Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Day 359

Aneta Brand Vegetarian Pate: After last night's bacon/pork/parts binge at Holeman and Finch, it somehow made sense for me to tackle another unusual vegetarian dish today. I found this small tin of vegetarian "pate" during my last visit to the Buford Highway Farmers Market, and after noticing it several times in the Eastern European section on past visits, I finally decided to give it a go.

I love pate in any form (especially chicken liver), but I'd never gotten to try a vegetarian version. As my readers know, I'm not a fan of fake vegetarian/vegan "meat" or "cheese" products. Aside from seeming just conceptually wrong, I've never grown to appreciate their flavor. Some of them have actually made me feel physically ill, so unless I'm trying something for the blog, I stick to the real thing. 
Once I read the ingredients before opening it today, I was surprised at how few elements it actually contained. The whole thing was made from simply mushrooms, vegetable oil, tomato paste, and some spices. I assumed it wasn't going to taste like much, so I slathered some on a cracker and took a bite.
To be honest, the texture/flavor reminded me of saltier instant mashed potatoes. I know that's a strange comparison, but that's the first thing I thought of. The slightly fluffy "pate" spread fairly well on the cracker, and even though it tasted OK, I still wished it was something else - like, something made from meat. It's a good thing I don't have to be a vegetarian, because I'm pretty sure I'd end up extremely unhappy.

It's official: that's the last fake meat product I'll ever try for this blog. It might even be the last one I ever eat, if I can help it.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Day 358

Lamb Fries: It's not that often that I experience a truly brand new food, but tonight's entry definitely fits that category. Me and the GF went to Holeman and Finch for my birthday dinner, and anyone that's truly into food in Atlanta should know it by heart. Their menu is, in my opinion, the most creative in town, and I could probably fulfill a month's worth of blog entries just from going to H&F alone. This was my third visit there, and our meal was just as good this time as the others.

In terms of something new, I knew exactly what I wanted to try before I even got there: lamb fries. No, not "fries" in the traditional sense. If you've only thought "fries" described french fried potatoes, you're wrong - the word can also mean testicles. I'd seen the dish on the menu during my other visits, but it's definitely hard to narrow down choices there when everything sounds so good. However, I wasn't going to let them slip by me tonight.
H&F's version of "fries" was made schnitzel-style (breaded, then fried) from thinly sliced lamb testicles, served with fresh blueberries and a vanilla-whiskey syrup. I don't know anyone personally that's tried this dish anywhere, so I really had no idea what to expect when our server brought the dish. Once he brought it to the table, it didn't look as intimidating as I expected. The fries almost looked like little pancakes, and the whole dish was dressed with blueberries, syrup, and a bit of parsley and onion.

I was a little scared before I took the first bite, but that subsided quickly. The texture reminded me of liver, but firmer and springier. The flavor was also similar to liver, but much milder. Once the breading and other ingredients were factored in, it was easy to forget what I was actually eating. I doubt that "fries" have a lot of flavor on their own, so the addition of the other elements was probably needed. They were definitely tasty, so I wouldn't be opposed to trying them again.

I'm so glad I finally got to try these - what a great birthday present!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Day 357

SeaKid Mixed Crispy Pusit & Dilis: Ok, so I know I said that yesterday's post was my last Asian snack, but I had forgotten about having today's new food left in my stockpile. I found these "pusit & dilis" (mixed crispy fried squid and anchovy) in the Buford Highway Farmers Market as a Filipino import during my last visit. Considering my love of salty, dried fish, I felt like I had to have these. Apparently these were teriyaki style, which made them all the more appealing.
I sort of knew what I was going to experience here before I even tried them, but I'd never had squid prepared this way. The ingredients included dried squid, dried anchovy, sugar, coconut oil, and spices. Since I'd already eaten dinner tonight, I decided to try them as dessert. Hey, sugar was the third ingredient, so I felt alright about counting it as dessert.
Once I opened the bag, I was immediately hit with a strong fishy smell. No surprise, considering what was in the bag. They luckily tasted much better than they smelled - each piece was super crunchy, almost like a potato chip, and the sweetness of the teriyaki was a good pair for the saltiness of the anchovies and squid. The anchovies were fried whole, but the squid appeared to be sliced into small pieces. Due to the greasiness, it wasn't something I could eat much of, but it was tasty just the same.

Check back tomorrow night for something truly unusual - I have a great dinner planned.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Day 356

Nongshim Kikiri Drumstix: I've eaten a whole lot of Asian snacks during the course of this blog, and it looks like this could be the last one I cover before the year is up. Some have been really good, others just plain strange, but this one was a pleasant surprise. When I saw these "drumstix" at the Buford Highway Farmers Market during my last trip, I really wanted to try them. I love snack foods that visually resemble what the manufacturer wants them to taste like (think Funyuns), and these definitely fit that category.
Even though they were supposed to be "fried chicken flavored," they were also apparently given a dose of chili and lime flavoring. I bet those flavors would be a good addition to real fried chicken - can someone maybe get on that soon? Anyway, when I opened the box today, the contents looked just like the picture on the box, minus the cute little tablecloth-lined basket. That's a rarity for most foods, even the ones I find in American grocery stores.
Once I tried these, I was impressed. The wheat flour base provided a nice crunch (I'm guessing these were fried), and the inside of the "drumstick" was hollow. The flavoring really did taste like fried chicken, and the chili powder brought some heat that was subtle but good. I didn't really detect much lime, but that's OK - the rest was tasty. If the Lay's company developed an American version of these, they'd be an instant party hit. Highly recommended if you like salty, chicken-y, crunchy snacks.

