Yummr

Been craving some rattlesnake meat lately?  This website might be for you:  http://www.1-800-exoticmeats.com/index.html

"Python, Kobe Beef from Japan, Wagyu Beef from Australia, American Buffalo, Water Buffalo, New Zealand Venison, American Wild Boar, Alligator, Caribou, Elk, Antelope, Rabbit, Squab, Capon, Pekin Duck, Ostrich, Poussin, Quail, Quail eggs, Pheasant, Chukar, Guinea Hen, Red Deer, Rattle snake, Zebra, Swan, Wild turkey, Blesbok, Nilgai, Black buck, Frog legs, Kangaroo meat, Lion, Tiger, Lamb, Goat, Llama, Turtle, Yak and much more."

Crazy!

What? That is nuts. My friend asked me if I had ever tried ostrich meat and I thought that it was odd he found some in NYC.

A really great healthy eats place called Fuel opened up sometime last year near me in Brooklyn. I started going there more often because they have really great simple dishes made with great fuel ingredients (lean meats, pita breads, veggies, fruits, etc.) and have customized juices and smoothies for your needs. One of their choice meats is bison meat and ever since I made my friend try them - he's been hooked! He makes it a point to go there everytime he visits me to order up a bison burger. Who knows, maybe rattle snake meat will be next!

I hit an authentic Szechuan restaurant with my mother this weekend in Flushing Queens. The food was delicious. At first I was going to tame my wild appetite and order pretty tame fare, but we ended up ordering pickled cabbage with congealed duck blood cubes, and stir-fried pork kidneys and vegetables. I eat congealed pork blood cubes so I was willing to try the duck version. The pork kidneys my mother said she hasn't had since she moved to the US since she was a child in Hong Kong and was one of her favorites.

To be blunt, both dishes blew me away. The smokiness from the duck cubes hit my palate before I actually put it in my mouth. It was the first time I've tasted food without eating it! Amazing.

The second one was kidneys, it was one of the most delicious cuts of meat I've ever had and I am determined to find some now and master it's preparation.  It was prepared with real Szechuan peppercorn, and I had read how it had a numbing effect on your mouth.  I though it might have numbed your mouth from the heat, but after 10 minutes I noticed a slight pleasant tingling sensation on my lips and tongue which was a pretty cool experience.

I forgot we ordered duck tongue, with basil pesto and corn relish. It tasted ok, but the pesto was a tad bit strong and overwhelming. It tasted fine as left overs. Duck tongue was a childhood delicacy that I loved, but seem to have disappeared in the 90's, but have since staged a comeback. Not a dish for everyone because of the texture, and the bone.

That is my odd meat story for this week. All this was inspired by the book Szechuan Peppercorns and Sharkfin soup by Fuschia Dunlop. I just brought two more cookbooks from her from Amazon, and the first one has just arrived today! I'll review it soon.

Is this for real?  Some of the animals on that list are endangered.

And also mild lol at the "LIVE HUMAN waiting to help you."  Whew, I was worried it would be a live animal.  Or a dead human.

I'm not sure the specifics of the endangered species act, but I'm sure its not enforced outside US Jurisdiction.  Maybe this meat is imported.  ..They do eat polar bear in Greenland.

I got to try some bison and ostrich meat recently, and i was pleasantly surprised with the ostritch; it was pretty tasty!  As for bison meat, I loved it when it was cut into chunks but not so much as a burger.  Its very lean, making it flavorless and dry when ground into a patty.