Bizarre Food #4: Haggis

I’ve been on the search for the most strange and bizarre foods that people eat…with every scroll and click of my mouse, I get more and more hesitant…

There were some foods that I thought were extremely odd and fit the bizarre food category very well, yet I just could not stand to look at the picture or even stand the thought of writing a whole post about it. I hope my bizarre food findings aren’t scaring or grossing anyone else also.

I am thinking that I should directly post this project onto the Bizarre Foods Page. That way my readers are able to click on each bizarre food item for each week verses coming to my homepage and seeing something extremely creepy (last week’s Brain).

Let me know what you think.

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On to it then. This week’s Bizarre Food is Haggis.

Haggis is derived from Scottish cuisine. It’s made of a sheep’s stomach. Yes, stomach. It’s prepared by removing the stomach contents then cleaning it thoroughly. The rest is basically similar to how you would cook any other type of animal protein—flavored with onions, vegetables, and baked until tender.

As Durian, it is considered a delicacy, however, Haggis was once thought of a poor man’s meal. Now it’s sitting in the ‘gourmet’ foods category.

How to prepare Haggis:

You can choose to simmer it slowly aka poaching it. The length of time depends on how much the stomach weighs (not referring to yours). 1 kg of Haggis takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook.

Another option is to bake it. In this method it is advised pour a little bit of water in a casserole dish with the Haggis inside and then bake it for 1 hour at 350 F

Microwaving is also another cooking method that is used, but you would have to cut it up into even sized chunks to promote proper and even cooking.

When it’s cooked, you can enjoy it with potatoes on the side or a bottle of Whiskey!

Source:

Eat Scotland

According to Livestrong, Haggis is about 28% carbohydrate, 17.3 protein and a whopping 54.7% fat!

Here is an interesting article in the UK Guardian about Haggis and the U.S.

US to Lift 21-year Ban on Haggis

Baking Up New Projects!

I think I am running out of ideas for bizarre foods. If anyone has any ideas please feel free to comment below.

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With my hectic schedule, I am surprised that I was able to bake not once, but twice!

Good ol’ faithful Vegan chocolate chip cookies. Soft, delicate and VERY good.

The need for quick energy foods in our fridge has been in high demand, so I baked up a batch of apricot, strawberry & oat bars. I added more strawberry jam and 1 extra egg white, so they came out a little more moist than I wanted.

Throughout the week, I’ve been getting groggy in the afternoons. To combat that 3 o’clock slump, I’ve been having earl grey tea with a splash of soy milk. So far this method has been working, however, on a few other occasions, I was so exhausted that I ended up taking naps instead.

I have also been purchasing food from school, which is not healthy for my figure or my budget. Next week, I’ll be eating homemade and nutritious sandwiches instead.

Croissant sandwich: cheese, sprouts, tomato, romaine lettuce.

Kind of like this sandwich! Filled with sun dried tomato pest, mayo, tofurky deli slices, red bell peppers, and mixed greens on sprouted whole Grain bread.

Red, ripe strawberries complemented the sandwich nicely as well as iced coffee.

Another rarity that has been happening—homemade dinners! lately Long and I have been resorting to eating out or frozen entrees. Gasp! So Long cooking, even if it was just one night this week, was a huge plus!

“chicken” & bell pepper sauté with quinoa.

Even made a trip to Home Depot!

I’m starting a project that I’ve been wanting to for a while. Check back later to find out what I’m working on.

Bizarre Food #3 Brain

Talk about eating brain food. This new bizarre food that I am going to write about is literally just that—brain.

Apparently, it is so common that you could find the nutritional contents online via calorie counter & Livestrong

Was lamb or sheep brain on a menu that I somehow missed it?

Here’s a breakdown of the types of brains eaten:

Cow brain is firm and full of red veins. The younger variety, calf brains, even more red in color and is preferred. The type of brains that people look for are those of sheep and lamb brains, which are very pale in color and are more tender and delicate.

Caution: Eating brains is a very dangerous game, so make sure that you buy from someone you know and trust. Most importantly, make sure that the animal was alive at the time of slaughter. You wouldn’t want to eat one that came from a dead or diseased animal.

When buying you want ones that are pink, plump and do not have any foul smell. If you see red spots discoloration, do not eat, as there may be something seriously wrong.

 

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Brains are best eaten right away, but can be refrigerated for up to two days. Or you can preserve them with a little bit of salt and acidity.

They are normally eaten stir fried into your dishes with vegetables. It can be also made into a pate. Even cooked like any other type of meat. I imagine you could probably grill it as well.

They are rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins. Not surprisingly, it’s loaded with vitamin B12. I guess if you feel that you’re deficient in Vitamin B12, try having a 3 oz serving of brain to get your day’s worth.

It’s also full of saturated fats and cholesterol, so eating too much may lead to adverse health issues.

Just The Two Of US

Dear Blog,

I know we have not been able to spend as much time together lately. I promise that it has not been all for nothing. You see, I have been working on some very special stuff. My time has been spent studying hard, so that I would be able to become a registered dietitian. Once I become an  R.D. I will be able to give you more quality information and material to use, so that you can develop into the best blog there ever was.

