Foods you prefer at room temperature

[heidih]

I have been making variations of stuffed grape leaves as described here and noted that I prefer them room temperature verus hot or cold. I started thinking about other dishes where the flavors are optimal at room temp. Cheese of course, and I think potato salad and tomato salads fit in there. What do you prefer room temp?

[Emily_R]

Totally agreed on grape leaves and on potato salad with vinaigrette. I also feel that way about tabbouli and salsa -- I hate cold salsa. I might also feel that way about hard boiled eggs -- need to think about those a little more.

[Porthos]

Devilled eggs.

[heidih]

Totally agreed on grape leaves and on potato salad with vinaigrette. I

Funny you should mention potato salad with vinaigrette- I was thinking about the mayo based one. Did you differentiate because of all the mayo = food poisoning tales?

[heidih]

As you mention tabbouli I am thinking that eggplant salad is also sometimes not appreciated by people because they have it cold- and hummus as well.

[Peter the eater]

Butter, stinky blue cheese, stouts and porters.

[heidih]

Oh and those pasta salads- can't taste a thing until they come to room temp

[Darienne]

Fruit salad. Like my fruits at room temperature. Unlike my DH who likes fruit cold.

[LindaK]

Almost everything. As long as it doesn't materially suffer--melt on one end, congeal on the other--room temperature is almost always better.

[roosterchef21]

Almost everything. As long as it doesn't materially suffer--melt on one end, congeal on the other--room temperature is almost always better.

+1 here. The only things I can think of that is better cold is milk, frozen goods (obviously ) and some fresh seafood - prawns and crabs, sashimi items etc.

[Chris Hennes]

I like mayo better at room temperature, no matter the application. I read someplace that if you make it right, with enough acid, it keeps for a couple days on the counter.

[jmolinari]

steamed rice...or just slightly above room temp.

[cmling]

Many, many things lukewarm. (I.e. roughly body temperature.)

[Beebs]

Fruit. Cold fruit makes my teeth hurt.

Drinking water. I forget where I read it and the specifics of it, but supposedly room/body temp water is better for you than ice-cold water.

[Katie Meadow]

Goes without saying room temp: maple syrup, cheeses, hummus, babaganouj, salsa, ANYthing with tomato, potato salad. Actually most salads. Perhaps most anything that should be spread, although I like cold butter on bread. I prefer carrot juice to be close to room temp.

Some fruits I like cold: watermelon, cherries, grapes, often apples. Some fruits I prefer room temp: pears, peaches, plums and apricots, citrus.

Is it just me, or have there been some weird topics lately? My tastes never struck me as terribly nutty until I started reading my own posts in some of these cold vs hot, celery vs carrots threads.

[Pam Brunning]

A restaurant near us got done for salmonella poisoning caused by leaving mayo out at room tempreature. Some strains of salmonella thrive in acid conditions.

[nakji]

Curry. I like curries at room temperature.

[Alex]

Still water. Sparkling water at room temp is disturbing, though.

[Carlovski]

Spanish Tortilla, and anything frittata like in general. Problem I have is that they take quite a while to cool down and I start cutting myself slices while it's still hot - not as tasty, but still good and available now!

[Beebs]

Still water. Sparkling water at room temp is disturbing, though.

Ha! I used to drink flat root beer and flat Coke at room temp, back when I drank sodas more often. I thought it made it taste sweeter. Every now and then, I still do leave my root beer out for a couple hours before consuming!

[Really Nice!]

Totally agreed on grape leaves and on potato salad with vinaigrette. I

Funny you should mention potato salad with vinaigrette- I was thinking about the mayo based one. Did you differentiate because of all the mayo = food poisoning tales?

Mayo does not equal food poisoning. Compare the pH level between potatoes and commercial mayo to find the culprit.

[JAZ]

steamed rice...or just slightly above room temp.

Something I just learned from McGee's On Food and Cooking is that leaving cooked rice at room temperature for too long can be unsafe. Apparently raw rice often carries bacteria that can withstand high temperatures (and so survive the cooking process). The bacteria grow pretty rapidly at room temperature, so he recommends serving rice hot and refrigerating any leftovers. Or, you can add an acid (as in sushi rice or rice salads, which inhibits bacterial growth.

[jmolinari]

steamed rice...or just slightly above room temp.

Something I just learned from McGee's On Food and Cooking is that leaving cooked rice at room temperature for too long can be unsafe. Apparently raw rice often carries bacteria that can withstand high temperatures (and so survive the cooking process). The bacteria grow pretty rapidly at room temperature, so he recommends serving rice hot and refrigerating any leftovers. Or, you can add an acid (as in sushi rice or rice salads, which inhibits bacterial growth.

Yup, this bacteria is what causes the "MSG syndrome" at cheap chinese places very often.

[Jenni]

You know, I think most foods that aren't supposed to be served hot taste better served at room temperature, rather than chilled. A salad might be refreshingly cool straight out of the fridge, but it doesn't taste as good as when you let it come back to room temperature.

[LB Howes]

steamed rice...or just slightly above room temp.

Something I just learned from McGee's On Food and Cooking is that leaving cooked rice at room temperature for too long can be unsafe. Apparently raw rice often carries bacteria that can withstand high temperatures (and so survive the cooking process). The bacteria grow pretty rapidly at room temperature, so he recommends serving rice hot and refrigerating any leftovers. Or, you can add an acid (as in sushi rice or rice salads, which inhibits bacterial growth.

Yup, this bacteria is what causes the "MSG syndrome" at cheap chinese places very often.

MSG Syndrome or anything related to any adverse reactions to MSG are NOT the same thing. The Serve Safe coursebook identifies the cause of illness from room temperature rice as being the bacillus cereus gastroenteritis bacteria.