BY EDDIE ARRIOLA
FAMILY & MWR SPECIAL EVENTS
I started this journey of food, hoping to become a better cook and learn to at least cook without burning the house down. The greatest lesson I’ve learned from this quarterly article is that you must step out of your comfort zone to grow as an individual. With that in mind, I decided to take a break from cooking and try something new. For those of you who know me, you know that I can eat just about anything! Except, brussel sprouts … those are my Kryptonite, but I hope to change that one day. I’ve decided to put the, “I will eat anything,” theory to the test. I’m sure a lot of Soldiers and Families have probably tried exotic meals while stationed overseas or throughout the country. As for me, I’ve lived in El Paso my whole life and you get comfortable with eating your favorite foods. I took a leap and decided to take on Rod and Gun Club’s alligator and elk sausages. They come on a hoagie bun with fries and a drink. These items are only offered for a limited time in August so I jumped in and gave it a go! I started with the alligator, because quite frankly it terrified me. The thought of eating a gator never crossed my mind. What if I’m
page 10
blissNOW
OCT | NOV | DEC
allergic? Just thinking about it made me hesitant. It also didn’t help that everyone I told, ahead of my alligator lunch, grimaced at the idea. But I threw caution to the wind and took my first bite. My mouth filled with an explosion of staggering taste I have nothing to compare. If I had to guess it was like mixing chicken and tuna in a bowl. I assume that’s what it means when people say, “it tastes like chicken.” It wasn’t slimy at all; the texture was similar to that of chorizo – a spicy Spanish pork sausage. I probably won’t make a habit of eating gator but I will proudly say that I ate the whole thing. The elk was a different story. I expected a tough texture and a taste similar to venison, but it was better than I could imagine. My taste buds were treated to a sweet flavor that I wasn’t expecting. I was told it was mixed with apples, probably the culprit of the sweet taste. I would recommend trying this if you ever get the chance. I wish I could give you a breakdown of flavor for each meat, however, I’m not a food connoisseur. All I can tell you is to never let the fear of not liking something stop you from trying it. Yes, I wasn’t a fan of the gator … but I never would’ve known if I didn’t try. I would like to thank the staff at the Rod and Gun Club for giving me the opportunity to try these creative concoctions and letting me step out of my comfort zone. Though this may have been a limited time offer for August, there’s always a chance you’ll see it again. I’m sure, if there is interest, they could bring it back. www.bliss.armymwr.com
