Duck egg and NPR wine club are culinary adventures

                             Port Arthur’s Vietnamese groceries offer finds from fresh vegetables, savory spices and attractive dishes from which to serve it all.

                             I stopped by one for a cucumber and spotted large, blue-tinted eggs. I supposed they were duck eggs, but thought I’d ask. Turns out they were the kind of duck eggs with a little duck, instead of a yolk, inside.

                             I’d heard on National Public Radio (see below) that these sold cooked at Asian markets and small children who behave themselves while shopping consider them a treat. You crack it open and eat the duck what’s inside, bones and all.

                             For about $1.50, I figured I’d try that experience, but I was told to boil the egg for about 40 minutes. And give it a “shot” of salt and maybe pepper.

                             I love culinary thrill seeking, but I was getting nervous as I cracked the tough shell and then pierced through a tough skin on the inside to reveal just what was supposed to be in there. I hesitated, but tried it.

                             It’s certainly the final time I’ll do that again, but won’t rule out trying one boiled and seasoned by someone who knows what he or she is doing.

                             The spread included sticky rice, pickled ginger, cucumber, carrots and persimmon, so I considered myself very well fed in the end.

                  NPR wine club

                             I’m a big fan of KVLU, 91.3, Lamar University’s public radio station. I grew up with it because my mom played it. The All Things Considered theme music has a Pavlov’s dog effect on me because it meant dinner was cooking.

                             When I had the chance to save items from recent flood waters, I nabbed my National Public Radio coffee mugs that I’d collected from fund drives.

                        Imagine my excitement about the new NPR Wine Club, dubbed an  innovative way to support public radio. How about a serving of “Weekend Edition,” which was like savoring a sweet grape jam at brunch. Hmm, maybe the experienced and comical label writers describe the notes better, but I loved it.

            "All Grapes Considered" Malbec,"Weekend Edition" Cabernet Sauvignon and an "Uncorked" Merlot, are some combos as clever as what you’d expect from the vineyards and NPR creative minds that got this deal together. Of course, some of my favorite public radio programs and interviews are about sharing stories of  travel, cultures and the foods that tell the stories of the world. That’s big news.

darraghcastillo@icloud.com