Word Of The Day: Hangtown Fry

How about a nice Hangtown fry? Sounds cool, right? Just hangin' in Hangtown. It may sound like a chill place, but Placerville, California earned this nickname during the goldrush due to all the hangings that took place there. Luckily for us who enjoy eggs and oysters, one of the many sent to the gallows may have invented the Hangtown fry. As the story goes, one brilliant inmate requested an oyster omelet for his last meal, knowing that it would take a day to get oysters delivered and would thus postpone his execution.

If this bivalve scramble isn't rich enough for you, bacon is also frequently added to the mix. Another story reports that the Hangtown fry was invented when a lucky prospector struck gold and asked a restaurant to make him a dish using the most expensive ingredients. Clearly, eating this dish is the perfect way to start a life — or end one.

Use today's Word of the Day (maybe you'll have leftover oysters): Oysters with a Classic Mignonette Recipe