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Showing posts with label Bizarre food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bizarre food. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Bizarre Foods : Andrew Zimmern in his recent episode pf Bizarre Foods

Andrew Zimmern in his recent episode pf Bizarre Foods

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods

was in Maine. In 1972, I was in Maine as a tennis pro at a camp just outside of Portland, Maine. What I remember the most about the city it was hard to find the street signs, no kidding. But Mr. Zimmerman found a lot more to eat then I did because I don’t remember eating anything in Portland.

Miyake on Urbanspoon There was fish roe and then the sea cucumber which is becoming more popular in other places other than Asia. At this Zimmern liked it.

He then gets to try wild Maine food - a new red meat, beaver. A chili is made with spices and good. Lean, clean tasting. Cooked in ground bean whole smokey beans.

In Buxton, wild ramps (like a leek, hot and garlicky). Nettles are poisonous at certain times of the year and need to be handled delicately as otherwise they produce toxins. Makes like a wild spinach soup. Ramp salad with cats tail he likes. Below is a reci[e that I found for ramps.


Hugo's Cafe on Urbanspoon Then in Hugo, he ate welks, a clam like animal made with lemon, garlic and butter as well as cod chowder using all parts of fish was good. I have quiduck

Gourmet | April 2008
Adapted from North Pond
yield: Makes 4 (about 4 cups) servings
active time: 45 min
total time: 1 1/4 hr
Ramps, or wild leeks, are celebrated as a sign of spring in Appalachia. This creamy soup captures the briefly flourishing vegetable's essence:...
ingredients
1 pound ramps
1/2 sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Garnish: almond oil or extra-virgin olive oil

preparation
Trim roots from ramps and slip off outer skin. Cut green tops from ramps and coarsely chop enough greens to measure 3 cups (reserve remainder for another use). Thinly slice ramp bulbs, including pink stems.
Cook ramp bulbs, onion, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine, then boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until evaporated completely. Add broth and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until onions and ramps are very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in ramp greens and boil 1 minute.
Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return soup to cleaned pot and bring just to a boil. Whisk in cheese and butter until smooth. Season with salt.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Tucson, AZ area : Great food, sights and seeing hummingbirds

2007 was my 2nd year down to Tucson during July to visit my (former business partner and ) friends. My main intent was for me to photograph and videotape 14 different types of hummingbirds near the Sierra Vista area. I had a grand time doing that for 2 days. Gosh I love those little birds!!

BTW it is called Beatty's Ranch and they have reasonable rates for their bungalows. Very nice owners. If you all are down that way try it out but check ahead beforehand for availability. Nice restaurants nearby in Sierra Vista (Asian, Italian and more).

When you are in around the Tucson to Phoenix to Scottsdale you can also try the following (as I did);

First get a AAA book if you have one or borrow one for Arizona. I also purchased and used the Frommer book for Arizona.

* The Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson with fabulous flora and fauna. (I can't believe of all that I saw I missed the gila monster which I've always wanted to see!). A must!
* The Kitt Peak telescope obervatory buildings and telescopes ( I liked it - hey I do astronomy too!)
* go for night walks (check locally) or at the Desert Museum
* Kartchner Caverns state park (south of Tucson) - I have spelunked in many area of the USA and someday I will go there
* Southeastern Bird Observatory (south of Tucson)
* Make sure you try one of the fabulous restaurants (Poca Cosa in Tucson is one I want to go to but 2 years straight they were shut down for a few weeks when I was there). I had one of the best meals at the J-Bar (very reasonable this time of the year!) with their pecan encrusted chicken, lamb appetizers and the incredible chocolate jalapeno sundae!

Don't ever try to go across streams in streets etc that are started by rains and monsoons. Last year they had a dramatic rescue on live TV of a woman who did this and her car had water all the way to the roof before she knew it. She was standing on the roof of the car and a helicopter airlifted her off before car went down the river.

N and west after the hummingbirds, I was trying to find another hummingbird havenin Patagonia. I had taken pictures from afar of a rainstorm a couple hours before. Finally I found the place and was rounding the bend to go over the streambed to the place. This is what it looked like.

The water had risen from nothing and a drybed to feet! So I could not see the hummingbirds at that place that day (it was across the road) as I had to get back to Tucson. But this was an eye opener about Monsoons!
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Sunday, September 9, 2007

First they eat Ben and Jerry then....

On one of the earlier episodes of Bizzare Foods on Travel channel, they were munching on grilled Madagascar Hissing cockroaches. I have two of them in a little tank I have . They love Apple and Carrots. When he munched on them, all I could say "oh no they are eating en and Jerry which are names of my two .
Wild show. More to come.