The Omnivore’s Hundred

Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Out of the 100 items, I am happy to say I tried 65 items ! I had Sweetbread for the first time last week at Holeman & Finch, I have to say it was quite rich.. and if you think it's "sweetbread" you are in for a huge surprise. It's the Thymus gland of a cow, yup..battered and fried to perfection! It's tasty, as rich as brain, not as mushy. What other Bizarre foods have I eaten? At Mi Barrio in ATL, the best Mexican hole in the wall, I had "Lingua Tacos", yup "Tongue Tacos" and they were delicious. Consistency of a tender piece of beef, but fatty and rich.
Mind over matter, be brave, try an organ!

Brain needs More Ram..Confabulations

I would like to think I have a really good memory, but unfortunately, my friend Tran has pointed out that my memory of events when I lived in Seattle has been slowly vanishing with time. Unlike me, Tran keeps tickets of events she's been to, postcards that friends have sent her, and she collects them in the box she calls "junk". I used to have a keepsake box, but after moving around, I decided to go without a keepsake box, and at times I would end up throwing away postcards sent to me. Don't get me wrong, I am sentimental, but I don't believe you need to keep everything to preserve a memory of events that was meaningful. But today's conversation with Tran, has made me question my memory and my ability to preserve things nowadays. It might have to do with the inability to retain information for school let alone memories that occurred 6 years ago. I believe that our mind is a tricky thing, that sometimes forgoes the old to make room for the new, since humans are not yet sophisticated enough to figure out how to use our entire brain to it's full potential.
It bring me to times when I need to retrace my steps when I have forgotten something. When we recall a memory, our mind will automatically "flesh out" the recollection by inventing details of the event, based on previous similar experiences. This process is largely unconscious We are not generally aware of it happening. The mind can add new components to the memory that are unrelated to the original event. Even more interestingly, these distortions will later re-enter our memory. I have always found it so fascinating. Man's reality is his mind's own creation, a memory is not recorded, but at times re-edited.
What is my point? It's good to take photos, it's good to keep a journal, because memory alone will not do justice.

PDA..and not the Personal Digital Assistant Kind..

So a bunch of my friends and I went out for a late night snack at Holeman and Finch in ATL, GA, since our attempts at watching the Presidential Debates was a snooze. H&F has the best 10pm burger in town, and alot of small plates of yummies. The drinks are made with care, the place is just an awesome small place to hangout. So Kit, Pam, Sean, and I were all hanging out, when in comes a man with a denim shirt and levis stone washed jeans, around his late 50's early 60's, with a gal that looked like she came out of the movie "Working Girls". She wore a black skirt suite from the 80's, with MY GOD black stalkings, another 80's faux pas, I am digressing, but I need to paint a visual for you folks! The bar was full they were standing and chatting and then my god, my poor eyes, he started sucking her face. Literally sucking her face, in a crowded bar, where folks were trying to eat and drink and have a good time. I got blank stares from my friend, as well as neighboring tables, all with the same thought of " WTF is wrong with this old dude, and his call girl?" Sounds mean I know, but let's be real here, the guy was like 60+ atleast, and his lady friend was I would say at most 40, in great shape, and looked like an 80's call girl. Their attempt at PDA was trashy, and should have been left for a seedy bar, or a couch at the old man's house, not at a classy fun speakeasy like H&F.
The couple eventually got a seat at the bar with a friend, and all the time they were sitting at the bar, the Gramps put his hands down this gal's skirt, and up her blouse, coming from the back- so of course their backs were turned to us, and we got this whole show for the entire night of our stay, a good 45 minutes of groping .."yeah thanks old man" . It was by most the most disturbing PDA ever, and call is ageism, but it was worse since the dude was 60+.
It created a good conversation, of us trying to guess what he did for a living,we already assumed she was a small town girl, using Gramps for all he had. Gramps we assumed was a Jewish lawyer or doctor who is going through his mid-life crisis, paying alimony, and his 3 kids college education. With what money Gramps had left, he was spending it Viagra and on his "lady friend", taking her out on the town, and sucking her face for all to see!
So what is my point? I appreciate affection, I find it heart-warming when I see people hold hands while enjoying each other's company. Nothing wrong with a little PDA, but please leave the sucking the face at home. We all don't need to see it, nor can my eyes and stomach hold such behavior in a place that we come to eat and drink. BE GRACIOUS TO THOSE AROUND YOU! LEAVE THE FACE SUCKING AT HOME..
(posted some pics from H&F, friend Sean tried taking pics of the "Hands down her pants"- but his Iphone has no flash..note to apple- make a small flash for moments like these!) All Photos Provided BY SEAN M.