I have also been working a lot to pay the bills…

Just recently a really nice opportunity  fell into my e-mail account lap. It would definitely give me an experience of a lifetime.  I have been gathering trusted and respected people around me to convince others in a far away land to fall in love with me. If I get accepted, I would be able to take you with me and we would be able to spend an amazing summer together, just the two of us.

Rest assured, I have been taking photos for you. I will post them soon so that you would be able to comment on them. I hope you don’t have any hard feelings.

If you do, to cheer you up, here is a study snack:

Coffee & Apricot Oat Bars.

I will see you soon!

Bizarre Food: Durian

Have you ever taken a bite out of a fruit that was considered the “King of fruits?” Maybe you have heard of it. Or even smelled it from a far? This well sought after fruit is called Durian. Many people love it and many, including myself can’t get close enough to try it without wanting to vomit from the smell. The smell is so intense that you wouldn’t have to cut open the fruit to have the “aroma” penetrate the air around you.

for a funny video, check out this smell test: “How Smelly is Durian”

Native to Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Malaysia, etc.), durian can be found growing in clusters on trees. Their appearance resembles that of jackfruit, with the large spikes around the outer shell. There is also a rod that is usually sticking out from the top.

It’s nutritional benefits are surprisingly plentiful. It’s very rich in antioxidants, minerals, carbohydrates, unsaturated fats and a good amount of protein.

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Because of the outer spikes (what’s up with me and spiky foods? See: Sea Urchin), you must wear protective gear, such as thick gloves. You’d break open the fruit and expose the insides. You’ll see yellow soft fleshy fruit, there is usually about 4-5 of them per fruit. The flesh can be eaten straight from the fruit shell, or they can be used to make confections, such as ice cream, cookies, muffins, candies. The possibilities of combining durian are endless!

Follow this link to watch a little tutorial on how to remove the soft fruit inside.

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I’d like to try this fruit some day in my lifetime, however as I mentioned earlier, I cannot get close enough to it to even touch it! I am extremely curious as to how this tastes like. Who knows maybe I may end up liking it. I wonder if I brought one home, how long would my apartment, would my neighbors complain?

Q & A

What do you think of this fruit? Have you heard/seen of it before? Would you try it?

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References:

How Smelly is Durian

Tropical Fruits

10 Health Benefits of Durian

FoodScout: Durian

Power Your Diet

Indian Fare & Back to School

Whoa busy & cold week!

Gotta keep warm with a nice vanilla latte,

Lots of good food.

Indian food at Zante’s in the Mission.

I brought my own Chai cola because I am addicted to this stuff!

Appetizers!

top—navaran Korma, bottom—aloo gobi

Of course Indian pizza.

More Indian (fusion) at Kasa in the Castro.

My cardio fitness for this week was low. I squeezed in a little bit of strength and calisthenics here and there. Still limping…more on that later.

Lots of food to go in the car.

Some shopping for clothes. Couldn’t decide if I wanted this vest or not. Kind of feel it’s too flashy… meh.

Helped an R.D. teach a workshop for healthy eating to parents at a local elementary School.

Alright gotta shower and get ready for school!

Happy Valentines <3 Day!

SoupAthon

 

It seems like all I’ve been eating and craving are soups! No, I’m not preggers. I wish, but it’s just not the right time. Anywho, I think I must have gone through 3 containers of Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Bell Pepper soup. Okay, wait, I changed it up a bit, I had butternut squash soup one time.

I usually paired my soups with some type of sandwich. What you see below is butternut squash soup with grilled tofu & grilled Portobello mushroom on an asiago bagel. Didn’t I go through a bagel & cream cheese phase too?

Roasted red bell pepper soup with grilled tofu, grilled portobello mushroom, and homemade vegetarian tamales.

One of Long’s students’ mom made them for us. It had carrots, cheese and masa! VERY flavorful. Mouth is watering….

You would think I was sick or something with soup, crackers and bread.

What’s this? A meal that did not have soup involved! Gasp! (I had soup later).

white corn tortilla, sun dried tomato pesto, greens, avocado, topped with chipotle salsa & nutritional yeast.

I would have totally paired this vegan sandwich with soup, if I was at home. I had coffee with it instead.

I was at Walgreens getting some Nyquil for Long. By the way, I got carded for Nyquil, which was extremely odd. Anyway, don’t these little guys look like the sea urchin?

Bizarre Food: Sea Urchin

For my Foods and World Culture class, our instructor is having us keep a food blog documenting the bizarre foods that people eat.

Last time I wrote about the bizarre food that she showed us in class. Now, it’s my turn to find out information on foods I think it are bizarre.

I will also be keeping a page at the top and will be updating it on a weekly basis.

Bizarre food #1 — Sea Urchin”

They are found in the sea and there are about 500 different species, however, not all of them can be consumed.

A couple of weeks back, I was flipping through the books I had bought for my classes. (bought online, so they came early). In my Food Service Purchasing class (love this book!), I came across a section for Sea Urchin. I thought it was the grossest and scariest thing on the planet, aside from spiders (gives me the shivers). I thought, who would eat this thing!

