Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern: Sicily. Yep, the food is bizarre

by Jamie Rhein on

Andrew Zimmern seemed positively giddy in last Tuesday’s episode of Bizarre Foods as he ate his way around Sicily’s bonanza of animal innards eats. First stop was Palermo, the capital where butcher shops display all sorts of animal parts, just like they’ve done for centuries. At Mercato Ballero, a bustling outdoor marketplace, Zimmern got busy eating with gusto.

“The cow stomachs are so fresh, you can hear them moo,” he exclaimed as he picked at a plate of intestines and stomach, naming each part to clarify which was what. “They all taste different. A little bit chewy. A little melting. If you like eating the inside of a cow, then this is for you.”

One stall sells fritole, a fritter made from the innards the other vendors don’t sell. If you’ve ever needed a clue about where Zimmern acquired his taste bud preferences, this was it.

“Fritole takes the idea of leftovers to a different level,” he said, followed by a description of eating roasted fat and skin as a boy. Zimmern would dip into the drippings off of whatever meat was being cooked.

The spleen sandwich, another Sicilian specialty, and one that has been served up since the 1800s, was right up Zimmern’s unusual food group alley.

Zimmern had his spleen with a sprinkle of cheese and pronounced the dish, “rank and foul. I love it. It tastes like mud. There’s a lot of gristle in there. This stuff is not for the faint of heart.”

Hmm. I think I’m one of the faint of heart. The more Zimmern ate in Sicily, the more I wondered what I’d be able to eat if I ever headed there.

Then came a stop at one of the best restaurants, Trattoria Ferro Di Cavallo where Zimmern ate something I would enjoy–sardines formed into meatballs. He commented on the raisins as part of the concoction. As he said, these sardines are not the same flavor as the ones found in a can drenched in oil. Canned sardines on saltine crackers remind me of my childhood.

Another dish, the capenata, a relish made of chunks of eggplant and peppers was pronounced fantastic. I would eat that too and like it. But, like a roller coaster ride that gives few reprieves from the steep drops and crazy turns, after Zimmern downed the capenata, he turned and headed for another restaurant Osteria D’Vespry for a gourmet version of the inside of a cow’s mouth. Yep, that’s right. You can eat cheeks.

The dish was delicate and gorgeous, but the description “quivering nerves and tendons” and the “fatty deep and rich with a hint of the barnyard floor,” didn’t sell me on it.

Leaving animal innards, Zimmern headed to Cerda for the Artichoke Festival. Now, we’re talking. This section hit a high mark for showing me how to cook something familiar with in a new way. Fresh artichoke can be roasted over coals, for example.

At the Trattoria Nasca, Zimmern discovered fried artichokes, roasted artichokes, artichoke fritata, and cold artichokes with dill.

Artichoke is also made into ice-cream in this artichoke loving town. The gelato is served up in a bun, handy for a hot climate. Zimmern pointed out that as the ice cream melts it soaks into the bun. That’s clever.

But, one can’t stay with normal food for too long on Bizarre Foods so Zimmern headed to a village on the volcano Mount Etna for a cooking class at Eleonara’s House. In the kitchen of this centuries old house, rabbit was cooked with pine nuts, fennel, carrots, dark chocolate and vinegar. That wasn’t so unusual, sounded delicious even, but when it was done, Zimmern called dibs on the head. He enticed Eleonara to try the rabbit cheek, something she had yet to eat in all her years of preparing rabbit. She pronounced it delicious. I sort of wanted to puke.

The cinnamon pudding from a recipe passed down from the Middle Ages perked me up, though, and gave me the idea once more that if I ever make it to Sicily I won’t starve.

At the fishing village of Marzanemi, Zimmern was up 4 a.m. to head out with the fisherman pointing out just how much work is involved with hauling in nets and what is caught. Afterward, at a fish processing plant, Zimmern was taken through tuna processing. Tuna in a can at a grocery store looks tame for sure.

What about tuna eggs, tuna sperm and tuna testicles? In Zimmern country, those cook up into delicacy dishes. The sperm is considered an aphrodisiac. Ya’ think?

What made this segment the most enjoyable was how the family Zimmern visited gather everything they eat from the sea and from their gardens. One dish I would probably go for is the sea snails grilled with a little olive oil and lemon juice. I’m also quite fond of cuttlefish, but eating it cooked in its ink? Not so much. Give me a pasta dish with just the tomato sauce and herbs, that’s another story.

One of the details I appreciate about Zimmern’s visits with folks is how much he enjoys their company. He gave the fisherman, Captain Corrado Barrone, the man who hosted him, his Swiss army knife, a present that was greatly appreciated.

Tonight Zimmern heads to Goa. I’m hoping he spends a bit more time on the culture and sights and lays a bit low on the bizarre food. I had a hard time keeping up with him in Sicily. I think he must have had a hard time keeping up with himself. His blog has yet to be updated from the Phuket episode two weeks ago.

(Photos (except for the spleen sandwich) are from the Bizarre Foods Web site.)

**This post would have been earlier, but no electricity due to wind storms creates mayhem in a blogger’s life.

Show Us that Betel Nut Smile

by Josh Lew on

While a coffee or cigarette habit might leave a stain on your teeth, that dull yellow hue is nothing compared to the effect of the betel nut. The juice produced while chewing this mild stimulant can lead to red, or even black, teeth. As a result, most urban young people in East and South Asia refrain from the age-old habit, opting for vices like smoking which do not do so much damage to outward appearances until later in life. But for older people and some country-folk, the tradition of chewing continues.

But what does betel nut (also called areca nut) do for you? Aside from having important symbolism in many cultures (it is often used at weddings as a sign of love and longevity), it provides a buzz similar to drinking an espresso. Though the nut, which is often chewed wrapped in a betel leaf, is natural, it has been linked to cancer in several medical studies.

