“I am not a glutton – I am an explorer of food”
Yesterday was really cold. I went out to fill the bird feeders, and by the time I was finished, my hands were freezing. In the afternoon my guy came and shut down my outside shower and drained the irrigation system. Winter isn’t here yet, but he is nearing.
When I was a kid, I’d walk to school when there was still frost on the grass. I used to cut across the field at the bottom of my street, and I could hear the cracking of the frost as I walked. Sometimes that field would have a crust of snow which melted during the day and froze again at night so walking on it also made a cracking sound, and cracks appeared from where I walked and zigzagged across the top of the snow as if the field was falling apart. Sometimes the crust broke. The snow underneath was soft and fluffy.
I find it a bit strange that some foods I ate when I was young I’d never eat now. Sardines come to mind. I remember having to use a key to roll open the can. The sardines inside were lined up in two rows, across and below. I’d grab some and eat them on Saltines. I used to make a mayonnaise sandwich. That was it, nothing else between the slices of bread. I liked liverwurst sandwiches with mustard. I can’t imagine eating one now. My mother made oatmeal for us in the winter. It was thick and sometimes lumpy. I used to add milk and cinnamon to make it palatable. I don’t think I’ve had oatmeal since then. I ate Jello in all its wiggly glory. I remember the gyrations of the red Jello when I shook the plate. That’s another food I haven’t eaten in decades.
Africa expanded my palate. I ate foods I didn’t know existed like hummus and tabouli. I ate goat and grasscutter. I ate my first Indian food. I loved kelewele, a dish made with plantains. Mangoes and pawpaw were brand new fruits to me. At first I thought mangoes tasted a bit like furniture polish must, but I came to like it. I ate Guinea fowl. I ate banku and kenkey and didn’t like either one.
I still enjoy trying new foods. What it looks like doesn’t matter. I’m all for the taste.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
October 26, 2018 at 5:28 am
Me too. OMG. I love eating different food, I don’t care how it’s done, I am gonna eat it.
Hey, do not hesitate to visit my blog page, it would be nice to connect with you. Cheers! 🙂
October 26, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Ragazza,
The only food I chose not to eat is bugs no matter how they are cooked. I know locust are considered a delicacy but I’ll pass.
Thanks for the invite. I’ll drop by!
October 26, 2018 at 11:39 am
It actually happens that I buy sardines, not often but perhaps once a year. My grandfather used to pick out the bones before he ate them 🙂 🙂 🙂 Took forever to do a job not necessary 🙂
I’ve tried jello once and don’t long for it again. If I find liver wurst I’ll buy it but it has become rare here, most people buy liver pate instead, almost the same but not quite.
I do like oatmeal but prefer the one they make from rye instead,it is less like wallpaper glue if one fails with it 🙂 🙂
Blood pudding is rare now days too but that is something I really like, it is perfect for dinner together with baked white beans, bacon, fried eggs and fried potatoes 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
October 26, 2018 at 11:54 am
Christer,
I used Toby a can of sardines for my father’s Christmas stocking. He really loved them.
I like liver pate. Maybe its exotic name makes it tastier than liverwurst which is still sold in the deli part of super markets.
Jello is popular with little kids.I don’t know any adults who eat it.
The quick, instant oatmeal is what people usually eat now. I still don’t buy it.
Blood pudding has never been popular here. I’d like the bacon, fried eggs and fried potatoes but not the rest.
Have a great day!
October 26, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Hi Kat,
I’m a food explorer, too. As a child I had odd food likes and dislikes. I think it had more to do with textures than taste. Winter squashes were good but summer squashes were bad. Watermelon was fine but no other kinds of melons passed my lips.
I’ve grown out of almost all of my weird food things. Except for tongue. My first encounter with tongue was an entire cow tongue sitting in splendid isolation upon a bed of crushed ice in the First National butcher’s case. The image remains with me to this day. If someone offered me a tongue sandwich now, I would eat it and most probably enjoy as I will try anything once. But tongue is not on my bucket list so I won’t be seeking it out.
