In sharing foods of questionable taste a key is going far enough so that it is a stretch, but not going so far that you are the only one stuck eating it.

That was my lesson learned from this snack…Raw Clams! Oddly enough this was served with some friends at a party not at HBS, perhaps they could have eaten some, but no one was eating raw clams at this party.

So after scrubbing the clam violently under freezing cold water, and making sure they were all clean, I loaded them into a tub half filled with crushed ice. I made some special sauces for people to try, but as already noted no one was up for it.

To eat them you have to have a towel and a clam/oyster knife. Holding the clam in the towel you put the tip of the knife right in the hinge of the clam and twist it. I know it sounds mean considering that the clams are technically alive when you do this…as well as when you eat them. You want to make sure you’re holding the clam as to not spill the clam juice that is inside the clam. Then you cut away (man…I’m feeling bad about this) where it is attached to the shell so it sits in there all loose with it’s juices, then you spoon either some sauce or squeeze some lemon on it and slurp it down.

Sounds good right?
Apparently no one else thought so. Perhaps I took it just a little to far that time.

A New York Breakfast

In honor of my trip to NYC, we decided to have a go at Bagels and Lox. I was in the famous H&H Bagel and they have this nice poster showing a picture similar to what you see here except open-face so you can see the lox. I also went to Zaro’s and the guy behind me ordered a bagel and lox for breakfast. Though we are all familiar with the bagel, I would venture to guess that fewer of us know anything about lox. Lox is a salmon fillet that has cured in a mild brine, cold smoked, and sliced very thin. Who ever decided that this was breakfast food was a bit touched!

So on my way home from work I dropped by our NYC bagel place…ok Brueggers is as close as we got in Brockport. I got six nice everything bagels and a tub of cream cheese, I then headed to Wegmans and picked up some Nova Lox, an onion, and a tomato.

Once I got home I just began to build the sandwiches. I put cream cheese on both sides of a sliced bagel, and then layered it with thin slices of tomato and onion. I intentionally left the lox for last because I had no idea how bad they would smell. I then opened up the lox to find that they didn’t smell at all. I mean there was no fishy smell to them, they actually smelled good. I arranged them on the sandwiches and made my little bagel and lox sandwiches. Jen said what she always says “Do you really think anyone is going to eat that?” I can’t believe she still says that. Almost everything I’ve made has been eaten up. Notice I didn’t say enjoyed, but it was eaten.

Well after our Bible Study ended we got to try bagels and lox for the first time. Rachel V is usually the first to dive into any of my weird food, and this was no different. I barely took the plastic wrap off the tray and she had a sandwich in her hand. I didn’t get much reaction from these, but I think that was because they didn’t taste weird enough. I hardly knew I was eating cured fish. The sandwich was good, except it was very messy to eat. It was like as you took a bite the fish was swimming out the other side. You really had to hold it together to eat it. I would try these again, and plan to on my next trip to NYC, but I think it will be more of a lunch thing. Cured fish for breakfast has nothing on bacon and eggs.

It’s Menudo!

...And NO not the Mexican boy band from the 80’s

Menudo is a delicious Mexican stew made with trip (cow’s stomach) hominy, and all sorts of spice in a tomato base…and that it entirely true except the “delicious” part.

Menudo is gross! Plain and simple! I found out later that it is used to cure hangovers, and that must be the only way to get someone to eat it. (*Note my fool proof hangover cure at the end of this review.)

I’ve never liked tripe, and every time I say that someone says “you’ve just not had it cooked right.” That’s hogwash! I’ve had it many times, in different ways, and each time it taste like a rubbery piece of unwashed gym sock. It’s disgusting, and I have no idea who though hominy would make it better. Hominy is dried corn that has been treated with lye-water. It’s hard little flavorless nuggets that really add only another bad texture to an already bad stew.

The only way you can get this stuff down is that the spices cover up the offensive flavors to some degree. I had a bowl of it because I had to, but this was probably the least enjoyed of all my foods of questionable taste. There was no question about it.

Avoid Menudo, both the 80’s boy band, and the stew, and you will do well.

Shannon’s Foolproof Hang-Over Prevention – Abstain from any beverage containing any amount of alcohol. This will work every time! I’ve got almost 7 years of personal experience, and I can say with all certainty that I have never had a hang-over from a night of not drinking : )