I remember the first time I tried escargot.*   I was at my aunt and uncle’s house and feeling a little daring. They are amazing cooks (owned an award-winning restaurant in Hershey, PA for a few years), so I trusted that whatever came out of that little shell would surely be delicious.

And then .07 seconds into popping that sucker into my mouth I had a full-on freak out about the fact that I was eating a snail and spit it directly out into a napkin, telling my war story for weeks to surprisingly unimpressed audiences all over town.

Flash forward about 15 years later.  This weekend said aunt and uncle paid a little visit from sunny FL, along with another pair of relatives from NY.  And as much as I love spending time with the fam, one of the best parts about them visiting is I know for a fact that I am going to eat like a queen.  Also, I know i will gain at least 5 lbs in no more than 3 days.  So true to form, my uncle Chris brought a slew of delicious meats and cheeses from NY and we feasted.  Among those treats was something I’ve heard of before, but never actually seen, and that is sweetbreads.  I recall hearing someone on Top Chef make mention of sweetbreads at one time or another but had no idea what they actually were.

Source.  (I know I suck and forgot to take a picture.  Bad blogger.)

So as they slid that grilled piece of tender meat onto my plate, and I sank my teeth into the most delicious bite of grilled food that has ever graced my lips, they spilled the beans.

Apparently it’s some sort of gland, which isn’t the most appetizing word.  However, unlike my previous encounter with adventurous food, I did not spit my bite out this time.  And then I ate another.  Turns out glands are delightful.

So I realize that in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t the craziest thing that anyone has ever consumed, but for me it was pretty adventurous.  It really shows that I’m much more open to new things in my old age of 29 and I can get past my squeamish nature.  I also ate some duck liver, which was good, but not my favorite.

Speaking of trying new things, as it turns out, pad thai is also delicious.

I realize that was totally out of left field, but I felt it was worth mentioning.

*I did try escargot again on our honeymoon in Jamaica, and actually loved it.

**Thanks to Mary, Chris, Tom and Gerry for a great visit! Love you guys!

What’s the most adventurous food you’ve ever tried?