Weird Combinations

sidevalve

sidevalve

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Or maybe not so weird depending on your point of view.
Just wondering if anyone has any at first sight strange pairings of food that just work well. Sandwiches - pickles - sweets anything really. Local ideas or just something you've invented. Anything that might be worth a try.
One of the oddest I've found is beer and chocolate - strange but true [well it is to me] although I wouldn't like to overdo it.
 
Chocolatey flavours are often found in beer - particularly dark ales - so I'd go with that. I like to look for unexpected elisions of flavour. Oranges and olives, for example - not really that unusual but many people wouldn't think of putting them together. Try zesting an orange and mixing it into a bowl of olives and leave to marinate for a few hours (a few strips of peel look pretty too). Another similar 'tried and tested but unknown to some' combination is strawberries with a little balsamic vinegar.
 
sidevalve said:
One of the oddest I've found is beer and chocolate - strange but true [well it is to me] although I wouldn't like to overdo it.
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Hotel chocolat actual did a cocoa beer a few years ago. We were given some as a present. I don't know if they repeated it or still do it... (goes off to check)

Seems they do

503365-cocoa-beer.jpg

www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/collections/products/cooking-chocolate/chocolate-beer
 
I did up a salsa just a few days ago which really surprised me. I was very sceptical of putting onion, garlic, red chilies, lime juice, basil in with oranges. After all, oranges and garlic? Oranges with onion? Oranges with red chilies? Well it was wonderful. I have the final helping for lunch today and will savour every mouthful.
 
I think the two that first came to mind for me were chocolate and chili, and bacon with maple syrup. So often I've had pancakes with a side of bacon and put maple syrup on my pancakes, only to have it ooze onto the bacon and taste amazing -- and you only need to look at the number of bakeries/donut shops these days that have some sort of bacon and maple flavoured goodies on their menu.
 
Chocolate wines and beers are getting more the norm now the beers are a great match to winter stews and daubes and we have some chocolate dessert wine in the fridge,I never got the chilli ice cream trend,heat of the chilli and the cold ice cream,salt and caramel is persived different ,chocolate and marmite is just wrong
 
MyExWasAChef said:
One combination I thought was weird was cheese ice cream. I mean the product came from the same animal and they've managed to differentiate the taste. Surprisingly I love it though.
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One of the convenience store close to my place was selling cheese milk shakes last summer which I thought was really strange. I just couldn't bring myself to try them.
 
I am not a big fan of mixing savory and sweet, but chocolate and chilly is a combination made in heaven. I know people who put nutella on their pringles :facepalm:and I was surprised that I liked a strawberry salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar.
 
MyExWasAChef said:
One combination I thought was weird was cheese ice cream. I mean the product came from the same animal and they've managed to differentiate the taste. Surprisingly I love it though.
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What kind of cheese was it though? I'm presuming it wasn't a strong blue or a cheddar?
 
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valedevento said:
I am not a big fan of mixing savory and sweet, but chocolate and chilly is a combination made in heaven. I know people who put nutella on their pringles :facepalm:and I was surprised that I liked a strawberry salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar.
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You just have to follow the rules: salt, sweet. sour... the Chinese have known about that for centuries! A lot of people say they don't like sweet and savoury but happily tuck in to a Morrocan meat tagine with apricots or a Snickers bar - salty peanuts, caramel and chocolate.
 
East Africa is very big on the very spicy and the very sweet. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, a common breakfast item is the "egg roll," essentially Italian-style bread into which goes a small omelette, a slice of tomato and a whole, raw, green chilli. People regularly suck on sugar cane and when you order tea or coffee, it's more a case of "how much tea/coffee would you like with your cup of sugar?"
 
When I was a kid my dad always made us grilled cheese and hot chocolates and we would all dip our grilled cheese sandwiches into the hot chocolate (my dad included.) I haven't been brave enough to try it as an adult, but I remember thinking it was amazing when I was a kid.

I really do enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with lays thin potato chips in the middle. Mmmm delicious!
 
beasleym1989 said:
When I was a kid my dad always made us grilled cheese and hot chocolates and we would all dip our grilled cheese sandwiches into the hot chocolate (my dad included.) I haven't been brave enough to try it as an adult, but I remember thinking it was amazing when I was a kid.
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That is seriously weird! You really should try it again and let us know if you still like it! :D
 
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