Dancing Mushroom
The Maitake mushroom, Hen-of-the-woods, Ram's Head or Dancing mushroom has been cultivated for many years in Asia, especially Japan, where it originated. Maitake means 'dancing mushroom,' so named because they were so valued that whoever found them would dance for joy. They have a mild, pleasant flavor.
Grifola frondosa. This exotic mushroom from Northern Japan is legendary for its delicious taste as well as its medicinal and therapeutic qualities. Researchers claim that it exhibits immune-stimulating, anti-cancer, and
cholesterol-lowering properties.

Jaboticaba
The Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora and M.jaboticaba) is an edible tropical fruit of the myrtle family, native to Brazil. A small, slow growing tree, it may take 8 or more years before it bears fruit, and it has a unique fruiting habit. The small yellowish flowers appear in groups of four, directly on the main trunk and larger limbs of the tree, from the ground up. After flowering, the fruit develops quickly, sometimes in as few as 3 weeks. The jaboticaba fruits look like purple grapes, with grape-like flesh and flavor.

Food Humor and One-Liners


• Butter vs. Margarine? I trust cows over scientists.

• “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets.”

• “If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose.”
  Jack Handy

• “Just Give Me Chocolate and Nobody Gets Hurt.” Seen on a girl's T-shirt.

• Coffee, Chocolate, Men ... Some things are just better rich.

• I’d rather have a free bottle in front of me than a prefrontal lobotomy.

• If you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen.

• “A converted cannibal is one who, on Friday, eats only fishermen.” Emily Lotney

• Did you hear about the M&M inspector that got fired for tossing out all the W’s?

Gift Ideas for Chefs

What do you get the chef who has everything? We asked some of our Miami Rising Stars what their indispensable kitchen tools are. So, just in time for the holidays, here are their must-haves. No matter what your price range is, there’s something for that impossible-to-please chef or foodie in your life.

1. Vorwerk Thermomix: Jordi Valles of Mosaico and Salero swears by his Thermomix. This all-in-one appliance cooks, steams, kneads, blends, whips, emulsifies, homogenizes, grates, mills, pulverizes, chops, and minces. It may sound too good to be true, like the classic Saturday Night Live Bass-o-matic skit, but Chef Valles attests that it’s “an amazing tool.” Contact the Thermomix USA headquarters at (888) 867-9375 to find a dealer in your area.
   

2. F.A. Porsche Knives: Good quality, sharp knives are indispensable in the culinary world. Every chef has his or her preferred brand. Marc Ehrler of the Loews Miami Beach Hotel has fallen in love with his F.A. Porsche knives, made of Japanese 301 alloy steel. “I have the whole collection,” Ehrler says. And you can, too. The 14-piece set is available for $589.00 on chefdepot.net.
   

3. Laptop Computer and Digital Camera: If you’re a serious chef, it’s time to embrace the digital revolution. Use a computer to organize your recipes and keep track of accounts and food costs, not to mention to do internet research and email. Take it one step further and use a digital camera to photograph all of your beautifully plated dishes. Max Santiago Executive Pastry Chef of Mundo scored his position by giving Chef Norman Van Aken a digital slideshow of his entire portfolio. Here are some user-friendly recommendations:
   
   Toshiba Satellite M35X-S329 15.4" Notebook PC
   $1,399.00 on Amazon.com
   
   Apple iBook Notebook 14" M9628LL
   $1,949.93 on Amazon.com
   
   Sony Cybershot DSC-T1 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
   $449.94 on Amazon.com
   

4. Peltex Fish Spatula: Carmen Gonzalez of Carmen the Restaurant says she cannot live without a fish spatula. The Peltex stainless steel slotted spatula from France is the preferred tool of many chefs. The 11-inch Peltex sells for $13.80 on jbprince.com.
   

5. Chopsticks: Jeffrey Brana of Norman’s says chopsticks enable him to handle food delicately. He uses them for all stages of his cooking, from preparing to plating food. Don’t be cheap and use those splintery things that come with your sushi takeout - invest in a few quality pairs. A set of two ebony wood chopsticks with silver-plated trim makes an elegant gift - $45 on redenvelope.com.
   

6. Silpat: The Silpat is here to stay! Husband and wife team Edgar Leal and Mariana Montero de Castro of Cacao use these handy baking mats for both savory and sweet purposes --Edgar uses them to make a wafer-thin variation of an arepa, while Mariana uses them for all her pastries so she doesn’t have to use any extra fats in her baking. The standard-size Silpats (11 5/8” x 16 1/2") sell for $24.00 or 2 for $40 on marthastewart.com.
   

