Country Cookin’
When I was married, I always went to cookouts or dinners at the in-laws' house. It was nice to see everyone, all in one place, when busy schedules prevented us from meeting up as often as we should have. I remember how excited my husband would get and he always looked forward to the food...the food (if that's what you called it) was nothing short of unexpected the first few times I attended a gathering. You'd be surprised to learn what some people actually eat.
My husband was raised in the country, on a horse farm, where pet rabbits became dinner. He'd tried everything from raccoon to turtle, frog legs to mountain oysters. His mother eats hog brain sandwiches and squirrel tongues (no, I'm not joking) and not only did they fry the fish meat at gatherings, but the entire tail fin...and yes, they loved them. You never knew what you were going to be served, or if they'd trick you into eating something you thought was actually food.
Roadkill...and this is a true story...my mother-in-law once owned guinea fowls. If you don't know what a guinea fowl is, Google it before you read further. Anyway, once in a while a few would wander out into the road and get hit by cars. If she saw it happen, she'd grab 'em up, clean 'em and, well, eat 'em. I'll never forget the hubby coming home one night, telling me his mother had made him some of the best “chicken” and noodles. Come to find out, it was actually roadkill guinea fowl where the chicken should have been. Imagine the look on my face when he told me. There's a motto out in the sticks...nothing goes to waste.
Deer season was better than Christmas for a clan of hunters who were determined to fill their tags and stock the freezers. They processed their own jerky, summer sausages and burger. They took care of it all from start to finish and were proud to reap the rewards of sitting in a tree stand in bitter temperatures from dawn to dusk, silently awaiting movement in the trees. They would carefully plot out the acreage so they knew exactly where all other hunters were located around them, to ensure the safety of everyone. If one family member brought a deer down, the others would rally to help track or drag it in. It truly was a come-together for them and they were proud of one another when they'd see their trophies. Needless to say, there was rarely a pot of chili or stew that contained any beef at the in-laws. Venison was their meat of choice and they ate a ton of it.
Different people have different ways of eating. We hear of different cultures eating things we'd never dream of putting into our mouths. I started thinking to myself, who am I to judge what people eat and, as they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Over the years, I became a little more brave. At times, I'd work up the nerve to try small bites of foods I thought I'd never go near. My mother-in-law was an amazing cook and, believe it or not, I enjoyed most of what she fed me. Don't get me wrong, some of it I still couldn't do. Some food, my mind just can't wrap around the thought of trying to digest it.
The truth is, there are things that people eat that seem even more strange that what I've listed above. For instance, I found an article on Huffington Post that suggests some pretty strange, if not sickening things that one author believes Americans should be eating. “Grubs/larvae”? No thank you!!!
Whatever it is that you enjoy eating, by all means, have at it! As for me, I think I'll stick to the basics. After this writing experience, it may be a while before I'm hungry again anyway.