Reading the information on how it is eaten or more like what part of it is eaten grossed me out even more.

The picture diagram below shows you the sections and parts of this invertebrate. On the Left picture, you see the mouth. When you flip the sea urchin over, you’ll get the genital plate, which is considered the edible portion also known as Roe.

I just want to add, Eeeeeeew!!

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The Sea Urchin is unisexual, meaning it can reproduce on it’s own because it has both overies and testicles! You would find this in the orange colored ringed muscle, known as the coral.

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When purchasing them, you want to get ones that are whole, have firm spikes, and closed mouths.

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If I have enticed you to try this bizarre food out, here’s some more information on how to cook it:

First off, you want to wear protective gear by wearing gloves so that the spikes won’t hurt you.

Over a bowl, take a knife or pair of scissors and cut around the mouth opening. There will be liquid running out (you want to pour that and the genitals into your bowl). Toss out the spikes.

Sea Urchin is best eaten fresh, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

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References:

Garlough, Robert. (2011). Modern Food Service Purchasing. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning

Enchanted Learning Sea Urchin. Retrieved from http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/echinoderm/Seaurchin.shtml

Rosso, Sara. (2007, Aug 28th). Catching and Eating Ricci di Mare – Sea Urchins. Retrieved from http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/2007/08/28/catching-and-eating-ricci-di-mare-sea-urchins/

LengFIT

Good news!

I was able to run (more like a jog) without any pain! I was skeptical, even a little afraid before I started my warm-up. I even contemplated not going because I didn’t want to have to feel the burning ache in my left mid foot again.

Then I remembered how crappy I’ve been feeling because I haven’t been able to run. I told myself that I could just walk back home knowing that I at least tried.

As my Garmin finally caught the satellite signal, I pressed the Start button and picked up my feet.

I’m still limping a little, so I am making sure that I take it slow.

This is my tentative workout plan for this week.

Date	Workout
Monday 2/6	1.00 mile jog Turbo kick (1 hour)
Tuesday 2/7	OFF (light stretching)
Wednesday 2/8	1.00 mile jog
Thursday 2/9	30 minute Trainer
Friday 2/10	OFF (light stretching)
Saturday 2/11	Bike Ride
Sunday  2/12	Pilates

Lunch:

Iced coffee, 1/2 cinnamon raisin bagel with almond butter, side salad (quinoa, mushrooms, zukes, ranch dressing.

Turbo Kick Boxing was SO MUCH FUN!

I was so uncoordinated! At first I was mortified that I couldn’t follow the routine. Also the fact that the instructor had to move my body in the right positions.   This was actually my very FIRST TIME, in a Group exercise class. Actually scratch that, I went to an Aerobics class years ago, but couldn’t keep up with the routine, so I left in the first 10 minutes.

This time I stuck with the entire class and did as many of the moves as I possibly could. There were some moves where I was not able to do because it required balance on my injured foot. I felt a little pain, so I avoided the balancing act on that side.

As time went on, I got better at it. If my work schedule allows, I will definitely be going again.

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Fitness Apps:

ACSM wrote an article in their ACSM Fit Society Page about how smartphones can help improve your health and keep you fit & active.

They gave a list of apps to try. Some of them sounded pretty interesting, so I jumped on my Iphone 4S and started to download.

Here are the ones that I downloaded. They’re all free apps by the way.

JEFIT  is a pretty cool app. You can personalize it with your measurements, log your strength training workouts, jot down notes, follow/create routines.

My favorite part about this app is the muscle groups page. Each body part category leads you to the exercises that work that muscle. For instance, if I wanted to tone my Triceps (which I do!), a HUGE list of lifting exercising pops up from Barbell Lying Triceps Press to Dips and Triceps Pushdown V-Bar.

YOGA I like this app because it shows you the poses and gives you short tutorials on how to do each pose—perfect for beginners. There is even a routine already made called Quick Recipe. If you don’t like their routine, you can design your own as well. The best part, I think is that there is information on each pose and a visual of which muscles are used. For instance, here in the Tadasana, it shows that the entire trunk area is used along with some neck muscles as well. When you’re done with your yoga session, there is a calendar for you to log it.

Tai Chi is a good app as well. I LOVE LOVE the relaxing rainforest music in the background—very calming.

It uses a cartoon to show you the poses. You also have the option of just reading the text directions or have it read to you—very much like an instructor student format.

Off to shower, study before I head out for my class!

Organized Chaos

It’s MONDAY!!

Start of a new work week! I have my planner all set and organized for my class meetings, AAT meetings, work schedule, studying schedule, a birthday party at the end of the week.

All topped with a schedule bike ride Saturday morning! I CAN’T WAIT!!

In fact, I may even try a run today. I don’t even notice or feel pain in my left mid foot anymore.

Wish me luck!

Breakfast:

Coffee & coconut bread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For later, I’ll write about ACSM Fit Society Page, which had some pretty interesting topics!

Question of the Day:

Do you have any exciting plans for the week?