Worst Tastes: Tabasco & Baking Soda/Popcorn Butter

[~christina~]

Anyone eaten crab brains? On Iron Chef, whenever the chef added crab brains into a dish, everyone would go "oooooh".

"crab brains" ?? wait..I've cleaned a bunch of dungeness crab and I can't tell which are the "brains".

What kind of crab did the chef use?

I did see them using fish eyeballs though on iron chef. They were skewered and fire grilled.

 

[Huckleberry]

I've pretty much given up on eating any kind of seafood besides fish. I don't like the taste or texture of any kind of crustacean. Crab and lobster are the yuck. Molluscs are okay, and I can even enjoy a bowl of clam chowder, but in general they aren't very tasty to me.

During my shellback ceremony we were forced to eat a mixture of dried cottage cheese and cod liver oil. I wasn't particularly offended by the taste.

I've eaten live ants and moths. The head section has an interesting tangy taste.

Vegemite has to be the worst thing I've ever eaten. The salty flavor is too concentrated for me. It probably would taste better if it were spread on something, but I don't think it would improve any flavor so much as dilute it's own.

I knew of a marine who decided to eat a dead jellyfish that washed up on the beach. He had to go to the emergency room. Hoorah!

 

[turbo]

I knew of a marine who decided to eat a dead jellyfish that washed up on the beach. He had to go to the emergency room. Hoorah!

Didn't know they have stinging cells?

 

[Huckleberry]

I didn't know him personally. It was something I heard from other marines that claimed to know him. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it were true. He may have even known that it was harmful. Marines will do anything to prove how tough they are.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Oh yes, that reminds me of why I couldn't eat fish for years. I tried swordfish once. Since I didn't know what it was supposed to taste like, I didn't realize that it was bad until I got to the really bad part. So I can add rotten fish to the list.

I got very sick from that and couldn't even think about eating fish for a very long time. To this day, twenty years or so later, though I can eat fish, even the slightest hint of a fishy flavor or smell can ruin a dinner for me.

 

[Math Jeans]

Oh yes, that reminds me of why I couldn't eat fish for years. I tried swordfish once. Since I didn't know what it was supposed to taste like, I didn't realize that it was bad until I got to the really bad part. So I can add rotten fish to the list.

I got very sick from that and couldn't even think about eating fish for a very long time. To this day, twenty years or so later, though I can eat fish, even the slightest hint of a fishy flavor or smell can ruin a dinner for me.

But when it isn't bad, swordfish is real tasty .

 

[Moonbear]

Anyone eaten crab brains? On Iron Chef, whenever the chef added crab brains into a dish, everyone would go "oooooh".

Are you sure it's the brains? They would be awfully tiny in a crab. I wonder if it's like Uni where they call it brains but it's really something else that doesn't sound as nice? My grandfather used to eat the green liver in lobster (he wasted nothing edible on a lobster...he'd also suck every bit of meat out of each little leg, and pick through the body for every bit of meat too). Nobody else would touch it until he finally convinced me to try it. It's surprisingly sweet. We were the only two who would eat the roe too (they're not supposed to be caught if they have roe, but sometimes it's still all internal and you can't tell until you open it). Also very tasty. But, that's why I wonder if it's something like that they're calling the brains just from lack of understanding of crab anatomy.

Moonbear, you have just assured that I will NEVER eat Uni. I get the creeps just looking at it.

Goody! More for me.

 

[Moonbear]

Vegemite has to be the worst thing I've ever eaten. The salty flavor is too concentrated for me. It probably would taste better if it were spread on something, but I don't think it would improve any flavor so much as dilute it's own.

I haven't had vegemite, but I've had marmite, which is similar. Yep, too strong. I was still able to swallow it, so not horrible, but I'd never taste it again. Yes, concentrated comes to mind, like it would make a really good soup starter if you diluted it with LOTS of water and added vegetables and beef cubes.

Oh, back on the seaweed track...dulce. That one I needed to spit into a napkin because I couldn't even try to politely choke it down. My post-doc mentor seemed to go out of his way to find strange foods on his travels to bring back to share during lab meetings after he returned. He actually liked the stuff. It's seaweed that's sun-dried out on rocks (in other words, not just seaweed, but old, stinky, dried-up seaweed ).

