Weird Food - Care to share?

[Sixwing]

Got nuthin' but a comment on fried rice. I'm just going to lurk and learn for a while. :3

Fried rice here is not as much of a production in some ways, and more of one in others. This comes out deliciously gooey.

- all your leftover rice
- a few spoonfuls of tahini
- soy sauce
- egg

Take all the rice and glob it together in a hot frying pan. We tend to use short-grain anyway, so it's seriously sticky. Smash it flat with your spatula or spoon, whatever you prefer. Add the tahini and soy sauce to taste and mix it all up - turns a nice light brown color, and gets even stickier. Cook 'til hot and well mixed, turning every few seconds to keep the bottom from burning. Clear a space for the egg, stir it up and let it sit to half-scramble it on the hot pan, then mix it in - it should leave visible yellow and white crumbs all over the rice.

My husband makes this best. I haven't yet gotten the egg right.

Edit: pickled heart of palm, or artichoke heart, is fantastic on a cold salad. The former is somewhat weird here. The latter is not.

[Tog Tan]

Tog, we do heart of palm here with S. exorrhiza.

We have many of the palm species eaten for the palm of heart - I am referring to 'naner p-stem heart! Anyone/tribe out your place eat it?

I am very curious cos it's not known in the city. Over the next couple of days, I will find the time to cut down a Musa acuminata subsp malaccensis to extract the p-stem heart and let my sis cook it. It seems when eaten raw, it is very crunchy but on the bitter side.

Sixwing : Fried rice is hugely popular as a main dish here and they have many varieties. I like the one made by the Malays known as Nasi Goreng Pataya whereby after the rice is done, it is encased in a thin omelette. It takes quite a bit of skill on the part of the chef doing a good esthetically pleasing job. Of course we have the spicy ones too. In all, the Thais, Chinese and Malays are well known for their own recipes in frying rice. The next time you or your hubby fry rice, try using a dash of the thick sticky black Chinese sauce, it will give a tastier flavor to the rice and richer looking in color.

[lorax]

A couple of times on nanner-pstem, but always fried with rice. Cooking takes out some of the bitterness, and so does soaking the pstem heart in brine for a couple hours....

[saltydad]

I like to add some Thai spicy peanut sauce to the rice just before it's done. UMMM.

[NotherNana]

Lorax,
'wash out tripes?' Please explain further. :) In Italian, tripe is stomach...? Is it the same in your language? Very nice recipe, by the way :)
Gino

[lorax]

Gino 'wash out tripes' meaning take out the intestines and clean them very well. The only parts of the pig (barring bones) that aren't used in Chugchucarra are the sweetmeats (heart, liver, kidneys, brain) and the inedible organs (gall bladder, stomach).

[Tog Tan]

Gino 'wash out tripes' meaning take out the intestines and clean them very well. The only parts of the pig (barring bones) that aren't used in Chugchucarra are the sweetmeats (heart, liver, kidneys, brain) and the inedible organs (gall bladder, stomach).

What a waste of good food; the heart, liver, kidneys and the brain.

The stomach makes a great soup with black pepper! :ha:

The heart is great stir fried with any vegie.

Liver is absolute tasty in rice porridge with the kidneys (most expensive part here). Liver is also made into a soup with slices of ginger for the anemic.

Brain is steamed or fried with eggs.

There, with what is thrown away, a whole delicious and healthy meal is more than enough for a Chinese family of 6! :ha:

[bananimal]

Tog,

I use a thick black sauce for my Chinese fried rice - premium oyster sauce - Kun Chun brand is very good. The recipe is from the old Craig Claiborne/Virginia Lee New York Times cookbook "The Chinese Cookbook".

It uses shrimp and lop choy - a Chinese sweet sausage - It's great. No Chinese restaurant I've tried has ever made fried rice that tastes anything like it!!

Chong --- Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely try out the tip on breaking up day old rice with wet hands.

Beth --- Chugchucarra - wow! Think I'll stick with my recipes that use "Some Pig Parts". Still cannot eat patitas con garbanzo like my wife' folks do, and certain other piggy delights that are super artery cloggers.

Dan

[lorax]

Tog, I didn't say they weren't eaten. They're just not part of the Chugchucarra.

[Tog Tan]

Tog,
I use a thick black sauce for my Chinese fried rice - premium oyster sauce - Kun Chun brand is very good. The recipe is from the old Craig Claiborne/Virginia Lee New York Times cookbook "The Chinese Cookbook".

It uses shrimp and lop choy - a Chinese sweet sausage - It's great. No Chinese restaurant I've tried has ever made fried rice that tastes anything like it!!
Dan

Dan, sounds like what the Chinese do here! Fyi, the Chinese sweet sausage is called Lup Cheong meaning Wax Sausage. Throw in some of the sun dried prawns (bigger than shrimps) from the Asian stores and it will go a level higher! :ha:

[chong]

Tog,

I use a thick black sauce for my Chinese fried rice - premium oyster sauce - Kun Chun brand is very good. The recipe is from the old Craig Claiborne/Virginia Lee New York Times cookbook "The Chinese Cookbook".

It uses shrimp and lop choy - a Chinese sweet sausage - It's great. No Chinese restaurant I've tried has ever made fried rice that tastes anything like it!!

Chong --- Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely try out the tip on breaking up day old rice with wet hands.

Beth --- Chugchucarra - wow! Think I'll stick with my recipes that use "Some Pig Parts". Still cannot eat patitas con garbanzo like my wife' folks do, and certain other piggy delights that are super artery cloggers.

Dan

Dan,
We have similar recipes in the Philippines that use pig's feet and cow feet. However, seldom are "patitas" ( i assume - pig's feet) used with garbanzos. It is the beef shank/cow feet that is used with garbanzos - a recipe called "Callos con Garbanzos". Although callos in this case refers to beef tripe, since beef shank and feet(with skin, stripped of outermost epidermis and nails) are part of the recipe, callos can apply to that as well. I was surprised that here in the US, tripe recipes are called menudo. Our menudo is a stew made with small chunks of pork, diced/cubed potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onions, peas (guisantes), Chorizo de Bilbao, Vienna Sausage, raisins (pasas), and olives. My wife and children can't stand restaurant menudo(tripe) because they say that they're not prepared properly and stink.

For pig's feet, we have a stew similar to adobo, where the feet is stewed with water, vinegar, garlic, onions, banana blossoms, pepper corns, and salt and/or soy sauce, chili peppers optional. Another way we cook the whole pork hock and feet is "Crispy Pata". The leg is cut at 1.5" intervals through the bone, leaving one side of meat and skin intact. The leg is then boiled tender, rolled in starch, allowed to air dry, then deep fried until golden brown. When the meat cools down to eat, the skin is crispy. So, how are these for patitas? I know, I know, pretty weird, huh?

Enjoy,

Chong

[chong]

Lorax,
'wash out tripes?' Please explain further. :) In Italian, tripe is stomach...? Is it the same in your language? Very nice recipe, by the way :)
Gino

Yes, tripe is the stomach wall. Beef tripe has sort of honeycomb pattern on one side. This is the one, in Spanish, we call "Callos" and use for our "Callos con Garbanzos". Chitterlings, or chit'lings, are the intestines. These are used for sausage casings, or we clean them inside and out with brine and deep fry them. Great cracklings. We used to serve this with our new found friends when we first came to this country. When they asked us what they were, we just said, "Pork!" Then they brag about it to their friends! Ha! As the saying goes, "It's the thought that counts!"