UNUSUAL DELICACIES
Why does it seem that unusual foods belong to someone else, to another country, nation, race or history? Though the stomach cannot distinguish between beef and hedgehog protein, the palate does. Sometimes, “strange” delicacies are part of the culinary repertoire of a society or region.
Hedgehogs delight the palates of “British gypsies” (or should I call them Roma) while the eyes of a roasted lamb’s head are considered to be delicacies offered to honoured guests in Saudi Arabia.
Lamb’s or calf’s brains are commonly sold by butchers, and sought after by many a housewife in practically all Middle eastern countries. Arabs and western Chinese have eaten extremely tough and sour-tasting camel humps, feat and meat for centuries. The hump is first marinated and then roasted. Feet are boiled with herbs and served with a vinaigrette dressing.
Cock’s combs (crette de coq) are often used by French and Italian chefs to garnish various poultry dishes. Gourmets claim cock’s combs to be very tasty albeit chewy.
In Central and South America iguana meat is sautéed, then casseroled, a dish considered to be a gastronomic delight.
Australian aboriginals consider sugar ants and chopped marinated kangaroo tail ragout to be delicious.
Koreans and Chinese breed dogs for food. Some beat dogs to death to obtain tender meat, others hang the animal to die in an agonizing way. Both methods are inhumane and North American animal rights associations are fighting to ban such practice.
Rooke pie, an old English pub specialty once famous is almost never served these days.
For centuries, both bear paw and steak have been highly prized in China, Russia and eastern European countries. Today it is almost impossible to buy bear meat commercially, but hunters still can find recipes in old eastern European cook books.
Shark fins and birds’ nests, especially those from southern Java, Indonesia, are considered to be delicacies by Chinese, especially Hong Kong, gourmets. Both are available dried in Hong Kong, Singapore and North America, and used for flavourful soups.
Fried grasshoppers are popular in Africa, and chocolate dipped ants in Japan. Fried caterpillars and silkworms are crunchy and ethereal in texture. Both are available in North American gourmet shops.
Elephant meat is tough, but its trunk and feet are not. In Asia and Africa, locusts are said to taste like shrimps and traditionally eaten with “wild” honey.
In Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong, occasionally specially bred small monkeys are eaten while the animal is still alive. This most inhumane and cruel habit seems to be disappearing, albeit slowly.
Live snake meat is readily available in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Sauteed snake meat and snake soup are said to ward off common colds, and generally healthy.
Tibetans stew yak meat, which tends to be tough, as animals are slaughtered when very old. European gourmets like sea turtle soup. In the Caribbean and South America, turtle meat is stewed. Alligator meat (fresh or frozen) can be found in Florida, and Louisiana and on restaurant menus. Alligator meat, especially those “farm” raised, tastes like very tough chicken.
Eskimos consider seal blubber ad whale fat superbly tasty. Cod tongues and seal flipper pie are Newfoundland specialties, commonly consumed in restaurants.
Snails (escargots) were the favourite food of wealthy Romans. They liked them so much that specially designed farms were set up for breeding.
When Caesar invaded Gaul, his legionnaires munched on escargots, introducing this gastropod to the French, where it became a culinary sensation. Snails were nourishment for sailors labouring on boats travelling the Mediterranean Sea from one end to the other. Napoleon has been known to issue emergency rations of escargots to his troops. Snail aficionados consider them to be the land-based cousins of clams and oysters. Snail, a remarkable gastropod, carries his home on its back - a whorled shell. Travelling endlessly, “racing” at a speed of 7cm. Per minute, escargots feed on vine leaves and young grass. Burgundy and Champagne vineyards snails are world famous for their superior taste and plump texture. They retreat for five months (November to April) to hibernate. Come spring, they awaken and
embark upon a very active sex life. They are two basic snail species - helix and achatine. The helix, the European specie, is distinguished by its spiral and circular shell. Burgundy, lucurum and petit gris belong to the helix family. Achatine snails originated in Asia and thrive in swamps sporting a large pedicule.
Helix snails, particularly petit gris are favourites of gourmets and enjoyed in November when they are plump. The best snails are said to be those 3 - 4 year old and subjected to a two-week fast to clear their digestive system prior to processing.
In North America, snails are available canned either from France or Taiwan. Shells are sold separately. Escargots are available in various sizes; very large, extra large and giant. French packed snails may originate in France, but processors import considerable amounts of live snails from Turkey. There are numerous snail recipes in French, Spanish and Italian cookbooks.
Horsemeat has a beef-like flavour, but finer texture. It is lean and requires stewing. Europeans (French, Italians, Swiss, Austrians, Germans and the Dutch) are fond of horsemeat. Canada exports horsemeat and live animals to France.
Donkey meat is used mostly for sausages.
Goat meat is popular wherever topography forces humans to husband this versatile and rugged animal. Its milk is delicious, if sparse, and yields flavourful cheeses. “wild” goat tends to be tough and requires stewing. Farm-raise goat is popular in North America wherever Caribbeans concentrate. In big cities, curried goat can be easily found in specialized restaurants. In rural areas few would consider eating goat.
In both Spain and Mexico, testicles of steers killed in bullfights are considered to be delicacies, and served grilled with butter and olive oil based sauces.
Lamb fries, kidneys, brains, liver are served on occasion in fine restaurants. Tripe and beef stomach are considered poor man’s protein and available in butcher shops catering to a low income population.
In Paris Corcelle, Fochon, Hediard, and Petrossian, in London Harrod’s and Fortnum and Mason are well-known for their selection of rare foodstuffs including all those mentioned above and more.
Many stores in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver carry some of the foods mentioned above. Stringent North American health regulations prohibit the importation of some items.