USA 13 - Memphis' Vitamin "G"

Warning: Please see your doctor before you attempt to read this post - readers with high cholesterol risk major heart damage.

Last night was a first - our waiter, at Dyer's (on Beale St), told us to "sit anywhere", then came over to tell us of the 95 year old fat they use in their diner. He was so proud. So very very proud. He then explained to us that all the burgers were deep fried (their meat patty, that is) and that they don't use tomato or lettuce, only cheese - and he would highly recommend the double meat, double cheese burger.

What do you do with that???

He walked away, to get our drinks (refillable Coke pour moi and a root beer for HOS), and I saw he had the diner's t-shirt on. On the back was written: "Have you had your Vitamin G today?". Hmmmmm.

I called him back. "What is Vitamin G?".

How silly of me - Vitamin G is of course, GREASE. Yes, that's their motto - Have you had your Vitamin "Grease" today!!! Things were getting even more out of control than I could ever have imagined. Let's just retrace, the night before Chili and Tamales, that day Neely's BBQ for lunch, then a bloody deep fried hamburger for dinner...I was learning new definitions for the term "ridiculous".

In my defence, I will say that I balked a little and suggested we move on. HOS wasn't impressed. HOS, wise man that he is, leans back in his booth and says "You've got to stop eating with your brain". Profound man, my HOS. And right here, right now, was when he coined that, by now, famous phrase - "Food here doesn't make any sense at all".

We ordered a simple burger and fries combo. One patty, no cheese - plain and simple - with their fries - TO SHARE. Our waiter looked shocked at our lightweight attitude, I then had to explain about BBQ for lunch. He got it.

He came back about 10 mins later with the above. Looks innocent enough, in fact one could say it looked a little blah blah. HOS broke it in half - ensuring the ketchup and mustard was evenly distributed. We took a bite. And the noises started. It was RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. Please take a moment to breathe, we had to. We gobbled appreciatively, and our Waiter arrived with a smug grin on his face..."so how is it?" we just nodded and made noises..."it just melts in your mouth doesn't it?" he says...we just nodded and made more noises.

But of course, only half a burger and some fries does not a dinner make...and we didn't get dessert after BBQ...so...it was time for the decadent part of the day! And where better to eat dessert than in a deep fried diner (with 95 year old grease!)!

Our waiter pops back, and he asks THE question (we had previously asked about dessert - there was deep fried Twinkie and Deep Fried Suzie Q on the menu, however they were all out of Twinkies, so it was deep fried Suzie Q or zip)..."so, will there be a deep fried Suzie Q for dessert?" ...we just nodded and made more noises.

Now, just when you think you can't get any more ridiculous than what we had already consumed that day...along comes a deep fried Suzie Q. Don't feel silly, readers, if you don't know what a Suzy Q is, we didn't either, but our Waiter was most helpful in explaining that it's two layers of chocolate cake sandwiched with sugary cream. And they deep fry it. In the 95 year old grease.

I was almost hysterical by this time. Waiting. Anticipating. Fear and dread (and a little excitement).

Waiter arrives. Puts it down in front of us. I burst out laughing - I was moving into a manic episode and I hadn't even tasted it yet. There it was, and there it is above. Battered and deep fried chocolate cream cake with raspberry sauce. We poked, prodded, and finally cracked the batter...it went in soooooo smoothly...we took a spoonful each and hesitantly tasted. I burst out laughing again...it was FABULOUS. I'm laughing as I write, down in the posh lobby of the Peabody, because it was such a surreal moment. So ridiculously ridiculous (must get a thesaurus), and so deliciously delicious. We scoffed down the lot, feeling the warm yuminess spread all over (and the heart try to pound that bit harder to get the blood through the clogged arteries). Oh the pure bliss of decadence. Sublime.

Deep fried Suzie Q is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever eaten, and I'd have to say represents our visit to Memphis perfectly...laid back, wacky, and very very warm!

USA 12 - Graceland and BBQ

And the nutty Memphis food adventure continues.

Today began with watching the famous Peabody Duck Walk in our hotel lobby - a tradition dating back almost 100 years, where ducks who live on the roof take the lift at 11am each morning to the Lobby, walk a red carpet to the lobby fountain (in front of a lot of tourists with cameras - including me) where they happily play all day, then waddle back to the lift at 5pm to go home to the roof. Very bizarre.

And then there was Graceland.

WOW. No words. FANTASTIC. MOVING. FASCINATING. A MUST. (Ok, maybe a few words).

Then there was Neely's.

Neely's had featured in a book about BBQ in Memphis I had read before starting the big journey. I photocopied it. I started the day with it in my hot little hand.

After Graceland, I set the Satnav, and off we went. Neely's is a locally owned place, with 4 restaurants around Tennessee - three here in Memphis and one in Nashville. They boast "Voted best ribs in Memphis" and "Voted best ribs in Nashville".

It's a real cute wood-panelled place with booths and tables and checkered table cloths - as soon as you walk in, the overpowering smell of tangy bbq sauce hits you and it's sooooooooooooooooooooo GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. We were salivating.

Good ol' HOS ordered the Rib Dinner - a half rack of pork ribs with sides of bbq spaghetti (yes, you read right), and french fries. I, on the other hand, ordered what Memphis is really famous for...Pulled Pork. Pulled Pork means that the pork meat has been hand stripped and shredded after is has been slow cooked - it came on a plate in a big mess with wonderful, bbq sauce - sauce of the Memphis gods. It also came with two sides - and I had the traditional cole (slaw) and beans (baked). FAR OUT BRUSSEL SPROUT.

Just like Graceland, there are no words. How do I describe the obscene deliciousness of this meal??? The sweet, spicy pulled pork with that glorious, messy, dark and corrupted bbq sauce???? How do I ever get that across to you in bloody words???? IT WAS BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY GOOD. Best baked beans I've ever eaten. Best everything I've ever eaten. And HOS's ribs?? OHHHHHH MYYYYYY GOODNESSSSSS - DIVINEEEEEEE. Yes, it's all extremes and superlatives here in mouthwatering Memphis.

