Our soul sister blog, Riptide, recently described a guy who allegedly murdered a man and proceeded to consume his brain and eyeball. Hannibal Lecter would have at least added fava beans and a nice bottle of Chianti.

As a response, here's a list of eight things that would probably be better than tasting man brain.

cracked.com

8. Ant eggs - because cottage cheese ain't weird enough
They're eaten in Mexico, typically in a taco, with guacamole and salsa, and have the consistency of cottage cheese. ¡Delicioso!
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Photo by Alexandra Leon

The Hypocrite Burger at Fatburger combines a baffling blend of soy and bacon.

​Find yourself craving liquid candy, sky-high burgers, or bacon tofu combos? Restaurants cater to your most bizarre desires, even if their menus don't give it away.

According to couponsherpa.com, so-called "secret menus" may include every combination of ingredients a restaurant is able to make, like the off-menu nachos and quesadilla available at Chipotle. Sometimes there is a slew of items described on a website, like the 21 "secret" menu items posted on In-N-Out Burger's page.
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Gabriela Garcia

It just looks innocent.

​On a recent weekend in South Beach, two Russian tourists visited Lime Fresh Mexican Grill on 15th Street and Alton Road. They ordered burritos and tacos, scooped some of the house-made salsa labeled "very hot" into a plastic container, and sat outside in a shaded booth. A few minutes later, they called waiter Yamil Cabrera over to the table. "They told me: Listen, we tried your spiciest house-made sauce, and it's just not doing it for us," the server remembers. So Cabrera took rare action: He fished some Dave's Gourmet ghost pepper sauce from among the more than 40 bottles of hot sauces on display and handed it to the customers. "A few minutes later... I kid you not: They were crying, red, tears streaming down their faces," he recalls.
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Flickr/Terry Lee Stout

Looks like Gary Busey found a second career.

​Wal-Mart, with the approval of First Lady Michelle Obama, recently announced it would introduce healthier foods. Store brands will eliminate trans fats and reduce sugar, artificial colors and sodium. This is a positive step.

What many people don't know is that Wal-Mart owns and operates over 4,000 stores in more than  15 different countries and that the foreign places stock their shelves with local goodies not found in the American stores. So while the Wal-Marts here in Miami are loaded with white bread, sugary cereals and canned stews, Beijing locations offer a totally different experience. Here are some food items at International Wal-Marts that you're not likely to find at your neighborhood store anytime soon:

 

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Jackie Sayet

Easy elegance at the table with scallops and sweet corn

​A great dinner at Red Light (7700 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-757-7773) the other night of "crushed pepper seared sea scallops, roasted corn spoon bread and spicy orange drip" inspired this home-cooked riff.

Zesty lemon and lime-marinated sea scallops, giant and plump, meet rich, nutty sweet corn. It comes together fast and wows on the plate. A side of sauteed shallots with mixed wild mushrooms, like trumpet with their hearty, meaty stems, is a perfect accompaniment. The only part that can become time-consuming with this meal is sourcing incredibly fresh produce, for which you should go to the farmer's market. It's well worth it though!

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​Inspired by the Late Summer Vegetable Salad dish recently devoured at Sra. Martinez, (soon to be named one of Esquire magazine's 20 best restaurants of 2009,) we whipped up this tasty take in about an hour.  Suffice to say that mere minutes after that hour, a crumb and a puddle were about all that remained!
Bon appetit to you, Bonne chance to me!
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​Norman Van Aken, Chef/Owner Norman's at the Ritz Carlton, Orlando (and soon to be Norman's 180 in Coral Gables)

It seems everyone has his or her own favorite Julia Child story. That's how well known and firmly entrenched in the American psyche the inimitably voiced gourmet goddess, (of the more Nordic sense) became.

I was fortunate to know her and perform with her and it seems that each time I was in her presence; her unwavering well, "Julia-ness", stunned me! Whether it's a "save the liver!" faux memory or a more personal touch--such as having your cookbook signed in her finely etched, surprisingly small, way.

One of my personal memories took place back in 1990. I had been invited to go to Fetzer Winery up in Mendocino, California for a big weekend event celebrating their spectacular new organic garden. Janet and I left for San Francisco on the 12th of July. We took the chance to dine at Jeremiah Tower's new place, "690" for dinner and Wolfgang Puck's "Postrio" for breakfast the next morning before driving up to Mendocino. It was a blisteringly hot in wine country that July.

The Fetzers had invited quite a lineup of chefs to not only cook but to discuss the craft of cooking. I was immersed in a group of talented chefs that could not only cook brilliant food but were conversant and knowledgeable about its place and value within our culture. Chefs included Stephan Pyles of Dallas, Anne Rosenzweig of New York and John Folse of New Orleans. Julia Child was the big draw and she walked amongst us; a female Buddha of contentment and grace.

The Fetzer family threw a big opening night party for us at their "Big Dog Saloon". The next morning Stephan Pyles and I were scheduled to appear on an early morning radio show hosted by San Franciscan KSAN radio star, Narsai David. Stephan and I joined the other chefs staying up until nearly dawn, sharing the enthusiasm chefs have for the passion of this job. We shared a fair share of wine too! Our heads were splitting as we walked down the soft path to the place in the gardens the radio folks had set up their remote "studio". Though it was not yet 9 a.m. the heat was a force. We had not yet had coffee and the need was growing more fiercely by the moment. When we tiptoed to the table near where Ms. Julia and Mr. David were already on the air. We saw coffee cups. We mimed our needs, holding our hands in mock prayer. Narsai signaled that he was going for a commercial break. When the radio guys cleared us, I asked Julia where we might find some of the coffee. She smiled broadly to all of us, held up her coffee cup with her pinky extended and remarked merrily, "Oh no, darling, Narsai and I are drinking the Gewürztraminer!"

--- Norman Van Aken, 8.4.09

Marsha Talianoff

U.S.S. Julia

​Chef Allen Susser, Chef/Owner Chef Allen's

Talking about Food was one of Julia's favorite subjects. She was always involved. But Julia never saw food as an armchair discussion. She wanted to get right into the middle to experience the foods, the flavors, and the culture. I loved showing her our mangoes, jackfruits and the freshest seafood.

When Julia came to Miami on one of her many visits she insisted that I take her out Stone Crabbing.  She wanted to know first hand all about our delicious Stone Crabs. Julia was funny though; she seemed large for the little boat. She had to personally pull the traps, and break the claws from the crab. Then after our sojourn down to the Keys she became very excited to throw the just caught claws into a pot of boiling seawater to cook them.

We devoured the lush Stone crabmeat. I remember Julia saying, " This is what life is about" while she licked her fingers clean.

The French chef has her own South Florida story.  Growing up I even had the honor to live part of it, attending the tributes that our local chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food would throw her, since my mother was the co-founder.

So buckle up and come along for the ride this week as we recount this legacy in the pictures and reflections of culinary professionals who knew and loved her.  The occasion is of course the premiere of Writer/Director Nora Ephron's feature film adaptation of two memoirs: "My Life in France," which Child wrote with grandnephew Alex Prud'homme, and "Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously," by blogger Julie Powell.

Up first, we see Julia through the lens of our AIWF South Florida Chapter co-founders who also happen to be members of Les Dames de Escoffier, a French international society of accomplished women in the culinary professions.

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