re: A food you've never tried, but would like to eat..

There was some raw pork he ate that I'm not messing with.

I've had pig brain, but I'm not messing with raw pork.

I know that doesn't make sense.

I really want to try fresh anchovies grilled right out of the water.

Some of the shite that he and even bourdain eat in Africa are pretty brutal. However most of the stuff I could probably justify trying and I am recovering picky eater.

hog maw
From Anthony Bordain Parts Unknown: Lyon
Stuffed Cheese Pumpkin with Gruyère, Bacon and Walnuts
Serves 10-12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 1/2 hours

Daniel Boulud: "I come from six generations of farmers and tavern owners near Lyon, in the heart of France. At the farm, we ate what we grew long before farm-to-table became fashionable. This built the foundations of my love for the freshest products, and particularly for the natural rhythm of the seasons. My memories of growing up in the tiny village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu are tinted with the recipes of my grandmother Francine and my mother Marie.

I can still see my father selling slices of pumpkin (we called it potiron or citrouille) at the market in the fall because, in France, most people just buy a thick slice to make a soup or perhaps a gratin. My mom, however, would take the whole [pumpkin], cut a large circular cap with a sturdy knife and spoon out the seeds. Then she would stuff the glorious pumpkin with chunks of toasted bread, shredded cheese, bits of bacon, mushrooms and walnuts. She warmed some heavy cream, poured it inside and cooked the whole shebang in the oven. The bread would absorb the cream and the pumpkin flesh would 'feed' itself on this delicious gooey cheesy mélange.

We used a large spoon to dig in. It’s so simple - the humble cooking at the farm, the ideal dish for a family gathering around the table.

The bacon came from our pigs, of course; we grew the pumpkin, we made the bread. My roots reach deep into the countryside, the terroir of France. My grandmother’s recipes became legendary in the family; to this day we recreate them with great pleasure, but this particular dish is my mom’s, and the memories are delicious."

Ingredients:
1 kabocha squash (or butternut squash)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cheese pumpkin, approximately 10-12 pounds
1 loaf sourdough bread
1 clove garlic, peeled
3/4 lb smoked bacon, cut into approximately 1/4-inch-thick batons
1 lb wild mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (such as porcini, black trumpet or chanterelle)
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups fresh cream
1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves
1 Tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 bunch chives, sliced
1 lb Gruyère cheese, grated

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the kabocha squash in half, remove the seeds, rub the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lie the squash, flesh side down, on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until cooked through (check with the tip of a paring knife).

Meanwhile, with a small serrated paring knife, remove a circular cap wide enough to later fill the pumpkin with stuffing (approximately 10 inches in diameter). Cut the sourdough bread into 1-inch-thick slices and toast. Lightly rub the toasted bread with the clove of garlic.

In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper-towel-lined-plate; keep the bacon fat in the pan. Return the pan to medium heat, and add the mushrooms. Sauté until tender, about 3 minutes, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. When the cooked kabocha squash is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh with a spoon and cut into a rough dice.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and cream with the ground spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with salt, pepper and the paprika. Begin filling the pumpkin by starting with a layer of bread, then half of the bacon, half of the walnuts, half of the pumpkin seeds, half of the chives and half of the cheese. Pour in about half of the cream mixture and lightly press down. Repeat with remaining filling ingredients to reach the top of the pumpkin. Pour in the remainder of the cream mixture to reach the rim. Return the cap to the pumpkin and transfer onto an aluminum foil lined baking tray.

Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the cheese pumpkin is cooked though. Serve warm, scooping a bit of the cheese pumpkin from the sides along with the filling.

I always wondered if farm raised kitty cat would make a good gumbo

Is peacock edible?

Also:

ceviche
lobster roll
high in sushi

quote:

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Pata Negra

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´Tis heaven, and you as an oenophile are going to know how to pair it, and love it.

BBQ spread from Mr. Ball's Hunting camp.

Canard a' la Presse and it is not even close for me. One day...