Adventurous Eating

Day 142: One of the tenets I hold is that life is too short not to try new foods. I have eaten some very strange things over the years, including deep-fried caterpillar larvae, chocolate covered ants, properly prepared snails and (when I was very young and didn't know any better) fresh angleworms. I'm still alive to tell the tale, and in fact, I found the caterpillar larvae quite good. Other items have gone on my "Never Again" list: brains, tripe, Rocky Mountain Oysters, to name a few. Most of you know that I like haggis, that traditional Scottish dish comprised largely of sheep organ meats, and also lutefisk. I figured it was time to try Mexican-style chorizo. I suspect most of you will stop reading the ingredients after the first entry and may even be racing for the porcelain throne, but it's actually rather tasty. I've mixed mine with refried beans to make burritos which I'll top with guacamole. I may decide not to repeat the experiment, but other things have taken me multiple tries before my taste buds were completely educated to the flavour, so I'm not ruling it out just yet.

An Acquired Taste

Day 172: Ask your friends and colleagues about cilantro, and you'll find that they either love it or hate it, and those who hate it will usually make horrible faces as they describe its somewhat soapy taste. However, you can accustom yourself to the flavour with a little effort, and may find yourself joining the ranks of those who can't imagine their favourite Mexican dishes without it. My palate for this herb has increased to the point that I prefer using it to replace lettuce in tacos and taco salads. I grow my own in season, but always seem to pick it faster than it grows, necessitating trips to the market for more. I store it as you see here: in the fridge with its stems in water, the tops loosely covered with a plastic bag. Cilantro! It's not just a garnish in my kitchen.