Culinary Adventures

I love food.

I mean, really love food. I especially like to try new foods. If a restaurant is serving something I have never had before, you can be assured that is what I will order. There is so much good food out there, I never know when I may stumble across a culinary delight that I might not have already known about.

I have never understood picky eaters. I do understand that some people don't like a lot of things. There is nothing they can do about that. I won't judge. However, the people that won't even try something new baffle me. What are they afraid of? If you don't like it, you don't like it. What's the big deal?

I am not referring to people with dietary restrictions or health concerns that restrict what they can eat. I have a friend that grew up with an extremely limited diet and after a gall bladder surgery there is very little that his body will allow him to eat. He and others like him get let off the hook. The same goes for vegetarians, the lactose intolerant and people with food allergies.

I know this is not true in all cases, but many of the people that refuse to try new things are not doing it because of taste. They just have no sense of adventure or have concluded they don't like something when they don't actually know. They've decided what they eat and do not venture from it. In high school, my friend Jeff was eating dinner with my family and was halfway through his third bowl of chili when he complimented my mother on how great it was. She thanked him and replied that she was trying to get rid of the last of the deer burger we had in the freezer and thought chili would be the way to go. Jeff turned green and set the bowl down. After spitting out what was still in his mouth, he said, "What? This is deer? I hate deer!" He then ran to the bathroom to clean out his mouth.

He had already eaten three bowls and even commented on how good it was. How could he honestly say he didn't like it? However, he maintained his stance when he came back. It was hard to take him seriously.

Kirsten has a friend that has spent the night many times. On several occasions, she has walked into the kitchen as I am making dinner to ask what we're having.

"I'm making a tuna casserole."

"Oh, I don't like tuna!"

"I'm sorry. Did I say tuna? I meant chicken casserole."

I would then continue to make the tuna casserole. The great thing about this kid is I would tell her the truth halfway through the meal and she would admit "I guess I like tuna now." Good girl. 

She has eaten lots of things at my house that she claimed she didn't like. One time, after showing her disgust for something in her own home, her dad asked her why she is so picky at home when she will eat anything at my house. She answered, "Well, it's probably because Brett lies a lot." I can't deny the truth of that statement.

Any guest in my house quickly learns that I will not fix a special meal for them. They are more than welcome to share a meal with us, but they can eat what we are eating. The same rule applies to children. I raised mine that way. No child will starve himself. If my children refused to eat something, I didn't force them. However, they would not be allowed a bite of anything else until they ate what was served. Even if it took two days. They weren't picky for long and today are very adventurous eaters.

On the few trips I've made out of the country, I've been part of a group and could never understand why they would vote to go to McDonald's or Taco Bell when it came time to eat. Why would you want to eat something that you can get back home? We're in a foreign land. Let's try something local. Let's experience what this country has to offer. Of course, these are usually the same people that want to hit the local mall rather than see the sites and experience the culture.

As for myself, I will eat anything that is considered food. I would never expect people to eat some of the things that I have eaten, but anyone who says they are hungry and then turns their nose up at a plate of food doesn't have any concept of what hungry actually means. However, if you would like to have an eating adventure, accompany me into the city to find something new. This is a favorite activity of my daughter and myself. On our last outing, we ate uncooked quail eggs right out of the shell and raw eel. We weren't impressed by the eggs, but the eel was amazing.

Believe it or not, I have eaten 
something very similar to this.

I have eaten octopus on many occasions and sometimes it is raw (which is the best way to eat it). Once, like the picture above, it was still alive. The one I had was much larger.

I have eaten bear, iguana, elk, shark, moose, ostrich, earthworms, emu, dog, rattlesnake, rat, crocodile, various insects, rabbit, frog, squid, guinea pig, caterpillar, crawdads, squirrel, horse, tarantula, raccoon, dolphin, alligator, opossum, and even skunk. I've tried hundreds of different exotic fruits, vegetables, roots, and flowers that I had never even heard of until they were in front of me. Some of these I sought out, others were eaten because the opportunity presented itself. I didn't like all of them, but I never refuse to eat something. Even if I don't like it, I will finish what is served to me. You will never see me spit out food.

The DURIAN.
Banned in many public places due to the smell.

I have several specific foods on my list that I would like to try. I want to eat a durian. I have heard it described as tasting like a soggy onion. It doesn't sound good, but I know no one who has eaten one. I just have to.

I also want to eat the Japanese dish fugu. It must be prepared by highly specialized chefs who are trained to properly remove the neurotoxins of the puffer fish so as not to kill the consumer. Although, I may wait until I am highly advanced in years before I try this one.

I have a friend who has invited me over to eat balut as soon as we can find a way to get around the Illinois state shipping laws. I will not describe this dish here, but you can click its name if you're curious.

I don't expect everyone to be this adventurous, but there is so much good food that goes beyond the American standard of meat and potatoes. Try something new every now and then. You never know when you might stumble upon your next favorite.