WeirdBlog.com

Worldstepper asked:




They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The same could be said about food: one man’s nightmare may just be another man’s delicacy. From cow’s tongue and pig’s snout to chicken’s feet, from fried worms and frog’s legs to sautéed snails, the list of weird stuff we eat is endless (and often quite tasty). If you’ve been indulging lately and need a reason to diet, take a read, you may just lose that appetite. Here is the list of the ten strangest foods from around the world.

10. Fried – brain sandwiches

Long before the era of Mad-Cow Disease, a sandwich made from fried calves’ brain, thinly sliced on white bread was a common item on the menus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The sandwich is still available in the Ohio River Valley, where the brains are now heavily battered and served on hamburger buns. In El Salvador and Mexico beef brains, lovingly called sesos in Spanish, are used in tacos and burritos. The brains have a mushy texture and very little flavor on their own so the addition of copious amounts of hot sauce definitely helps.

9. Haggis

A traditional Scottish dish, haggis is made with the minced heart, liver and lung of a sheep mixed with onion, spices, oatmeal, salt and stock, and boiled in the sheep’s stomach for a few hours. Larousse Gastronomique, a popular encyclopedia of gastronomic delights, claims that haggis has “an excellent nutty texture and delicious savory flavor.” Haggis is available year-round in Scottish supermarkets and made with an artificial casing rather than a sheep’s stomach. In fact some are sold in cans to be heated in a microwave before eating. Similar dishes can be found in other European countries with goat, pork or beef used instead of sheep.

8. Bugs

The practice of eating insects for food is called entomophagy and is fairly common in many parts of the world, with the exceptions of Europe and North America (though bugs are apparently a favorite with the television show “Fear Factor”). It is not uncommon to find vendors selling fried grasshoppers, crickets, scorpions, spiders and worms on the streets of Bangkok, Thailand. Insects are high in protein and apparently consist of important fatty acids and vitamins. In fact flour from drying and grinding up mealworm can be and is often used to make chocolate chip cookies. So next time you think there is a fly in your soup, it may actually just be part of the presentation.

7. Rocky Mountain Oysters

What is so strange about oysters? Probably the fact that they’re not the kind you find at the bottom of the ocean, but rather a fancy name given to deep-fried testicles of a buffalo, bull or boar. Rocky Mountain oysters (also called Prairie Oysters) are well-known and regularly enjoyed, in certain parts of the United States and Canada, generally where cattle ranching is prevalent. The testicles are peeled, boiled, rolled in a flour mixture, and fried, then generally served with a nice cocktail sauce.

6. Stuffed Camel

The recipe for a whole stuffed camel kind of reads like a bad joke, with ingredients that include one whole camel, one whole lamb and 20 whole chickens. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the recipe as the largest item on any menu in the world, conveniently leaving out any concrete examples of this dish actually being eaten. Legend has it that that a whole stuffed camel is a traditional Bedouin dish seemingly prepared like a Russian Stacking Doll, where a camel is stuffed with a whole lamb, the lamb stuffed with the chickens and the chickens stuffed with eggs and rice. The entire concoction is then barbecued until cooked and served. Fact or fiction, the shear amount of food created by this dish makes it deserving of a place on the list.

5. Hakarl

Anthony Bourdain, known for eating some of the strangest foods in the world, claims that hakarl is the most disgusting thing he has ever eaten. Made by gutting a Greenland or Basking shark and then fermenting it for two to four months, hakarl is an Icelandic food that reeks with the smell of ammonia. It is available all year round in Icelandic stores and often served in cubes on toothpicks.

4. Fugu

Fugu is the Japanese word for the poisonous puffer fish, filled with enough of the poison tetrodotoxin to be lethal. Only specially-trained chefs, who undergo two to three years of training and have passed an official test, can prepare the fish. Some chefs will choose to leave a minute amount of poison in the fish to cause a tingling sensation on the tongue and lips as fugu can be quite bland. Perhaps the fuss of fugu is more in surviving the experience than the actual taste of the deadly fish.

3. Casu Marzu

Found in the city of Sardinia in Italy, casu marzu is a cheese that is home to live insect larvae. These larvae are deliberately added to the cheese to promote a level of fermentation that is close to decomposition, at which point the cheese’s fats are broken down. The tiny, translucent worms can jump up to half a foot if disturbed, which explains why some people prefer to brush off the insects before enjoying a spoonful of the pungent cheese.

2. Sannakji

With sashimi and sushi readily available the world over, eating raw seafood is no longer considered a dining adventure. The Korean delicacy sannakji however, is something quite different, as the seafood isn’t quite dead. Live baby octopus are sliced up and seasoned with sesame oil. The tentacles are still squirming when this dish is served and, if not chewed carefully, the tiny suction cups can stick to the mouth and throat. This is not a dish for the fainthearted.

1. Balut

Balut seems to be on every “strange food” list, usually at the top, and for good reason. Though no longer wriggling on the plate like the live octopus in Korea, the fertilized duck or chicken egg with a nearly-developed embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell is easily one of the strangest foods in the world. Balut is very common in the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam and usually sold by street vendors. It is said balut tastes like egg and duck (or chicken), which is essentially what it is. It is surprising to many that a food that appears so bizarre—often the with the bird’s features clearly developed–can taste so banal. In the end, apparently everything does indeed, just taste like chicken.

