I’m kicking off the inaugural post of The Offal Cook with a confession: I’m not crazy about blogs. The perfectionist in me hates to post, always wishing that I could have had just one more day to hone my writing style, to make sure that whatever piece of offal I’m featuring has been adequately described and celebrated. Still, for months I’ve been meaning to start this blog. Every week on Serious Eats I talk about a brand new cut or innard, but the truth is, I could go on for months just eating neck bones and gizzards.
The recipes for my column, some of which I’ve developed and others which are adapted from my favorite cookbook authors, are just a few among numerous methods I use for any given nasty bit. I chose to present a stir-fry dish with fermented black beans for an article about frogs, but I could have written about deep-fried frog breaded in cornmeal and served with grits, or simmered frog legs in a Chinese-style hot pot, fiery with chilies and Sichuan peppercorns.
Last year when I nervously pitched the idea of doing a weekly feature about offal to Ed, he gave me a big thumbs-up. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive editorial team, or better friends and loved ones who have helped me along the way. I certainly never expected to find such a welcoming community of offal enthusiasts.
Two weeks ago I visited a farm in New Jersey.