Gino 'wash out tripes' meaning take out the intestines and clean them very well. The only parts of the pig (barring bones) that aren't used in Chugchucarra are the sweetmeats (heart, liver, kidneys, brain) and the inedible organs (gall bladder, stomach).

Beth, the Chinese make a terrific stew with pork stomach. It is cooked with pork blood, chili peppers, water chestnuts, green onions, other veggies, and served sizzling in a hot pot Sterno and all. In Taiwan, they cook it in light chicken soup with bok choy and water chestnuts. Then here is Seattle (as in some restaurants in the Philippines), they serve it with noodle soup. And there's a dish called "Lau Mei" which is pork stomach, ears, tongue, and if you're lucky, spleen. The ingredients are boiled in water, soy sauce, and five spice until tender and the liquid becomes thick. The meat is sliced in slivers, the sauce poured over it, and served hot with rice, or, sliced and served cold, with warmed sauce, for the Chinese version of "cold cuts". The secret with cooking the stomach is in how to clean it properly. I even have some leftovers of Lau Mei in the fridge right now! Hmmmm, let's see - lunch? Naw, just had breakfast. Maybe cold cuts before dinner tonight, with Scotch! As one of my best friends would say, "Ahhh, life is good!"

As for gall bladder, or part of it anyway, in some parts of the Philippines, pork stomach is cleaned, then steeped in 185°F(85°C) for 5 to 10 minutes. After draining the water, it is sliced in slivers, then the bile is sprinkled over it. Followed by vinegar, salt, garlic, shallots, ground pepper, and chili. This dish is called "Papaitan", meaning "made bitter"

[lorax]

See, and here we consider that the stomach is a vessel in which to cook things, but not an organ that is eaten in the same way that the sweetmeats are. There's a very tasty pudding-type dish made of corn, sweetmeats, and spices that's cooked in the stomach; sort of an Ecuadorean take on Haggis.

The gall bladder here, however, is considered to be a remedy for wasps.

[bananimal]

Chao ong Tog. Ong mang goi che? Seems you know a bit of several Aisian languages. This is a bit of the little Vietnamese I still remember.

Now about dried prawns -- all I can say is Oy gevault!! Sorry, I grew up in NYC. When in my 20's I moved to central NJ. No Chinese restaurants within 30 miles. Grew up on the stuff, so the wife bought me the cookbook mentioned earlier. Tried stir fried squid with scallions and ginger. Sounds innocuous, and probably tasty, right? Wroooooooonnnnnnnnnng!!!

Recipe called for 3 oz dried squid and 1 lb of fresh squid. Basic stir fry -- shao hsing wine, mono, sugar, ginger, scallions, oil to fry. Soaked dried squid 24 hrs in water with baking soda. Cooked the dish the next day. All was well eating the fresh squid, rice, etc until I grabbed a piece of the dried.

Stuck it in my mouth, took one bite and screamed -- aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! The taste was so bad, alien to me, thought I bit into a dead fish that sat in the bottom of a garbage can for a week -- IN THE SUN!!!

Spit it out, rinsed my mouth (ALOT) and swore never to eat anything with dried fish in it ever again!!!

Since then, discovered that anything Asian, canned or dried, that has no words printed in English on the can or package is not for me. Every time I go deep sea fishing since those days I always remember the taste of dried squid when I bait up.

Dan

[Lagniappe]

:ha::ha::ha:

[Sixwing]

Lorax: Going to have to try that - sounds delicious. :3

Dried squid does not sound like the tastiest of things. Those little dried sardines, now...
Also, dried bonito flakes make a wonderful fishy broth. You just have to be careful to strain them all out before eating, or they're like getting a mouthful of soaked, fishy sawdust.

[lorax]

Oy, but Sixwing, have you ever had fresh bonito? It's like chewing cod-liver-oil and concentrated fishy badness. I'm stuck with a couple of fillets still in my freezer because I caught one last time I was out fishing. I now know that I shouldv'e thrown it back and tried for a Dorado or a Wahoo.

[Caloosamusa]

Squid is one of the best foods there is, saute'd, raw with wasabi, I've never had it sun dried, but would certainly try it.

I find my nose is good for warning me about some foods, but my wife tells me I'm not a "normal" American of Northern European decent. When I was in the Phillipines there were several new foods I tried. The fried squid I considered "normal." :2239:

[Patty in Wisc]

Lorax, glad you mentioned Bonita...something I'm familiar with. I caught 1 or 2 while fishing in Mx & they sure put up a fight...fun to catch! They are in the tuna family (darker meat). I took mine back to my unit & cut it up myself. Very hard to cut thru them. The kitchen area looked like a murder scene - so much blood!! They are so bloody, they use chunks to catch other fish. I wrapped some in foil & grilled it...it was pretty good! My favorite was Dorado (dolphin).

[lorax]

For me, Bonito's almost too strong to eat, but I can definitely see its application as a baitfish. They're actually more closely related to mackerels than tuna, it's just that they get nice an big, and you're bang on about the fight. The only way I can deal with the smell and taste of the Bonito is to stew it in beer and tomatoes for an entire day.

For eating, I prefer Dorado (which is not really a dolphin, folks, it's a finfish) and Wahoo.
For deep-sea fighting, I prefer bluefin Tuna and Picudo (Swordfish), although I've had epic fights with seagoing salmon as well. On the flats, Permit and Pompano are pretty entertaining in their own way.

[Patty in Wisc]

In FL I saw Dolphin on a menu & could not eat "Flipper" LOL. It's what they call dorado prolly cuz the face looks like a dolphins'.
I read that when Bonitos get hooked, they go strait down for a long way. All you can do is let it go or line will break. My arms were sore when I got him in.
Woulda LOVED to catch a swordfish but I did catch a shark once - only 4 or 5 ft. but they (bait boy) cut the line cuz they "didn't want to deal with it". I cried later ---I WANT MY SHARK!!!

[Sixwing]

0_0 Concentrated fishy badness! Made me laugh out loud at work...
I have never tried fresh bonito. Maybe that's why they dry it?

Strong-flavored fish are up there on the list of my favorite foods, but tend to drive my husband right out of the kitchen (Anchovy and feta pizza, mmmmm. Extra points for garlic sauce.) Around here, it's hard or impossible to get fresh seafood; we are nowhere near the sea. The local fish are pretty mild-flavored. We have trout, bass, crappie and bluegill, and an assortment of sucker catfish.

Shark is very good sliced into steaks and seared off in tangy or fruity sauce. Gran Marnier and Creme de Cassis are my favorites for that.

I'd love to go fishing for something the size of a Dorado or a Wahoo.

[lorax]

Shark is good, but only if it's been cleaned and drained properly. Otherwise it's full of uric acid, and tastes horrid.

Come on down! We have an excellent fishery for Dorado, and Wahoo is found in the deep trenches off the Galapagos.

[Sixwing]

That would be so awesome.
>.>
<.<
*vacation daydreams*

[Bob]

[QUOTE=Sixwing;76881]0_0 Concentrated fishy badness! Made me laugh out loud at work...
I have never tried fresh bonito. Maybe that's why they dry it?

Shark is very good sliced into steaks and seared off in tangy or fruity sauce. Gran Marnier and Creme de Cassis are my favorites for that.


I prefer pickling the chef with Gran Marnier prior to cooking!



[QUOTE=lorax;76876]For me, Bonito's almost too strong to eat, but I can definitely see its application as a baitfish. They're actually more closely related to mackerels than tuna, it's just that they get nice an big, and you're bang on about the fight. The only way I can deal with the smell and taste of the Bonito is to stew it in beer and tomatoes for an entire day.

