In this episode of GoGreenfields, your hosts, River and Terran Greenfield discuss some of the unconventional or less common food options from around the world.  Follow along as they create delicious, albeit less typical cuisine, including Cricket Snacks, Liver Pate Ravioli, Hump Fat Cookies, and Bone Marrow Appetizers.

Although unconventional in this country, many of these foods are regularly enjoyed around the world.  The ingredients featured boast significant health benefits, and promote the use of all of the possible food sources available to humankind.  Are you willing to try something less common, less mainstream, and a little unconventional?

Bonus Footage: Interview with Chomper Cricket

Stay tuned for Unconventional Foods Part II, a conversation with River and Terran’s gracious guest, Joanna Newcomb of Chomper Crickets:

Unconventional Spiced Cricket Snacks by Chomper Crickets!

INGREDIENTS

1T organic taco seasoning blend

2T avocado oil

1½ C Dehydrated crickets*

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Place dehydrated crickets into a mixing bowl.

3. In separate bowl combine oil and seasoning.

4. Drizzle season mixture over the crickets and gently stir until thoroughly coated.

5. Bake at 275 degrees for about 4 minutes.

*to dehydrate your crickets, set oven to 200 degrees and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

And Now… More Unconventional Food!

Unconventional Bone Marrow Appetizers

INGREDIENTS

• 6 bone marrows
• Seasoning of your choice
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 10 sprigs of thyme

DIRECTIONS

1. 1. Heat your grill up to 250 degrees.
2. Take out your thawed bone marrow and season with your seasonings of choice — we used thyme and rosemary.
3. Sprinkle your seasonings on the marrow instead of rubbing and put in an 11 by 9-inch pan and put into heated grill, cook for 60 minutes.
4. At the 45-minute mark, put your butter in a skillet along with your thyme and stir for 5 minutes.
5. Then at the 50-minute mark, spoon the butter over the marrow bones and cook for another 10 minutes.

Liver Pate Ravioli

INGREDIENTS

PASTA

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 extra-large eggs
• Black Truffle for shaving on Ravioli

RICOTTA FILLING

• 2 cups sheep’s milk ricotta cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• kosher salt to taste

LIVER PÂTÉ

• 1lb. liver
• small onion chopped
• 5 whole cloves
• one cup dry red wine
• tablespoon capers
• ½ stick of unsalted butter
• 2 anchovy fillets (Italian if possible)
• teaspoon of kosher salt (add a bit at a time and check for taste)
• olive oil

DIRECTIONS

PASTA

1. Pour flour onto board, make a well in the middle and add the eggs.
2. Now, using a fork, start to incorporate the eggs into the flour.
3. Switch to your hands and start to bring it all together — it will look like a mess but keep going.
4. Bring the mixture together into a ball and make sure to flour your surface as needed.
5. Keep kneading until you see that it is one piece and the dough should be elastic and a little sticky.
6. Wrap in cling film and let rest at room temp for at least 20 min.

RICOTTA FILLING

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your preference.
3. Keep in the fridge until ready for use.

LIVER PATE

1. In a hot pan, add a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion, capers and cloves until translucent.
2. Now add the anchovies and liver, sauté until the liver is fully cooked.
3. Add the red wine with half of the salt and cook until the wine has reduced into the livers and is almost dry.
4. Add the butter and cook until it is melted completely and starting to foam.
5. Now, take everything and into a food processor and blitz until it is smooth for about 30-60 seconds.
6. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed.
7. At this point, you have a beautiful pâté all on its own and it can be put into a mold and chilled.
8. Set aside about a tablespoon per pasta serving to be used.

PASTA (cont.)

1. Using a pasta machine, cut about half of that pasta dough ball and start feeding it through the machine on the highest level.
2. Keep feeding it through until you get to the 2nd to thinnest setting making sure to flour the pasta if it starts to get a little sticky.
3. Now cut the sheet in two pieces halfway and carefully put one half aside.
4. Get your ricotta filling and spaced about an inch, place a tablespoon round of the ricotta filling  in the middle and do as many that will fit on your half sheet then carefully place the other half on top.
5. Now, push around the ricotta filling with your fingers you are trying to get as much air out as you can, so you have a nice tight fit.
6. Using either a ravioli stamp or just using a knife cut out around the ricotta. Transfer  it to a sheet with either semolina flour or on a dry towel. Now we are ready to bring it all together.
7. In a pot of boiling salted water add your ravioli and cook for about 3-4 min get a pan ready at medium heat and add a knob of butter into it.
8. When the ravioli is ready, take it from the boiling water and into the pan with the butter swirling the pan around keeping the ravioli moving.
9. Add about a tablespoon of the liver pâté and keep swirling around until the liver pate has melted and is becoming one with the ravioli.

Hump Fat Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tables and 1 tsp of Hump fat
• 2 tables of butter
• 1 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flour
• 1 Egg at room temp
• 1/4 Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/4 cup of Cocoa powder
• Chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt down the hump fat with butter.
2. Then, in a large bowl mix the butter mixture with sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Next, add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until a dough forms.
4. If the dough is too soft, then let it sit for a few minutes.
5. Now, form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and stick in freezer for 30-45 minutes, preferably 2 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
7. Roll the dough into balls and place on cookie sheet.
8. Now you’re ready to bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.
9. Make sure to test and see if they are done by carefully touching the top of a cookie.
10. If a dent forms, then you need more time — but if the cookie springs back up, then it’s done.
11. Use a double boiler to melt down chocolate chips and dip cookies on the melted chocolate chips.
12. Apply sprinkles or eat plain. Enjoy!! 🙂

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