"last supper" news and stories

For people who are having a really, really hard time choosing what to have for dinner, the "Last Meal Delivery Service" will create a replica of the last meal consumed by somebody in the United States. The cost is $20, which is generally the maximum allowed for a final supper, and the meal must be ordered "well in advance of the delivery date."

Unfortunately, this service is only available in Toronto, which means that, if you want to enjoy Ted Bundy's last dinner, you'll probably have to make it yourself. With that in mind, it's worth noting a few of the more interesting last suppers on record. Adolf Eichmann, for instance, wasn't up to eating, so he drank a half bottle of Carmel, a dry red Israeli wine. Gary Gilmore, the man who ushered in the return of the death penalty in the US, consumed a hamburger, hard-boiled eggs, a baked potato, a few cups of coffee, and three shots of whiskey. Noted serial killer John Wayne Gacy ate a dozen deep-fried shrimp, a bucket of original-recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken, french fries, and a pound of strawberries, while terrorist Timothy McVeigh guzzled two pints of mint chocolate-chip ice cream. Perhaps the most interesting last meal, however, is James Smith, a murderer who asked for a clod of dirt, ostensibly for a voodoo ritual.

While these are somewhat distinctive, it's interesting to note that most death row inmates choose hamburgers for their last meals, and are followed by steaks, particularly T-bones. The vast majority ask for fries on the side and ice cream for dessert. Ted Bundy, ironically, didn't request a last meal at all, and ended up eating the standard steak and eggs, with a side of hash browns, a couple of pieces of toast, a glass of juice, and a cup of coffee. Under the circumstances, it's not surprising that so many inmates choose comfort food, but I still have to admire Victor Feguer, whose choice of a single olive with a pit in it is both lyrical and mysterious!

I play this game often when dining out with my foodish friends. After grossly indulging in whatever gluttonous gourmet feast was placed before us, deeply buzzed on wine and cocktails, sitting back in our chairs to wait out the digestion, we ask one another, "If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you want your last meal on earth to be?"

Strangely enough, even when the group of dining companions is a group of professional chefs, people in the food industry, or hard core "foodies," the answers are usually very similar. There is no answer of a fancy sit down dinner with multiple courses of preciously presented dishes. Almost always, people answer with favorite comfort foods, foods that remind them of home, family, and the experiences they've had in this life.

A few weeks ago, Caley from ChewonThatBlog asked us at Slashfood what we would want for our "Last Supper." We don't seem to have much variety on our team, with a fairly even split on only a few things: Mediterranean (since pizza is Mediterranean, right?), seafood, and Japanese food. Our individual answers are below, but we'd love to hear what our Slashfoodie readers would want as their last meals on earth, too!