There probably isn’t a meal on the planet that Andrew Zimmern hasn’t tried, tasted or heard of…but when I asked him if he ever had a good old fashioned Long Island “mish”…

The answer surprised me!

“Can you spell that again?”, asked Zimmern.

“Mish. M-i-s-h”

“No. What is it?”

For those of you who don’t know or have never been to the Five Towns, where local Long Island legend says it is believed to have originated— the mish is the smoothie of salad, where the chewing has already been done for you.

And the mish was made famous around the country when the parody video “Nassau State of Mind” went viral.

Which got me thinking about Zimmern’s upcoming new show, which will premiere on Monday January 23 at 10pm Eastern time on Travel Channel.

Hmm…Perhaps Long Island should be the next stop on “Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmern.”

I spoke with Andrew by phone from a Los Angeles butcher shop where he was shooting an upcoming episode.

It was the perfect backdrop for “cutting right to the meat” about his new show.

In it, the James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, and teacher will take viewers across the country to see what’s really cooking in the backyards and kitchens of America… no passport required— just a strong stomach..

So what’s on the menu for Bizarre Foods America?

Pig stomach, spicy frog sauce, duckblood pizza… and who could forget that old fan favorite: duck testicles! If you want bland, you won’t get it watching Andrew!

And talking with Andrew was like getting sneak peak into the delectable and often disgustingly delicious world of Andrew Zimmern’s America!

Zimmern makes it all look good. There isn’t a food he isn’t willing to tackle: unless you count the moldy chicken intestines he once refused to eat. Oh, and there may have been one other time he passed on a meal as well.

“I am obsessed with food and eating. I have been in the food business since I was 14 years old.”

Andrew is one brave eater– says he has been that way since he was two years old, when he got his first set of teeth! And he’ll need that Zimmern fearlessness as he crisscrosses the country from city to city.

Still, I wonder if Andrew would be brave enough to take on MY cooking. The last time I attempted dinner, it was lamb chops with a side of fire extinguisher. That was 14 years ago.

Or maybe it would be best to take in a meal at the Zimmern house in Minnesota. I just had to ask… What do they eat in the Zimmern house for dinner? Exactly how bizarre is it? Is it meat and potatoes for the Zimmerns?

“We eat meat and potatoes at home.”

“You know, I come home from the office after picking up the dry cleaning and my wife has cooked dinner for my son is usually how it works… I mean, I live a pretty normal existence when I’m not, you know, when daddy’s not at his day job.

But of course, there’s sweet breads… and the occasion pig’s head that a friend or local farm might send over for a barbeque.

So fire up the grill and get out the good china–because Andrew Zimmern may be coming to a town near you.

And the next time he’s on Long Island… I hope he will take me up on my offer of sharing a mish… it would be a mish- make that, wish come true!

“I would love to”, said Zimmern. “I get there every summer so that would be fun.”

Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmern premieres Monday January 23 at 10pm on Travel Channel