I am a mass of hypocrisies when it comes to what I eat. Offal. Never. Baby things. Nooo. A brain? Something that thought for another living being? Not even under torture conditions. But a nice bit of adult animal flesh? Don’t mind if I do.
Although not much of a meat eater anymore myself, I heartily agree. I wonder, do people not want to be reminded that their dinner came from living animals like ourselves? And why are muscles acceptable but not organs? Even the ubiquitous chicken is denuded of its skin, fat, bone and innards -- and flavor -- in most supermarkets. I do enjoy your subject matter but even more your turns of phrase. Quotes from Robert Burns, the image of Mr. Los Angeles on the fainting couch, the Oki dog ( huh?) and Billy Wilder and faggots all in one piece, well-done.
My grandfather was very partial to pig's trotters. I presume most parts of animals are still eaten - mechanically recovered meat is the term I think. If you're going to consume an animal, it's only reasonable to eat all parts of it.
I was never a fan of liver as it was too strongly flavoured. In my youth, rabbit was a frequent item on the menu. When I was in Paris a few years ago, I did try snails, strongly garlic of course, but quite acceptable.
I once had pig's snout in a quite fancy restaurant in Paris and most tasty it was. I usually love rabbit when I can find it ... except for the time I was in Colorado and excitedly ordered "prairie rabbit" expecting something wonderfully tasty and organic ... only to discover that ol' Prairie Bugs, while unarguably organic, had spent his life leaping across the flatland, had no fat whatsoever and tasted like string. Hey ho, you live and learn.
That's strange, Daniel,, because the snout I had tasted like an upmarket form of ham and was served with the most delicious mustardy salad. It was at a restaurant in the 3rd called L'ambassade d'Auvergne, which I recommend most highly. I've never had ears, however, and am now moved to try them ... if I can ever find them ...
Interesting...my pig snout was in a dark pub in Latvia, more of a rough beer and beer snacks kind of place. It was just the entire snout, even with hairs protruding, on the plate.
Pig ears aren't terribly exciting, they're a typical Ukrainian beer snack, they're kind of rubbery and chewy, almost in a beef jerky kind of way (but thinner). They're nice to snack on I suppose, but not nearly as nice as basturma, if you've heard of that - it's usually from horse and is a saltier, tenderer, juicier form of jerky that goes exceptionally well with beer (not so much a dry martini).
Fantastic, and I do like a few innards now and again. I had a great Burns Night supper with haggis, neeps and tatties and I've had brain many times and loved it. It's funny to me the people put off my offal who yet eat sausage and hot dogs and don't want to think about what's in those. I'm not a huge fan of liver or kidneys b/c of the taste, but there's definitely no creepiness or yuck factor. Chicken hearts can be pretty tasty too.
It seems that once again you and I are in agreement, Daniel. If you want to scroll up the thread to the comment from my friend JSS, it made me laugh quite a lot, but then JSS has been making me laugh for a faintly alarming number of years now. Thanks for chiming in!
I shall be attending our family Burns celebration in our village this afternoon .
My Scottish dancing group will be taking the lead , this afternoon . I shall be wearing my dancing shoes and tartan skirt and having fun with my daughter and namesake granddaughter of 11 years.
We will be eating haggis but no poor animal will be sacrificed for our pleasure as we will be eating a vegetarian option .
Not entirely sure about brains, what with mad cow disease and so on, but otherwise fully agree. Especially about faggots :) and I too like a haggis once a year...
One other thing I note in the US is the general lack of variety in animal in the standard supermarket. Chicken, beef, pork and turkey is about it.
Lamb is rare (though Costco used to do lamb chops in bulk, I always wondered what happened to the rest of the sheep). Rabbit rarer. Duck is hit and miss. Goose is not even a vague possibility and forget pigeon, quail and so on. Horse is right out. Venison pretty much requires you to know a hunter or be one. Some places have (had? it's been a decade) buffalo but that's about it.
Sure you can go to a specialty butcher and/or some immigrant one, but that requires you to know that these animals can be eaten and that they taste good first. You aren't going to just try them.
I was most surprised when I came to America to find that not all meat-eaters eat lamb. A good part about that is that, because it's therefore not mass-farmed, it does tend to be high in quality; the down side is that, although it's fairly easy to find here in LA, a leg to roast will cost a second mortgage to buy. We can get good goat in Indian and Mexican restaurants, which is a comfort ... and a benefit of LA is that we have the most glorious array of fresh vegetables, both familiar and exotic, all the year around. Anyone who comes here, check out our Farmers' Markets!
I liked this a lot since it so demonstrably did what it says on the tin: comparing and contrasting American and UK eating habits. (It's precisely why, by contrast, the recent despatch on your astrologer friend comprehensively missed the target. I didn't believe a word of it!)
I'm glad you liked this one anyway, Richard. As for the astrologer post, all I can say is that life does throw up curious conversations from time to time, and - although some personal details have been altered to protect privacy - that very exchange did happen, word for word, right here in River City at my own kitchen table. If that strains your credulity, I'm guessing you haven't been following American politics recently ...
I am a mass of hypocrisies when it comes to what I eat. Offal. Never. Baby things. Nooo. A brain? Something that thought for another living being? Not even under torture conditions. But a nice bit of adult animal flesh? Don’t mind if I do.
Then you'd fit right in here in Los Angeles, June. Come on down!
