Wildest Bite - On the Bone

Have you ever eaten a food that pushed you out of your comfort zone? What is the most unique or strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
This seems so pedestrian, but when I was a photographer’s assistant in NYC, I had a job with a photographer assigned to shoot an issue of Everyday Food for Martha Stewart. A huge perk of the job was shooting out of a studio at Martha’s headquarters at the Starrett Lehigh Building in NYC for two and a half weeks. Instead of ordering takeout or catering for the project, the food stylist had a dedicated assistant that prepared meals for the crew. This was one of the first really big food shoots I had ever been a part of, and this food crew was the coolest group of people I’d ever met. I was in awe! Despite growing up eating all sorts of foods and traveling all over the world, in my 20’s I’d stopped eating any food that had a bone in it. In hindsight it was so silly! On this shoot though, I had the opportunity to watch all the food that was prepared for us to eat. I visited with the stylists and learned the stories. They weren’t just making us sandwiches and salads, each meal had a theme and was a feast and celebration in its own way. From a Persian-themed meal to a Chinese New Year-themed meal, and lots of things in between – even the oatmeal they prepared was spectacular. We always sat down and ate each meal together; it was very communal. Many of the meals (to my horror at the time!) involved meat on the bone. But these folks were so cool, there was no way I was going to say no to anything they offered! How pleasantly surprised I was that it wasn’t a big deal to eat a rib or a bone-in, skin on chicken thigh! I am grateful for that experience! I have been eating meat off the bone ever since.

Where did you eat it?
A Photo Studio at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in the Starrett Lehigh Building in NYC

Did you go into it willingly by ordering them, were you persuaded to try them, or were you dared?

Peer pressure all the way! I didn’t want to be the fussy one.

Were you surprised by it? Would you recommend it?
Absolutely loved it.

Have you ordered it since or attempted to recreate it in any way?
I’ve been ordering and preparing meat on the bone ever since!