Frank Dalotto asked:




New Jersey, one of the smallest states in the nation, is packed with an exceptional variety of attractions including; beaches, boardwalks, amusement piers, bed and breakfasts, beautiful hills and mountains, charming Victorian towns, casinos, and of course great restaurants.

The dining experience in New Jersey can run the gamut from the Jersey shore family restaurants that serve up fried sea food, burgers, and pizza, to the many fine dining restaurants that can be found in most of the major cities and towns.

With all that variety of restaurants, here are the best romantic restaurants in the state that offer exceptional dining to celebrate your anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or an intimate occasion with a loved one.

Amanda’s Restaurant in Hoboken is set in a beautiful converted brownstone building, with the dining area adorned with embroidered linen, a fireplace, and pine-planked flooring, all balanced to set the mood for a memorable, romantic eating. 908 Washington St. 201-798-0101

The High lawn Pavilion in West Orange, with its striking view of Manhattan, is only the beginning of an extraordinary dining experience. The impressive grand vistas are matched by High lawn Pavilion’s well prepared American Fare. Eagle Rock Reservation, 973-731-3463

The Frenchtown Inn in Frenchtown is a charming romantic restaurant in a scenic, historic location with 19th century white-columned building on the banks of the Delaware River. The restaurant décor is attractive with high ceilings, dark moldings, and carpeting that muffles the sound. 7 Bridge St. 908-996-3300

Panico’s in New Brunswick is a modern day version of an old world fine dining restaurant. It’s elegant, with mirrored walls, earth peach tones, soft lighting, and a flower at each table. 103 Church Street (732) 545-6100

The Ebbit Room in Cape May is located in the charming Virginia bed and breakfast hotel. Stay overnight and enjoy a romantic getaway with new an American menu and piano music to complete that special romantic getaway. 25 Jackson St. 609-884-5700

Are the Best Romantic Restaurants too pricey for your budget? Here is a list of the best of the less expensive, or affordable romantic restaurants in New Jersey that can be enjoyed by a couple looking for a cozy dining experience in a romantic setting at an affordable price.

Creole Café in Sewell If you enjoy the popular Cajun dishes like crawfish, jambalaya, muffaletta, and Po Boys, or are the adventuresome type willing to try Alligator, Ostrich or Elk, then you will enjoy this place. The location is in an old Victorian home converted into a restaurant with three attractive dining areas done up in soft sponge painted peach and coral tones with a down home, Southern feeling. 288 Egg Harbor Rd 856-582-7222

La Griglia Sea Food Grill and Wine Bar in Kenilworth offers good Northern Italian dishes and sea food selections and an award winning wine list. The decor is contemporary and attractively done up with colorful prints, candle-lit tables, and soft recessed lighting. 740 Boulevard 908-241-0031

Sergeantsville Inn in Sergeantsville offers fireside dining in a 1700′s stone building; ask for a cozy table for two by the large stone, open wood burning fireplace. The atmosphere is attractively done up in colonial period decor. They offer a nice menu of traditional country American selections and exotic wild game dishes. 601 Rosemont-Ringoes Rd. 609-397-3700

vmbjohn asked:




Thickened with peanuts like some Veracruz sauces, and made with the classic Mexican technique of blending and then frying the sauce ingredients, this mild chili makes for an earthy modern-day meal. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the saucepan. Brown the chicken till done, about 10-12 minutes. Add all canned ingredients, then all the spices. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream, cheese, chives or anything you would put on chili.

use less chili pepper if you prefer milder heat levels. Coconut cream is available in Asian markets and some supermarkets; if you can’t find it, here’s the perfect substitute: Open a can of coconut milk without shaking it first, and use the thick cream at the top plus enough of the milk to make one cup. It’s time for a recipe. Lately, between playing free rice and writing my novel (I’m actually using my outline and writing five pages a day), I’ve been been reading recipes and trying to come up with the perfect white chicken chili.

I’m ready to share this one, although if you make it, you should feel free to make alterations to it. Every time I make it, I love it more than I did the last time, and I suspect that’s because I never make it the same way twice. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the onions until translucent and then add the chicken, stirring occasionally until all the pieces are evenly brown. Set aside. In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, bring the chicken broth and green chile peppers to a boil. Stir in the cans of cannellini beans, corn, garlic, cumin, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Let cook for a long time, at least a half hour, and then add the cream of chicken soup. I usually put the sour cream in it after it’s cooked, although if it seems to need thickening, I add more. I apologize for the can of cream of chicken soup. I usually hate recipes that call for canned soup, but once I made this recipe and left it out, and…well, it didn’t taste as good. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s true. I suppose a more ambitious person could create their own cream of chicken stuff that would be just as good, but this recipe has the advantage of being quick, easy, and tastes wonderful on a cold evening. And it’s even better the next night! And by the third night, it’s the best thing you ever put in your mouth! Ready you are Chili Chicken with Basil and Coconut Please visit in the site www.indomunch.com for extra details.