The best bit was when our beautiful Southern waitress, Tanicia, came past and placed a plate full of very shiny buns on our table. That's right - you can see them there above, they actually shined - it was melted butter poured over the top of the steamed rolls!! OH YEAH BABY. My mind started ticking over....tick tick tick...I grabbed roll, opened it, wacked a heap of pulled pork on it, then a slather of baked beans, then topped it with a big spoonful of cole (slaw). HOS just watched. I tasted. Eyes closed. And just tasted that divine mixture, all masticated and blending together...oh heavenly Memphis BBQ - I'm in luuuuurv!!!

I am more than a little embarrassed to say that through lunch, I devoured three of these rolls. In fact, I'm more than a little embarrassed to say that we demolished both of our plates of food. I just couldn't stop eating. I just couldn't. All sense went out the window. I had a new respect for my larger than large fellow patrons - I understood what they were giving up to be able to eat this divine food from the Memphis gods. Health, fitness, and fitting into a pair of jeans is nothing compared to the immensely fulfilling joys of Neely's BBQ. And the scary thing is...I'm not joking.

I have to put in a special mention to aforementioned Tanicia - this girl was soooooo good, that even though I was only halfway through my ginormous lemonade (made from a little lemon and a lot of sugar), she came past and put another full one right next to it for me - she thought I was running a little low (I'm still not used to the fact you pay one price for a drink, about 80 cents, and it's free refills). Now, that's good southern service for you!

As we left Neely's, moaning and waddling a little (just like this morning's ducks) - I turned to HOS and said..."you know, if I lived in Memphis, I don't reckon I'd make it past 43", and as I write, HOS's words from this evening haunt me "Food here just doesn't make any sense at all". You're so right my love, so right. I bloody love it.

USA 11 - Blues City Cafe, Memphis

We bloody love Memphis.

Mindblowing, mouthwatering Memphis - a hotbed of gourmet gossip.

In the words of the great HOS (as we ordered our first ever deep fried hamburger tonight, and that was after a lunch of the most lush BBQ ever), "Food here doesn't make any sense at all".

You're so right, HOS.

It all started last night with a trip to the Blues City Cafe - it's right on the corner of the famous Beale Street. A classic Memphis diner. So, we ordered classic Memphis food.

I saw Tamales on the menu, and after reading a book recently which featured these morsels I knew nothing about, I had to order them, with a bowl of Chili (pic above). HOS ordered Gumbo. Everyone else had huge platefuls of ribs with slaw and beans!

Now, tamales, for the uninitiated come from Mexico I believe - they are like nothing else I've had - a filling wrapped around a thick cornmeal layer - wrapped in baking paper and boiled. The ones I had last night had a beef, chili like filling inside. And they were strangely good. I love love love the cornmeal texture on the outside and the chili inside was yum - it is strange though, it's sort of like a dense gummy, yet dry polenta I suppose wrapped around a beef filling, that's as close as I can get to explaining it. I will keep trying them as I go. The Chili was FANTASTIC (HOS was most pleased).

But...DRUM ROLL PLEASE...the most ridiculous, out of control, "awesome" thing was dessert. HOS believes it's "the best dessert he's ever eaten". See it above? It's an Apple Dumpling - it comes out sizzling on a searing hot skillet - bubbling caramel, dumpling dough, which is sort of like a cross between a partially cooked thick gooey shortcrust pastry and apple crumble topping, and hot hot hot baked apple - all in one gooey mess, topped with vanilla ice cream that oozes all over as it melts.

OH MY GOD. To avoid major burn scars in our mouth, we impatiently waited for it to cool a little...then we tentatively went in. OH MY GOD AGAIN. You have no idea how good this was. We just looked at each other over the skillet, eyes glazing over in a sugar and fat dream as the sweet, dense, gooey, wet mess hit our tastebuds...HEAVENLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

We were silent as we ate. And ate. And ate. Then HOS stopped, looked at me and said "it's the perfect dessert...it's like apple pie but there's no waiting to get the right ratio of apple to pastry in your mouth - no uncomfortable moment when the pastry and apple isn't right. It's already mixed." The man was a genius. That's exactly what it tasted like - gooey gooey pastry mixed with apple and a little burnt caramel flavour with the icecream leaking through. It was already mixed.

We devoured the whole skillet, waddled back to our room at the Peabody Hotel, a Memphis institution, and slept the sleep of the contented dumpling eaters!

USA 10 - Culinary Colorado

HOS's ROADTRIP really began in earnest this last week - the man is a roadtrip nut.

We drove from Cortez (just across the Colorado border) to Aspen, then to Denver and on to Memphis through Oklahoma City - that's a mere 2700km, and 6 states, in four days! Lucky we've got a big gold Chrysler with a Satnav (btw, best marriage-saving device ever invented), we were CRUISING BABYYYYYYY.

But don't fret, food fans, along the way there were a couple of extreme culinary highlights - and all of them, bar a spectacular Chili (yes, HOS is still on the hunt) in a tiny place called Conway, just out from Little Rock, Arkansas - were in Colorado.

Let's begin with Ribs. Mmmmmmmmmm. Picture this...cold cold night (pic above to set scene, well, to be honest, it's really an envy shot) just driven all day through a snowstorm and incredibly spectacular scenery to hunt down our accommodation, a cute place called Annabelle Inn right in the heart of posho wosho Aspen. It was late. I was tushy (happens when I'm tired and hungry), and not a lot open in the Aspen off-season.

Fortunately the lights were on at the Hickory House Ribs on Main Street, and we totally pigged out...on pig!! Yes, pork lovers, we each devoured a rack of Danish baby back ribs complete with slaw, beans, potato salad (or fries for HOS), and fried bread! And these ribs weren't any ribs, no no no, these ribs were from special Tulip Pigs, imported from Denmark because they're "sweeter and leaner" (thanks Waitress Sammy, who I'm sure HOS thought looked "sweeter and leaner"!!!). OMG, you can see the lushness of the slaw, the coolness of the potato salad...but those ribs...mmmmmmm...melted in the mouth, the BBQ sauce so temptingly good, I had to eat them all (and in all honesty they really were sweeter, and I have to say I originally thought they were beef ribs because there was hardly any fat on them - Sammy was absolutely spot on!).

We slept that night like pigs in Aspen BBQ sauce.

And lucky we did.

