Stick This on Your Plate and Eat It

Illinois foodies 'overcome inhibitions,' dine on masked critter

(NEWSER) - Sweet raccoon meat is in vogue in the nation’s heartland, where the masked critters have been selling as fast as some hunters can snag them, the Chicago Tribune says. One Illinois dealer says he’s sold about 2,500 to more than 50 customers in the last 10 weeks. “You have to overcome certain inhibitions,” said one racoon-eater. “But when it’s prepared right, raccoon is really good.” More»

Put down that pack of hot dogs and try some of these

(NEWSER) - This Independence Day, don’t limit yourself to burgers and dogs on the grill. Mark Bittman offers up 101 innovative ideas for your backyard BBQ, from meat and veggies to desserts, in the New York Times :

• Tomatoes: Grill ripe tomatoes until hot and lightly charred; serve with olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh mozzarella, and grilled bread.
• Duck à l’orange: Score the duck breast skin and press with rosemary leaves, salt, and pepper; grill skin-side down over somewhat low heat, then turn. Serve with oranges.
• Chicken parmesan: Pound chicken breast thin, top with tomato, mozzarella, and parmesan; then fold in half, seal with a skewer, and grill on each side.

'We took a meat ax to the district'

(NEWSER) - Kansas City's school board narrowly voted to close 29 of the city's 61 public schools after an emotional, standing-room-only meeting last night. The measure, a desperate attempt to prevent a projected $50 million budget shortfall, passed 5-4 despite pleas from parents and community leaders to keep the schools open, the AP reports. More»

Furry friends are also perfect food animal for budding DIY farmers

(NEWSER) - Rabbit as food is a troubling conceit for many Americans—“it’s this weird association with Easter,” a chef says—but the animal is taking off with a small group of budding butchers, urban farmers, and those just enamored of its lean, healthy meat. “This is my gateway animal,” a woman at a recent rabbit-killing seminar who envisions raising the critters in her backyard tells the New York Times . More»

(NEWSER) - Matt and Ted Lee had a mission. Determined to find the best barbecue in America, they set out on a 3,000-mile odyssey from Kansas City to North Carolina. They’d roll into town and ask the locals where the best barbecue was, making sure to try local favorites like snoots (pig snouts) in St. Louis or mutton in Owensboro, Kentucky. Their favorite places tended to disrespect the indoor-outdoor barriers, and let patrons see and smell the process. They run down favorites in Travel and Leisure: More»