Choosing a pasta picture this week because while I’m struggling to answer the question, I’m pretty sure pasta would be involved. Creamy Mushroom Pasta by Rebecca Blackwell
Ok. So this week’s question is a little morbid, but while visiting California wineries with friends last weekend, the question came up and it sparked a fascinating conversation…
What would you choose for your last meal?
My husband and friends had fabulous answers but I am STILL struggling to come up with one. I keep changing my mind. What about you, friends? If you knew it was your last meal, what would you choose?
Pssst!If you are a food writer with a substack newsletter, did you know that there are guest post and other contribution opportunities available to you here in the FoodStack library? The purpose of the FoodStack library is to help connect food writers on substack with a larger audience. One of the best ways to do that is as a contributor. If that sounds like something you' might be interested in, contact Lynn at foodstacklibrary@gmail.com
Personally, and only if I felt like it, I would make my homemade chicken pie topped with a herb pastry crust that we had last week, filled with lots of chicken, vegetables, and a creamy herb sauce made with a good slosh of white wine.
After reading all these comments, I think I'd also be tempted to make a buffet of them all and invite as many people as possible to join me.
I love that. Homemade chicken pot pie is one of my family's all time favorite meals (mine too!). It's pretty hard to beat. I think I might need to make one this week...
Oh man, this is a hard one! Any day, but especially the last day of a person’s life, is a good one for a pasta dish. But the first thing that came to mind? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and buttermilk biscuits 🙊 I guess I’m all in on the comfort carbs! 😂
If this last meal was before my execution, I think I'd probably lose my appetite and might just want to drink to oblivion--like maybe vodka straight up with an ice chaser and a twist of lime. Or maybe I'd just like to taste my mother's roast beef with crusty roasted potatoes and gravy, with some apple strudel a la mode with a drizzle of caramel sauce for dessert and some strong coffee, with whipping cream and a glug of whiskey. Then perhaps a last-minute pardon.
As a child, my mother let us choose our favorite meal on our birthdays, and she would lovingly make it for us. Mine was her stuffed peppers. In a way, your question—'What would you choose as your last meal?'—is really asking, 'What is your favorite meal?' But my answer has changed over time. Today, I wouldn’t choose stuffed peppers. I’d choose the fabulous bolognese I had in Rome at the Visconti Palace—something I’ve yet to replicate. Over the years, I’ve come to realize it’s not just the meal itself but everything around it: the people, the environment, and our connection to the spirit of place. Those elements transform a good meal into a truly unforgettable experience. And that, I’ve learned, can’t be replicated.
I asked my husband this and he said the first thing that popped in his head is a Vietnamese Banh Mi - gorgeous, soft crunchy baguette, with lemongrass chicken, pate, lots of crunchy vegetables and fresh, fresh herbs.
For me... Someone else said in comments they would want a lot to drink beforehand and I am with them! All my favourite cocktails; Cosmopolitans, Mojitos, French Horn...
Obviously with this I would want dessert. Maybe a super smooth, citrus spiked Burnt Basque cheesecake, or Heston Blumenthal's Tipsy Cake with slow roasted pineapple, or Strawberry & Creme Souffle, or Italian rice pudding with slow roasted strawberries.
Cake and booze!!!!! Me too!!! Presumably, since it's my last meal, I could drink as much as I wanted and eat as much sugar as I wanted and not have to deal with the consequences the next day. So, it's a win win (except for the "last" part, of course).
I used to be fascinated by prison last meal requests; there was a website that detailed them. A majority of the meals involved fried foods or burgers, & reflected the American south where many of the prisons are. I can't remember who or where, but the 'single olive' request stands out. Roald Dahl wrote to some of his famous friends to ask what they'd have. Dustin Hoffman suggested 'mothers milk'. For me, a beautiful platter of fruits de mere with dressed crab and native oysters would be included. A perfectly chilled ripe white peach, warm just picked raspberries and mulberries, and a plate of cheese, assortment to be decided. And a glass of chilled tokai with the peach.
