"I'm not afraid to eat anything!...except the things I hate..."
5 of 8
I was baking with 6 of 8 Saturday when 5 of 8 wandered through the kitchen. We asked him if he would like to be our taste-tester and he enthusiastically agreed, stating, "I'm not afraid to eat anything!...except the things I hate..." It was definitely one of those mommy moments that in the interest of preserving the male ego, I had to choke back my laughter and nod knowingly at him.My kids are actually pretty good about eating all kinds of different dishes. We introduced them at young ages to steamed artichoke hearts, lemon and dill salmon, dark chocolate and pomegranates, quinoa, bleu cheese. For the most part, they are quite willing to give my stabs at gourmet a try.
But every now and then, I will place some new recipe in front of them that brings their sense of gastronomic adventure to a screeching halt. Sometimes it's the color. Sometimes it's the texture. They won't even dip their spoon into the concoction without some stern encouragement and a round of 'how many bites' negotiation.
I try to be somewhat sympathetic. I tell them that all I require is that they just give it a taste. How will you know if you like it or not, I argue, just from the appearance alone? Just give it a taste. And, ironically, sometimes some of the dishes that have initially received the strongest amount of protest have ended up being some of their favorites.
So I say all that to say...I am a hypocrite. Because I am a visual, textural eater. If it looks a little off, forget it. If the texture looks odd, no way. A trepidacious epicurean. That's me.
Don't tell the kids.
There are some dishes that I avoided for years which have ultimately become some of the items on my top ten list. Sushi was one. M would travel on business and rave about the sushi bar he found in Manhattan. We would be getting ready to go on our Friday night date and he would start in about wanting to take me out for sushi. I would hem and haw, look askance and decline.
And then I tried it.
Oh, my.
My initial concerns about texture were abated. My fear of strong, fishy taste was assuaged. I fell madly, deeply in love. The same with ceviche, a seafood appetizer 'baked' in a marinade of citrus juices. Strong French cheeses, calamari, ahi tuna, I love it all now that I'm past my previous concerns.
But I still hate Brussel sprouts. They are evil.
So what have you feared to ingest, only to find that you have now developed a deep affection for? Or are you willing to give just about anything a good college try? Do you stay close to the shore when it comes to your gourmet adventures or are you willing to sail the high seas in anticipation of a mystery dish? Post about your taste bud tendencies and come back here to enter your name and the url of your post in the Mister Linky's box below, or simply post a comment about this topic. Let's see what kind of eater you are!
I am actually a relatively brave taster of new stuff...and btw I am one of those folks who likes brussel sprouts ;)...I am however much braver if I do not know the ingredients in something...
ReplyDeleteBut if it smells weird that is the one thing that keeps me from trying something...
I have always hated cottage cheese, but just lately have found myself taking a bite or two.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I will ever venture towards mushrooms or liver.
My 8-year-old son loves Brussels sprouts. Go figure...
ReplyDeleteI am not a risk taker when it comes to food. For instance, if it's green and NOT lettuce, I'm not eating it.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to even be in the same time zone as broccoli.
And I won't eat fish of any kind ... I won't eat anything that swims in its own poop.
I just so agree with the brussel sprouts. Lucky for me my hubby agrees.
ReplyDeleteDon't hate on the brussel sprouts. :)
ReplyDeleteI will eat just about anything. My kids, however, would weep openly at your dinner table. They eat exactly nothing. Unless it's processed half to death, then it's delish. Believe me, I've tried too.
I was one of those mums that was so sure their kid would eat everything because as a 9 month old they would. Thai mince, curry, anything put in front of them. Now we have a one bite rule. Lion is surprised often that he actually likes what he tastes. Dragon, well, he often goes to bed very hungry after refusing to do even one bite. If they at least try it I'll usually let them have something else, if they wont even taste it they go hungry.
ReplyDeleteI am planning to post on this tomorrow now. It's not like I don't have 5zillion other posts to do but this sounds fun. "How the McTavish's came close to divorce over a dead sea creature on an otherwise wonderful overseas holiday" Yep, riveting stuff.
The girls will try just about anything, especially A (2). Now L (14) has decided she only eats chicken with the occasional turkey so if there's no "meat" in it she will be very adventurous too. The only one who doesn't eat strange things is Gary. Green beans, corn, potatoes, carrots, peas.....yep, that's it. We always have one of those staples and something else for the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely a foodie. Will try (nearly) anything. Sushi is one of my faves, and I've eated shark, alligator, pickled tripe and snapping turtle soup (all-knowingly). I draw the line at liver, however, and am SO with you on the brussels sprouts! Bleah...
ReplyDeleteI love trying new foods. (I'm a Food Network junkie.) I've eaten rattlesnake, fried grasshoppers, octopus, manudo (yuck!) just to name a few on my "brave eater" list. I love every veggie I've ever met, but I can take or leave red meat...I do turn my nose up to processed meat and draw the line at eating anything with blood in it.
ReplyDeleteThe post picture is priceless!
I love most everything - your list would be making me hungry if I weren't still stuck in this first trimester queasiness! My nemesis? Sardines...I can't stand the crunching of the bones, even when they are cooked into something so I can't taste them.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to fall in love with brussel sprouts, I can send you a fabulous recipe! Seriously! ;)
I'll eat anything once. Not such a big fan of bottom dwellers and other crustaceans lacking excretory organs, but I LOVE me some raw fin fish (salmon, etc.) and have been craving it and eating it A TON lately. Mmm.