With the sheer number of pictures of betel nut chewers smiling, one might think that perhaps the health risks and tooth discoloration are worth it. Though the U.S. has tried to control the import of betel with heavy taxes, it is still available in many Asian grocery stores.

A Swiss delicacy… breast milk???

by Anna Brones on

Switzerland is known for many things: the Alps, chocolate, fancy banks, neutrality, etc. Now we can add gastronomic breast milk to that list. Sound a little wierd? It is.

A Swiss restaurant owner by the name of Hans Lochner has created a bit of controversy by announcing that his menu will now feature local specialties such as meat stew and various soups and sauces containing at least 75% human breast milk. It might sound strange, but to Lochner, the idea is a simple one. “We have all been raised on it. Why should we not include it in our diet?” he said.

In fact, as Lochner points out, a mother’s milk is healthy and great to cook with: “One can cook really delicious things with it. However, it always needs to be mixed with a bit of whipped cream, in order to keep the consistency.” Better book a table at the Storchen restaurant next time you’re in the country… or just stick with the chocolate.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of September 13–September 19

by Jamie Rhein on

In a week where Wall Street has gone haywire, and Hurricane Ike made it to the Midwestern part of the United States creating a whole bunch of mischief, this has been a week at Gadling for waxing nostalgic and feeling gushy.

  • Scott took us on a trip down memory lane with his post on vintage airline commercials.
  • Matthew got all poetic on his cup of ramen noodles, and told us just how to jazz up our own bowl of the good stuff.
  • Jeremy gave us a up close and personal look at the architectural gem of Grand Central as part of his new series, “The Undiscovered New York.”
  • Heather lamented a bit for the good old days of air travel when there were decent layovers and when airline food service was adequate enough to make both the flight crews and the passengers happy.
  • And, Meg pointed out one way Portland, Oregon remembers its history through horses–fake horses that can be found at various locations about town.

As for me, personally, I’m feeling nostalgic about electricity. We haven’t had it at my house since last Sunday. Of course, I realize this is a minor nusance. The upside is that electricity has been a great conversation starter as of late–as in, “Do you have any?”

Oktoberfest in Munich 2008: Gadling readers chime in with some tips

by Jeffrey White on

Gadling wants to give a shout out to two of our readers, Josh Linder and Avery Glasser, both veterans of Munich’s Oktoberfest. They took the time to share some tips for those heading to the festival for the first time this year.

The world’s biggest beer binge, known locally as Wiesn, kicks off this Saturday with the ceremonial tapping of the first keg and will run through Oct. 5.

Both John and Avery have gone a couple of times to Oktoberfest through the years (and Avery in addition benefits from some local knowledge, as he lives in Munich!).

John has these tips:

1. Where to stay: You’re probably not going to find a place in Munich now, so you can do what I did the first time and stay in a place easily accessible by train (i.e. Augsburg). We got a Hotel Ibis (I believe) with parking for EUR 35 (about $45) a night, but if you’re talking last minute, it might be more.

2. Do not, and I repeat do not, take a car into Munich during Oktoberfest. We had a very nice car, but didn’t get within 20 km of the city center.

3. The best way to get into the beer tents is to find someone German who has extra seats for sale. The first year I went we were able to walk around early, but once the table reservations kicked in, we were kicked out. The second time I was able to pay for a table reservation, so I actually had a designated spot (two seats) for all two weeks in one of the tents.

4. Best beer tent? We spent most of our first Oktoberfest outside of the Paulaner tent. There is open seating and I love the beer.

5. Don’t worry too much about costs. Stuff outside the festival is expensive, but beer is reasonable. [Gadling note: expect to pay around EUR6.50-7.00 for a 1 liter beer.]

6. I’ve been both to the end and the beginning of Oktoberfest. Best time to go? Go during the weekend if you like big crowds. But Germans do get time off for Oktoberfest, so all days are pretty busy.

7. After a day of drinking, do not do any shots.

Avery adds these tips from his times at the festival:

1. If you’re trying to score last minute accommodation, you’re probably out of luck. Even the Wiesn campgrounds are probably full right now. Think train.

2. Check tent opening times here. If possible, get to the grounds a half hour before they open. The central floor area is always seated on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early and claim a table. Forget about the boxes along the sides and balconies: they’re almost certainly reserved. A helpful German expression is “Noch frei?” or “Is this seat free?”

3. Once a tent fills to capacity — usually by noon — the doors are closed and it becomes nearly impossible to get inside, even if you have friends in there holding down a space for you.

4. The only beer served at the festival is Maerzen, or Oktoberfest, beer, and each tent is sponsored by a brewery serving its own Maerzen brew. The Radler — 50% beer 50% lemon soda — will save your life. [Gadling note: This is why Germans seem to last longer than foreigners at Oktoberfest. If you want to get into a drinking contest with a German, make sure the playing field is level.]

5. The view of the Wiesn grounds from the Ferris wheel at night is worth checking out.

6. Tip your servers! It’s the difference between waiting a minute and a half hour until your next beer.

7. Food to try: The ox sandwiches from the Oschsenbraterei; Steckerl Fisch (roasted fish on a stick) from Fischer Vroni; Schnitzel at the Hippodrome; Halbes Hendl (half a chicken) inside any tent.

Thanks, guys.

I’ll throw one more tip out there: Think against stealing the steins at individual beer tents. It’s tempting. You might even pull it off (and if you do, don’t tempt fate by trying for a second). There are police and security guys constantly on the look out for this, and if you’re caught you’ll be slapped with a EUR50 fine. You’ll see at least one skirmish between a drunk festival goer and a security guard over this, I promise.

Check out Gadling’s Oktoberfest coverage last year for more tips and info.

Prost!