 

[Astronuc]

I love vegemite and marmite. I grew up on the stuff and eat it like other folks eat peanut butter.

It made me what am today!

Well - OK - maybe that's a good reason not to eat it.

 

[Moonbear]

More on crab brains. I did find a site that explains what they are, and they said that although the Japanese call them brains, they aren't. They are what's left after you take out the meat...all the other internal organs. So, yeah, more like what I've eaten in lobster of liver, pancreas, etc. I'd give it a try (though the photo of it on the site I found was not the most appetizing photo). I'm not providing a link because the site I found explaining this also had some inappropriate ads; I'll see if I can find something else more "family friendly."

Edit: Nothing more helpful yet than things that simply describe it as the green stuff inside the crab, or crab innards. But, did find the Japanese name for it...Kanimiso. (Kani is the word for crab.) Next time I'm in NYC, I'm planning to go to a Japanese restaurant, so maybe I'll ask if they have it (the last time I went there, my friend who had recently gone with Japanese clients discovered that there's an unwritten menu of things that don't usually appeal to Western tastes, but get verbally offered to anyone who speaks Japanese...I don't speak Japanese, but I think if I specifically ask about something like kanimiso, I might just get it).

 

[D H]

Duck brains. I once worked on a project that sent me to Beijing. They held a dinner for us at a very traditional Beijing duck restaurant on our arrival. The tradition is to start with duck feet soup. Gradually working ones way up the duck's body, with little side tidbits including the brains, tongue, beak, and glands served on a platter. They also tried drowning us with rice wine and moutai.

After months there, the moutai became quite tasty. We brought some home. We drove home from Kennedy airport through northern Jersey. On smelling the sweet stench of northern Jersey, we rummaged through our bags to make sure none of the bottles of moutai had broken.

 

[Moonbear]

I think if I was being served duck tongue and beak, I'd need more of that rice wine to get it down!

 

[scorpa]

Someone convinced me to try bleu cheese once and I nearly threw up, it was so awful. I once accidently drank evapourated milk thinking it was the real thing...that was also a mistake. Oh and one time someone I knew was on a health kick and served me cheesecake...sugarless cheesecake! It tasted sour and rotten. Gross.

 

[Moonbear]

Bleu cheese is WONDERFUL! We used to mix blue cheese and cream cheese to make a spread and serve it on celery sticks for the holidays. YUMMY! That's okay, scorpa, I'll eat your share.

Let's see, so far I'm getting Evo's uni and scorpa's blue cheese. Anything else anyone wants to give up? I think I need to balance this diet out with something other than proteins.

 

[Math Jeans]

Bleu cheese is WONDERFUL! We used to mix blue cheese and cream cheese to make a spread and serve it on celery sticks for the holidays. YUMMY! That's okay, scorpa, I'll eat your share.

Let's see, so far I'm getting Evo's uni and scorpa's blue cheese. Anything else anyone wants to give up? I think I need to balance this diet out with something other than proteins.

You can have mine. I am not a big fan of bleu cheese.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Here's one that sounded terrible but apparently tastes pretty good: Salmon with shrimp and pancakes.

That's what the cat had tonight and he seemed to love it!

 

[zoobyshoe]

That's what the cat had tonight and he seemed to love it!

I always watch stray cats to see what they eat. Endless new ideas.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I always watch stray cats to see what they eat. Endless new ideas.

Yeah, been meaning to try that catnip too.

 

[turbo]

Oh, back on the seaweed track...dulce. That one I needed to spit into a napkin because I couldn't even try to politely choke it down.

That is nasty stuff. A Japanese exchange student gave me some, and there is no way I could keep that in my mouth. She giggled - I gagged.

 

[turbo]

Bleu cheese is WONDERFUL! We used to mix blue cheese and cream cheese to make a spread and serve it on celery sticks for the holidays. YUMMY! That's okay, scorpa, I'll eat your share.

Let's see, so far I'm getting Evo's uni and scorpa's blue cheese. Anything else anyone wants to give up? I think I need to balance this diet out with something other than proteins.

Well, you can have all my eggplant.

 

[Evo]

I'm going to vomit. A girl here brought in some zucchini bread and carrot bread she'd made. There is an overpowering taste of rancid tuna in both. I've never tasted anything so nasty.