The next night was Denver - and dinner with an old friend, Colorado Boy (CB), and his lady, Colorado Girl (CG) at a cool, hip Denver spot called Vesta Dipping Grill. The place was bloody rocking - totally packed, super cool vibe and amazing smells filled the air. This place is famous for it's dipping sauces, every main (or Entree, as these Yanks confusingly call their main meals) comes with 3 different sauces, and there are like 479 sauces to choose from (slight exaggeration there, just in case you didn't get it). The mains were great - I had Madras Grilled Venison (Bambi was from NZ of all places!) with a cherry butter, which was superbly cooked, probably the best venison I've ever had - but I'd have to say the highlights were the wacky entrees (or Appetizers for you Yanks) and dessert.

Colorado Boy (CB) had the best entree (Appetizer - crikey, this is tiresome) - it was Pecan Pie Salad. Yep, Pecan Pie Salad - "Arugula (rocket for us Aussies), praline pecans (yep, caramelised pecans foodfans - IN A SALAD), Great Hill blue cheese, maple bourbon vinaigrette. Well. After much mirth and bagging out of the Pecan Pie Salad (by me) - it arrived, and CB was gracious enough to let me have a forkful. AND IT BLOODY WORKED!! You can see it above - no pie crust in sight, the vinaigrette cut the sweetness of the sugar nuts, but the caramelisation gave it a fab crunch. Bloody good salad - again, one of the best I've tasted in this land.

And this leads me to the other super highlight. Dessert. You can see it above there, and yes, it looks exactly like those wacky caramel apples you saw in the LA Farmers Market post. We actually ate one. It's called Matty's Wacky Apple - and it was WACKY!! Wonderful crisp, slightly sour green apple, dipped in caramel and rolled in some crunchy stuff (we couldn't work out exactly what it was), with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate. Mmmmmmm....very very wacky, and very very yummy.

So, food fans, there you have it. The Roadtrip highlights. Crikey. What a huge 4 days.

We have now been safely, and very happily (food wise) ensconced in Memphis for two days - home of Graceland and BBQ - and boy has it been OUT OF CONTROL. YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I THINK I MAY NEVER EAT AGAIN (until it's time for BBQ tomorrow!).

USA 9B - Fry Bread

Well...how do you follow such a great HOS post??? With mine!!!

Now HOS mentioned something called Fry Bread (see previous post). I kinda liked it. In fact, I kinda loved it.

We first had Fry Bread at Cameron, the place HOS had his first Chili. I had ordered a Navajo Taco, and instead of using crispy taco shells, it came on a piece of this Fry Bread. And HOS's chili was accompanied with it too. It's the round flat thing you can see in his pics.

When she put it down we had no idea what it was. Then we tasted it. And OHHHH MYYYY. It was delicious - light, a bit doughy, and so so crispy on the outside. I was very very excited about it. I called over our waitress, who was native american, and asked her all about it.

Fry Bread is a local specialty of the area, it's made with flour, baking powder, water and shortening. It's kneaded into little balls, flattened out, a whole punched in the middle, then deep fried very quickly. IT WAS SOOOOOOOO YUM. My food was good, but the highlight was the Fry Bread.

I noticed HOS's came with honey, which was interesting because I said to HOS that this would be wonderful rolled in sugar and cinnamon. So honey was poured on bloody hell, it was spectacularly good. We had Fry Bread again today, but it wasn't near as good as yesterday's - but they did have sugar, cinnamon and honey at the ready!!! NICE!!!

Now, I'm not going to bore you with the same pics as HOS used - if you want to see the Fry Bread go back and have a look there. Instead, I'm going to bore you with envy shots of the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. I think yesterday was one of the most visually beautiful days of my life. Arizona is incredibly beautiful, in fact, I'm discovering this country has some truly truly amazing beauty.

USA 9 - Chili, Chili and More Chili

Well food fans...this is something new and exciting. Hunk of Spunk (HOS) has asked to blog! So, ladies and gents...here is my man, in all his food glory...enjoy...

Hi team, it's HOS here... I'm a bit nervous... her graciousness, Miss Supergal, has given me this opportunity to update you all on my personal food quest - Chili, no, not the country that was recently explored by Supergal herself, Chili con carne... the food of the gods!

As any who know me would know, Chili is one of my 3 favourite foods... (and, in case curiosity is your vice, Beef Rendang, and Hungarian Goulash are the other 2) - (also, it's possible that I just decided these are my 3... so...maybe you didn't know! )

Yesterday we were in 4 states, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado... now if you're ever going to have a shot at a good chili, that has to be as good a place as any on the planet to have a go !

Chili 1 (Top Pic) - Lunch at the Trading Post in Cameron Arizona. I ordered the "bowl of chili" which came with Fry Bread (and I am not to mention the FB again, as supergal has banned any further discussion). The chili looked good, but after adding salt and both the mild and hot Tabascos I was only getting a little flavour. Disappointing !!

Chili 2 (Middle Pic) - Dinner (same day !) at Tequila's in Cordez, Colorado. I ordered "Chili Colorado". This had a nice dark colour, and chunks of meat, always an interesting option. But.... again, it lacked in flavour and heat, again I left disappointed, wondering if this was as good as it gets?!!

Chili 3 (Bottom Pic) - Brunch (next day !) at the restaurant in Mesa Verde National Park. On our way to see the ancient cave dwellings, we spied some tourists eating chili in a cup...following discussion, we headed for the park restaurant, and ordered "Bowl of Chili" and FB. Wow!!... just when I thought all hope was lost, it had a nice dark colour, deep flavour, hint of heat... perfection... in a disposable bowl !!

Now that my faith is restored, I'll be keeping an eye out for more chili along the way... and cooking up a storm when I get back !!

USA 8 - Breakfast at Denny's

"Would you like to start with something to drink for breakfast? Orange juice? Coffee? Coke?"

And that's when we knew we were in trouble.

Coke. For breakfast. And not just any Coke, all-you-can-drink Coke. To go with the all-you-can-eat Pancakes (on the new breakfast special for just $4). Hmmmmmm.

It was my decision to stop at Denny's, I take full responsibility. We were leaving Vegas, on our way to the great Grand Canyon (which is where we are right now, and bloody nora it's SNOWING!!!!), I was peckish, so we decided to duck in for a quick breaky.

Well. Without boring you with the gruesome details of the menu - which consisted of meals made up from either fat or sugar, or a combination of both - we ordered.

