The Nasty Bits

So I was working on a recipe for a rather delicious Oyster and Roasted Corn Chowder the other day, when I had the thought – who was the first person to eat an oyster? I mean, really? Who cracked open that first shell, looked at that snot-like blob of mollusk and said, “This looks wonderful. Let me now put this in my mouth.”

Of course, I assume the answer dates back to prehistoric times with some starving Neanderthal named Unk A. Unk bashing the things between two rocks for a much-needed meal. But still... It also kind of makes you wonder who first dreamed up Haggis (a sort of heart, liver, and lung casserole boiled in a sheep's stomach), Prairie Oysters (that's deep-fried bull testicles), and Casu Marzu (a maggot-filled cheese from Sardinia).

But then again, I suppose the old adage – waste not, want not – does come into play in this matter. And that's particularly true in difficult economic times such as these. I wonder if Americans would be interested in a cookbook that returns them to their prehistoric roots? A sort of guide to the nasty bits and barely edible pieces of the food they normally eat. It could have recipes like Braised Mystery Rodent, Snail Shell Broth, and Turkey Surprise (the surprise of course being that it's not turkey). In fact, that leads to a rather fun title, I should say - I Can't Believe It's Not Chicken by Nathan Scott.

It sounds like an idea to me (not necessarily a good one, but an idea all the same). Now, all I need is a skilled butcher, a creative photographer, and a pair of die hard taste testers with iron stomachs and steely nerves...