The only think that actually got my mouth watering on this thread was Gibs:
Just picked up some Blood Orange Balsamic from Sicily yesterday made from Moros, not Sanguinellos - just fabulous when reduced and drizzled on arugula, heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese with almond oil.
serve above with bread below.
Oh sure, being part Neopolitan, I love good pizza, "Napoli DOC, with Mozzarella di bufalo, and san marzano tomatoes with all fresh cut basil and oregano, good fresh onion and garlic infused into the tomato and then pressed into the lighly EVOO basted proper dough. Fire it in woodfired oven at >750* on a pizza stone. Ready to eat in 2 minutes. But like Shivas, I'll eat some commmercial pizza (Pizza Hut pan style pepperoni or just green peppers onion, and I'll put my own anchovie on it and bake/toast it a little longer) with intention to swill beer to wash it down and watch a game....
And, unless you serve me spoiled or unsanitary food, I will never snob out on your effort to be hospitable and cook something for us. I can always eat with no pretense or snobbery and I'll try damn near anything you make.. so long as you take the first bite.
I love wine, have had a few reputed great wines, but the distinctions don't follow the price quotients necessarily from my peasant experience POV. I like what I like after I've had it, and my taste for them changes often. I still say my Grandpa's home made ~200 gallons or so a year, using 5 zinfantel to one muscatelle grape crate flats ratio, no sugar to boost alcohol % so it only ran about 9.5-10ish, aged in pre-used barrels resterilized with sulfur, obtained periodically from a wiskey factory in Tennessee, was the best freakin wine I ever had, except on off years. And then it sometimes was the best freakin wine vinegar. When years that it was good, it was very good!
with the wine... redder the bedder...
... good rustic peasant hard crust bread whole wheat or various grain, loaves big as a half medicine ball, with room temp sliced John Volpe Filsetti salume, and any number of great cheeses also room temp, dried cured black greek olives and I'm there.
Pacific oysters raw in shooters.
I guess I'm a snob after all....