Foods you prefer at room temperature

[nakji]

Bento rice is usually eaten at room temperature; some safety precautions are necessary, but it's generally safe. Isn't the problem when it's kept in chafing dishes?

[maggiethecat]

Leek and Potato Soup. It's good hot, good chilled in its Vichyssoise manifestation, but the flavors are fuller at room temp.

[Susie Q]

If my family makes it...potato salad...the mayo, sweet pickle, and egg kind. We warn others it's not been refrigerated and even after sitting out 3+ hours nobody has ever gotten sick from it.

[Chris Hennes]

Smoked salmon is better at room temp than right out of the fridge, I think.

[CKatCook]

If my family makes it...potato salad...the mayo, sweet pickle, and egg kind. We warn others it's not been refrigerated and even after sitting out 3+ hours nobody has ever gotten sick from it.

I was thinking the same thing. I cannot count the church picnics, outtings, camps, etc. that the mayo sat out almost all day and no one got sick. While food safety is a real issue, I think some times people get too worried about it.

I thought I was the only person who likes room temp. fruit. I also like pie, cake, etc. at room temp. as well as most salads.

[Lupinus]

I think most everything tastes better when it isn't to one extreme or the other. Extremely cold, extremely hot, neither do it for me. Sure warm or chilled, but the closer to the middle you get the better I think most things taste.

[janeer]

Salads of all kinds, especially potato, chicken, and green. It infuriates me to get a cold green salad on a cold plate at a restaurant. I never, ever, refrigerate chicken salad or potato salad before serving. Jam/preserves--leave them on the counter. Pie (ditto). Cheese of course.

[Raoul Duke]

Spam musubi!

[Chris Hennes]

Agreed about the salads, almost all salads taste better if you give them time to come up (or down) to a cool room temperature, in my opinion.