Both of us went for one of the $4 specials (not the all-you-can-eat pancakes). We both ordered an Everyday Slam, which consisted of 2 pancakes with butter and maple syrup, 2 eggs (done how you liked), and either two sausages or two pieces of bacon. You can see it there above. Are you licking your lips? Or phoning the doctor to book us in for heart and diabetes tests???? I would like to add, though, that my breakfast beverage was not Coke, I went for water, but my dearly beloved went for a very very special drink that you can see up there in the pic. The red one.

Red fizzy breakfast drink. It's called Cherry Cherry (yes, two cherries) Limeaide - it's made from "two parts cherry, one part lime, all blended with ice-cold Sprite"...and as my beloved put it, it tasted "refreshing"!

The other little surprise you see in the pic above is something I've never seen before, saw it described on the menu and of course had to have a go. They sort of look like fried testicles, and yet they are something much more innocent and wholesome. These special little balls are called Pancake Puppies. The ones you see above are the Original Puppies - fried balls of pancake batter sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon (oh, and you can get a puppy sundae with icecream, cream and hot fudge sauce if that tickles your fancy) and you dip them in the maple syrup you get on the side. If you were after something a little more exotic, you could go for the NEW Double Choc Puppies - these are just like the original ones but studdied with milk and white chocolate chips....mmmmmmm. Imagine that.

Of course the big question, how did it all taste. Well, I think to be fair, the first word that comes to mind is AWFUL. REALLY REALLY AWFUL. I managed to eat one egg - the flouro yellow yolk was more than a little disturbing - I ate a couple of mouthfuls of pancakes - they just tasted sweet - and the bacon... I did eat one piece, and gave HOS the other (he swapped me for one of his link sausages, which was probably the tastiest thing I ate - could have been all the grease dripping off it).

And as for the Pancake Puppies, well let's just say the best thing about those was the fact I didn't have to put lip balm on all day, the film of oil they left around my mouth stayed with me the whole day!!!

Oh, and I thought I'd add one envy shot - they haven't made an appearance since the Bahamas, and let's face it, the Grand Canyon is ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR.

USA 7 - Birthday Banana Split Vegas Style

This post is dedicated to my 6 year old niece, Roses, who is following my food blog, and who has the same insanely sweet tooth as her aunty (and who I'm sure, subsribes to the Vegas "bigger is better" philosophy when it comes to ice-cream)!

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

Yes, we are in Land of the Ridiculous! What a great place for a very special birthday. What a great thing to eat on a very special birthday. And we did!

We were minding our business yesterday arvo, on HOS's big birthday - wandering around the Strip looking for a snack. I'd seen this place the night before. I knew it was an institution in New York - famous for its sundaes - and, well, it sort of felt like ice-cream weather.

Welcome to Serendipity. Nice name.

In we walked. Eyes popping out of our heads as we saw foot long toasted sambos and waffle fries (yes, waffle fries) being devoured at every table. Crikey! We knew we were in for it (well I did anyway, I'd lulled HOS into a false sense of security suggesting a scoop of ice-cream).

After deciding that peanut butter frozen hot chocolates probably weren't for us (check out menu in the pic above, I had to document it, who would believe me otherwise?), we went in for the kill and went for the Banana Split (fortunately, HOS didn't notice that they had another version, the "coward's version" listed on the menu).

We held hands, gazed into each other's eyes, talked silly birthday talk...when suddenly a hush fell over the restaurant. We looked up to see what the fuss was about. And you guessed it...it was us, well it was our banana split. What a pair of bloody exhibitionists we are! The serving lady walked slowly towards us, all eyes on the behemoth that was our afternoon snack, respectful, envious, and a few outraged glances came our way as she placed the magnificent thing in front of us.

It was truly a thing of beauty. Check it out in the pic. It's hard to get the scale from the pic, but let me tell you, the thing was like a fruit bowl of chocolate and strawberry icecream, scoops and scoops of it, with layers of choc fudge, caramel and strawberry sauces, finished off with about 10cm of whipped cream, some banana sticking out the top (for fibre) and of course...the maraschino cherry. I do like a cherry on top!

Oh great marvellous banana split. Oh spectacular spectacular Vegas banana split! We looked at each other, laughed uncontrollably, picked up our spoons, and dug in.

IT WAS GLORIOUS. TRULY GLORIOUS. So sweet, and cold, with warmer gooey cream, and the thick choc fudge sauce mixed with the caramel mixing with the perfect ripeness of the magnificent banana...we made those appreciative noises as we delved further and further...spoonful after spoonful...going down, down, down, down, into the murky depths of the bottom of the split....soooooooooooooo good. No words can describe the felicity of eating such a creation.

Our friendly waitress passed us a number of times, dishing out much appreciated words of encouragement...and when we finally got to as far as we could go (which was almost the bottom), she stopped to tell us that we had done one of the best jobs she'd ever seen! How does one take that comment???? We didn't know whether to be proud or embarrassed. We chose to go with proud! We held our heads high as we almost completely demolished what must have been about 37kg of ice-cream, 23 litres of different flavoured sauces, and two tonnes of whipped cream.

Sigh. What a way to celebrate a birthday. A special banana split for a special man on a special birthday in a special city.

Happy Birthday my love.

USA 6 - Vegas: Land of Firsts

Warning: This post isn't really about food, but it's Vegas, and in Vegas the usual rules don't apply!

How many "firsts" can you fit into two days?? Good question. Let's list my firsts from the moment we left LA, up until right now (which I suppose is really almost 3 days):

1. First time I met a crypt keeper - I met the freakiest person I've ever met at a gas station on the way to Vegas. She had wrinkles on her wrinkles (and I don't think she was that old), yellow skin, really really skinny, no teeth, and walked with a serious limp - she was serving behind the counter. I had to stop myself from running screaming from the shop...luckily there was a man with a plastic pepsi bucket with a straw out of the lid coming in blocking the door.

2. First gunshop advert (see above)

3. First time driving through Death Vally (see above)- it was a childhood dream of HOS (Hunk of Spunk), and the scenery was absolutely amazing, I had no idea it was this beautiful here, really (if you ignore the trailor parks and gun adverts).

4. First time in Vegas - we are staying at the Palazzo, which is joined to the Venetian, we're in a huge super luxury king suite - the bathroom is bigger than my bedroom! I think there's like 5000 rooms here.

5. First time I've run into someone I know - we ran into on of my colleagues from C on our first night in the lobby of the Bellaggio - very very wacky!

