The Magic of Food:  A Global Edible Review · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: From the UK, Blog Jam
The traditional pickled pig's feet dish is one of our favorites. Of course you may have at least a dozen good excuses why you "think" you don't like them. Just forget for a moment where they come from, send to the back burner of your imaginary stove the picture of the cute little piggy. Please??? IF they are cleaned and cooked properly they could be an amazing tantalizing and satisfying dish. Pure protein goodness, and with a side of fresh greens or salad it would be an unforgettable delicacy. A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to sample it in a very innovative way prepared by Panamanian Chef Jorge Jurado, he removed the bones and chopped the meat. This was a dish he served at a gourmand's pool party, and to tell you the truth it was a total hit. It was loved to the last bite! Oh yes :)
Now, we are sharing a delicious recipe and thoughts from the UK, to prepare stewed PigsFeet.
Cut the trotters in half, length-ways, at the joints and once at the bone. The idea is to make bite-size pieces you can roll around in your mouth. Wield a very big cleaver (wear goggles to enhance the effect) or have your butcher do it. Rinse & dry trotters to remove bone fragments.
Enjoy!
#2: From New York / Israel,  In Mol Araan
Eating While Sleeping discusses the story of Saint Veronica, who practiced various forms of extreme asceticism her whole life and at one point miraculously fasted for five years.  During this period, the devil was occasionally seen to take Sister Veronica’s form late at night and pretty much raid the icebox, or whatever the seventeenth-century-icebox-equivalent was, at the Capuchin convent of Città di Castello.
I have often wondered what to make of this detail of Saint Veronica’s biography. It seems likeliest that she had some kind hybrid sleeping and eating disorder very similar to what many folks are suffering now. On the other hand, it may have been that this extraordinarily accomplished and ambitious leader was one of a number of sincere believers who feel that a certain amount of deception is excusable, and even necessary, for the sake of the greater truth.
And on the third hand, maybe it really was the devil.
#3: From Indonesia, A Little Note From Me
Braised Daikon: If you are looking for innovative ways to prepare this attractive looking veggie, you are going to like this recipe because it is easy and delicious. But, if you do not have a clue of what "daikon" is, this is a little hint for you:
Daikon is a large white radish widely used in Japanese cooking. It may be eaten raw or cooked and is often pickled or grated. Used mainly in soups and stir-fries, it is sold in Asian markets.
#4: From Italy & Sweden, Lucullian Delights
A potion for love: Marinated Strawberries
I  first encountered this way of improving strawberries in the 80's when I had a different "mother-in-law", well she wasn't a real one because fortunately I never married her son but she did teach me a thing or two about cooking even though I didn't speak much Italian in those days (And yes, I seem to have been destined to marry an Italian because it certainly wasn't in my plans, I was more of an Anglophile in those days, I actually met that Italian in London and Marco I met in Sweeden). When she served me strawberries "marinated" in red wine and sugar, my eyes popped out of their sockets and I just swooned after the first taste of it!
This was unheard of in Sweden and I was in seventh heaven! Then she showed me other, more sober ways to do it, fresh lemon or orange juice, or a mix of the two, always with sugar and it was the latter way that I used to save my strawberries
#5: From Singapore, Makan Makan – The Feast Crusade
I really hope you are ready for this: Bikini Wax Blunder. PLEASE avoid it if you can, and even if you need it, OK?
I am supposed to be working but in the midst of some torturous reading reminiscent of the mugging before a statistics test, I decided to give my eyes a rest by checking e-mails.
And out popped the garish evite for a bar. Getting evites and ads from bars and clubs is not unusual. But this particular e-mail was.
Drunk bikini waxer. Brazilian wax. I hope their insurance is up to date. This is certainly one of the most ludicrous ideas I've seen in a while…and not in a good way. Right, back to work.
Head over to her blog and take a look at the waxy ad! And while you are there, do not miss the very interesting I am Helen of Troy, you will learn to prepare a secret Chinese concoction called "Clear the Decks Chinese Tea" that will help you detoxify your body without any harsh abrasions to your stomach.
#6: Indian Food Fiesta! One of my favorites :)
From Oman, My Dhaba cooks up a very unusual looking crab. It has all sort of colors and shapes that scream audacity and seafood goodness! Please take a moment to visit his blog and get cooking this amazing Sea Crab Curry.
From Bern, Switzerland, Pusiva's Culinary Studio
Carrot Halwa is so good, that we will never get tired of preparing it, right? This is a great exponent of the traditional dessert. Buen provecho!
#7: From Panama, Heidibella in the Tropics
I know that Sushi-Itto is all over Latin America, but…hold on, watch your thoughts! NOT all chain restaurants are all that bad. In this case, I am a living testimony that these guys and gals know what they are cooking. Their  home delivery service is really good, well if you stay away from the "udon soup with tempura veggies," and most of the tempura dishes, you will have a truly enjoyable meal. Perfect for the sushi-hungry-too-tired-to-cook food lovers (like moi…sometimes)
The photos are great, …make sure you do not miss this post: Sushi-Itto review.
#8: From Cyberspace, Boing Boing
Sometime ago, a friend that knows about my love for exotic meats gave me a frantic, unexpected call:
"…please come right now to pick up this thing! We JUST caught the big alligator, the one that was eating all the hens, a cat and a dog in the farm. We saved the meaty tail for you. "
Thankfully I am a self trained jungle-cook for those kind of situations,…so of course I went there to pick the tail up. It was huge. A couple of days after we held a dinner party, and guess what the main dish was. You are right, just the traditional Alligator Wellington. Tasty.
Now, on the same subject, we request your kind attention for this Roasted Alligator Dinner post. Believe when I tell you that it looks scrumptious—Oh, just give me a little, a very little piece, please???
#9: From China, Plate of the Day
Gives us a glimpse of authentic urban cookery, the type that has the true spirit of the place and the people within!
Beijin Street Food – Jiaozi Baozi
Hong Kong Street Food, near Chunking Express
#10: From Singapore, Piggy's Cooking Journal
Pig's Intestine stuffed with Glutinous Rice shares a cooking adventure that to tell you the truth I have not built up my courage to try yet. It is in my things-to-cook-before-I-die list, right after the blood sausage. Enjoy!
It's a rare opportunity that I got one stuffed intestine from my mom today. She hardly cooks the dish because she's into healthy eating now and also, to clean the intestine is a tedious process that could take up hours! However, after the cleaning process is done, the rest of the cooking steps are quite easy. The glutinous rice that is soaked overnight is mixed with other ingredients like peanuts, dry shrimps, mushroom etc. The ingredients vary every time she cooks, depending on her mood. Then the glut!inous rice mixture is stuffed into the intestines and finally the stuffed intestines are cooked in a pot of boiling water.
Have a tasty weekend!