"Andrew Zimmern" moment of the month (or week, depending on how adventurous I'm feeling)

Most anyone who's large and somewhat plump (like myself) likes to get a good dose of "food porn" now and again, whether it be Food & Wine, Steven Raichlen's "How to Grill", or Travel Channel's No Reservations or Bizarre Foods.

The latter, being particularly hardcore in the food porn pantheon, features chef Andrew Zimmern traveling around the world, eating the inward meats, nether regions, and [ahem] poop chutes of various woodland creatures. However, the reasoning makes not just good tellie; it presents a rather profound point. Who's to say that eating Taco Bell (commonplace in the States, i.e. "me") is any more revolting than chomping down on a plate of cold, pickled chicken feet; as completely commonplace as fast food in other cultures?

So, being the shameless boob that I am, I thought I'd buy into the aforementioned argument. Yep, that's me at a Dim Sum house in Chinatown, San Francisco, munching down on cold, pickled chicken feet. Closest way to describe it: eating cold, pickled chicken feet. What else can I say? Rubbery, gelatinous cartiledge wrapped around tiny bones. To it's credit, it tasted like chicken.

Surprisingly, I ate about 6 more of them before I threw in the towel. Not my speed, but I feel more worldly now...

...and I bet I would try them again if they were deep-fried- and I were drunk.