Monday, October 29, 2012

Fussy Eater

I'd be the first person to admit that I'm a fussy eater.  The list of things I won't eat could fill a small city telephone book.  I won't eat:

snails

tuna casserole

mussels

clams

oysters, except when they're fried

boiled chicken

anything with coconut

most things cooked with cheese

anything cooked with a white sauce

most fish, unless they don't taste like a fish

most organ meat

macaroni and cheese

anything with cilantro in it or its Asian cousin coriander

anything cooked with curry

most Chinese and Japanese food

The list goes on forever, but the food that deserves a special category  of dislike is liver.  I more than hate liver, I hate how it looks, both cooked and raw, I hate its smell, I hate its texture.
There are a number of things that Mac likes to eat that I'll fix (think Chinese food), but I refuse to cook liver.
My Mother was always a stickler for making us eat whatever we were given to eat (we were rather poor and food could not be wasted) and we couldn't leave the table until  our plate was clear.  One time when I was about 5 we had liver, cooked to the consistency of shoe leather.  I choked down a bite or two, but my stomach rebelled, so I sat there long after the rest of the family had left the table, I knew I could eat no more.  I looked around the kitchen and realized I could hide the rest of it under the stove and refrigerator, so that's what I did.
My Mom cleaned the kitchen when I was through and swept under the stove and refrigerator and of course she found the liver.  I was punished, but she no longer made me eat when I didn't like.  Instead she said that I didn't have the eat what I didn't like, but there would be no more food until the next meal.
I could, and did, live with that.  I'd much rather miss a meal than eat something I don't like.
When our daughter came along we never made her eat anything she didn't want to, but we did ask her to taste everything.  Now she's the most adventurous eater I know.
Have I gotten better as I've gotten older?  A bit, I now eat rice (which I would never eat), shrimp, crab,
mushrooms and other (to me) exotic foods.

2 comments:

  1. Had to smile at this ...I love liver but only lambs and only the way I cook it ....in a gravey with onions and bacon. I haven't cooked it for ages as I was the only member of the family who ever enjoyed it ...then recently my daughter mentioned she liked liver now and had bought some ready meals of it. This excited me so I cooked up a pan of it ...enough for at least 6 sensible portions!!! ....and introduced my grandsons to it ...they loved it too...success.
    I love most food but as a child I was forced to eat porridge without sugar,tripe(but only once), fresh blackcurrants and spinach. I still cant even think of them crossing my lips although I can now eat the latter in things.I too have never forced children to eat anything.
    I am thinking of everyone across the pond that may be in the path of the hurricane ...hope you all stay safe.xx

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  2. Sounds like you're even more fussy than me ;) I could never bring myself to eat snail or raw oysters, I think. Or octopus. I have difficulties with liver and such as well. And I won't eat things which stare at me from the plate! (so, for example, not shrimps or crabs if they're still whole...)

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