1. Ratatouille - Ratatouille
The dish that melts the stone-cold heart of uber cynical restaurant critic Anton Ego and takes him back to his childhood is simply sublime. The work of art - the Michelin star styled version of the provincial French classic that is thought to originate from Nice, is a sculpted rainbow of vegetables, thinly sliced into discs. The moment the first forkful passes the thin, acerbic remark spurting lips of the critic, his taste buds go wild and he is transported back in time to when he was a sad, little boy and the only thing that made him happy was his mother's version of the dish - a far more traditional mélange of tomatoes, onions, courgette, peppers and aubergine, simmered for several hours to form a rich, hearty warming stew. At this moment I too am taken back to the beef stew of my late Grandmother. For my friend, it's her mother's macaroni and cheese; while for my brother it's our late Mother's shepherd's pie. The fact that this dish evokes such fond food memories and brings the flavours of dishes of our childhood to the tips of our tongues makes it my number 1.
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