What's for dinner?

"What's for dinner?" has never been a question the answer to which I fear. My mom's a talented cook who enjoys challenging dishes. So, I've been raised to eat what I'm given. Her continuous appeal to "just try it," was never a problem for me. Then I came to Spain.

I tackled whole pigs legs, blood sausage, salads made of various smelly cheeses and covered in small, slimy, silvery, raw fish. 

My host family showered me with praise, "this Americana! She eats everything!" (Quite a compliment since they expect most Americans to eat nothing but tater tots, Heinz 57 and coca cola). I relished asking them before each meal, "what is this?" Hearing their hesitant responses (waiting for the dish that would send the little American girl packing) and then seeing the surprised but very pleased looks when I cleaned my plate.

That is, until the pigs ears. Covered in a tomato sauce truth be told they didn't actually taste badly. But while I could stomach (literally) Bambi, desert wines with the consistency of house paint, and the once beating heart of one of Bugs Bunny's relatives...the idea of a pig's ears did me in. I won't go into details (nor attach pictures). I'll just say I no longer ask what I'm eating, till after I've eaten it. But, on the plus side, I'd say I had quite an Anthony Bourdain moment there.

Or so I thought, till I talked with an exchange student friend in Portugal. If I had an Anthony Bourdain moment, then he IS a young Anthony Bourdain. A D.C. kid born and raised and living in rural Portugal for a year asks his host family "what's for dinner?"..."oink oink" is the response. Yes, you know you're in rural Portugal when you ask what's for dinner and dinner answers. My friend, the young Anthony Bourdain, found himself treated to a sacrificio (an Iberian tradition where an entire village turns out to kill a pig, it's as common there as the Super Bowl is here). And as guest of honor he was the butcher. An important fact I should also mention is that part of the tradition includes not wasting a single piece of the pig. So, while I ate a pig's ears...he ate the. Entire. pig.

He wins.



Here's a look at some of my less...scarring food experiences.

                                                        There's a fish under all that salt.

                                                Made my first Spanish tortilla with my host dad.