One of you cottagers posted a list of Michigan strange items a while back, so I'll try not to repeat that, but here are a few terms you might hear around here. The state is divided into two peninsulas, the upper one is the U.P. and the good folks who live there are yoopers. The peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge which crosses the Straits of Mackinac and has one end in MackinawCity. Nearby is MackinawIsland. All are pronounced the same way, courtesy of the French. People who live in the L.P. are called trolls, because, of course, they live below the bridge. The Mackinac Bridge is almost always called just the bridge. If we are going to the U.P. we say we are going up across. A U.P. city straddling the border to Canada is Sault Ste. Marie, pronounced Soo Saint Marie (French again). If we are heading that way, we say we are going to the Soo, and while we're there we may take a look at the locks. Tourists on Mackinaw Island (and now everywhere in the state) are called fudgies, due to the boxes of fudge many of them carry around after they have been enticed inside one of the many fudge shops by the irresistible aroma of boiling chocolate. Lots of Michiganders enjoy a meal of pasties (that's pass - tees), courtesy of the Cornish miners that came to live in the U.P. They are like a folded-over pie-crust with meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, and often rutabagas inside. (My mom always used to say rutabeggies.) They're very good, if a little on the dry side. A little gravy helps a lot. If you get too thirsty while eating one, you can always have a pop ( not a soda - you have to go to a soda fountain for those, which you can't hardly find anymore) Hope you learned something fun. ThinMan

I have two bhut jalokias and one naga dorsett growing, that I started on 2-1, and are already flowering - indoors, under HPS. The BJs are larger, but not by much, and the ND is the first one to have flowers that opened. Still have no idea when they will produce and ripen, but I started them very early, so I won't have to wait until Oct.! And I have a guy at work who is going to be the first to try them, that eats my gold bullets and makes comments like "I thought that was a gold bullet, not a cold bullet!" The red savinas definitely aren't what they used to be, and the testing confirmed my "unscientific" testing, though they used to be much hotter. One chocolate variety got him pretty well, but still wasn't what the RSs were years ago. I am hoping these will call his bluff... Here are the photos of their growth. It is strange, in that both loose many lower leaves, then where the leaves were, another stem is beginning to grow. Maybe this happens with habs out in my garden, but they are so packed together I don't notice, as when right in front of me like this (I usually don't start them this early). http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c18/pepperhead212/Bhut%20Jalokia%20and%20Naga%20Dorsett/

There's nothing wrong with being hesitant about raw foods. They aren't a major part of our culinary culture as they are in some countries/regions, so yes, it can be hard to wrap one's mind about a familiar food both looking and tasting different, with a different texture than you're accustomed to. It applies to many things, not just meat. Think about a raw carrot versus a cooked one. I know some folks that can't stand either one. I know others who adore raw carrots but loathe cooked ones. Much of it is a texture issue, and getting into a 'mindset' where expectations are very rigid. But as the OP points out, trying new things adds variety and interest to the diet. And BTW, the "sour rice" comment is unfounded. The vinegar/sugar syrup is equal parts rice vinegar (far milder than traditional white vinegar) and sugar. My DH loathes vinegar but he loves sushi rice! Note that the majority of restaurants use plain or salted rice, whereas home cooks almost always use the sugar/vinegar syrup. When I was growing up sushi restaurants made the rice the same way as at home, but that changed quickly as food and labor costs rose. I haven't encountered a restaurant using anything but a little salt, in literally decades. If you want to ease into sushi, I'd suggest some of the following. These might be more available at restaurants than from a deli, however: 1) Maki rolls (sheets of pressed toasted seaweed rolled around rice) filled with: - raw cucumber - tempura shrimp - avocado and crabmeat 2) Pressed sushi topped with: - cooked shrimp - cooked eel (always cooked teriyaki-style, very tasty) - tamago, the sweet rolled egg omelet. Tamago is a standard egg omelet with a small amount of sugar added. It's not intended to be super-sweet, just seasoned a little. I've never found anyone who dislikes it. 3) Inazarizushi. I will say that I NEVER eat this outside of what I make myself. Not because it's unsafe, but because I make a 'deluxe' version similar to what I grew up with, and it's so much tastier than the plain version sold commercially. Technically, inazari sushi is a fried tofu skin (aburaage) that's been cooked in a sugar and soy sauce mixture (think teriyaki - yum!), drained then stuffed with sushi rice. The aburaage is sold in cans, already seasoned. Like pita, you open the halves up with your fingers, and stuff it - in this case, with sushi rice. I add finely diced cooked carrots, baby peas, and finely diced shiitake mushrooms, to my version of inazarizushi. When I put these out, they go faster than anything else. Vegetarian, vegan, meat-eaters - people flip over this sushi. Anyway, hope that encourages the OP and inspires some others!

That looks really good. Not had samphire. I had to look it up. Poor mans asparagus. And can be grown as a plant. Seaweed salads have been around for some time in Japanese restaurants. I always have a bag of Dulce on hand from Maine and coastal Canada. (pronounced like 'pulse'). I like it raw, in stir-fry, in seafood chowders, tuna salad. Dulce is said to be the next kale. I doubt that. I looked up the 'next big thing in foods for 2016' and not much stands out. It seems to take a while for large market growers to switch their harvest methods to produce enough to reach groceries. By that time it is so dilute and lacks the flavor of home gardens. Greenhouse grown heavily fed to grow fast enough for profit and not that fresh....like mesclun salad mix in bags. Dry lawn clippings have more flavor. At least the focus is on healthy greens and veggies. Fresh and full of flavor. Sprouted grains and beans. I've added a few new varieties to my micro green 'forest'. 7-10 days grow time. 5 5x7 trays going all winter in succession. One large 7x12 tray for a spicy mix. I'm sure that one is soon to appear in stores. Needs to be cut fresh so i'm guessing they will sell it live in clamshells. One fat cut harvest cost about 15cents home grown. The same seeds i buy in bulk i use in the garden salad bed for a larger crop.