TRAVEL CHANNEL SERVES UP A DOMESTIC PLATTER OF ANDREW ZIMMERN IN "BIZARRE FOODS AMERICA" PREMIERING TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012 AT 9:00 P.M. ET/PT
In 3 months, pulled guinea pig, roasted alligator, and lamb tongue will cause Andrew Zimmern, the James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer and teacher, is back taking viewers to the backyards of America while exploring the bizarre melting pot of exotic and familiar cultures our nation has to offer.
The premiere episode of "Bizarre Foods America" with Andrew Zimmern transports viewers to the Twin Cities - Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., to encounter some of the most progressive and passionate food producers in the country. Always willing to try new things, Zimmern heads outdoors to get a real taste of how Midwesterners catch their comfort food. First, a trip to the river to capture a snapping turtle that's butchered and served deep fried. Then, Zimmern tries his first shot at bow fishing and learns that carp, the fish many foodies consider garbage, can be delicious!
Zimmern turns the heat up on the out-of-the-ordinary cuisine in his adopted hometown when he judges the cook off at the local VFW where the elk and wild rice hot dish is deemed the winner. He also discovers a few local restaurant favorites including a twist on the traditional "Juicy Lucy" burger - a cheese burger where the cheese is inside the burger, a brined and breaded duck testicles appetizer, and a few new dishes using a product known as meat glue.
"I'm really excited about the new season of 'Bizarre Foods' focusing on telling the stories of hidden cultures and unusual foods found right here in the U.S.," said Zimmern. "It turns out, people are most curious about what is happening right under their own noses, even in their own neighborhoods."
Throughout the series, Zimmern crisscrosses the United States stopping in cities including Austin, Boston, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, San Diego and Seattle helping viewers relate to the traditional foods passed down by immigrants to modern dishes born and bred by American innovation. He discovered the quirky subcultures, the enduring traditions and the ways we feed ourselves in America.