Did you know the mating ritual of snails is believed to be the inspiration for Cupid’s iconic bow and arrow? When a snail fancies another snail, after a six to eight hour courtship, they each shoot a LOVE DART into the other’s flesh, signaling that it’s time to cue up the Barry White and pull down the shades.
This is just one of many fascinating snail facts we explore in the new episode of my podcast, Your Last Meal!
Comedian, musician, beat-boxer and author of a new memoir, Reggie Watts grew up with an African-American dad and a French mom who served escargot on holidays and extra special occasions.
Turns out, there are only two heliciculturists (snail farmers!) in the United States, one in Long Island and another in Washington, raising thousands of sustainable, edible snails in their tiny greenhouses. If you’re eating escargot in an American restaurant and it’s not from one of those small farms…those snails most likely came out of a can.
Peconic Escargot sent me some treats to try (via snail mail, of course), including a tiny jar of snail caviar, a product no one else in the US is selling. Keep an eye on my Instagram page to see what I made with the escargot, but here’s a sneak peak of the caviar appetizer:
Paid subscribers to this newsletter will have a chance to win Reggie’s new memoir, Great Falls, Montana: Fast Times, Post-Punk Weirdos & a Tale of Coming Home Again - so keep an eye on your inbox!
And it was all yellow
Over the summer, a few friends and I went to see Barbie, dressed in head to toe fuchsia, after having a celebratory pink potluck. I love a theme and a club, so it was decided that we’d continue cooking through the entire rainbow. Last week was our yellow potluck so I pulled every last scrap of mustardy, sunshiney clothing from my closet and stuck it all over my body:
We had my favorite Thai dish, khao soi (this recipe is FANTASTIC!), saffron butternut squash risotto, tortilla espanola, a sesame soy corn salad (recipe to come in my forthcoming cookbook!) and an easy, three-ingredient Dole Whip for dessert.
If you’re currently living in a grey and rainy world (*raises hand*), I highly recommend a table full of happy, vibrant color!
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Rachel