Have you tried the "planked" bonito recipe? Salt and pepper the filets liberally and place on a pre moistened cedar plank. Set plank carefuly away from direct flame and allow smoke to cook fish for several hours until done, throw away the bonito and eat the plank!

[lorax]

Yeah, because cedar's so widely available here in ECUADOR. Glad to see you're back and in fine form.

[Chironex]

In FL I saw Dolphin on a menu & could not eat "Flipper" LOL. It's what they call dorado prolly cuz the face looks like a dolphins'.
I read that when Bonitos get hooked, they go strait down for a long way. All you can do is let it go or line will break. My arms were sore when I got him in.
Woulda LOVED to catch a swordfish but I did catch a shark once - only 4 or 5 ft. but they (bait boy) cut the line cuz they "didn't want to deal with it". I cried later ---I WANT MY SHARK!!!

Patty, the dolphin you see on menus is not the same as Flipper. Flipper is a mammal and the dolphin 'Mahi Mahi' is a fish. So Flipper is safe.
Glad you didn't kill the shark. Despite their bad reputation, their numbers are diminishing rapidly. We need them to keep the seas healthy as they are at the top end of the marine food chain and essential to culling the weak and dying creatures. They are like the ocean's trash collectors. hahaha

[Patty in Wisc]

Scot, what I meant was they call Dorado dolphin. When I first saw 'dolphin' on a menu, that was what I thought it was untill the waiter told me. I laughed & said 'how could anyone eat Flipper' LOL
Am I getting forgetful or is dorado & mahi mahi same? I thought they were? (Help Lorax!) Anyway, they called it dolphin - one or both. Whatever they're called - dorado, mahi mahi, dolphin, they are beautiful fish & taste excellent.
Shark? Yup, they eat anything...other fish, arms, legs, old shoes, people etc LOL. I think I cried mostly cuz shark steak cost around $15- 20.00 a lb here!!!
I cooked swordfish, shark steaks & bonito on the grill & they were really good (bonito needs more help).
BTW, welcome back again.:)

[lorax]

They are. If you want a real wierdness, Dorado is translated as "Goldfish" on bilingual menus here. I had to explain to a 5-star restaurant that a goldfish is a pet to English speakers, and they should be calling it Mahi Mahi.

[Patty in Wisc]

Thank you Lorax!!
OK, question answerd: Dorado, Mahi maihi, dolfhin... are the same.
Thank you Beth!!!!!.

[Chironex]

The mammalian bottle-nosed dolphin, sometimes called a porpoise is what Flipper was. There are several different species of mammalian dolphin.
I worked with sharks at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (U of Miami) in Key Biscayne in the seventies. Dr. Samuel Gruber was my mentor. (That's where I was caught doing my thesis work before attaining my baccalaureate - oops!) I was transferring a 4 foot lemon shark from our tank into an apparatus for behavioral studies on duplex retina vision, when it struggled and bit my hand. Almost lost the tip of my finger, but managed to come away with only a few gashes.

Most of the shark I have eaten was grilled. It was delicious when properly cooked. Lots of restaurants would use a kitchen implement shaped like a cookie cutter to cut shark fillets into scallops. When properly cooked, it would take a muscle expert to tell them apart.

[musaboru]

I heard that too Mitchel. Used to be that Mexicans would kill for that worm. It was a halucinagenic (spell?). Now they put any ol' grub in there.
A REALLY GOOD dipping sauce is soy sauce (or fish sauce) mixed w/wasabi paste. YUM! Try that Bob.
My fish sauce tastes like liquid anchovy. I LOVE anchovies on pizza.
MM patty! I love wasabi and soysauce mixed together. I find anything to eat it with.

And stir fry vegetables with soy sauce+sugar or fish sauce+sugar. its a really ghood combo like tomato and basil goes well with each other. Btw, I find that soy sauce varies a lot from different countries. I like most of them. There is a type of soy sauce that is thick and black and sweet. And this is the type of soy sauce that is used to make pad see ew, one of my favorite dishes.

The weirdest food I like is squid and octopus. Which isn't really weird to half of the world at least, but I cant get any of my friends to try it.

[Patty in Wisc]

musaboro, soysauce & sugar...heated up to a simmer & then put your deep fried bacon-wrapped water chestnuts in. (darn...forgot what they're called!)

[Chironex]

I ate a hot dog the other day. ewwwwww, sorry to gross everyone out.

[lorax]

Blech. Those things are so nasty!

[bananimal]

Dar --- I learned the hard way that there is fish sauce you cook with, and refined, higher priced fish sauce that's used straight. Big difference!!! The first time I made nuoc mam cham, the dipping sauce for cha gio (Vietnamese spring rolls) I used a cheap cooking nuoc mam. Everybody got grossed out. This is, after all, a fermented fish sauce. Make a mistake and gross out factor is huge!

Told the Vietnamese I worked with in Charlotte, NC (big Vietnamese community) and they laughed at me. They all said you need to use Nuoc Mam Nhi. After the fermentation process is completed, approx 9 months, the first draining is the good stuff. Lighter in color and clear - relatively expensive and reserved for table use. Hence the Nhi qualifier. The second and third draining is cheaper and used for cooking. My favorite dishes today still are Banh Xeo and Bun Tom Thit Heo Nuong Cha Gio. That is, noisy pancake and rice noodles with grilled shrimp and pork and spring roll. Both are eaten with the fish sauce nuoc mam cham.

Here in Port St Lucie there is one Vietnamese restaurant - owned by Phillipinos. Food is good. No one speaks Vietnamese - not as much fun.

Dan

[bananimal]

As for hot dogs ---------- who knows what's in a hot dog besides lips?

[Patty in Wisc]

If we knew what was in hot dogs, we'd all be sick. I get sick on ring bologna from just the chemicals in it.

[saltydad]

That's why you have to eat Hebrew National hot dogs....they "answer to a higher authority". No lips or other parts like that, not kosher.

[bananimal]

Howard,

From your pic you're old enough to know the joke. How come no one has bitten on my lips in hot dogs comment? You know, the silly movie with Akroyd as the dad of the rich family eating lobster; and John Candy as the dad whose family is eating the hot dogs.

For my money Nathan's "bigger than the bun" are the best available in the supermkts. Saw an episode recently of "No Reservations" and Tony was chomping down on custom made dogs in Chicago. Also Italian beef sandwiches. With some extra discretionary income on my hands I would have been on a plane to Illinois. This is the kind of stuff I grew up on. My dad worked in Hugo Wimpke's deli in New York before I was born, and deli has been some of my favorite stuff. Hugo had a contract with the Schrafts restaurant chain and only delt in the best --- full cure on all meats, no short cuts. He even had his own boners.

Dan

[saltydad]

Dan- I miss the hot dogs with natural casings; I loved that pop when you bit into them. PBS had 2 very interesting food shows on. One was on hot dogs, and the other on sandwiches. After seeing what they put on a Chi town dog (everything!), I also was ready to fly out there. Watch the shows if you can, but eat well first! NY deli hot pastrami...oh, I think I died and went to heaven. (No comment on your last sentence.) :ha:

edit- and I am old enough to have seen the movie, but also old enough to have forgotten that I did so!

