"Because Murder is More Fun Away From Home"
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| Photo by the late Leighton Gage. Appalling food item courtesy of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. |
Labels: Bouchercon 2009, Bouchercon 2014, Leighton Gage, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 11:56 AM
This blog is a proud winner of the 2009 Spinetingler Award for special services to the industry and its blogkeeper a proud former guest on Wisconsin Public Radio's Here on Earth. In civilian life I'm a copy editor in Philadelphia. When not reading crime fiction, I like to read history. When doing neither, I like to travel. When doing none of the above, I like listening to music or playing it, the latter rarely and badly. Click here to find an independent bookstore near you.
6 Comments:
Your photo and posting remind me of my near-death experience in Iceland (1981): I was confronted by a roasted sheep's head at a NATO dinner. I had to figure out how to nibble (so I would not offend) without becoming offensively ill. What a memory! Thanks, Peter. Thanks at lot!
Of course, the "hot dogs" made of lamb and mutton (widely available at Iceland "fast food" sites) were quite good. It proves that almost anything can be converted into an edible "hot dog." I think they were called "pilzers," but I might be misremembering the English version of the Icelandic word. Yum!
Yrsa also brought hákarl to one convention. I think one person claimed to like it. I did not believe him.
I also once ate something sold under the name of "hot dog" at Tokyo Narita Airport. It was awful, though I did enjoy watching a Yomiuri Giants game on television with my fellow travelers.
I did not experience hakarl. I have an aversion to seafood of any kind -- especially smoked, dried, fermented, and awful varieties (hakarl).
Of course, Icelanders have a long tradition of having to make do with what is available. But old traditions there are fading away. So I suspect your Icelandic friend is simply screwing with you when she shows up with those gourmet delights.
Without a doubt. She has a lively sense of fun, and I have accused her of trying to fool us into believing Icelanders really eat this stuff.
The first time I looked up hákarl, I was delighted by a delicate reference of "not all Icelanders like it."
So many countries have bizarre (inedible) foods, and when I traveled around the world (Iceland, Philippines, Kenya, Australia, Scotland, etc.) I have avoided anything that did not look, sound, or smell sensible. But I wonder: is America known for any bizarre food? After a few seconds of thought, I cannot think of any singular (i.e., inedible) American food (unless Rocky Mountain Oysters are unique to America, which I doubt). If there is such a food, you need to be prepared when you next encounter your Icelandic friend.
It appears she won't attend Bouchercon this year. Too bad; I looked forward to the challenge of making up some appalling but non-existent food.
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