Someone on AskMeFi has asked whether those “deceptively delicious” recipes are a way for adult picky eaters to get more variety in their diets. The poster also mentions that they hate all vegetables in just about every form. A couple people trotted out the “Ooh, you could be a supertaster!” suggestion. Whatever. Instead I actually cheered at this comment:
“You are a food sissy. With every microwaved meal, with every bland bite, with every glob of pasteurized processed American cheese food product that you shovel down your insensate gullet, you become more of a food sissy. Stop it. Get over yourself. It doesn’t taste bad, it just tastes DIFFERENT. The only way to learn to like veggies is to EAT THEM CONSTANTLY until you like them.”
AMEN! It’s tough love, but it needed to be said. And I say that as a reformed food sissy myself. Ask my mother. The only vegetables I’d eat growing up were potatoes and sweet corn. Deciding to “get over myself” a few years ago was the best decision ever. I have no idea how people can survive (or enjoy life!) without fresh tomatoes, coriander, roast pumpkin, capsicum (peppers for the Yanks), basil, spinach, etc. You’re missing out on so much!
Cousin Cathy
October 26, 2007 — 9:07 pm
Yea that’s all good but do you eat mushrooms yet? I remember a time when you puked all over the table once you saw a mushroom in your plate. Your Mom even had minced it up. You were like 4 yrs old.
Kris
October 26, 2007 — 10:41 pm
Wellll… I’m still workin’ on mushrooms. I eat ’em. I just don’t like ’em. 🙂
patrick
October 27, 2007 — 12:15 am
Wow– Tony Bourdain is a MeFite? “BitterOldPunk” sounds about right… maybe I’m not joking.
Kris
October 27, 2007 — 1:50 am
He has another righteous tirade later in the discussion. I think I now have a crush on BitterOldPunk.
eileen
October 27, 2007 — 2:04 am
Awesome. Picky eaters annoy the heck out of me. I think it’s because I have some many allergies- basically, I don’t understand “not liking” a food. For me, if it doesn’t cause vision loss, vomiting, or explosive diarrhea, then I’ll eat it!
patrick
October 27, 2007 — 2:13 am
It just baffles me… I honestly feel bad for people who didn’t grow up trying different things. My mom’s family was strange in the 60s for eating — gasp! — Chinese food (or so I hear). I guess I was the same, eating Indian and Thai. It astounds me how many people I met in college who say, “This was the first time I’ve had [insert reasonably common ethnic food here].” And they’re not even from the south.
Full disclosure: I do dislike mushrooms and tofu (as featured ingredients, anyway). But that’s a texture thing.
I think it’s about being open to novelty and flexibility in mindset, not silly tongue physiology.
Aim
October 27, 2007 — 2:38 am
I’m with Cathy, Kris…you can’t knock somebody for not liking the DIRTY WEED (oh, sorry, I mean cilantro…wait…coriander…wait…WHATEVER!) when you live a life void of fungus. You never tried a morel mushroom fried in butter? A big fatty Portabello sandwich? Even just raw button mushrooms on a salad have a certain satisfying crunch about them. You’re missing out. It’s just sad, really.
Although…it’s forgivable, I guess, if founded on the principles of texturetarianism. Because water chestnuts? Evil, foul things.
Major
October 27, 2007 — 5:24 am
Off topic I know, but is BitterOldPunk seriously Bourdain. He is my cheffing hero. I lived by his book.
The best part is that if you follow the links to his website you get the tag line “D. Boon was a fucking hero, and if you don’t know who he was, fuck you.”. Booooooooonnniiiieeeee….
Kris
October 27, 2007 — 9:31 am
Oh, I’ve tried ’em, Aim. My food hero Steingarten says you have to try something eight times before you’re allowed to say you don’t like it. So when I go to a restaurant and I get mushrooms, I eat every bit. That’s what I mean; I’m workin’ on it! So far the ones I’ve liked best are enokitaki, which are the little Asian straw mushrooms. We had them fried like french fries at Flower Drum in Melbourne and they were fantastic. Plus I really, really like the look of having a bit fat grilled Portobello… I just still don’t like the smell and texture. But I’ll get there.
I eat a fair bit of tofu these days, actually. One of the Thai stands in the CBD food court does an awesome fried-tofu in peanut sauce dish. And the Snook and I have made mapo tofu a few times ourselves. I haven’t made the leap to tofu burgers though. I guess it’s because I prefer it as an ingredient and texture of its own, rather than when people use it as to fake something else.
Rodd hates water chestnuts too. Odd. I like the crunch.
I’m pretty proud of the fact that when we went out for dinner a few weeks ago, I had oysters for my appetizer. OYSTERS! I actually like them (especially with a lovely vinaigrette on top). I think eating oysters makes up for not like mushrooms.