[bananimal]

Howard -- My dad said the boners were the highest paid employees in the shop. Boning meat all day with very sharp knives is dangerous. I have a mental picture of a boner sticking out his hand on payday for his money with only 3 1/2 fingers on it. Also what a great line on a resume ---"Boner - 5 1/2 years"

Oh, yes! You just pushed one of my major buttons -- HOT PASTAMI ON RYE!!!. Sadly, all we have locally is friggin TooJays. Not so good - just ok. For real HTG pastrami I stop at the Pastrami Club deli in Lauderhill Lakes in Broward county when I have to travel south. They make their own - it's really great!

Dan

[Bob]

Howard,

He even had his own boners.
Dan
....... uh?

Any one ever tried the " Red Hots " in Maine? Bright fire engine red dogs with a great snap and flavor. I always thought we had the best of everything around here till I ate this classic. Probably not as bad as what Scot was chowing down on.( Havent heard from him ....wonder if...)

[Bob]

Howard -- My dad said the boners were the highest paid employees in the shop. Boning meat all day with very sharp knives is dangerous. I have a mental picture of a boner sticking out his hand on payday for his money with only 3 1/2 fingers on it. Also what a great line on a resume ---"Boner - 5 1/2 years"

Oh, yes! You just pushed one of my major buttons -- HOT PASTAMI ON RYE!!!. Sadly, all we have locally is friggin TooJays. Not so good - just ok. For real HTG pastrami I stop at the Pastrami Club deli in Lauderhill Lakes in Broward county when I have to travel south. They make their own - it's really great!

Dan
Dan , for(@%$#) sake come up here. I've been wanting to go to Manhatten for a Pastrami........Don't have much of a garden to show off but......trust me for a good sandwich or a pizza.......... it's here!

[Patty in Wisc]

Well GEEZE, I am sooo lucky! We have Usingers sausage company nearby & they make every kind of sausage you can think of - and with REAL skins on (hey Howard)!
There is a place called Jakes here that makes the BEST pastrami & corned beef sammys in the world. Been there for years & ppl from all over go there. It's in a very bad neighborhood now so no one eats there - all 'to go'. They used to make cow tongue (forgot what's it's called - anyone?) sammys but it got too expensive - heard lots of good things about them. All sammys come with the best kosher dill you ever had.
PIZZA? I dare you to eat one at Zaffirro's - just 3-4 blocks from me. Family run since 50's. They still have the red & white checker table cloths but I love to sit at the bar & order their 1/2 caraffe of red wine & pizza. Thin crust & the sauce is boss! Never advertize or give coupons & they are packed every weekend eve. You can also order one to go par baked & finish baking at home.
Dar, when I bartended till 2:00- 3:00 am, we used to go out for 'brkfst' & order octopus & baked clams etc - that was first time I had Octopus & now I make it at home. Love it!. I must admit, I had a hard time w/ the tentacles at first - had to cut them off or stick them on a wall somewhere nearby - or on someones cheek:), but it doesn't bother me now.
Oh, I'm sooo hungry for all this stuff!

[Chironex]

They used to make cow tongue (forgot what's it's called - anyone?)

Lengua perhaps? I think that's spanish for it anyhow. I have eaten lots of it in tacos.

[bananimal]

The best tacos I ever had were made with "head meat" --- carne de cabeza in spanish. Guess it was cow, probably not squirrel. Would need too many heads to make one taco.

That was in Taqueria Mexico in Charlotte, NC on south blvd.

[john_ny]

I think the cold cut, made with cubes of beef tongue in aspic, is called head cheese.

[saltydad]

In Jewish delicatessens, cow tongue is called.....tongue.

[lorax]

Oh, Chorizos. I know exactly what's in them but I just can't stay away....

[Bob]

Day of the Durian
Well, I've been claiming I was going to attempt this for a while. Before all credibility is lost, today is the day....Durian Day. If you've ever seen "Bizzarre Foods" on the travel channel, you may have seen Andrew Zimmern dropped to his knees ready to wretch after taking only one bite. Then again on the same network Anthony Bourdain calmly eats one outside a South East Asian hotel where they're not allowed indoors so as not to offend the guests. How would I fare against this controversial tropical enigma.
It's been favorably compared to tasting like a rotten onion combined with wet socks. Can't be that unbearable right......right? Asians eat them all the time....... of course....... well I'm going to just be brave and dig in. The midievel looking spikey fleshed nemisis is now on my radar. The picture of a pig on the blue ribbon........................disturbing.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18571&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18571&ppuser=4095)
I steel my reserve with a cigar(it's an Upmann recommended by our late pal. I normaly don't smoke this time of year but.......He liked strong ones...me mild..Never came out and called me katoi farang but,,,,,,it was implied). I also use some help and advice in my mental preparation from lorax and Dalmationsoap....Thanks guys.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18572&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18572&ppuser=4095)
Well here goes:
Im going in.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18574&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18574&ppuser=4095)l

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18575&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18575&ppuser=4095)
No holding back now first bite....CHARGE!!!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18573&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18573&ppuser=4095)
I know its coming back up ok nows the test of my mettle
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18576&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18576&ppuser=4095)
waiting......waiting................................hey.....it's not even not bad.....I want more!
Not only is it not bad ..... I really like it. I would say it's between a banana custard and a sping onion/ scallion taste/ Doesn't sound good but does peanut butter and chocolate sound like a likely combo. I'm digging in.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18577&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18577&ppuser=4095)
In the end nothing is left but the seeds.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18578&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18578&ppuser=4095)
which Chong suggested a while back that I roast and eat......
They're in the oven now.

Don't believe everything you hear..... get out and live a little and you might like what you find.. I'm glad I did.

[CValentine]

Awesome & FUN Bob!!! :) ~Cheryl

[Dalmatiansoap]

CONGRATULATIONS BOB!!
Well said and even better done!
:woohoonaner:

[lorax]

Well done! Tasty treats, Durian. Now, on to the red-hot chicken wings challenge!

[chong]

Congratulations, Bob!

Don't you just love this guy? Huh? Personally, I don't understand what the big deal is anyway. It only smells garlicky. (Okay, strong garlicky!) But the taste is like custard with onion. (Okay, strong onion.)

Oh! BTW, Bob . . . the Durian smell on your body will wear out after a few hours. Don't bother taking a shower before then because it won't do any good. LOL!

[Bob]

RE: hot wings I'm on it . Decided not to attempt too much in one day. It will be coming.:ha:

[Bob]

Congratulations, Bob!

Don't you just love this guy? Huh? Personally, I don't understand what the big deal is anyway. It only smells garlicky. (Okay, strong garlicky!) But the taste is like custard with onion. (Okay, strong onion.)

Oh! BTW, Bob . . . the Durian smell on your body will wear out after a few hours. Don't bother taking a shower before then because it won't do any good. LOL!

Now you tell me...... guess we know what I'm NOT doing tonight.:ha::ha::ha:

[chong]

Now you tell me...... guess we know what I'm NOT doing tonight.:ha::ha::ha:

Bob,
No need to skip it tonight. Just prepare a dinner that consists of entreés that have a lot of garlic, and/or even, curry, e.g., adobo, Malaysian curried rice-vermicelli, hot and sour soup, etc. She might even find you "delicious"! Here's an even better suggestion, if you can get her to eat a durian, not only will the smell then be oblivious to her, but it will even have a positive effect on her. Durian is better than oysters! Check out the link below!
http://www.universalpartnersgroup.com/nww/DurianFruitProperties.pps

[Simply Bananas]

Congrats Bob. I actually had a Durian in hand on Thursday. We had our annual Solstice pig roast Mojito Party last night so the Durian had to wait. My day of the Durian is coming too.

