Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," and "Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World" circumvents the globe exploring new culinary experiences.

That's Zimmern in the farthest reaches of Samoa roasting eight-pound furry bats whose wing span is almost six feet over a fire, scraping off the skin and watching as the guts start to puff out as the meat cooks.

Not exactly a yum yum moment for many of us, but for Zimmern, who will go anywhere and pretty much eat anything, it not only is a definitive food experience, it's also a means of connecting to a culture. Zimmern is the type of guy who boards a vintage World War II plane to fly into the bush country on the Mosquito Coast because he has a noon appointment with a witch doctor, almost capsizes in the rough seas of Iceland in order to go puffin hunting (and then eating) and has dubbed himself the first mazungo (white man) lungfisherman in Lwanika.

All these stories and more are told in his new book, "The Bizarre Truth: How I Walked Out the Back Door Mouth First and Came Back Shaking My Head" (Broadway Books 2009, $24.99).

Experiencing cultures through food is important to Zimmern whether that means eating lamb's blood seasoned with cilantro, lemon juice and onion. For those who may be somewhat reluctant to eat such things as cricket empanadas in the Yucatan Peninsula, Zimmern tells why it matters.

"With the flattening of our world, which I think is good, it's important to find something that everyone loves like food instead of the things that divide us like politics and religion," he says. "If we can sit down and share a meal and create that connection then I think we can then move on to more divisive things such as religion and politics because we've found something we can agree on and it makes it easier to move on to other areas."

That's why Zimmern thinks it's important to get away from what he calls the "gringo highway culture" and to explore the less traveled roads.

"If you're going to a place like Belize, many people go to a luxury all-inclusive on Ambergris Caye and plop down by the beautiful pool for a week and come back and say 'I just love Belize,' " says Zimmern. "But they haven't really seen Belize. It's good to get out, to see the first people's culture, the indigenous culture, the fringe culture."

As an example, even though Zimmern was staying at a luxury all-inclusive in Huatulco on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, he walked down the beach from the hotel and bought a meal from kids who were catching seafood.

"The people at the hotel were horrified," he said, "but they're the same people who would save up for an expensive meal at a Japanese restaurant in a big city far away from the source of all the food they were eating."

The following recipes are from andrewzimmern.com and reflect his approach to culinary diversity.

Catalonian Braised Chicken

5 pounds chicken parts, legs and thighs work best

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1/4 cups olive oil

1 tablespoon dry oregano

2 pinches saffron

2 minced onions

1 green bell pepper, minced

5 garlic cloves, sliced

2 fresh bay leaves

8 anchovies

3 tablespoons capers

1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup Nicoise or other black olives

8 ounces andouille or smoked sausage

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1/3 cup minced cilantro

1/3 cup minced parsley

Juice of 1 lime and the zest

DIRECTIONS: Place the olive oil into a large pan with high sides. Brown the chicken and the sausage and remove from pan. Slice the sausage. Put pan back over high heat and add the oregano, saffron, onion, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, anchovy, caper, and reserved sausage. Cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the vegetables, and add the wine and tomato. Bring liquids to a simmer and reduce liquids by half and add the chicken stock. Reduce liquids by a third, also at a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pan and when pot returns to a simmer, place into a 325-degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and place chicken on a platter. Reduce sauce, on the stovetop, if needed. Season by stirring in the remaining ingredients and finish with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Moroccan Kefta (Meatballs)

For the Kefta:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground lamb

1 minced onion

4 minced garlic cloves

1 egg, beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

3 tablespoons minced fresh mint

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoon minced leaf coriander (cilantro)

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup finely minced onion

2 cups plain yogurt, strained overnight through a cheesecloth set in mesh strainer, water discarded.

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch mint

1 hot green chili (I like to use Serrano chilies--use 2 if you like it hot)

Juice of 1 lime

Boston Bibb lettuce leaves for each serving

DIRECTIONS: For the Kefta: Combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into walnut-sized balls, skewering 3 to a skewer, pressing down to make a tongue shape. Brush with olive oil. Grill over high direct heat until cooked through. Serve with the yogurt sauce and a few heads of Boston lettuce for wrapping or as a dipping appetizer, etc. For the yogurt sauce: Combine onion and strained yogurt in a large bowl and reserve. Purée remaining ingredients in a food processor. Fold the two mixtures together and serve with the kefta. You may also find this a great sauce on any grilled or roasted meats, poultry, or seafood.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

2 sticks sweet butter, plus some for greasing the molds

8 ounces artisan bittersweet chocolate

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour, plus some for the molds

DIRECTIONS: Butter and flour 8 four-ounce ramekins or oven-proof molds. Be sure all interior surface area is covered. Cakes will stick wherever you miss, so be thorough. Place chocolate and butter in a slow double boiler and melt to combine. Whip eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until light and thick. Beat egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in the flour. Pour batter into molds and bake in a preheated 450-degree oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until set. Cakes will have risen an inch or so. Cakes should barely hold together, holding their molten chocolate center. Unmold and serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.