A perfect peach—the kind that sends juice down your chin when you take a bite and you try to suck it back in because you don’t want to miss a drop of its sweet juice, and it’s so good you say “Oh.My.Gawd.”, and a piece of still warm, freshly baked bread slathered in butter. That’s would do it for me.
Can I choose an international style buffet?? What a difficult choice! Maybe spaghetti, maybe pizza, maybe potato chips, maybe Belgian fries with mayonnaise. Maybe a good steak. I don't know 🥴
A roast chicken with crispy green beans and crusty bread, plus double-fried french fries for dipping in the juices, and a bowl of sliced stone fruits and chopped chocolate for dessert. I'd eat the whole meal with my hands, because if I'm going to go out, I want to be as fully aware and in touch with my body and all my senses as possible... so the fork be damned. (Also would LOVE to be interviewed/cross-featured on your Substack, great posts!)
Sending you a message now! I just clicked over to your newsletter - you had me at the title. Anything named French Fries and Martinis is my kind of newsletter.
I make a mushroom risotto I love. It has white wine and miso and nutritional yeast to make it creamy. Just last weekend I bought a little of every mushroom Natural Grocers had and it was gorgeous. Served with white wine ... yum!
I would love to have my gorgeous Nana’s ‘sticky bread’ that she used to make every New Year. We sadly don’t have my Nana anymore nor her recipe, so my execution would have to be stayed.
But, upon reading about all the cake everyone is having, and a big buffet table with all their buddies invited (can we put the buffet table on the beach?). I could be down for a big buffet with lots and lots of cakes!
I think dinner tonight will be Rebecca’s featured mushroom pasta - yum!
I wish I knew what it was called. It wasn't quite a monkey bread as I have had that, and it isn't quite right. It was certainly made with a caramel and some walnuts. She was a solid baker so I doubt she even used a recipe. It was a bite of heaven, that I can say with certainty.
BTW - 10/10 for the mushroom pasta. I have zero leftover.
Personally, and only if I felt like it, I would make my homemade chicken pie topped with a herb pastry crust that we had last week, filled with lots of chicken, vegetables, and a creamy herb sauce made with a good slosh of white wine.
After reading all these comments, I think I'd also be tempted to make a buffet of them all and invite as many people as possible to join me.
I love that. Homemade chicken pot pie is one of my family's all time favorite meals (mine too!). It's pretty hard to beat. I think I might need to make one this week...
Lynn, this is a super idea.
Love the sound of that chicken pie too!
My moms lasagna!
Oh man, this is a hard one! Any day, but especially the last day of a person’s life, is a good one for a pasta dish. But the first thing that came to mind? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and buttermilk biscuits 🙊 I guess I’m all in on the comfort carbs! 😂
Bring on the comfort carbs! I'd take that for my last meal in a second.
Huzzah for comfort carbs!
Oh yum can I have that now?!
Lol, I could eat that now, too!
If this last meal was before my execution, I think I'd probably lose my appetite and might just want to drink to oblivion--like maybe vodka straight up with an ice chaser and a twist of lime. Or maybe I'd just like to taste my mother's roast beef with crusty roasted potatoes and gravy, with some apple strudel a la mode with a drizzle of caramel sauce for dessert and some strong coffee, with whipping cream and a glug of whiskey. Then perhaps a last-minute pardon.
I love this! All in on the comfort food and plenty of booze. 🥂
I think this one is my favourite!!
Gorgeous food suggestions and I would get raging drunk too.
As a child, my mother let us choose our favorite meal on our birthdays, and she would lovingly make it for us. Mine was her stuffed peppers. In a way, your question—'What would you choose as your last meal?'—is really asking, 'What is your favorite meal?' But my answer has changed over time. Today, I wouldn’t choose stuffed peppers. I’d choose the fabulous bolognese I had in Rome at the Visconti Palace—something I’ve yet to replicate. Over the years, I’ve come to realize it’s not just the meal itself but everything around it: the people, the environment, and our connection to the spirit of place. Those elements transform a good meal into a truly unforgettable experience. And that, I’ve learned, can’t be replicated.
So true!
Great question!