I WANT THE EGGPLANT! I'm thinking of creating a dish with fried eggplant and blue cheese.

 

[turbo]

I WANT THE EGGPLANT! I'm thinking of creating a dish with fried eggplant and blue cheese.

Sorry! The eggplant is already promised to Moonie. I'll send you some beer coasters instead. Would you prefer Heinekin or Beck's coasters?

 

[Astronuc]

I'm going to vomit. A girl here brought in some zucchini bread and carrot bread she'd made. There is an overpowering taste of rancid tuna in both. I've never tasted anything so nasty.

How does one get a taste of rancid tuna in zucchini bread and carrot bread? Evo, you work with strange people.

I WANT THE EGGPLANT! I'm thinking of creating a dish with fried eggplant and blue cheese.

 

[Evo]

How does one get a taste of rancid tuna in zucchini bread and carrot bread?

I don't think I want to know.

 

[turbo]

Maybe she baked the breads with sour milk.

 

[Evo]

Maybe she baked the breads with sour milk.

Or chopped the zucchini and carrots on a cutting board that had fish on it last week.

 

[Astronuc]

How does one get a taste of rancid tuna in zucchini bread and carrot bread?

I don't think I want to know.

Yeah - I don't want to find out either.

BTW, I think I was misquoted. I didn't mean for the rancid tuna tasting zucchini or carrot breads. Certainly that is


Anyway, is that girl married? With the way she cooks - I can't imagine.

 

[Evo]

BTW, I think I was misquoted. I didn't mean for the rancid tuna tasting zucchini or carrot breads. Certainly that is

Oooops, yes, that was my mistake.

Anyway, is that girl married? With the way she cooks - I can't imagine.

She's single. And she's VERY friendly. When I told her where I moved (a few blocks from her), she grabbed my cell phone, entered her phone number and told me to call her any time of the day or night.

 

[turbo]

She's single. And she's VERY friendly. When I told her where I moved (a few blocks from her), she grabbed my cell phone, entered her phone number and told me to call her any time of the day or night.

Maybe you can teach her to cook and she can coach you in jello-wrestling.

 

[BobG]

I didn't know him personally. It was something I heard from other marines that claimed to know him. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it were true. He may have even known that it was harmful. Marines will do anything to prove how tough they are.

A few Air Force pilots are like that, too. A former pilot was telling me how all the guys in survival training with her were too wimpy to kill a rabbit, so she had to do it (of course, being Air Force, the school was kind of wimpy - the rabbit was given to them rather than watching these guys try to actually catch a wild rabbit). She said they totally freaked out when she sucked out the eyeballs for their salt content. Then she described how having to bite down through the optic nerve made some people queasy. It was pretty painful and I've tried to avoid ever being in an office alone with her ever since that conversation.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I've tried to avoid ever being in an office alone with her ever since that conversation.

You should be safe if you wear glasses.

 

[Moonbear]

I WANT THE EGGPLANT! I'm thinking of creating a dish with fried eggplant and blue cheese.

As long as you share it with me, I'll let you have the eggplant and blue cheese. That actually sounds like a good combination (then again, I'm really hungry, so anything would taste good right now).

 

[Moonbear]

A few Air Force pilots are like that, too. A former pilot was telling me how all the guys in survival training with her were too wimpy to kill a rabbit, so she had to do it (of course, being Air Force, the school was kind of wimpy - the rabbit was given to them rather than watching these guys try to actually catch a wild rabbit). She said they totally freaked out when she sucked out the eyeballs for their salt content. Then she described how having to bite down through the optic nerve made some people queasy. It was pretty painful and I've tried to avoid ever being in an office alone with her ever since that conversation.

Y'know, she could've just cut out the eyeballs rather than sucking them out. And, yeah, not too useful to know how to kill and eat a rabbit if you can't actually catch one unless your plane goes down on a rabbit farm. Rabbit sounds kind of fancy for survival training. Aren't they supposed to learn how to eat bugs and twigs?

 

[Astronuc]

Oooops, yes, that was my mistake.

Nah! The software just takes what is typed outside of quotes. I thought it was pretty funny.

She's single. And she's VERY friendly. When I told her where I moved (a few blocks from her), she grabbed my cell phone, entered her phone number and told me to call her any time of the day or night.

