Thursday, June 28, 2012

Learning to Eat

Written for the 30-day creative writing challenge hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese.  It is day 28 of the writing challenge and those who are still standing will be weighing in with today's prompt, the turning point.  Check out the Linky at WWFC to turn on to some great writing.

Today's prompt is the turning point.  That should be an easy topic to write on, right?  We've all had at least one, and probably many smaller, less significant ones.  So what is a turning point?  I found this definition:  When an action or an event takes a turn for the better or for the worse, or changes direction.  This could mean getting or losing a job, getting married or divorced, moving out or moving in, among other things.

Dinner at Waltz
I've experienced all but one of those, but perhaps a more significant turning point was food related.  I learned to eat!  No, not really, but it seemed that way.  My Mom was a great cook and everything she put on the table was delicious, however as a kid I didn't always like it and if I didn't like it (or thought I didn't like it) I didn't have to eat it.  My father was not an adventurous eater, and so Mom's repertoire was limited.  After fixing something once that he didn't care for, she vowed not to serve that to him again.

So I entered adulthood still thinking Mexican food came from Taco Bell, and wouldn't dream of eating Chinese, Japanese, Indian, (real) Mexican, German, or any of the other cuisines I now enjoy.

Then, when I was in my mid 20s, enter my boyfriend, who is now my husband.  He liked all these things and more, and wanted more than just meat and potatoes.  He took me to a Mexican restaurant called Casa Galliardo's, and that was the beginning of my conversion.

Before that going out meant seafood or steak.  With my newly discovered taste buds, I even became more experimental with seafood, and pretty much if it swims, I'll at least try it.  Well done steak - forget it!  I've eaten crawfish and alligator, and tasted kangaroo and ostrich.  I found I like spicy foods too...who knew?  Indian and Thai, bring it on.  Jerk and Cajun, yum!  Our most recent discovery is a lovely little authentic Greek restaurant. 

That was definitely was a major turning point which has made for some really delicious meals.  We like to say that we vacation for food because we like to check out all the local specialties.  So I say thank you to my husband for broadening my culinary horizons.

Waltz Seafood at John's Pass

11 comments:

  1. That was a great turning point.

    Sadly, I have a heightened sensitivity in my mouth and can't eat anything too hot. I do like spicy food, but if it has even had a chilli waved over it I can't eat it. It's a great shame because I would be far more adventurous with food, if not for that.

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  2. I can find food I like at ANY restaurant. Doesn't matter what style or manner of food, there is something on the menu for me. However, I am fussy in the sense of, if it has meat in it. I don't eat a lot of of meat. I am not a total vegetarian but pretty darn close.

    I am always surprised when women tell me their husbands will only eat meat and potatoes. My poor guy would starve to death. There's just so many ways to make potatoes.

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  3. It's funny. My mother wasn't much of a cook and I didn't learn anything about cooking until I was in my mid 30's and a boyfriend taught me.

    Cooking is now a major pleasure in my life. I also have enjoyed a lot of foods that I'd never expected to like. It's great when we can open up our horizons!

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  4. Unfortunately I have never had this problem! :)

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  5. Babs- I'm sorry about your problem with spicy food, or rather the problem it has with you. It does limit one's adventurousness.

    Cheryl- It's rare that I can't find something I like, but it has happened - but not so much now. :) I do like my meats, though. I wouldn't make it as a vegetarian. Except for liver - I hate liver!
    Oh, there's lots of ways to make pototes, and I'd eat all of them. My other alias is tatergirl. That speaks for itself.

    Linda- I didn't learn to cook until a while after I got married. The Food Network was a big inspiration. Unfortunately it's not the same as it was since all my favorite shows and chefs have long since departed. I do cook a variety now, bu general leave the Asian and Indian cuisine to the restaurants.

    life in the mom lane- It is much less of a problem these days. In fact, less food in general wouldn't be a bad thing.

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  6. My SO is a foodie too. One of his favorite dishes is Ojingo bokkum (Korean spicy octopus) ~ I can't stand the smell of it when he eats it! I have broadened my eating horizons now having consumed bear, deer, pidgeon, pheasant, grouse and abalone, to name a few.

    thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com

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  7. I just can't wrap my mind around the idea that there are people who eat to live and don't live to eat. Thank goodness for your hubby or you might still be eating Taco Bell!!

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  8. It's amazing when a palate expands, isn't it? I grew up in a neighborhood with all sorts of what I thought were exotic homemade foods - like Italian, Jewish, Romanian, Polish, Russian (my Mom was from England so my friends thought steak and kidney pie was exotic) and it's amazing when you eat something truly authentic instead of a chain food version!

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  9. What an awesome post and tribute! My mom actually served things that were kind of "out there" at the time. My brother is actually a bit of a food snob now because of it LOL! But in a good way... he will eat ANYTHING gross... I've gone as far as tripe, soft tendon, snails, alligator... of course anything sushi is amazing.... I never thought about how lucky I was to have a Mom who cooked creatively.

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  10. A great post. I've noticed that I've grown older, I've become more adventurous. And, foods I used to loathe, I don't mind as much. And, I have become way more adventurous when cooking things, too. I love testing new stuff -- especially seafood!

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