Hi lovelies! It’s a gorgeously sunny but blustery day and I’m tucked up on my favorite cushy green chair with my new puppy Luna curled cozily in my lap. Bear and I have been looking for the perfect pup to keep me company on the farm, but until yesterday hadn’t found one who suited us just right. Now we’ve found her and couldn’t be happier.
Luna (named after the marvelous Luna Lovegood) is a tiny bit of a thing, brindled with gorgeous gold and chocolate markings. The vet thinks she is a Staffordshire/cow dog mix about six weeks old. She has a very sweet nature and is cuddly and smart as a whip. She’s already learned to obey “no”, “come” and “down”. Yep, I’m smitten.
It’s been a crazy week around here with all sorts of beloved friends visiting, goats disappearing and having to be tracked down, and other such adventures. Today I’m very happy to be home with all the animals exactly where they should be and Bear and Luna on the couch watching old movies with me.
Today is also Across the Cafe Table over at the Travel Belles!
Our topic of discussion this time around is: Foods We’ve Tried While Traveling: The Good, Bad and “Interesting”
When I first started traveling (age 17, Russia) I was a very picky eater, nervous about anything unfamiliar and living on potatoes.
Thankfully that changed. Now I embrace foreign foods whole-heartedly and love to sample new and strange dishes.
Such as the horse I tried in Slovenia at a splendid Old World pub with my brother Ryan and dear friends Natalie, Stacey, and Ben. It was actually really good, slow-cooked until it was fork-tender and served with dumplings and a rolled pasta stuffed with cheese. We washed it down with a stout local beer called Sokol.
I was pleasantly surprised by ribbons of thinly sliced lard drizzled with local honey at the Ristorante Corte Visconti way out in the swamps of Lombardy, Italy. It may sound vile but somehow the salty, wafer-thin fat dissolved on the tongue and mingled with the sweet honey until it melded into pure deliciousness.
How about you? What are some strangely delicious things you’ve tasted?
For more inspiring (or scary!) ideas, pop over to the Travel Belles and see what other adventurers have eaten on their travels.
I am not sure if my taste buds are that adventurous but I have had snake burger here in BC, shark and alligator in Florida and oh yes chocolate covered ants.
Oh I have eaten alligator and dolphin (mahi mahi, right) in Florida but you ate chocolate covered ants? Ooooh… how was it?
Funny you should write this because I am writing a story on the weirdest, scariest thing I have ever eaten for an on-line magazine and I’ll tell you if and when it is up on their site. I have eaten horse here in France where it is fairly common – although I bought it by accident and didn’t really like it as a hamburger (too lean). I have seen people traveling in Italy and eating the thinly sliced lard on tv but never ate it myself. But drizzled with honey it actually sounds rather intriguing! I love hearing about your travels and especially what you ate!
Yes DO tell me about it when it’s published, Jamie. 🙂 Horse sounds like kangaroo – really good meat but it needs to be cooked properly since it’s so lean. The lard is absolutely marvelous and I hope you can try it soon. 🙂
What a beautiful little pup. She is not camera shy either and a cheeky glint in her eye……. …………..food glorious food haha. I have tried a dessert in the philippines made with a sugar syrup, sweet potato and fungi. yumyum. Flying fox (fruit Bat) on a menu of a french resturant in port vila. not so good……sea horse and sea urchin in japanesse resturant in Subic, phillippines. alcoholic horse milk in mongolia……………………I thought I would try anything at all as food…until I saw crickets and cockaroaches on sticks in Beijing…… no no I could not do it…..even with an entree of scotch and coke as my “dutch courage”, I could not. maybe I just wasn’t hungry enough. if I am presented again with such a challenge I must try again haha.
I love to here of other peoples food triumphs.
keep them coming Krista
You are my HERO, Neil!! I can’t believe you’ve tried all those crazy things and lived to tell about it. 🙂 I tried to imagine eating those bugs on a stick and nope, don’t think I could muster up the courage either. I’m very intrigued by the alcoholic horse milk though! What did it taste like?
The mare’s milk is very bitter. Fermented over time in a large leather satchel at the doorway of the families ger. It is added to daily after milking and stirred with a large paddle almost on every entry and exit from the dwelling. It is the most bitter thing I have ever tasted. not like lemon, much more pungently bitter. I also tried their version of cheese, very dry with not much flavour….. I so love travel and experiencing all there is to offer in this world …… take care Krista
Wow, it makes my throat dry up like a sponge imagining the bitterness. I think I’ll stick to my red wine. 🙂
LUNA IS THE CUTEST!!!! I can’t stop staring at her. Just seeing pictures of her made my morning!
Oh thank you, Joanne! I’m so glad you love her too. She’s such a cheery little soul. 🙂
Ah, lard now that is a taste sensation. You feel guilty about eating pure fat, but boy is it tasty.
You’ve got that right, Cathy! I couldn’t believe how good it was. 🙂
I love you even more because you named your puppy Luna. She is my very favorite character. I named my sourdough starter Neville. You puppy is definitely cuter than my starter.