Geez - what is it with people. Don't they teach manners out your way? Grabbing cell phones. Too friendly if you ask me.

I agree with turbo, you need to advise this woman on cooking. If she cooks like that, she'll be single until she learns to cook.

. . . she can coach you in jello-wrestling.

Such an imagination.

 

[Moonbear]

I agree with turbo, you need to advise this woman on cooking. If she cooks like that, she'll be single until she learns to cook.

Or maybe she'll just meet a nice guy who can do the cooking for them both, and even teach her. My mom's cooking was atrocious before she met my dad. My dad taught her how to cook (somewhat). Or, I hope she earns enough to go out to eat a lot.

 

[Astronuc]

Most of my single friends seem to eat out.

I like to cook and my son likes to cook somewhat - mostly desserts. He does a really good apple crisp.

I learned to cook by helping my maternal grandmother and my mom. I used to do the cutting and chopping, and sifting flour. I can't tell you how much flour I sifted - but it was tons. My mom made pies (meat and fruit) and pasties from scratch. Her lemon meringue pie was out of this world! I've never had any as good as hers. Boy do I miss those days.

My maternal grandmother cooked on a wood stove. She made the best soups and stews.

 

[Moonbear]

I learned to cook by helping my maternal grandmother and my mom. I used to do the cutting and chopping, and sifting flour. I can't tell you how much flour I sifted - but it was tons. My mom made pies (meat and fruit) and pasties from scratch. Her lemon meringue pie was out of this world! I've never had any as good as hers. Boy do I miss those days.

I think a lot of boys learn to cook from their grandmas. I think that's interesting, and pretty cool. I rarely hear men talking about having learned from their mom or dad, but often hear about their visits to their grandma and learning to cook there...either like you did with sifting flour, or having to cut out the raviolis, or helping with the pressure cooking when canning, etc.

Do you have a good recipe for pasties? When I was in MI was the only time I've ever had them, and they were delicious, so I'd love to know how to make them. They were originally made for the miners to take with them as lunches...when they couldn't come up out of the mine to wash their hands before lunch, they could just hold the crust to eat it and toss away the crust (of course, I really like the crust, so won't be tossing it away).

Oh, wait, that's things that taste good, not things that taste awful. If you have a recipe, post it in the Food Thread.

 

[Astronuc]

I think a lot of boys learn to cook from their grandmas. I think that's interesting, and pretty cool. I rarely hear men talking about having learned from their mom or dad, but often hear about their visits to their grandma and learning to cook there...either like you did with sifting flour, or having to cut out the raviolis, or helping with the pressure cooking when canning, etc.

Do you have a good recipe for pasties? When I was in MI was the only time I've ever had them, and they were delicious, so I'd love to know how to make them. They were originally made for the miners to take with them as lunches...when they couldn't come up out of the mine to wash their hands before lunch, they could just hold the crust to eat it and toss away the crust (of course, I really like the crust, so won't be tossing it away).

Oh, wait, that's things that taste good, not things that taste awful. If you have a recipe, post it in the Food Thread.

I seem to remember a recipe or two that I posted in the Food Thread or similar thread. I guess we got off topic.

I learned a lot from my mom and dad. My mom taught me about sewing, laundry, and cooking. My dad taught me gardening, carpentry, mechancial stuff. I used to help my dad repair the family cars. He'd pull apart engines, transmissions, or whatever, and I'd work alongside him. When I got to university, I learned plumbing, mechanical maintenance, and electrical maintenance, and then I'd work with my dad at home or at his office doing repairs and maintenance. It helped him save a lot of money.

My dad and I re-roofed the family house, but since a lot of the work was in the heat of the summer, I'd do most of the work. We had people driving by the house asking how much we charged to roof a house. My dad explained that he and I were doing our place, and that we weren't professionals.

I very much enjoy heavy labor.

 

[yenchin]

Anyone try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian ?
I've only gotten close enough to be offended by the smell.

