Food, Glorious Food

One of the easiest ways to add adventure into your life is with food. Think about it. Despite the literally thousands of items sold at your local supermarket, how different does your shopping cart look from one week to the next? If you're like me, probably not much. Same basic assortment of meat, dairy, produce, bread, and packaged goods, with an occasional variation based on seasonality or price. But how hard would it be to toss in something brand-spanking new and give it a try? Or maybe it's something that you were forced to eat growing up and you vowed that, once you became an adult, it would never darken your kitchen's doorstep again. But if I banished everything I hated as a kid, I would never eat broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus, all veggie staples for me today. (Still “no” on the brussels sprouts...)

It's not just what you buy, of course. You could also try a new way to prepare something familiar. For example, I've always enjoyed raw red bell peppers in my salads. But about a year ago, I ordered some grilled vegetables at a restaurant, and peppers were included in the mix. They were so delicious, I've since added them to my culinary repertoire at home. Admittedly, it took a few attempts to figure out the magic formula for cooking them long enough to maximize their sweetness without crossing the line into “blackened pepper” territory. Oh, but it was sooo worth the wait!

Hungry now.

Comments

[Jen Berkley]

Great idea to try new foods! I've always encouraged my now 12 yr old to do so and by golly, he has a very wide tolerance for food, unlike a lot of his peers (or even elders!). He came home so excited the other day that they had edamame and miso soup at his Social Studies class' Japanese discussion! (two of his favorite foods!)

As for me, I love to explore within the unfamiliarity of Thai foods...and have found amazing flavors and textures, but have no idea what any of those foods are CALLED except for Larb...if you ever have a chance, TRY IT! (it's NOT lard...it's a ground meat salad dish with an amazing assortment of spices and not too 'hot' at all!)

My latest gastronomic exploration was steel cut oats for breakfast...I'd heard so much about their health benefits and decided it was time to try them and now I'm HOOKED! They are a bit tricky to cook, taking more time than standard oatmeal (see http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/07/sunday-brunch-steel-cut-oats.html for tips), but a great adventure for your MOUTH! Lots of different textures and tastes...enjoy!

[Elizabeth Kricfalusi]

Thanks for sharing, Jen. I've tried finding steel cut oats at the store before and could never find them. Are they usually only found in specialty stores? That's great that your son has such a sophisticated palate. Sounds like he has a true adventurous spirit, just like his Mom!