[Bob]

Thanks Chong and everyone. What a great link I'm happy you sent it. I just told lorax in a pm that my whole innards are very warm. Being not the most sensitive I didn't expect much. I'm glad I've eaten this and may actually eatit again....more on that tomorrow though.

[momoese]

WTG Bob, that's very adventurous of you! Did the dog get any or did you hog it all to yourself?

[Bob]

The dogs nibbled a bit of what was left. If I had seen Chongs link earlier i would have known better how to cut it and they'd have had none. I guess I'm glad they had some but am worried about the gastrointestinal effects.

[Bob]

Congrats Bob. I actually had a Durian in hand on Thursday. We had our annual Solstice pig roast Mojito Party last night so the Durian had to wait. My day of the Durian is coming too.

Solstice!!!! Pig roast!!!!! mojito party!!!!? Next time let me know I'm what 15 hour drive? Can always stop to fish outer banks for a break in the middle!!!!!

[lorax]

Hey Bob, Keen Bananas.org Tshirt!

[Chironex]

You know, our old chum is laughing his butt off and hoisting a toast to your first durian - cigar in the other hand of course!

[Mauro Gibo]

Bob,
No need to skip it tonight. Just prepare a dinner that consists of entreés that have a lot of garlic, and/or even, curry, e.g., adobo, Malaysian curried rice-vermicelli, hot and sour soup, etc. She might even find you "delicious"! Here's an even better suggestion, if you can get her to eat a durian, not only will the smell then be oblivious to her, but it will even have a positive effect on her. Durian is better than oysters! Check out the link below!
http://www.universalpartnersgroup.com/nww/DurianFruitProperties.ppsMr. Chong, Maybe not so many people like the smell of Durian, but as you well know the taste is terrific. Once you learn to enjoy it, it becomes a habit to eat Durian. When I went to Mindanao I ate it all the time. Here in Asia it's called the "Queen" of the tropical fruits, of course the "King" is the Mangosteen. I am taking the opportunity to thank you for giving me the information on how to make male papayas bear fruits. I planted 10 seeds of papaya from Brazil and 8 of them were males, only 2 were female plants. I broke the tips of the male seedlings and now they are already bearing fruits. "Mission Accomplished". Much Obliged! Muito Obrigado. Regards. Mauro

[chong]

Thanks Chong and everyone. What a great link I'm happy you sent it. I just told lorax in a pm that my whole innards are very warm. Being not the most sensitive I didn't expect much.
One thing that the link didn't say, and I forgot to caution you on, is not to drink alcoholic beverages during and after you eat Durian. There's a conflict of interest there. Durian elevates your blood temperature, while alcohol lowers it. I believe our buddy, Tog, reinforced this in no uncertain terms, when I posted an article regarding mixing alcohol with Durian.

I'm glad I've eaten this and may actually eat it again....more on that tomorrow though.
Is it because of what may or may not happen tonight? So now, are you bragging or complaining? Okay, I can wait for the answer tomorrow!

[Bob]

One thing that the link didn't say, and I forgot to caution you on, is not to drink alcoholic beverages during and after you eat Durian. There's a conflict of interest there. Durian elevates your blood temperature, while alcohol lowers it. I believe our buddy, Tog, reinforced this in no uncertain terms, when I posted an article regarding mixing alcohol with Durian.

Ugh Chong, Now you tell me. I remember Tog saying that under no circumstance should you consume any alchohol while eating one of these. I thought you had replied that it was only kind of an over blown rumor. Guess who I went with?

Is it because of what may or may not happen tonight? So now, are you bragging or complaining? Okay, I can wait for the answer tomorrow!

Actually I was worried more about the effects this morning! All systems normal.
For the record even this morning my innards feel noticeably warmer than normal..... interesting that a fruit can be that powerful.

[Dalmatiansoap]

Ehehey Orang puteh!!
Looks like everything is fine now?
No side efects?

[Bob]

Nope nothing bad, just feel very very warm inside. Not as much as last night though.

[Dalmatiansoap]

Haha, thing about feeding naners with that Durian thing in winter months :), maybe will provide some extra heat!
:woohoonaner:

[Bob]

Some of you knew I was going to take the "Cluck U" challenge today. If you haven't heard of it here goes: you have to eat 10 of the hottest hot wings on earth,3,000,000 scovil units(a habanero is 30,000) in 5 minutes and then after licking the sauce off of your fingers sit for another 5 minutes. I figured to do it easily.
Bottom line the manager called time with literally one bite left and wouldn't budge even though I finished the last bite within another second.
Feeling very warm inside about now, but not like the durian. The heat didn't get me , just should have been more aware of the game clock.
I'll get'em next time.

[Patty in Wisc]

You are very brave Bob!

[browndrake]

Well, I haven't been to brave or ventured to far in the world of cuisine. I like good ol' home cooking.
When in chiropractor school, I was the president of the sportsman club for a while. We did a barbecue for people on campus...we called it the 'Tastes of Texas'

the menu included:
elk,
deer,
antelope,
wild boar,
quail,
pheasant,
duck,
rattlesnake,
a few varieties of fish
and a few others I can't recall.

I don't see how most of these would qualify as 'weird' but for some people they may, especially the rattlers.

When I lived in Chile, there were plenty of foods served us that I considered outside the norm. Some I found tasty, others I prefer to avoid.

Ubre (cow utter) although they said it was a delicacy, I did not really like it. I especially disliked the texture.

hocico (cow snout/mouth) again the texture just didn't rub me right

prietas (blood sausage) I am not a blood fan.

tierra y mar (means: land and sea..it is a dish of kelp and potatoes, with a 'healthy' amount of stomach in it.) Again, not my favorite. Guess I am beginning to sound like a picky eater...

fideos con cerebro (spaghetti and brains) I really didn't care for this one. I have done enough butchering and brain tanned a hide or two, that the smell turns off my appetite..... brains were just not meant for my consumption

Mariscal: a seafood dish that many liked... Several varieties of raw shellfish mixed together with onions, lemon, cilantro, oil, etc. I could probably learn to like it but much prefer my shellfish cooked.

perhaps the least appetizing mean I was served there was a pig hide that I had seen in the rafters of the house for a couple of weeks. There was about 1/4 " of fat on it, the hide itself and all the hair. The hair had been shaved off..so it was all still a good 1/4 long..counting was was both buried in the hide and what was exposed. It was not fried hard, rather was cooked so that it was chewy. Every bite would be a mouth of lard and hair and take forever to chew. They were some of the nicest people anywhere, so I couldn't tell them that I found it objectionable, and the crawdad empanadas that were served with it were wonderful.

I could go on, but I guess that I have rambled on enough for one post..

aaron

[lorax]

Ohh yuck. I've never been fond of Cuero Curado either.... Mariscal sounds very much like our Ceviche up here in Ecuador. The Fideos con Cerebro just proves to me that Chilenos are a little loopy.

Welcome to weird food world!

[momoese]

Some of you knew I was going to take the "Cluck U" challenge today. If you haven't heard of it here goes: you have to eat 10 of the hottest hot wings on earth,3,000,000 scovil units(a habanero is 30,000) in 5 minutes and then after licking the sauce off of your fingers sit for another 5 minutes. I figured to do it easily.
Bottom line the manager called time with literally one bite left and wouldn't budge even though I finished the last bite within another second.
Feeling very warm inside about now, but not like the durian. The heat didn't get me , just should have been more aware of the game clock.
I'll get'em next time.

