butter tastes better. :)

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

I too found it interesting that all the prisoners seemed to ask for the same few things. Perhaps they were only allowed to request from a limited availible stock. Or more likely they have eaten the same few things for so long that's all they could think of.

There's a hot dog place down the street from me in Providence called Spike's Junkyard Dogs. It took me three years of living here before I would go in and order one, I'm just not that big of a hot-dog fanatic. Yet these are like no hot dogs any human being has ever had before. They are the biggest most delicious things I've ever tasted, and now I find myself going there four or five times a week. Recently on a trip to Virginia I had a non-Spikes hot dog, and I never want to do that again.

The great thing about Spikes, in fact, the thing that got me to eat there in the first place, is they have this contest. If you can eat six or more of their hot dogs in an hour and a half or less, you get a free t-shirt and your picture on the wall. These hot dogs are huge and come on fresh baked gigantic rolls, so it's a lot harder than it sounds. I tried once and could only eat four and three quarters. And I weigh 250.

If I were to be on death row I would request that I be given as many Junkyard Dogs as I could eat (my favorite is the Texas Ranger - a dog with barbqueue sauce, bacon, and cheddar cheese on top - how fitting) and my last act on this planet would be to make the "Kennel Club". I would want to be electrocuted in my Spikes t-shirt.

I doubt the department of corrections would go for it though... so I'll just have to stay off of death row.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

For starters, French onion soup. For dinner, chicken roasted with lemon and orange (I have a recipe from the web that is, no pun intended, to die for), garlic mashed potatoes, and a huge amount of fresh spinach (my absolute favorite food). For dessert, any one of a variety of things called "Death by Chocolate." Or Mississippi mud pie.

And, if they allow it, tequila shooters. I love 'em.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Barbecued ribs, garlic bread, fried shrimp, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Raw oysters on saltines with cocktail sauce and horseradish, grilled shrimp, two lobster tails, and a small grilled ribeye steak. Coke in the 20 oz. bottle, perfectly chilled. For dessert, warm vanilla pudding with a big splurt of whipped cream on top.

http://www.bitchypoo.com/bitchypoo.html

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Oh, man, after reading all of that, I think I want to change my answer.

Actually, it was the oysters that got me. I think Jeremy and I are going out for seafood tonight.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Well, Beth makes a good point about sushi or anything prepared by the Texas correctional authorities. But I'm going to totally fantasize here. I'd like to have a prime rib dinner from House of Prime Rib in san Francisco. This is one of those places that wheels what looks like a mineature Airstream trailer up to your table, then the chef carves your serving. I'd start out with a vodka martini. Then they bring the salad. Then I'd like the thin cut, medium well, please. Mashed potatoes on a separate plate with just butter. If I could have some other vegetable than their usual creamed spinach, that would be fantastic. Maybe I'd ask for second helpings on the meat (they let you do that.) For dessert, creme brule.

We were supposed to go there for my birthday but we couldn't get a reservation and went to another fancy steak place. Steak is great, but my favorite is prime rib.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

My last meal eh? So no worries about artery clogging cholesterol, heart attacks, stroke, etc., etc.... A 16 oz steak, blue rare with those garlic butter sauteed mushrooms, potatoes whipped with butter, cream cheese and garlic, NO vegetables whatsoever , chocolate cheesecake and as many strawberry daiquiris as my gut could handle. (That way if I didn't die as planned I'd at least wake up wishing I were dead. )

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

Raw oysters rock. I never had a raw oyster until two years ago when my then-fiancee went to Florida for several days. Now I can't get enough of 'em (the oysters, that is).

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

This is easy. I'd want my last meal to be two grilled hamburgers, medium rare with browned fried potatoes covered with soupy navy or lima beans with ham hocks and half a loaf of Mom's homemade hot bread with real (I'm dying anyway)butter. Not hard telling this is a Depression era kid is it?

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

raw oysters (with Tabasco); a cup of New England Clam Chowder; 2 or 3 steamed Blue crabs; a Cowgirl steak from Cattleman's (a steak place on a working ranch near El Paso) with a side of their coleslaw (has just a touch of pineapple); Schnitzel (yes, it's veal but I'll be dead before the guilt hits), *real* pommes frites but Broadwalk fries could subsitute; spinach au gratin, fresh asparagus or green beans almondine for a veggie. Better Than Sex chocolate cake, cracker candy (chocolate with butterscotch on saltines) or a slice of my Aunt Mary's apple pie.

What really surprised me about that Last Meals website is the number of people who didn't want a last meal -

j

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2000

I strongly suspect I would decline the last meal. Why should I want ask anything from the institution that is going to put me to death? Also, I am a believer of the Puritan wisdom that people eat to live, not live to eat and that belief makes a last meal concept just sound ridiculous. And evil, if one remembers all those people who are dying from malnutrition at the same time.

From other side, I am a woman and women often fight their stress with eating... Waiting for an execution certainly spells stress to me, so it may happen I will ask for a pound of chocolate after all...

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

Hmm. I'll have to go with the biggest hunk of rare, bloody prime rib possible. Garlic mashed potatoes, and if they're gummy I'm throwing them at the guards. Broccoli with hollandaise sauce. They better fly my mom in to make it, that would work actually, she's already a supervising cook at at state prison. Ummm... clam chowder (say it! say chowdah! "showdaire") or maybe some nice shrimp. Cheesecake, the four inch thick kind, unsullied by any fruit or chocolate muck. Lots of Mountain Dew. And they better give me some cigarettes, the bastards.

Course, after all that... I hope they kill me immediately, because my stomachs gonna hurt. Put me out of my

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

Prime Rib Medium Rare, mashed pototoes with gravy, asparagus, Diet Pepsi to drink, apple pie for dessert.

mmmm. I'm going out to eat Saturday night and you can bet I'll be getting the Prime Rib. I love that stuff.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

Joining into the fray late, but oh well...
Last meal. This is gonna be one big ass meal, because, well, I don't care how much weight I gain! So, let's see. I'm thinking of starting out with some potato skins with bacon, green onion, cheddar cheese, tomato, and sour cream on them. That sounds pretty nice. Next up It hink that i'll have a salad. I'm thinking baby greens, carrot slivers, almond slices, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, green onion, parmesean cheese, and blue cheese dressing. That sounds pretty nice. For the main course, filet minion, cooked medium rare, wrapped in bacon while it was coolking to keep in the flavors and juices. Steamed broccoli with butter and parmesean cheese on them. Garlic mashed potatoes, made from scratch. Not the gummy kind. GOOD potatoes. Crusty garlic bread. Next up is a fruit course...Possibly some lemon sorbet with strawberries, raspberries and peaches, topped with a little heavy cream. Finally, I'd ask for a pint of Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge CVhunk ice cream.

Someone remind me why I didn't go into chef's school, again?

-Meghan

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000