6. First time I've played Craps - we had a lesson in the Casino downstairs - complicated, but fun - then played like real pros last night.

7. First time HOS has turned 50! What a bloody great day.

8. First time to Serendipity - see next Post

9. First time I've seen Venice recreated indoors - it's all part of the Venetian's charm...I just wandered around gobsmacked - see above

10. First time I've eaten at a Wolfgang Puck Restaurant - we ate at Postrio Bar & Grill in the Venetian - pretty damn good food - I had a lobster BLT (first one ever) and my first Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp (a posh name for crumble!)

11. First time I've seen the Blue Man Group - it was our first Vegas show and the BEST SHOW I'VE EVER SEEN.

12. First cocktail with sage in it - it was totally delish, a specialty in the Lavo Bar in the Palazzo

13. First ride in a stupidly ridiculously long limo - on our way to a club with a pair of fun yanks we met at the bar above

14. First time I've been home at 4am in a long long time - we're bloody ragers!

15. First visit to a Manolo Blahnik store

16. First purchase of a pair of Manolo Blahniks! Pic above shows these gorgeous things - I suspct I won't ever be able to wear them without breaking my foot in 26 places, but I was sooooooo attracted to the fact they look like I've got licorice seductively and artistically wrapped around my feet!

17. First ride in a Hummer - at the Las Vegas Speedway with HOS and two other would-be racing car drivers on their learning laps before the real thing

18. First time I've seen HOS drive a Ferrari around a race track - see hot HOS in hot red car! Happy Birthday HOS.

19. First time I've seen Cher in concert (at Caesar's Palace) - OMG, it was bloody amazing, she changed costume for every song! She was UNREAL!!!!

20. First time I've seen people walk around the streets drinking from a 2 foot glass Eiffel Tower full of alcohol!! HOS even saw a group of young ladies walking around with blenders with straws out the top - nothing like being prepared! This is one classy place!

So, there you have it - not much food action - but a lot of action nonetheless.

This is probably the wackiest place I have ever been to in my life. The word ridiculous has come out of my mouth at least 22,345 times since I arrived in Vegas. It's a world where "bigger is better" rules, a world so artificial I honestly have trouble comprehending that it actually exists. I have moved from disgust on my first walk around the Strip on our first night, to laughing acceptance of the ridiculousness of it all, to the enjoyment of the absolute surrealness.

Vegas is a must see at least once in a lifetime - for me, I think once is enough!

USA 5 - Gluttony at Disneyland

How much crap can one person eat in one day?? Good question.

Let's see. Two days ago HOS and I went off to enchanted Disneyland to relive my childhood memories. Other than being a wonderfully romantic and nostalgic day, to be perfectly frank, we ate like pigs.

This is what we devoured in our time at Disneyland - which started at 10am, and finished around 6pm.

- Breakfast - I had pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs, while manly HOS (Hunk of Spunk) had Mickey Mouse pancakes (above) - both smothered in Maple Syrup

- Morning snack - Fairy Floss (or "cotton candy" in yank talk) after Pirates of the Carribean ride (above)

- LUNCH - OMG ALL YOU CAN EAT BARBECUE! Dear lord! Now this was truly amazing. We paid 20 bucks each to sit and eat all we could in Frontier Land!! This included the most divinely smokey pork ribs, bbq chicken (who eats that when you can eat bbq pork ribs?), the most amazing sweet and spicey baked bean things, sweet and peppery coleslaw and cornbread (which let's face it was really like cake!), then to wash all this down with was all you could drink soda!! OH YEAH BABY! The great thing was, that when we were running low on ribs, our server, John, would just come and ask if we wanted more. Within about 5 mins we wanted more. Ribs. Oh the ribs. Just as I imagine them to really have tasted at Twelve Oaks by Scarlet and Rhett (Gone with the Wind). Sigh. I actually said to HOS - I'm going to be sick if I eat this last rib - I went two more!!! You can see from above what happy little piglets we were!

- Afternoon Snack 1 - A pretzel stick covered in caramel, then covered in chocolate (I had to try it, it was soooo ridiculous) - it was bloody great!

- Afternoon Snack 2 - taffy - waiting on the lines for the fantasy land rides, we devoured almost a whole pack of taffy - which for those who don't know is like a fruity, tangy, caramel

- Afternoon Sanck 3 - Frozen chocolate and almond dipped banana! I had to relive old childhood memories, so in order to sustain us on the drive home, we had to indugle ourselves with the famous choc frozen banana (the almonds were new, and a nice touch too)

So, we were pretty proud of ourselves. We managed to eat the most food we've ever eaten in one day - and in our analysis during the day, we realised that we had just eaten probably the most sugar we've ever eaten in one day, cause we think there was more sugar in our all you can eat bbq than there was in the cotton candy!!!!

But that's ok, we balanced out the sugar when we got back to Beverly Hills - HOS had a pastrami hamburger with fries!!!

USA 4 - Pink's

My Hunk of Spunk (HOS) arrived on Thursday, and fortunately for all of us he loves to eat almost as much as I do...soooooooooooooo after he got off the plane, saw the nice hotel, I took him to a place I had been saving for his first night in the USA. Pink's.

If you remember Les the Local Lad (USA 1), he told me that a visit to LA is not complete without a visit to Pink's. So off to Pink's we went.

Pink's is the most famous hot dog place in LA, in fact from what I can gather, it's an institution here. We rocked up about 8pm on a Thursday night - and there was a big queue out the front (I had been warned). We jumped on the end of the queue to wait our turn. I had a good look around - the queue was mostly locals from what I could gather, and lots of families too - on this dark street just near Sunset Blvd.

Apparently this joint started as a simple hot dog stand in 1939 by Paul Pink. He started selling his chili dog - which is a bun, big frankfurt, mustard, chili and chopped onions - from the first day. In 1946 he turned his little cart into a small building - and the current Pink's is still in the exact same place.

Anyway, enough of the history lession! We finally got to order - and of course for me it had to the be the famous Chili Dog and for Hunk of Spunk (HOS) it was a cheese chili dog - and a side of fries with some creaming soda to wash it all down. Now, food fans, it must be said, that I have never in my life seen so many different types of hot dogs - you could have had bacon on it, guacomole, salad, cheese (about 10 different wacky types), mushrooms - in fact they had all these weirdo combos named after famous people or shows. But we went traditional.