Awesome! I've always wanted to try that. A lot of people bring milk to drink after the "meal" ;)

[Bob]

Mitchell I was chugging antacid right after and for hours. The wings went down ok at noon and stayed down without incident.... I'm still in a bit of pain now though if you get my drift.

[saltydad]

Medicated wipes work well....

[Lagniappe]

Or dragging around in the grass......just watch the rottweilers for direction.

[Bob]

oh you're all in rare form tonight!

[Chironex]

Bob, I did something like that at Buffalo Wild Wings. Not sure if it is the same sauce, but it sure was hot. The "ring stinger" reminded me for two days following.

Also, I had chickens feet for lunch long with pickled, spicy seaweed and pig stomach. Yum-yum!

[Bob]

Bob, I did something like that at Buffalo Wild Wings. Not sure if it is the same sauce, but it sure was hot. The "ring stinger" reminded me for two days following.

Also, I had chickens feet for lunch long with pickled, spicy seaweed and pig stomach. Yum-yum!

Funny I was reminded of the Johny Cash song "Ring if fire".Get used to the chicken feet if your going to move. Seaweed salad is one of my favorite things. Never tried a pig stomach but I would try for sure.

[bananimal]

Bob,

Had a buddy Ron from Trenton that loved hot stuff. Especially wings. He had a way to put the fire out that I'm still skeptical about to this day.

Ron would eat a pile of hot wings followed immediately by a dish of vanilla ice cream. When the gastrointestinal volcano went off he would sit there yelling "come on ice cream, come on ice cream"....again and again. He called it his automatic sprinkler system.

Never tried it myself, only eat ice cream as a snack.

Dan

[browndrake]

at least with chiles...and other mexican style hot stuff, bread and butter seems to put out the heat as well as anything.

Not sure if it works with hot curries and that kind of hot stuff. Haven't eaten as many of them

aaron

[momoese]

Bob,

Had a buddy Ron from Trenton that loved hot stuff. Especially wings. He had a way to put the fire out that I'm still skeptical about to this day.

Ron would eat a pile of hot wings followed immediately by a dish of vanilla ice cream. When the gastrointestinal volcano went off he would sit there yelling "come on ice cream, come on ice cream"....again and again. He called it his automatic sprinkler system.

Never tried it myself, only eat ice cream as a snack.

Dan

My step father used to say that exact same thing while sitting on the throne!

Any dairy product will put out the fire. Around here we use sour cream. A spoonful will immediately cool down your mouth.

[Bob]

My step father used to say that exact same thing while sitting on the throne!

Any dairy product will put out the fire. Around here we use sour cream. A spoonful will immediately cool down your mouth.

The mouth wasn't even an issue.
Did you think this thread would eventually go "there"?:ha:

[lorax]

I was wondering how many pages it would take, really... Looks like 17 was the limit. Good for us!

While we're talking about hot stuff, though, I think I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Aji (hot-pepper sauce) made in the Ecuadorean province of Loja. This is made with a small local pepper called Dragon's Teeth or Dragon's Tears, which is an arresting black-purple when it's ripe, and is extremely hot; all this is combination with habaneros and aji peppers. Lojanos have a special test for their hot sauces, which seems to me to be a tad extreme - one takes a drop of the liquid and places it on the web of skin between the thumb and forfinger, on the back of the hand where the skin is thinner. If it leaves a blister, it's considered to be good sauce. I am officially addicted to this type of aji, which is not very hot on contact with the tongue but which burns later once it's passed into the stomach, and find myself testing the comparatively weak sauces in Quito restaurants in the Loja manner.

[momoese]

Didn't we allready discuss the coffee beans that are eaten and passed by some creature before being made into coffee?

[lorax]

We did, but that's to do with another creature's excretory functions, not our own. This is the first time we've been tempted to talk about the effects of wierd food or wierd food practices on our own digestions. Thanks, Bob! Another IBS milestone!

[Bob]

It's best to lead and not follow sometimes. I hope and tried not to cross to far over the edge. Tiptoeing the line however........

[ewitte]

Picked up both today

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19203&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19203&ppuser=3805)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19202&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19202&ppuser=3805)

[ewitte]

Oh, right. I forgot - we eat rodents here! Slow-roasted Cuy (pronounced COO-ee, it's Guinea Pig) is fantastic, but it kind of freaks me out that it's served head on, with it's little death's head grin. Roast swamp rat is also quite yummy.

I've never seen the head on at least after being cooked. In Huaraz they showed me the animal cowering in a bag before they killed it. I ate a little but I'm not a fan of meat right next to the bone and its so small nearly all the meat is next to the bone.

I've also had anticucho and something that had cows blood in it. I'm not a fan of the cow blood

[saltydad]

OK ewitte, what are the fruit above?

[ewitte]

Top on is a Durian. There are lots of pictures a couple pages back.

Bottom is a Mangosteen

There was something else strange at the store I have no idea what it was. About the size of a big watermelon with a lot more texture to it.

[chong]

Picked up both today

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19203&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19203&ppuser=3805)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19202&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19202&ppuser=3805)

You call those weird ? ? ? ? ? Especially, magosteen - definitely the Queen of fruits! One time, we had coffee-magosteen ice cream at one of our celebration at home, and despite the two batches that were made, there wasn't enough for the 18-20 people in attendance. That, after a heavy dinner that included a whole roasted suckling pig (with head on, of course), together with Leche Flan and Ube pastry (purple yam "marzipan").

That ain't weird, man! Congrats on the Durian, though. that's another candidate for a great ice cream flavor!

[Chironex]

Top on is a Durian. There are lots of pictures a couple pages back.

Bottom is a Mangosteen

There was something else strange at the store I have no idea what it was. About the size of a big watermelon with a lot more texture to it.

Was it possibly jackfruit?

[lorax]

No way is that a Jackfruit.

[chong]

Jackfruit can be bigger that any watermelon. So, I guess it depends on what ewitte means by "a lot more texture to it." If by texture similar to Durian but smaller more tender spikes, then it could be a Jackfruit. Jackfruit is also a great fruit!

[ewitte]

Jackfruit can be bigger that any watermelon. So, I guess it depends on what ewitte means by "a lot more texture to it." If by texture similar to Durian but smaller more tender spikes, then it could be a Jackfruit. Jackfruit is also a great fruit!

Yes it was more like Durian but it looked more delicate. They were huge. A few were cut open and cut into 4. The inside was orange with large seeds.

[lorax]

See, I need to read more carefully. The thing in the store that you didn't buy fits the description bang-on of a jackfruit. It was looking at the photo of the durian and seeing Scot say "could be a jackfruit" that got my attention. Bah. I retract my earlier statement.

[ewitte]

Yep thats it I found pictures that looked justlike it. Maybe the next thing I try. I'm on the lookout next month for whatever I can find when in South America.

[lorax]

They used to sell bits of Jackfruit in the Arcade in old-town Lima, EWitte. Don't know if that market's still there, though. If not, you should be able to find them in the fresh markets.

[cowboyup4christ]

any milk product will put out the burn of peppers, but I prefer habenreo Ice Cream myself.

[supermario]

What an amazing thread!

