I have a decidedly more adventurous palate now than I did when I was younger. I credit sushi for a lot of that since the stuff that comes out of the sea can be very strange indeed.

There is one dish that I have always avoided as it truly repulses me. Every time I see a picture of it, my gag reflex starts. And every time, I think that I gobble down eel. My logic is definitely lacking!

Tonight, my mother made this dish as an entrée (which is an appetizer for my American readers). I decided that it was time. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at the item in question, took a piece, and chewed slowly.

The picture of this dish sucks as I only had my phone, but, truly, it didn’t look appetizing at all:

What are you looking at? An escargot in garlic and chive butter sauce. Yes, a snail.

I had two more. They were very tender and the flavour was very delicate and mostly over powered by the sauce. In other words, with my eyes closed, they were completely forgettable. At least, I now know that I can be served escargots and they will go down my gullet smoothly, but I would not seek them out. I know my dad used to love them, surprisingly enough for a meat and potatoes man, but now I understand that it was probably the garlic butter he loved.

Next up on my ‘I can’t believe I haven’t tried this yet’ is black caviar. No concern on that end, I know I will love it. I’ve got to make a point to find out what a good affordable brand is and where to buy some.

Now, I am off to try my squid ink pasta!