Part 2: It takes an Explorer to eat an eyeball

One of the great events of the Explorers Club Annual Meeting is the Exotics, appetizers served before the dinner in the ballroom of the Waldorf- Astoria. Chefs from around the world are selected to prepare special dishes that might shock and please those who brag about dining on native fare in faraway places.

This year's Exotics Menu included

+ Tibetal Yak Loaf with lingonberry sauce

+ North American Rodentia with Cajun rice

+ Hawaiian Moon Fish with tropical spices

+ Oven-roasted Alligator, glazed and spiced

+ Rocky Mountain Oysters, beer-battered testicular DNA capsules

+ Ostrich Tortilla

+ Kangaroo Balls Bourguignon

+ Rosemary Herbed Rattlesnake Cakes with sour cream

+ Pickled Duck Tongue with deviled quail eggs

+ Sweet and Sour Bovine Penis with testicular partners

"I'm not so sure about this hissing cockroach." + Vertebrate Optic Globular Capsules, marinated in delicate herb sauce

+ Succulent Earthworms, lightly spiced

+ North American Crickets with pepper jelly

+ Honey Laden Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

+ Savory Scorpions, dried and glazed with goat cheese

+ Honey Soy Tarantulas, glazed and spiced

+ Tempura Battered Tarantulas with orange sauce

+ Meal worm Suchi with carrots

+ Mealworm-Topped Pastry Cups with escargo butter

+ Edible Orchids, lightly buttered and fried

+Weasel Coffee

The 20 explorers from South Carolinia delighted their palates with these exotic tastes. Caution was taken not to end up in the hospital as Col. Carroll Furman did several years ago after downing several tarantulas.

(Next week: Explorers return their flags.)

Savory scorpions, dried and glazed, pinned to a snow pea on a red pepper, are delicious.

The owl was not part of the Exotics, but Linda loved it just the same. This eyeball went down as easily as an oyster. These crickets in pepper jelly were not chirping. Contrary to popular belief, rattlesnake does not taste like chicken. Mealworm pastry cups are hard to beat.