SO FUNNY PLEASE WATCH

Katy Perry's Hot N Cold

I love this Song! The Music Video is Fantastic! CHeck it OUT!

Exercise and Sleep

I had the best sleep ever last night. I think it's due to the fact I have been continuosly going to the gym. Over the course of the year, I have not been very motivated to take care of myself, and last week, while pondering over life changes, I decided it was crucial for me to incorporate exercise into my life. It's a great way to relax, have time for yourself, and at the end of the day it makes hitting the pillow alot easier. I have also decided to be more proactive with what I put in my mouth. Will decrease bad carbohydrates and replace it with fruits, veggies, and lean proteins. By New Years I hope I can come closer to a Healthier me!
"Findings from a recent Stanford University Medical School study may come as no surprise: older and middle-age people reported sleeping better when they added regular exercise to their routine. After 16 weeks in a moderate intensity exercise program, subjects were able to fall asleep about 15 minutes earlier and sleep about 45 minutes longer at night.
Researchers selected 29 women and 14 men with mild sleep complaints for a 16-week controlled study. All participants were age 50 to 74, lived sedentary lives, and suffered no cardiovascular disease, stroke or other clinically diagnosed disorder known to cause sleep disorders. All were non-smokers and moderate drinkers. None were seriously overweight or taking hormone replacement therapy, sleep medications or other medications known to affect sleep.

Participants exercised at least four times a week. Twice a week they participated in an organized aerobics class, which included 30 minutes of endurance training. The other two times they exercised on their own, doing 40 minutes of brisk walking or stationary bike riding. To assess impact on sleep, researchers looked at factors such as how long it takes to fall asleep, total hours of sleep per night, how often one wakes up, how one feels when waking up, and daytime function.

The link between aerobic exercise and sleep may seem obvious, but until this study, there has been very little controlled research to support this "conventional wisdom." Researchers were especially concerned about the overemphasis on sedative hypnotic medications for older adults. Though they are only 20% of the population, older Americans receive almost half the medications prescribed to aid sleep. The potential side effects of these drugs-confusion, falls, extended drowsiness, agitation, and interactions with other medications-can be especially problematic for this age group. Until this study, there have been very few attempts to identify effective non-drug approaches to treating mild sleep disorders.

The study also provides further evidence of the interactions of mind and body. In this case improving physical health shows a positive impact on the mind.

RX: Self-Care Tips
Try exercise to help your sleep. Here are some tips.

A drop in body temperature aids sound sleep. So time your exercise five to six hours before bedtime.
Make your exercise vigorous enough to make you sweat a little. Previous studies have shown that non-aerobic stretching and concentration exercises alone did not impart sleep.
Stick with it! Participants in this study did not report improved sleep until they had been exercising for 16 weeks."
By David S. Sobel M.D.

Anthony Bourdain..the Man the Mission.. Trip to Laos

Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservation" is one of my all time favorite shows to curl up with at night. His travels make me so envious, and his experiences and adventurous spirit with the people and the food customs he encounters amazes me. His travel to Laos, was one that really touched me. He visited a family, who opened their home to him. The father had lost an arm and a leg, and the family faced hard times making money, but they were still able to share what food they had with Tony.
Food to me is not the only way to keep a person alive, but it is a part of a culture, and a part of humanity, a way to expand beyond our borders, and reach out and connect with one another in a human level. I hope you enjoy every bite you take, and that food is shared with friends and love ones!