If you want to try these, you'd best be OK with preservatives. The ingredient list was a mile long.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Day 355

Ragi Tape Yeast: After almost a year of doing this blog, I guess it was inevitable that I accidentally end up trying something that wasn't really food at all, and that's exactly what happened tonight. During my last trip to the Buford Highway Farmers Market, I noticed this unusual item called "ragi tape yeast" in the Indonesian aisle. I wasn't sure what it was, but since it was mixed in with other snack foods (crackers, cookies, etc.), I assumed it was meant to be eaten alone. Strangely, there were no ingredients listed on the packaging, but that sort of roadblock never stops me.

I didn't get a chance to do any real researching before I bought it, and if I'd been smart, I would have done so before I decided to try it tonight. Once I opened the bag, each little disk had a chalk-like appearance that mystified me. Surely it had to taste like something, so I took a bite off one of the discs. Ugh. In addition to looking like chalk, it tasted like chalk, and I chewed a couple times before spitting it in the sink. It had absolutely no flavor at all, and it left a burning sensation in the back of my mouth that took a couple glasses of water to get rid of. This was an Indonesian snack food? I had my doubts, so I fired up the computer in hopes of figuring out what I just ate.
After some intensive searching, I discovered the truth: I had just eaten solid yeast. Apparently, this style of yeast is used to make a few different Indonesian desserts, including "ragi" and "tape." Well, that explains the name on the packaging. I feel like the BHFM could have prevented my misfortune by putting this item in a different section, but I guess that's just the risk I take when I buy things like this. It was never meant to be eaten alone, but that's exactly what I did. Oh well, you live and learn, right?

I'm pretty sure everything else I have lined up from here on out is food that's actually edible. This was pretty disgusting, but in all fairness, it wasn't even real food.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Day 354

White Eggplant: One recurring theme during this blog has been me attempting several different varieties of the same food. A great example of that is eggplant, and before I started all this, I never knew how many types there were. I like eggplant in general, so it's been fun to find out how all of them differ. When I saw this white variety at the Buford Highway Farmers Market a few days ago, I knew it was something I had to try. I'd never seen it anywhere else, and I was curious to find out if the unusual white color resulted in a completely different taste.
I decided to give this one a go tonight as a side with my dinner, and I kept the prep simple. I sliced it thin, then sauteed it with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. After slicing, I noticed that it wasn't nearly as seedy as other varieties of eggplant I've eaten. All of the seeds were concentrated towards the bottom end, and they were harder to spot due to their pale color. The interior flesh was almost the same color as the outside, which surprised me.
After heating it in the pan for a few minutes on each side, it turned from white to a bit more yellow. The skin actually turned brown in a few spots, but it wasn't burnt. The flavor wasn't too different from its purple counterpart, but the interior was actually a little softer and sweeter than the varieties I'd tried before. It tasted like, well, eggplant - nothing much new to report. Good, but it didn't offer the new experience I was hoping for. I'm still not sure what causes the bright white color, so if any of my readers know, I'd love to hear from you.

I just realized that this white eggplant was probably the last fresh produce I'll write about during the blog. Everything else I have planned is either pre-packaged or a restaurant find, so I guess this post was more meaningful than I first thought.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Day 353

"Wife Cake": I don't usually do much personal commentary on this blog, but I have to say that it feels a bit strange that this whole thing is almost over. It's been such a big part of my life for the past almost-year, and despite the frequent frustration of having to do so much shopping/eating/posting, it's been a great experience that's allowed me to achieve much more than I expected. And for all those that have followed along, I have to say thanks. If no one had paid attention, I'm not so sure I would have stuck with it.

Anyway, on to the food. Today's selection is another from the Master Bakery on Buford Highway, and after the awesomeness of yesterday's "pork pastry," I was curious to find out if this one was just as good. It's name was "wife cake," and due to the language barrier I mentioned yesterday, I wasn't able to discern what it was made of. However, it looked good, so I wasn't about to let a lack of information stop me.
I tend to eat pastries pretty soon after I buy them, so I went ahead and knocked this one out out this afternoon. It seemed to be made from rice flour (like many other Asian pastries), and it was filled with something I couldn't identify based on appearance alone. I assumed it was some sort of fruit filling, so I eagerly took a bite to find out.
Not too much new to report with this one. The flaky, slightly moist pastry was much like many other Asian pastries I've tried, and the filling was a mildly sweet, fruity paste that had a faint melon flavor. Tasty, but it didn't offer any new flavors for me.

So what's the story behind the "wife cake" name? According to Wikipedia, it's a traditional Chinese pastry that's also frequently called a "sweetheart cake." The name comes from a Chinese fable about a man whose wife sold herself into slavery to pay for his sick father's medicine, and he made her this cake to reward her good deed. Not very uplifting, but interesting. Oh, and the cake contained sweetened winter melon. I'm getting good at identifying strange flavors, for sure.