wierd foods

[alanmckechnie]

Lean n mean. Bit like fillet steak really!

[sugarlily]

[quote=HollyElise]Who's had plantains? (they are like a banana but harder and must be cooked before eating).

I've had plantains... but i dont know that you were supposed to cook it! So that would explain the bitter taste and the reason that i didnt like it one bit

Let see, I've had aligator, which i didnt think was tough at all, it was really moist and had the notorious "chicken" flavor.
Eel....this was really salty but not bad...
Had all the traditional north-west amercian meats...deer, elk, moose, antalope...with elk being my favorite. The moose was really gritty and not too flavorful (and it wasnt just with one animal either).

I love trying new things and am willing to trying anything at least once

[HollyElise]

Oh yes, Sugarlily, plantains are a starchy food. They are like a potato or yam in that way and have to be cooked. I'm surprised it didn't give you serious indigestion to eat it raw!

[sugarlily]

I didnt get past the first bite! lol i was expecting it to be somewhat like a banana but it was hard and very bitter lol Now I think that I am going to have to buy one and cook it.. I'm very curious..

[HollyElise]

Here are some recipes i've pulled off the net. Plantains are also used as one of many ingredients in stews, tamales, and anywhere you could imagine a sweet potato.

This website has a lot of Puerto Rican recipes, and this recipe is similar to what my housemate does:

http://www.dollarman.com/puertorico/...inrecipes.html

Tostones de Plátano
(fried plantains)
Serves: six adults
Preparation time: About thirty minutes. Ingredients:

3 or 4 green plantains, peeled and cut at a slant, so that a medium-sized plantain yields around six pieces
seasoning to taste (garlic salt, ground pepper, ground oregano)



Procedure:


Fry in a deep pan over medium to medium-high heat until the pieces begin to turn crisp. It's best to fry a few pieces at a time.

Remove the pieces. Set over a firm surface and press down on each piece with a hard instrument such as a roller until it becomes flattened thin and elongated. (Unless, of course, you avail yourself of a Tostonera - a gadget that will press the plantain piece into the shape of a Toston)

Return to the frying pan and continue to fry until they look quite crisp. Remove excess frying oil by setting over paper towels.

Use as a side dish to substitute for French fries. Warning: your diners may not want to go back to French fries in the future!Use as a side dish to substitute for French fries. Warning: your diners may not want to go back to French fries in the future!

You can freeze the plantain pieces before the second frying. They will last for months in the freezer! Careful, though: "for months" doesn't mean "forever"

Enjoy!

Please forward this recipe to your acquaintances and newsgroups so that they, too, may enjoy our recipes. Thank you!

And this recipe (from http://recipes.epicurean.com/asc_res...ients=Plantain ...where there are other plantain recipes as well) is more similar to how I had it in Mexico, only without the liquor and it was sauted on the stove top:

Baked Ripe Plantains

Ingredients:
3 ripe plantains
3 tsp. butter
2 cinnamon sticks
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. sweet Vermouth (dark)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon powder
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Warm oven to 375 degrees. Butter a rectangular Pyrex mold. Peel the plantains, cut them in half lengthwise and place them in the mold. Sprinkle them with half of the sugar. Add the Vermouth and bury the pieces of cinnamon in the plantains. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon powder. Cut the butter into pieces and dot the top of the plantains. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Makes 6 portions.

[CloverKid]

I've had chicken feet and cow stomach (tripe, is that what it's called?)
I went to a Vienamese restaurant with my friend, and she said, I'll order for you. You won't know what to order. So, I had a lot more than just those two, but they're the ones that stick out in my mind the most....
Chicken feet wasn't really that bad. Boney and tasted like soggy, spicy sandpaper. the stomach, well, it was kind of fluffy and sweet.

[HollyElise]

You just reminded me.... i tasted chitlins at a soul food restaurant when i was a teenager... i don't really remember them... fatty, i think. I DO remember the ribs at that place though... they were amazing!

Hey... look what i just found:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...insHistory.htm

and a source for purchasing it:
http://www.chitlinmarket.com/product.html