I asked my husband this and he said the first thing that popped in his head is a Vietnamese Banh Mi - gorgeous, soft crunchy baguette, with lemongrass chicken, pate, lots of crunchy vegetables and fresh, fresh herbs.
For me... Someone else said in comments they would want a lot to drink beforehand and I am with them! All my favourite cocktails; Cosmopolitans, Mojitos, French Horn...
Obviously with this I would want dessert. Maybe a super smooth, citrus spiked Burnt Basque cheesecake, or Heston Blumenthal's Tipsy Cake with slow roasted pineapple, or Strawberry & Creme Souffle, or Italian rice pudding with slow roasted strawberries.
Cake and booze. Yup.
Cake and booze!!!!! Me too!!! Presumably, since it's my last meal, I could drink as much as I wanted and eat as much sugar as I wanted and not have to deal with the consequences the next day. So, it's a win win (except for the "last" part, of course).
I used to be fascinated by prison last meal requests; there was a website that detailed them. A majority of the meals involved fried foods or burgers, & reflected the American south where many of the prisons are. I can't remember who or where, but the 'single olive' request stands out. Roald Dahl wrote to some of his famous friends to ask what they'd have. Dustin Hoffman suggested 'mothers milk'. For me, a beautiful platter of fruits de mere with dressed crab and native oysters would be included. A perfectly chilled ripe white peach, warm just picked raspberries and mulberries, and a plate of cheese, assortment to be decided. And a glass of chilled tokai with the peach.
I forgot to add...it's all served on a perfect beach, with the perfect sunset and shared with friends and family.
This is honestly the best part. ❤️
A perfect peach—the kind that sends juice down your chin when you take a bite and you try to suck it back in because you don’t want to miss a drop of its sweet juice, and it’s so good you say “Oh.My.Gawd.”, and a piece of still warm, freshly baked bread slathered in butter. That’s would do it for me.
There is honestly nothing better than a really good peach.
From your lips to God’s ear!
Can I choose an international style buffet?? What a difficult choice! Maybe spaghetti, maybe pizza, maybe potato chips, maybe Belgian fries with mayonnaise. Maybe a good steak. I don't know 🥴
It's such a hard choice, isn't it??? I hadn't thought of choosing a buffet. I think I would have to do the same thing.
Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice.
A roast chicken with crispy green beans and crusty bread, plus double-fried french fries for dipping in the juices, and a bowl of sliced stone fruits and chopped chocolate for dessert. I'd eat the whole meal with my hands, because if I'm going to go out, I want to be as fully aware and in touch with my body and all my senses as possible... so the fork be damned. (Also would LOVE to be interviewed/cross-featured on your Substack, great posts!)
Sending you a message now! I just clicked over to your newsletter - you had me at the title. Anything named French Fries and Martinis is my kind of newsletter.
I make a mushroom risotto I love. It has white wine and miso and nutritional yeast to make it creamy. Just last weekend I bought a little of every mushroom Natural Grocers had and it was gorgeous. Served with white wine ... yum!
That sounds sooooo good! Slow cooked creamy mushrooms cooked in wine is always something I want to eat.
Here is my cheeky answer -
I would love to have my gorgeous Nana’s ‘sticky bread’ that she used to make every New Year. We sadly don’t have my Nana anymore nor her recipe, so my execution would have to be stayed.
But, upon reading about all the cake everyone is having, and a big buffet table with all their buddies invited (can we put the buffet table on the beach?). I could be down for a big buffet with lots and lots of cakes!
I think dinner tonight will be Rebecca’s featured mushroom pasta - yum!
Cake on a beach! Isn't there a song about that??? Was your Nana's sticky bread a kind of caramel roll?
I wish I knew what it was called. It wasn't quite a monkey bread as I have had that, and it isn't quite right. It was certainly made with a caramel and some walnuts. She was a solid baker so I doubt she even used a recipe. It was a bite of heaven, that I can say with certainty.
BTW - 10/10 for the mushroom pasta. I have zero leftover.
Oh! That's fantastic! I am so happy to hear that!