Oh Deanna, I laughed SO hard about you naming your dough starter. Girl, you rock. 🙂
It’s weird, I don’t know if it has something to do with *gasp* getting older… but my palette has gotten pickier lately.. I like the word “discerning” though. All I can say is thank goodness for the honey on that lard… was it horse? *faints*
Discerning is a perfect word for your eating habits, Margo! 🙂 At least I KNOW that you will never serve me anything horrid. 🙂
Lard….honey? Sounds weird, in a wonderful sort of way. I have licked thick butter many a time, so this isn’t strange, i guess it tastes like a creamy cheese 🙂 with honey. Congrats on Luna = she sounds adorable!
Weird but wonderful things I’ve eaten recently – goats head, a specialty in Nigerian cuisine – real nose to tail!
Mmm, thick butter is a marvelous thing too, Oz! 🙂 I’ve never had goats head but I HAVE been eating goat since I got to Australia. It’s quite splendid!
Luna is pure loveliness. Could she have a better namesake?! I’ve just spent the better part of an hour getting all caught up on your blog. I had a bad case of missing you, and am now happy-tired! I haven’t ventured nearly enough outside my own blog these past couple months, but I think that veil needs to be lifted. Although it doesn’t bode well for bloggy friendships, sometimes preserving the self is the most we can do when life’s tough stuff kicks at us. It’s good to be here. And truly refreshing to see life through your “Aussie” eyes! xx
Oh Jacqueline, I’m SO glad to hear from you. I’m glad that you’ve taken this time to take care of your heart and soul, but I’m so very happy that you’re feeling happier and stronger now. 🙂 XO
Wow, you’re certainly adventurous these days when it comes to food! This reminds me of a very badly-translated dish I saw on a Portuguese menu once: rancid lard of the saint! It was some sort of local dessert, but it really didn’t translate well… Sadly, the restaurant was closed or I would have tried it!
Oh my lands, Kate! That dish sounds perfectly ghastly. Surely there must be something lost in translation, eh? 🙂
That doesn’t sound good at all but to be fair I have had horse several times, including in Canada and it’s actually quite delicious – sorry Mr. Ed.
lol – it didn’t sound good to be either, Ayngelina. But I was pleasantly surprised. 🙂
Some of the oddest and yet most intriguing dishes I’ve seen on a blog! Bravo!
Oh thank you, Duchess! That means a lot coming from you. 🙂
Although always willing to try new food experiences, horse is one though I have eaten I would never do so from choice!
I hear you, Linda. I don’t know that I would’ve ordered a whole plate of it, but I didn’t mind trying a bite off my friends plate. 🙂
Isn’t lard good? I was completely weirded out the first time I was served lard on bruschetta here in Italy, but it’s nothing like the strip of chewy fat one would expect. I still feel weird about horse meat, but there is somehow less of a psychological block when it’s on pizza. 🙂 Luna is a darling puppy, by the way!
Horse on PIZZA?! Now that’s something I’ve never tried. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoy lard too. I was SO delightfully surprised. 🙂
Krista congrats on your new puppy. Luna looks gorgeous I love brindle color. Clarence our bully is brindle too. I think when I left Brazil years ago my palate was very limited. I could not tolerate much spicy flavors, well has changed thank heavens! Now I love bold flavors from all cuisines!
I remember on a trip to France in the Loire valley they served a dish that was made with ground offal and cartilage mixed with lard and spices served cold as an appetizer. I had to pass on that course but Steven ate it and quite liked it.Cheers,Hegs
Thanks so much, Hequiberto! 🙂 Clarence sounds like a lovely chap. 🙂 Yeesh, that ground offal sounds, well, awful! 🙂
Horse??? I’m afraid not. 🙁
No worries, Andi. 🙂 I was so surprised to learn just how many cultures eat horse meat as easily and consistently as we do beef or pork.
Beautiful puppy, K!
Thanks so much, T. 🙂 I really love her. 🙂
Luna is just the cutest! She must be lovely to have around! Hmm, lard with honey certainly doesn’t sound that great, but I’ll take your word for it! It’s amazing how travel pushes us to try adventurous foods 🙂
Isn’t she darling, Katy? 🙂 She makes my heart happy. 🙂
Luna is the cutest!!!!
I love her to pieces, Cailin! 🙂
OOh yes, I definitely think there is Staffie in your pup – that cute little face! As for eating weird stuff, I have also eaten horse in France but it was in a salami-style sausage so could seriously have been anything! 😉 I’va also eaten crocodile which seriously does taste like chicken! And as for lardo… I LOVE it but have friends that won’t touch it, even without honey 🙂
Isn’t it the sweetest face, Jeanne? 🙂 Makes me melt every time I see it. 🙂 Ooo, I’ve never tried crocodile. Like chicken, eh? What a surprising thing for it to taste like. 🙂
Luna is the sweetest!
OMG, I love that you named your puppy after Luna Lovegood!!! Brilliant! 😉