Although not much of a meat eater anymore myself, I heartily agree. I wonder, do people not want to be reminded that their dinner came from living animals like ourselves? And why are muscles acceptable but not organs? Even the ubiquitous chicken is denuded of its skin, fat, bone and innards -- and flavor -- in most supermarkets. I do enjoy your subject matter but even more your turns of phrase. Quotes from Robert Burns, the image of Mr. Los Angeles on the fainting couch, the Oki dog ( huh?) and Billy Wilder and faggots all in one piece, well-done.
Call it a nose-to-tail post, Anneke, with a little bit of everything. Glad you enjoyed it anyway ...
My grandfather was very partial to pig's trotters. I presume most parts of animals are still eaten - mechanically recovered meat is the term I think. If you're going to consume an animal, it's only reasonable to eat all parts of it.
I was never a fan of liver as it was too strongly flavoured. In my youth, rabbit was a frequent item on the menu. When I was in Paris a few years ago, I did try snails, strongly garlic of course, but quite acceptable.
I once had pig's snout in a quite fancy restaurant in Paris and most tasty it was. I usually love rabbit when I can find it ... except for the time I was in Colorado and excitedly ordered "prairie rabbit" expecting something wonderfully tasty and organic ... only to discover that ol' Prairie Bugs, while unarguably organic, had spent his life leaping across the flatland, had no fat whatsoever and tasted like string. Hey ho, you live and learn.
Pig ears, yes. But the snout? I tried it once and just couldn’t, too rubbery and…lifelike? 🤢
That's strange, Daniel,, because the snout I had tasted like an upmarket form of ham and was served with the most delicious mustardy salad. It was at a restaurant in the 3rd called L'ambassade d'Auvergne, which I recommend most highly. I've never had ears, however, and am now moved to try them ... if I can ever find them ...
Interesting...my pig snout was in a dark pub in Latvia, more of a rough beer and beer snacks kind of place. It was just the entire snout, even with hairs protruding, on the plate.
Pig ears aren't terribly exciting, they're a typical Ukrainian beer snack, they're kind of rubbery and chewy, almost in a beef jerky kind of way (but thinner). They're nice to snack on I suppose, but not nearly as nice as basturma, if you've heard of that - it's usually from horse and is a saltier, tenderer, juicier form of jerky that goes exceptionally well with beer (not so much a dry martini).
Fantastic, and I do like a few innards now and again. I had a great Burns Night supper with haggis, neeps and tatties and I've had brain many times and loved it. It's funny to me the people put off my offal who yet eat sausage and hot dogs and don't want to think about what's in those. I'm not a huge fan of liver or kidneys b/c of the taste, but there's definitely no creepiness or yuck factor. Chicken hearts can be pretty tasty too.
It seems that once again you and I are in agreement, Daniel. If you want to scroll up the thread to the comment from my friend JSS, it made me laugh quite a lot, but then JSS has been making me laugh for a faintly alarming number of years now. Thanks for chiming in!
Happy Burns day Gabrielle
I shall be attending our family Burns celebration in our village this afternoon .
My Scottish dancing group will be taking the lead , this afternoon . I shall be wearing my dancing shoes and tartan skirt and having fun with my daughter and namesake granddaughter of 11 years.
We will be eating haggis but no poor animal will be sacrificed for our pleasure as we will be eating a vegetarian option .
Enjoy your day and your tot of whisky
Cheers
Ax
Oh, I wish I could be there. Happy toasting of the Immortal Memory to you and all good people today, Angela!
Not entirely sure about brains, what with mad cow disease and so on, but otherwise fully agree. Especially about faggots :) and I too like a haggis once a year...
One other thing I note in the US is the general lack of variety in animal in the standard supermarket. Chicken, beef, pork and turkey is about it.
Lamb is rare (though Costco used to do lamb chops in bulk, I always wondered what happened to the rest of the sheep). Rabbit rarer. Duck is hit and miss. Goose is not even a vague possibility and forget pigeon, quail and so on. Horse is right out. Venison pretty much requires you to know a hunter or be one. Some places have (had? it's been a decade) buffalo but that's about it.
Sure you can go to a specialty butcher and/or some immigrant one, but that requires you to know that these animals can be eaten and that they taste good first. You aren't going to just try them.
I was most surprised when I came to America to find that not all meat-eaters eat lamb. A good part about that is that, because it's therefore not mass-farmed, it does tend to be high in quality; the down side is that, although it's fairly easy to find here in LA, a leg to roast will cost a second mortgage to buy. We can get good goat in Indian and Mexican restaurants, which is a comfort ... and a benefit of LA is that we have the most glorious array of fresh vegetables, both familiar and exotic, all the year around. Anyone who comes here, check out our Farmers' Markets!
This food conversation is out of my orbit.
Very funny. Ms. Koblitz ... and I've never noticed you turning down a helping of chicken liver either ...
I liked this a lot since it so demonstrably did what it says on the tin: comparing and contrasting American and UK eating habits. (It's precisely why, by contrast, the recent despatch on your astrologer friend comprehensively missed the target. I didn't believe a word of it!)
I'm glad you liked this one anyway, Richard. As for the astrologer post, all I can say is that life does throw up curious conversations from time to time, and - although some personal details have been altered to protect privacy - that very exchange did happen, word for word, right here in River City at my own kitchen table. If that strains your credulity, I'm guessing you haven't been following American politics recently ...