ReplyDeleteI could do without cantaloupe.
And Brussels sprouts...roast 'em with a good grapeseed oil and some Hawaiian black sea salt and you'll change your mind!
This is a great post, and I ll take you up on the posting, will do and bring back the link....
ReplyDeleteI use to only love exotic food, remember not taking an apple from my mum without a fight..it was too commmon.. I wanted strawberries, blueberries....all those things we had to pay huge money for, in the small places in South America I grew up...
Sarita was also introudced to all kinds from early age, her favorite outing is eating at YoSushi or Belgo for mussels clasique!
For those with a taste for adventure and a taste for adventurous food, you guys have the best Chef-Writer I have ever read... Anhony Bourdain.
Worth a look, he wont give you recipies, but a great read.
but not gonna highjack this...will do my own post!!!
:)
Brussels sprouts though, I m SO with you there!!!!
Huggzzz
First, Brussel Sprouts. I try them every year to see if I like them any better than the year before. So far, I still dislike them.
ReplyDeleteI mostly don't want to try anything that SMELLS bad.
I'm also wary of any meat that I haven't been raised on (I'm recently getting used to pork, a little bit). I like fish, as long as it doesn't taste or smell like fish. Yes, my rule for meat is that it cannot SMELL anything like the animal it once was.
I once retreated to a bedroom for an hour to nurse my newborn to avoid steamed clams being served at a pool party....but they saved a dozen to steam just for me! I'm eternally grateful...I loved them...and oysters too...raw, steamed, grilled...any way I can get them!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletei definitely had a "no-pork" rule after I saw Babe. it lasted about 3 weeks.....
ReplyDeletebesides that - I'll eat it all!
Adorable Hubby won't let me order any cut of red meat except a fillet, he considers it an insult to the chef, the cow, and true carnivores every where, that I dissect it to be sure not one little piece of fat enters my lips. I can't even eat at a table where rare prime rib is served, uggg, nauseous shudder just thinking of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying Mrs Boo Radleys Brussel sprout recipe, yum!
Same with me and sushi. Not all sushi though, just most.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree on the brussel sprouts.
Did some of your followers get eaten too? It seems there was a drop in the number but I haven't been paying attention to your number too much If so, don't sweat it. It's happening all over blogger. Something is broken.
I have a great LOVE for sushi even though I was very reluctant to try it. I LOVE to try new foods, but I'm not totally adventurous. For example. I won't do organ meat. Or oysters. OR a bunch of other vile sounding things. I also won't touch salmon.
ReplyDeleteFiance is such a picky eater. I don't mind most foods and if someone prepares it. I'll usually try it. Recently acquired has been aspargus and brussel sprouts. I once put sushi up to my mouth, but couldn't handle the smell of the seaweed.
ReplyDelete"Trepidacious epicurean!" LOVE THAT!
ReplyDeleteHmmm....our kids (like yours) used to both be VERY good about trying things that were unexpected hits. (tilapia, avocados, etc.)
Hmmm...let me ponder some foodstuff affinities.... ;)
I will admit here for all of blogdom that I do not eat potatoes. Nope, not any way shape or form. Not mashed, french fried or baked. It is a texture thing.
ReplyDeleteI do not eat any fish either. But I do eat shrimp. Go figure.
As a child I only ate two veggies, corn and okra (fried, thanks). I have learned to eat most veggies. Not spinach though. Cabbage is among my favs.
I am afraid I don't like anything...and I am always correct in my assumptions of whether or not something is going to make me gag.
ReplyDeleteI still despise brussels sprouts but I've gotten better about trying a variety of foods. I love me some sushi, though!
ReplyDeleteI would not eat beets for the longest time, and this year I decided to try them and oh my I LOVE them! I could so eat them all day! They are like candy! I also hated bbq sauce of any kind and now I love all of it!
ReplyDeleteI'm not an adventurous eater .. Actually, I'm just not big on adventure at all. I figure, at the end of my life when I'm in Heaven, I'm not going to be stamping my foot, whinging about never having tried something .. especially food.
ReplyDeleteBut my husband? He loves adventure of all kinds. The only thing he's gotten me to try so far, food wise, is his tuna fish sandwiches. That I actually, kinda liked. =-)
Neither hubby nor I are very adventurous eaters. I tend to cook things that we both liked as kids. I don't care for anything spicy, greasy or string flavored, especially when pregnant.
ReplyDeleteMy kids don't care for caseroles, except for Macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, and chicken pot pies. They like most vegetables raw and almost any fruit.
We also have a lot of allergies, including peanuts for some of us. If they do not like what is fixed, they can make a sandwich, throw some waffles in the toaster, have a bowl of cereal, etc. As long as they don't expect me to cook a separate meal or clean up after them, I don't care what nutricious foods they get themselves.
My hubby and his brothers were forced to clean their plates when they were kids. They are all overweight, some dagerously so. I tell my kids to stop eating when they are full. The dog is a good leftover disposal. I only have 1 kid who is a little heavier than normal. I'd say my way works better. :)