For pre/post-ride foods, take a look at some of Monique Ryan's columns at VeloNews.
http://www.velonews.com/article/11948
http://www.velonews.com/article/12445
http://www.velonews.com/article/84962
On the bike, I like to shoot for 40g of carbohydrates per hour for rides over 2 hours. Bananas seem to be a long-standing favorite among many cyclists, based on the peels I see on the side of the road. They're easy to eat, easy to stuff into a jersey, and you can toss the biodegradable peels when you're done.
I like to include some serious sugar if I'm going to hammer and/or do a seriously hilly route. This is usually a home-made brew of 1 part lemon juice, 4 parts honey (1 part = 1/2 tablespoon per hour) and sometimes a dash of Crystal Lite powder for added flavor. I've actually done 4-hour rides on only this gel mix and it's worked nicely.