Luckily, when it came time to order, the people in front were able to tell me how it worked - you order at one spot, outside, then get your order and pay when you're inside. All pretty simple.

We took our chili dogs out the back where there's heaps of tables and chairs to enjoy our first ever chili dogs. The anticipation by this time was intense...we'd been on the queue for about half an hour...you can see how apetising it looked, above, hmmmm...took a bite...looked at each other...and found the whole thing a bit, well, tasteless!! BLOODY HELL!! I had seen the guy in front of me with his chili dog with bacon and chopped tomato on his - I wanted that one now!!! It all was just a bit blah blah, and HOS felt the same way. The chili needed more kick - the onions were a good touch, but it felt like a whole heap of tommy sauce was missing. Hmmmmm. Bugger!

Back to the hot dog drawing board I'm afraid.

USA 3 - Best Jelly Donuts in LA

I honestly don't know where to begin. How does one describe the divinity that is Bob's Donuts??? I will be giving thanks and praise for Bob for the rest of my life. And I'm not a religious person.

Oh sweet divine heavenly jelly donut. What did we do to deserve you??? What did we do to deserve Bob???

I stumbled on Bob's completely by accident (or was it divine intervention?) - I was in the Farmers Market (see previous post), disppointed with my funnel cake...walking along when I heard one yank whisper to another... "over there, Bob's. Best jelly donuts in LA". I was off like a bloody rocket! Seriously, I almost ran.

I asked the nice lady if there were any jelly donuts (yes, I said jelly), she looked at me as if I was off my rocker! Yes, she replied, powdered or glazed? OMG - powdered or glazed??? I realised I had just died and gone to heaven. I ordered glazed. And just for the hell of it, I also ordered a bear claw - I keep reading and hearing about them, and thought I'd go all out! The nice lady asked if I wanted something to drink...hmmm...there's no way I'm doing that yank coffee, so I ordered iced tea with lemon.

Now, sportsfans, I don't usually talk money, but you may have noticed in the previous post I mentioned that the funnel cake was $6.75 for some sweet fish batter. Well, I had a tray (you can see above) with the best jelly donut in LA, a bear claw, and a small iced tea for $3.85 - WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ABOUT??????

And now for the really important question - how did it taste???

Well. Someone very near and dear to me says that I am prone to overselling things, that I have to be careful not to go overboard. Let me say this. The glazed jelly donut may just be one of the best things I've ever eaten. It reminded me of an experience in Portugal a few years ago, at a fair, when I honestly couldn't speak for a whole minute after tasting a piece of freshly cooked sugar and cinnamon churros - it was just like that. I almost prayed. I made noises that shouldn't be made in Farmers Markets. The jam was wonderful real raspberry jam, the donut so light and fluffy, the glaze indescribable. OH MY GOODNESS, IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS EXIST.

I did a bit of research and discovered that Bob himself makes the donuts by hand, twice daily - he doesn't use machines to mix or roll out - all done by hand!!! The man is a gift from above. Thank you.

Now, as for that bear claw - well it was pretty damn good I must say. It's glazed too, and inside is an apple and cinnamon filling. Mmmmmmmmmmm. The amazing thing though about the bear claw was its amazing doughy texture - it was a bit denser and nice and stetchy - really really really really good!

There was one more surprise, though, sportsfans, the iced tea. It was real iced tea. No added sugar, no fake peach flavour, just smokey iced tea with a piece of lemon. Absolutely supurb. Sigh. Sigh again.

If you read the last post, you'll know that I am now off for another donut. I have found which bus gets me to the Farmers Market - I'm off to pray at the alter of Bob!!!

USA 2 - LA Farmers Market

What a day yesterday. What a really really good day.

I went to the LA Farmer's Market on Fairfax and Third. It's been an LA institution since 1934 - and it is a MUST SEE! I repeat MUST SEE. I haven't seen the Hollywood star strip road thingy yet - but I'm about to take my second visit to the Farmers Market!

It's not like the usual Farmers Market - this has little kiosks where prepared food is sold to eat, with a few butchers, fruit shops and cheese shops thrown in. But oh the food...the glorious food. I walked around wide eyed for an hour and a half, just watching, poking, taking photos, and of course eating!!! It's bloody ridiculous. Have a look at those caramel apple things...what the hell is that about??? Who comes up with ideas like that? Apples dipped in caramel and chocolate and nuts and sprinkles and gold dust and dinasour toenail clippings and...and... and...for goodness sake! RIDICULOUS. I BLOODY LOVE IT!!!

And as I wandered (and wondered), I came across something I've heard much about (in both Seinfeld and Will & Grace) - Funnel Cake. Now of course by this time my taste buds were salivating - I'd just bloody walked an hour and a half to get there (I've now discovered how to get the bus, which I'll be taking this morning for my second visit) and was starving. I ordered Funnel Cake.

I chatted with the nice young lass, who answered all my questions. Most people have their funnel cake with chocolate, strawberry or caramel sauce and whipped cream. I ordered mine with cinnamon and sugar (needed to start light, long day ahead). Now this is how the whole things works. Lass heats up a cast iron frypan with about an inch of canola oil. She then uses this magic pourer thing with a funnel on the end so the batter comes out in a thin stream - she makes a big pattern with the thin stream straight into the hot hot oil, so it sort of looks like a thick battered lace doily (how on earth do you spell doily?), turns it half way through, takes it off to drain, then sprinkles about 30kg of icing sugar mixed with cinnamon on top. And voila. Funnel Cake.

You can see it above during frying and after.

Looks pretty. Especially on those old cute kitschy tables.

But how does it taste????? Well. Here's a tip. If you go to your local fish and chip shop and ask them to scoop a jug full of the fish batter stuff, sticky tape a funnel to the end, pour that into the fryer in a pretty pattern, let that fry, take it out and chuck a heap of icing sugar and a smidge of cinnamon on top, you'd pretty much have it. Yep, I think it's sweet fried fish batter. All a bit wacky really, and very underwhelming. I had two bites and just couldn't go any further. $6.75 down the drain!!!

Oh well...you win some, you lose some...and this was a bit of a loss, but that's ok sportsfans, because I moved further along the stalls and came across something so magnificent, so divine, so truly joyous, that streams of sun came pouring from the sky to light up this special place...I knew I was in for a truly religious experience!

To be contd.... (see next post!)