I read through the first few pages and the last page of this thread. I noticed very early on that Bob mentioned several sushi items..I LOVE munkfish liver!! Take a thin slice of cucumber, a slice of munkfish liver on top, then mash some liver with spices and ponzu sauce and place it on top of the little stack. MMMMMM

There are tons of other sushi items I love. The restaurant I frequent always has something new for me to try. Alot of the times, it isn't even traditional Japanese! At this same restaurant, I've tried: Baby eels, Jellyfish, Monkfish liver, Yellowtail collar(can't remember correct name), Cod marinated in sake(us cubans make some nasty stuff with cod called 'bacalao'), Baby Octopus as well as regular Octopus, different types of Squid, Unagi(freshwater eel), Anago(sea eel), Uni(Sea Urchin Roe), all fish, cow tongue, intestines(I don't know what animal, but it was terrible!), cow heart, cow & chicken liver(which I HATE), Sweet raw shrimp with fried heads(my wife loves the heads, im not such a big fan), and many other weird things I can't remember right now.

Of all the sushi items I've sampled, the undisputed King is 'Toro'. Whether it's the well known Tuna Toro..or Hamachi Toro.. or Salmon Toro.. If it has the word toro in it, it's excellent! Some of the best tasting fish I've had(aside from Toro) are: Aji[spanish mackeral usually prepared with fresh grated wasabi(not the green horseradish).. and ginger], grouper, and wahu.

Bonito tastes a little bit like mackeral, but I can stomach it. I find mackeral and salmon eggs tastes too 'salt-watery'. White tuna is the only other fish that I do not like.. tastes artificial.

Lorax, I'm amazed to see you call sushi 'weird' yet write about eating guinea pigs and beetle kabobs!

I am willing to try anything once.. as long as it is not an insect, dog, or cat. I've had rabbit(excellent), frog legs, alligator, lamb, deer, goat, and some type of pigeon or dove. I hope to try many more new things while visiting Spain, Italy, and France in two weeks.

Thank you Tog Tan for starting this thread. It is too bad I never got a chance to know you.

[momoese]

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24589 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21829)

[bananimal]

Yum yum. Great pic Mitchel. Sort of the supermarkets way of saying "here's looking at you kid'!

The main thing I learned trying dried and canned Asian food items over the years is IF THE PACKAGE HAS LITTLE OR NO WORDS IN ENGLISH --- IT'S NOT FOR ME!!!!!

Dan

[supermario]

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24589 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21829)

uuughh!!!! how do you prepare that? Is it used in a soup??? or deep fried?? Either way... arrrrghhhh!!!

I'll have to rephrase what I said earlier...I'll try anything once while blindfolded!

[supermario]

Just a thought...but after 356 replies...maybe we should 'sticky' this thread. Seems like a fun topic for all to participate in.

:woohoonaner:

[momoese]

uuughh!!!! how do you prepare that? Is it used in a soup??? or deep fried?? Either way... arrrrghhhh!!!



You got me, I have absolutely no clue how one would deal with that. I wonder when buying one if you should look for a nice clear one like you do with fish?

[sbl]

[QUOTE=

I am willing to try anything once.. as long as it is not an insect, dog, or cat. I've had rabbit(excellent), frog legs, alligator, lamb, deer, goat, and some type of pigeon or dove. I hope to try many more new things while visiting Spain, Italy, and France in two weeks.

Thank you Tog Tan for starting this thread. It is too bad I never got a chance to know you.[/QUOTE]

Have you ever tried "mountain oysters"?

[supermario]

Have you ever tried "mountain oysters"?

Im not sure. I've tried blue point, japanese, and several other unnamed oysters from several spots.

I notice that the ones I don't like are quite large, and the ones I do like are sometimes the size of a quarter. I had the 'Japanese' oysters(large) at a sushi restaurant that I frequent.

How big are 'mountain oysters'? Are they 'oysters' in the traditional sense?.. or some clever nickname for something else?

..On my trip to New Orleans alone, I remember going up and down Bourbon Street and eating oysters right on the bar counter in some places! I have no idea what type of oysters they were, but I loved them all!!

[bananimal]

SM,

Mountain oysters are cojones -- from whatever animal suits your fancy. Have you never heard of those Cuban treats like arroz con cojones or cojones en escabeche? -- Miami specialties!!!

[supermario]

SM,

Mountain oysters are cojones -- from whatever animal suits your fancy. Have you never heard of those Cuban treats like arroz con cojones or cojones en escabeche? -- Miami specialties!!!

LMAO!! never heard that one!

[chong]

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24589 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21829)

uuughh!!!! how do you prepare that? Is it used in a soup??? or deep fried?? Either way... arrrrghhhh!!!

I'll have to rephrase what I said earlier...I'll try anything once while blindfolded!

Yes, in sour-hot soup. Typically the entire fish head (I believe that that is from a Red Snapper) is halved lengthwise and boiled with vegetables, Daikon radish, taro root, Bilimbi fruit, onions, and long chili peppers(1 or 2). Green tamarind fruits or tamarind tips, or half ripe guavas may be substituted for Bilimbi fruits. With the absence of any of those sour fruits, when we first came to this country, we were using lemon juice in their stead. However, while it satisfied the requirement for the sourness, it also has some sweetness that was somewhat awkward at first. Also, because of oil from the lemon rind, it left a little bit of an after taste. When cooked, the whole thing doesn't really look too bad.

When I was growing up, my Dad and I were the only ones that actually ate the fish eyes (there were 8 of us siblings).

By the way, it really really tastes great!

[sbl]

SM,

Mountain oysters are cojones -- from whatever animal suits your fancy. Have you never heard of those Cuban treats like arroz con cojones or cojones en escabeche? -- Miami specialties!!!

Right! I have never tried the Miami specialties, but I have had just plain fried mountain oysters!

[momoese]

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m161/momoese/Random%20photos/2485887818_a6c6fc75fe.jpg

[TGirl09]

Rocky Mountain Oysters are common in Texas- although I've never had them. Most women won't. Common here are goat, cow and horse. Yup. Horse. When I had my friends stud colt gelded (she was too squeamish), the Vet took $5 off the bill because he would sell them to a restaurant on the south side of San Antonio. Supposed to be like oysters- gives "vitality."

As for the cute stove picture, I think it's adorable.:woohoonaner:

[Patty in Wisc]

As for the cute stove picture, I think it's adorable.:woohoonaner:

Yes, it's very cute & funny, but hopefully some crackhead out there doesn't take it serious!

[Christine1950]

What a fun thread Tog started, I dont know how I missed it. I really dont have anything to add other than to say, your all VERY brave. Some of my friends think I'm crazy for eating sushi LOL
Christine

[sbl]

What a fun thread Tog started, I dont know how I missed it. I really dont have anything to add other than to say, your all VERY brave. Some of my friends think I'm crazy for eating sushi LOL
Christine

Just make sure it has been blast frozen to kill the worms that can eat through your stomach! If not, You are brave!

[supermario]

A supermarket in Barcelona Spain had this display.. Chicken anyone?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/damethod/weirdfoods-chicken.jpg

Sbl, have you ever been to Europe? They don't seem to share in our concerns about proper sanitation. We rarely used any drinking glasses since they were always dirty!

[lorax]

I see your chickens in a cooler in Barcelona, and I raise you chickens balanced in a heap overtop a bucket on a streetcorner in Ecuador. Mmmm! Ptomainetacular....

[momoese]

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m161/momoese/Random%20photos/food.jpg

[mckoinld]

Tooo Scarey!!!

[Bob]

How did it taste?

[momoese]

You couldn't pay me to eat that!

[lorax]

I do normally draw the line at anything that still has its teeth once it's been put in the tin... Where was that from? CIS?

[momoese]

I do normally draw the line at anything that still has its teeth once it's been put in the tin... Where was that from? CIS?

It's from the intratnets ;)

[Patty in Wisc]

OK, I give up. What is that?? The thought of someone eating that is scary.