Durian is one of the best fruits here in South East Asia, and yes, I love it

 

[turbo]

My paternal grandmother was a cook for the Kennebec Log Drive, and she used to cook for a crew of 40-50 men. Every day, she would cook turkeys, hams, beef and pork roasts, and make stuffings, gravies, and all kinds of vegetables and casseroles, breads, biscuits, etc, and every single day she would bake a10" fruit pie for every man on the crew. Anything that did not get eaten at supper-time got incorporated into their breakfasts and/or packed up into their lunches for the next day, and she was there bright and early to make sure they all had eggs, bacon, ham, biscuits, pancakes, fried potatoes, baked beans, etc for breakfast. She only lived a couple of miles from my parents, but every summer she'd try to keep me for a couple of weeks and I would pack on 5-10 pounds in that time. Since I ran a lot (even as a grade-schooler), there was no chance that I would turn those calories into fat - it was my yearly change-up to a high-fat diet, and it seemed to help me gain muscle mass.

I learned at least an appreciation for the skills involved in cooking from her, and from my mother and some aunts. My mother was loving and was meticulous in her cooking. My father's mother could "get 'er done" with the best of them, while keeping everybody pretty happy. Often, when we had Thanksgiving dinner at her place, she could cook for our huge extended family using one double-oven wood stove located down in the "summer kitchen" and we would sit around old trestle tables, toasty warm from said wood stove in that uninsulated space while ranging from appetizers to desserts.

 

[Andre]

The taste of my own words can be bitter at times. Vurp is pretty bad too, especially if it has been in my nose. In Japan they have a treat called Natto, a kind of fermented soy bean. I couldn't stand it at first, but my wife made me feed to to my toddler daughter. She wasn't having it so I would do what all stupid parents do, take a taste and say "yummy". My daughter was never fooled by any of this, but I came to enjoy the taste of it.

That's the only ref to "Natto" I could find in PF. I think that a lot of people should be going to like Natto, me including, because it seems to have very strong medical benifits. It dissolved blood clogs and therefore may prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi, discovered Nattokinase, an enzyme produced by the natto bacterea, there seem also beneficial effects for other diseases. See this scholar google search:

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=natto+Hiroyuki+Sumi&hl=en&lr=&btnG=search

The smell of Natto is mainly amonia it seems, which can be neutralized by some acid, (vinegar). it could be an idea for salad, every day

 

[wolram]

Toad in the hole.

 

[mgb_phys]

Toad in the hole.

You have to get the right species of toad.

 

[Huckleberry]

You have to get the right species of toad.

That would have to be the Colorado River Toad. The Church of the Toad of Light uses their poison secretions to induce a hallucinogenic effect. It tastes like 5-MeO-DMT. Nasty stuff.

 

[Evo]

Depends where the hole is.

 

[Artman]

Toad in the hole.

I likes me toad Ala mode.

Chocolate.

I am a chocoholic (Ha! chocoholic is an actual word on this forum! No spelling mistake underline! ) One day, when I was very young and stupid (the difference being I was young then), I couldn't find any candy in the house. I searched in the closets (behind the hats), in the pots and pans cabinet (in the double boiler, of course), in the freezer (behind the beans)...okay I admit I had a problem, but I am working through it. Anyway, I couldn't find any candy, but I did find a block of baker's cooking chocolate...

Worse-tasting-God-awful-stuff I ever stuck in my mouth on purpose! It was pucker-up-your-lips-till-your-face-disappears bitter and dry... and my second bite was no better (I know I know, but it was chocolate...I told you I had a problem).

 

[Evo]

I Love Baker's Cooking Chocolate!

 

[Evo]

I *love* Baker's unsweetened chocolate! The trick is that you have to shave off tiny bits with your teeth, it'll take several hours to make a sizeable dent in a cube of it, but talk about a dark chocolate rush.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

and my second bite was no better.

Reminds me of the restaurant review: The food is awful and the portions are too small.

 

[Artman]

I *love* Baker's unsweetened chocolate! The trick is that you have to shave off tiny bits with your teeth, it'll take several hours to make a sizeable dent in a cube of it, but talk about a dark chocolate rush.

Couldn't find any candy in the double boiler, or behind the hats either, ehh?

The only thing I've ever eaten more bitter than Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate is a persimmon. Initiation by the seniors to the freshman getting onto my high school bus was to eat a persimmon, or drop pants. In 'hindsight' (heh, heh) a nice dairyaireing would have been preferable to chomping on that nasty little thing. That taste stayed with me till...gosh, I can still taste that thing!