USA 1 - The LA Deli

(Humming Hotel California, looking out over Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Hills at night, as I type)

Well sportsfans, I made it (and so did my luggage - FINALLY)!! Here I am in the home of the hot dog, the birthplace of the hamburger, the land of Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. Hmmmmm.

Well.

Where do you start??? In the deli of course! Oh yeah baby!!! I got a great recommendation from Les the Local Lad last night on the plane from Miami (thanks Les) - he said I MUST MUST MUST go and check out the most famous deli in LA - Nate'n Al's Deli in Beverly Hills.

I baptised myself at Nate 'n Al's today - my first meal in the USA - and it was SUPER DOOPER - I sort of felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode! The deli is like 65 years old, it's dark, with brown vinyl booths, and when I arrived there was a queue waiting for a table. This very basic looking deli is in the street parallel to Rodeo Drive, and yet it was the only place I saw all day with a queue to eat. The place was packed full of over 60 Jewish folk, as well as some families, business men, and the odd tourist (well, I think I was the only tourist in the whole place, at least I was the only person taking photos!).

I had to give my name to the "hostess" and wait for a table. Luckily, a very nice lady started talking to me - it seems I have the same name as her personal trainer - so she asked if I wanted to share a table to save one of us waiting time. And you know me, sportsfans, I can't resist a good ol' chinwag! So, we finally get seated. And she fills me in on how the whole thing works. "You have to try the corned beef" - I was thinking of going with the Pastrami (after all, we eat corned beef in Oz) - YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CORNED BEEF, IT'S THE TRADITIONAL SANDWICH. Ok, ok, Natalia (who I discover is a wonderfully chatty Russian real estate agent living in Orange County). So, she orders hers. She goes into this spiel of Half and Half - a small bowl of matzo ball chicken noodle soup and half a corned beef sandwich with coleslaw on the side. HMMMMM. Waitress looks at me... "I'll have what she's having"!!!!

And I did. And there you have it above. First you see my lovely gastronomic tableau - my Coke, pickles (which just arrived on the table and were very very salty), and my yummooooo Matzo Ball chicken noodle soup. For those who aren't too familiar with Jewish food, Matzo balls are made from matzo meal which is a kosher unleavened bread/cracker type thing (I think), so it's sort of like a giant breadcrumb dumbling in a heavenly chicken broth with noodles...and we all know that Jewish chicken soup cures all (especially worries about lost luggage). Now Natalia informs me it's best to shake some pepper on it, but of course this advice arrived too late - she had to go and put money in her parking meter and I had demolished mine by the time she came back!!!

And then of course the sambo arrived. Dear me - will you check out that half a sandwich. I counted 12 layers of silky, salty-but-not-too-salty, sexy corned beef sandwiched between rye bread which was studded with divine caraway seeds (I really really like caraway seeds). I follwed Natalia's lead and used my knife and fork. She'd also given me instructions (after she'd already yelled at me for starting on my coleslaw first, apparently that's not the done thing - it ruins your palate for the corned beef, so she made me rinse with Coke!) on how to add Deli Mustard. I was first to taste it without the mustard, then squeeze some Deli Mustard on a corner of the bread, then taste it to see if I liked it. So I did. And I really really liked it!! It was wonderful...sigh...I honestly can't believe how silky the corned beef was...no wonder so many people around me were eating it - it is incredibly seductive stuff!

After I had demolished my sambo, thankfully, Natalia allowed me to attack my coleslaw. God, it was fantastic. Crispy, fresh, crunchy and just a little peppery. Perfect. And a whole bowl to myself. Heavenly stuff, sportsfans. Just heavenly.

So, a big thank you to Natalia who made the experience about a thousand times better than it would have been on my own, and of course to Les the Local Lad who pointed me in the right direction. It seems these Yanks really like their food too.

I can't wait to see what's next!

Accommodation - The Tower Beverly Hills - great location (quick 10min walk to Rodeo Drive, good size room, not super swank, but cute, clean, comfy room, great value)

Bahamas 7 - Pancake Lesson

I can see you all roll your eyes - I'm not even in the USA yet, and already I'm talking pancakes. YES I AM. I wasn't going to. But I am.

Larry, the guy who owns the place I'm at, well he heard me mention I was going to make pancakes this morning - so he got out his griddle (yes, griddle) and gave me a few pointers on the art of pancake making!

First I went to the local store to grab myself some self raising flour...hmmmmm...I came back with Hungry Jack Original Pancake and Waffle Mix - just add eggs, milk and oil (that's all I usually ever add to SR flour, except the oil!).

So, made up the mix, and Larry introduced me to the griddle. I've never used a griddle before - it's like a really big flat electric frypan with no sides. I was in two minds...I do enjoy crisping up my pancakes in a puddle of melted butter in a frypan - but hey, all in the name of research!

So, I rub the "stick" of butter (NZ butter, btw, which was wacky!) all over the griddle as it heats up. Pour on the mix. Wait for bubbles, then flip. All pretty straight forward, until now. Here's the tip - when you flip the pancake you rub the stick of butter all over the top side so it melts into the pancake, then when you flip it again onto the plate, you rub the stick again all over the newly cooked side. CRIKEY!!!!

I now had a two-sided buttered pancake (well I actually had two two-sided buttered pancakes), then I got the maple syrup and poured it all over those slippery little suckers, sat outside to face that incredible Bahamas water, and pigged out!

Now I know how they get that melt in the mouth consistency - oh my, butter melted into pancakes...soooooo bad, and yet sooooooooooo good.

I suspect one very spunky aussie is going to be dragging home a griddle in his luggage in a few weeks. Love you hot stuff!

Oh, and envy shot today is (drum roll please)...taking the boat out to Stocking Island a few days ago - that water is just crazy talk!!!

Bahamas 6 - Bahama Mama!

Hey Mun. Cocktail Mun???

I know, there's no umbrella - but hey, we're on the non-touristy island here!

Let me introduce you to the Bahama Mama.

This magnificent rosey nectar is the local specialty - and let me tell you it is soooooooooooooooo yummmmm (and you all know I'm not a big alco!) - it's sort of a cross between a dacquiri and a pina colada I suppose.