[Dalmatiansoap]

That must be a sort of fish or something else from Atlantic ocean. Its written "Atlantics" on a tin in Russian.
:woohoonaner:

[momoese]

Looks like saltwater croc to me.

[sbl]

A supermarket in Barcelona Spain had this display.. Chicken anyone?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/damethod/weirdfoods-chicken.jpg

Sbl, have you ever been to Europe? They don't seem to share in our concerns about proper sanitation. We rarely used any drinking glasses since they were always dirty!

I have never been to Europe, but I have been to Mexico where my wife found out about sanitation there (I was able to avoid Montezuma's revenge).

As for the mystery can--that does look like a baby crock or gator!

[shopgirl2]

my mamma used to tell me green mangos gave you fever! watch out, guys!

[Dalmatiansoap]

Went to fisherman harbour this morning where they sell fish right from the sea and couldnt resist to this baby:
European conger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_conger)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=28311&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=28311&ppuser=4565)
hour later we had one of the best brodetto:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=28312&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=28312&ppuser=4565)
Bon apetit ;)
:woohoonaner:

[TGirl09]

EWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!:ha:

[lorax]

I feel eel.

[supermario]

Excellent stuff!

[Dalmatiansoap]

Thanks
Dalmatian Brodetto (fish stew), a Croatian recipe from the Worldwide Gourmet (http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/recipes/dalmatian-brodetto-fish-stew/)
:woohoonaner:

[sandy0225]

My brother in law said when he was growing up and his dad would shoot a groundhog, they'd eat it, younger ones fried like chicken and older ones stewed with noodles.
Kinda gives you another feeling about groundhog's day, doesn't it? Maybe that's how the tradition started, groundhog HUNTING on 2/1 when they'd be likely to wake up????

[shopgirl2]

i think i am going to get sick to my stomach......boohoo

[Abnshrek]

How about blood & Tongue ( I'm not talking about caps either (they suck too)).. I used to have the growing up on buttered bread.. I had it on brochen in gemany (all the vendors had it). I can get it in Wisconsin, but not here... wth? Oh I can can get some off brand crapped out blood bologna down (they use cloves in it some reason) @ ft. polk, but it sucks compared to the good stuff. :^)

[NotherNana]

Shopgirl, I only eat mangoes when they are green, and I've never gotten 'fever' from it, lol :)

[supermario]

Recently tried loquats for the first time. I know, it's not really a weird food, but I just thought I'd bump the thread. :)

[Patty in Wisc]

Loquats...kinda like apricots huh? In FL , March '06, I took a pic of loquat tree & tasted some of the fruit - not knowing what it was. I posted a pic & someone identified it. Brought a few fruits home & planted seed. Now it's 6 feet high & I may get fruits this year (?). I also grafted a diff variety of fruiting age to it & it's growing well. Hoping that will also fruit this year.

[Bob]

Patty , were the loquats hardy without protection in Wisconsin or are you growing it in a pot? I have many seedlings from a trade here last year but cant use them all if they're not hardy...

[Patty in Wisc]

It's in a big pot Bob, & grew fast. Not hardy for our winters. It also doesn't go dormant for winter but grows slower. It's still in sunroom- till sometime in May - if it ever warms up here. Was 29* this morning.

[Bob]

Thanks Patty, I thought they were only good to zone 7 but may try a few outside anyway and keep a couple in pots. The way its going I could almost risk planting everything out now. It's only been getting to the mid to upper 40's for the most part with the odd 39 or 40* low over the past few weeks. Highs are 60's to 70 or so. If the ten day forecast looks good then I'll start planting May 1st.

[Dalmatiansoap]

So, wierd food anybody?
This is a lovely Shark I got directly from fisherman today
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/AG022.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/AG021.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/AG020.jpg
And a few Sephias
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/AG025.jpg
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/AG024.jpg
:woohoonaner:
Guess who will have a nice black risotto for dinner?
:nanadrink:
Maybe wierd but apsolutely DELICIOUS!:ha:
:woohoonaner:

[Bob]

Not weird to me at all!!! Now I'm hungry!!!:ha:

[supermario]

I'm jealous! What type of squid is that? MUCH bigger than what I see in the local markets!

[Dalmatiansoap]

Now I'm hungry!!!:ha:
Again!?
:ha::ha::ha:

I'm jealous! What type of squid is that? MUCH bigger than what I see in the local markets!
Regular one. Only Sephia spicie we have here. They can go to 2kg, this one is 900g.
:woohoonaner:

[Jack Daw]

Again!?
:ha::ha::ha:


Regular one. Only Sephia spicie we have here. They can go to 2kg, this one is 900g.
:woohoonaner:
Yummy. Fortunatelly no sharks in Mediterranean. :ha:

[island cassie]

Migael - blood and tongue sounds rather like English black pudding which is a blood sausage that we traditionally have for breakfast - absolutely delicious. I once had it steamed with a salad which was something I had never thought of - but it was superb! My husband and son won't touch it though! lol!

[Dalmatiansoap]

Fortunatelly no sharks in Mediterranean. :ha:
Right! Only in Adriatic:ha::ha::ha:
:woohoonaner:

[saltydad]

Yummy. Fortunatelly no sharks in Mediterranean. :ha:

Sharks - Mediterranean Sea shark species (http://sharks-med.netfirms.com/)

[Dalmatiansoap]

One in the pix
The Shark Gallery - Piked Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) (http://sharks-med.netfirms.com/med/pikedog.htm)
:woohoonaner:

[bananimal]

So the Med has Spinner and Blacktip sharks. Not surprised - those two are very abundant in coastal S Florida. And I mean in the shallows, like where folks swim. Most noticable when the bait schools are on the beach. You can catch a blacktip in 5 ft of water - 50 ft from the beach. And blacktip are delicious - cooked or done sushi.

[momoese]

Conch fritters coming soon! :)

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m161/momoese/shot_1326739254464.jpg

[NotherNana]

I absolutely LOVE this dish!!!

[Dalmatiansoap]

Is that like this?
volak - Google pretra¾ivanje (http://www.google.hr/search?q=volak&hl=hr&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=VugVT4OTEpGwtAb-v732Dw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CBEQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=603)

[momoese]

Is that like this?
volak - Google pretra¾ivanje (http://www.google.hr/search?q=volak&hl=hr&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=VugVT4OTEpGwtAb-v732Dw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CBEQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=603)

Yep, you like it?

Scungilli | Almost Italian (http://almostitalian.com/scungilli/)

[Dalmatiansoap]

Great food, specialy in "shrimp sauce".

[Dalmatiansoap]

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/IMAG5608.jpg
:woohoonaner:

[momoese]

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/IMAG5608.jpg
:woohoonaner:

Making Menudo?

[Dalmatiansoap]

Tripes "alla Romana" net says

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/IMAG5619.jpg
:nanadrink:

[sunfish]

Tripes "alla Romana" net says

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dalmatiansoap/IMAG5619.jpg
:nanadrink:

For hangover ?

[Dalmatiansoap]

For hangover ?

:ha::ha::ha:
but I have to say no
its in part of "traditional" meals here

[momoese]

Sounds good. I'd swap out the mint for basil or cilantro but that's because I don't like mint much.

[sunfish]

Sounds good. I'd swap out the mint for basil or cilantro but that's because I don't like mint much.

It's Lamb Tripes

[momoese]

It's Lamb Tripes

Even better yet! No mint for this guy.

[momoese]

How was it Ante?

[Dalmatiansoap]

It was good yesterday but its fantastic today.