9-23-01, Lisa Laird, 610 words
Lisa's Lair
By Lisa Laird
IPS Features
I never considered myself to be a finicky eater as
a child, or even as an adult. Blessed
with a healthy appetite, sometimes a bit too healthy, I’ve had a history of
inhaling meals prepared by family, friends, and restaurants with great
enthusiasm and enjoyment. In the
past, when asked about my culinary preferences, I did not hesitate to respond
that I liked just about everything. I
used to pride myself on being easy to please, therefore, the model breakfast,
lunch, and dinner guest. I knew one
classmate during college who refused to eat American cheese, eggs, or turkey.
Now SHE was a picky pain in the posterior.
Not me.
In recent years, I often find myself disagreeing with others when discussing opinions regarding what we consider to be tasty foods. No longer do I proclaim to like almost everything. In fact, I’ve learned that I’ve been satisfied throughout my life with a very limited scope. I’ve concluded that the reason I considered myself to be so easy to please on social occasions was simply and entirely because my family and peers ate the same basic meals that I did, with perhaps a slight deviation in terms of recipes.
Sure, some versions are more appetizing than others, but how different can lasagna or chicken cutlets really vary? Then again, be glad you weren’t with me a few weeks ago when ordering potato salad at a delicatessen; I went from place to place until I found the salad that tasted just as I thought it should. People are comfortable with that which they know. Food is no exception and neither am I for that matter.
Some years ago, I had gone to Jones Beach with a few
other young ladies and one of them had insistently packed lunch for all of us on
the excursion. You should have seen
the surprised look on my face when I unwrapped a pepper and egg sandwich.
I like peppers and I like eggs. But
not as a sandwich and not as a lunch.
I’m sure this combo is favorable and delicious,
however, I’ll take a hamburger instead…which was what I inconspicuously
opted for that particular afternoon, thanks to the nearby concession stand.
And it has come to my attention that seafood consists of more than
flounder, shrimp, crab, and lobster. Salmon,
herring, and sardines, to name a few, are widely consumed members of the
underwater extended family, as well. Plainly
speaking, I’ve never had much affection for distant relatives.
I’m not sure about these either.
Eddie, an acquaintance of mine, has the most extreme
sense of adventure when it comes to trying dishes he’s not familiar with.
He relishes certain delicacies that are conceivable, but I wouldn’t
consume on a lucrative bet. He also
savors a few that I can’t understand at all.
Eddie informed me that he was once presented with a wild goose given to
him by a friend to prepare for dinner.
I’ve heard about someone going on a wild goose chase,
but never before dramatically acted out in the literal sense of the term.
Although he said that it wasn’t nearly the finest meal he’s ever had,
Eddie did eat it, as he doesn’t believe in wasting food.
The wide or narrow spectrum of foods we indeed find or
think we’d most probably find favorable or unfavorable, is not shaped by
personal decisions, but rather, personal conditioning.
We eat what we are familiar with and shy away from what we are not.
We open our minds by opening our mouths…even if at first we must close
our eyes to do so. I know this and
must actively practice the concept before I get on my soapbox and begin
preaching to others. I consider
myself to be an open-minded individual and must broaden my horizons in terms of
cuisine.
Eddie has the right idea when he indiscriminately
welcomes the chance to indulge in previously unexplored culinary creations.
Based on firsthand experience, he clearly decides for himself what he
finds pleasing and what he does not. According
to his own admission, Eddie favors and appreciates just about every type of meal
he’s tasted. There is, however,
one particular food that he just can’t seem to develop a tolerance for.
Farina.
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