I had my first one last night. I kept seeing people drinking this rosey glowing drink around the place and had to try it for myself. OH MY. It's like Goombay Punch (see Bahamas 4) for adults....mmmmmmm. The first thing you notic is the heavy coconut flavour, but it's not a cloudy drink so I knew it wasn't coconut milk...then it's fruity and sweet and oh so sexy going down. Sigh.

I am sad to report I only made my way a third of the way through - being the responsible driver I am, I handed the rest over to one of the yank lads who was kind enough to take it off my hands!

A quick chat with the waitress put me straight with what makes up this little glass of joy - Coconut Rum (there's the coconut flavour), Bacardi Gold (does anyone know what that is?), pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine. A wonderfully intoxicating blend that I'm hoping will see the light of day back in Sydney for Christmas drinks....sigh.

Oh and of course the by now compulsory envy shot. Another look at the Tropic of Cancer Beach from yesterday. Double sigh.

Bahamas 5 - Whole Snapper

I'm going to say it. Last night (and the night before) I ate the best fish I've ever eaten in my life.

Big call.

Big D's.

Yes, I went off to Big D's two nights ago for dinner. Fortunately, there was no snapper fillet (no big snapper around at the mo), so I ordered the Whole Snapper. OH MY GOD. DIVINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Not one, but two whole snapper arrived on my plate. After the wrestling with bones on the first snapper, I became a lot smarter, and the succulent salty meat came off like a dream on the second fish....mmmmmm....seasoned so marvellously with a crispy crispy batter.

This made me an absolute pro last night when I went in for the kill - and I don't know if it was because I had great company (the yanks), or I was more experienced with the boning...but last night's fish took my breath away. I had to close my eyes to taste it, something some people find amusing. But to fully savour the flavour, one has to have all focus on the one sense of taste. Sigh...great gift of the sea, oh succulent, sensual snapper...siren of the universe...I am now totally and fully hooked!!

Oh, and the fun of seeing the bones on your plate after - reminiscent of a Tom and Jerry cartoon - both I and the waitress had a good laugh about that!!!

You can see last night's (Friday's) fish, above, whole, and then you can see Thursday's devoured state!!!!

Oh and I almost forgot - the envy shot - yes, well I was there today with the yanks, it's the Tropic of Cancer Beach (because it's right on the Tropic of Cancer) - it was our second visit there, and I think it is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, and swimming it is like simming in a ginormous swimming pool. Oh my god, I'm going to miss this place.

Bahamas 4 - Conch Threesome!

Conch (pronounced "conck"). Remember? The local delicacy. On our last adventure we saw Scuba Scotty pluck it out of the water and make an interesting salad (albeit, a little chewy!) - well conch fans...I've been doing a little more exploration of this local treat, just to see what the cocky conch can do (say that up 10 time fast)!

So, what you have above, other than the total envy shot which was taken yesterday at Stocking Island (we sat in those chairs in the water all day - that's me in the chair!), is conch done three ways. And I have eaten this three ways conch over the last two days - and what an interesting pleasure it has been!

Let me talk you through it.

First up, is the Conch Burger - this was eaten for lunch yesterday on Stocking Island (see envy shot) - I met the Island chef on the wharf waiting for Elvis, our water taxi driver, to take us out to there, and he told me how he made the conch burgers. He chops the conch into tiny widdle pieces, then seasons it with some cajun spices, forms it into a paddy and serves it on a roll. I had to give that one a go. And I did. Look above. Now, I have to fess up that I made one of those Basic Food Errors - when I was putting my burger together (you got to add your own salad and condiments), of course I saw a little cup full of this mushy stuff that looked like a salsa thing - so I slapped it on my burger with some mayonnaise and the lettuce and tommy - sat myself down facing that incredibly azure water, and took a bite. HOLY CRAP. MOUTH ON FIRE. Hmmmmm. Idiot. Yes, I grabbed my serviette to wipe off most of the extra hot salsa stuff I'd spread all over the burger. And as I waited for my mouth to calm down a little, I watched that azure blue water, the comings and going of the boat, the odd stingray swimming past, then went in again for another bite. Not too bad. Not amazingly good. But edible. I think it tasted mostly of the cajum spices, the conch itself doesn't seem to have much of a flavour, it's very subtle, seems meaty but light - if that makes any sense at all. I suspect we won't be seeing Cocky Conch Burgers on the Maccas menu any time soon!

The second conch way, you can see there, are those little round fried balls. Oh my. Conch Fritters. BLOODY BEAUTIFUL. They came highyly recommended by a guy in a golf shop on the only posh resort on the island (I take my recommendations wherever I can find them, even if it means talking to golfing type people). These were served up at Big D's (see first Bahama's post) last night as our appetizer (yes, I'm talking like a yank already, better get used to it!) and it was totally yum. I'd have these again in a heartbeat. There was that subtle conch flavour, the little chewy texture, but they were ground and mixed with some other stuff, battered and deep fried. And that wonderful spicey rose sauce....OH YEAH BABY. This conch dish wins!!!!! (in fact, just as a little aside, they sort of reminded of those little fried things, Nibblers, in that wacky Futurama episode)

Now for the final conch way. It was devoured today at lunch. And I would like to lay a guilt trip on all of you, as I watched my new yank mate devour her cracked lobster at Santana's (see Bahamas 2 post) again today, I went for the cracked conch - SO YOU GUYS WOULD KNOW WHAT IT TASTED LIKE. I realise that sacrifices are part of a good food bloggers life, but LOBSTER. Bloody hell. Anyway, as you can see above, the cracked conch arrived - along with the usual rice and beans (a staple side dish), fresh corn and some stewed cabbage (I think). Now conch fans....how did it taste??? The breading was divine - all nice and gooey and crispy and fried....how can you go wrong really...but again...the conch was a little tough, sort of like thick calamari - it was certainly more than edible...but not as tender as I had hoped - and I supsect watching my friend devour lobster tails certainly didn't help!!!

(In the last pic, you can see my drink, Bahamas Goombay Punch. I have quite taken to it. It's a pineapple soft drink, or "soda", as they say here. It's really sweet and yum and I order it whenever I can find it.)

So, there you have it. I have now eaten my conch four ways - these three plus the conch salad. I am assured it is supremely divine done the right way...so I'll keep on eating and let you know.

I have to say that I have become quite fond of the little conch critter - it's not the yummiest thing I've ever eaten, yet it's held in such high esteem here, and it is bloody cute, so in my books...the conch rules!