The Challenge

I love me some dim sum. Growing up outside Chicago, we’d probably hit Chinatown once a month, usually followed by a trip to a museum. I have eaten all manners of things that, if I sat and thought about it, would probably make my head spin. A short list: chicken feet (tasted like, uh, chicken), snails (in a rich garlic and black bean sauce), elephant snot. Well, elephant snot was a noodle dish that my brother and I renamed, but as a kid, really, it looked like elephant snot! LOL Tastes great, one of my favorites.

So last Friday the restaurant reviewer of the Denver paper we get reviewed a new Chinese dim sum joint. This guy is a tough reviewer, and for him to give a dim sum place an “A” was a big deal. Reading his review my mouth just watered. I can’t wait to go try this place, but we have to wait until A feels better (still tired and sore, either feels ok and running around or feeling miserable and crashed on the couch; poor kid).

Since I love dim sum, and it’s best with a large group so you can get lots of little dishes to share, I issued a challenge to my crazy scrapbooking friends and their families. I figured we’d go have a good meal and get lots of great pictures of the experience. Tom and I are the only ones who have had dim sum before. And to make sure everyone tried the dishes, I issued a challenge: I will have a stack of gift cards (small amounts, I’m not crazy) to pass out to those who try a dish of my choice. Yes, it will likely involve chicken feet. Hey, if I had to eat them, I’m sharin’ the love. Well, I had one response of “oh please no Chinese food makes me ill”, which I forgot, and another of “are there mushrooms involved?”, which I also forgot, and “don’t make it too outlandish, my gag reflex might kick in”, which I again forgot. (Oh, they’re going to kill me when they read this…) My CRS apparently hit hard when I issued the challenge. We’ll see if we all do go, but I am so there ASAP.

So these response from my closest friends got me to remembering our bizarre eating habits. Seriously, when the six of us go on our twice a year scrapbooking retreat, planning meals is actually funny. Of the six, 4 won’t eat fresh tomatoes, 1 doesn’t like mushrooms, 2 gag at the thought of onions, I can’t eat eggs (really, make me eat an egg and I have severe GI distress and have to go sleep it off; I’m not spending a day of vacation ill)…the list goes on. We’ve gotten really good about adapting recipes and making alternate versions of things, just so we can all eat.

What was I thinking when I issued this challenge? Sharing my very favorite foods, that’s all. Oh, and getting the great pictures of my friends eating chicken feet. Share the love, share the love…

Am I the only one who eats bizarre things and enjoys the experience? Thanks dad!