Yesterday was cold. Today was cold. You know it’s cold when, after being outside, you come in to wash your hands and the cold water coming out of the tap feels warm. It’s been like that here.
Enjoy the evening.
October 26, 2018 at 10:29 pm
Hi Caryn,
I still don’t like summer squash. It always seems watery tome. I’m also not fond of zucchini.
I’m the same with tongue. I first ate it in Africa at the Catering Rest House. The tongue was served on a bed of lettuce, and it looked like someone was hiding under the table and sticking his tongue out. I haven’t eaten it since.
Today was really cold. I went to the dump, and the wind was fierce. I’m not looking forward to the weather tomorrow.
Have a great morning!
October 28, 2018 at 9:26 am
OMG! They served it intact on lettuce!?! Aaaah! That’s even worse than seeing it sitting on crushed ice. 😀 😀 😀
These days I roast all the veggies and it takes care of that wateriness and gives them a great texture and carmelized flavor. It’s also easier because I can set the timer on the toaster oven and walk away until I hear it ding.
October 28, 2018 at 10:57 am
Yup, it was intact, and I was tempted to look under the table to see whose tongue it was. I did taste it but decided no tongue for me.
It is only summer squash that I don’t like so ,much because of water. Zucchini just doesn’t taste good to me.
October 26, 2018 at 6:45 pm
My mother cooked basic meat and potatoes meals. We ate out a both Italian and Chinese restaurants in the early 1950s. When we moved to Texas we discovered Tex-Mex restaurants. Tex-Mex is northern Mexican food calmed down for Anglo taste. I don’t understand the movement among men to eat the hottest peppers. I don’t think masculinity is tied to Capsaicin. 🙂 The only Indian food I like is Naan bread. Besides having a tenderfoot tongue I dislike the taste of curry. My palate is not as adventurous as you’re palate.
I took today off to vote early. The weather was gorgeous with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 70s. I encourage everyone to vote in this important midterm election.
October 26, 2018 at 8:39 pm
Hard to believe that Dodger Stadium is the second oldest ballpark in the National League. They showed my favorite pitcher of all time Sandy Koufax. A few years ago he was playing in a celebrity golf tournament and the course pro told him that if he could straighten his left arm he would be a pretty good golfer. Koufax replied, “If I could straighten my left arm I would still be pitching”. I’m hoping for the Dodgers to win both games and return the series to Fenway. I don’t want the season to end too quickly. 😦
October 26, 2018 at 10:59 pm
Bob,
It is the third oldest park behind Fenway and Wrigley. It is also the park with the highest capacity.
I liked Sandy Koufax. I thought he looked good when he appeared camera tonight.
They are playing 3 in LA. The last 2, if necessary, would be in Boston. I would like it to end quickly!!
October 26, 2018 at 10:47 pm
Bob,
My father would have been horrified if my mother ever strayed from meat and potatoes for dinner. I totally agree with you about pepper power and men.
I like all sorts of Indian food. I buy naan at the grocery store and often make pizza using it. Curry is just a minor part of Indian food.
I also voted today. It was quiet so a quick in and out.The day was sunny, but it was cold.
October 26, 2018 at 10:58 pm
The line at the poll was longer than I expected for early voting for a midterm election. Generally, Democrats have a better chance when more people vote. That’s why Republicans have continually supported things like voter ID laws and voter suppression.
An interesting opinion from a really smart guy:
October 26, 2018 at 11:05 pm
Bob,
I agree with everything written in that article. We will be in even greater peril if the democrats don’t take the house I fear for what will happen to this country.
I’m glad I voted early.
October 26, 2018 at 11:56 pm
The set today was very much my kinda thing.
I looked up the Ghanaian foods I didn’t recognize. Interesting. I definitely see the appeal of kelewele. Maybe I’d pass on grasscutter. What was it like?
October 27, 2018 at 12:14 am
Rowen,
I chose not to post food but instead chose groups with food names. It was fun.
Grasscutter was actually tasty. I didn’t know what the meat was I was buying on the train. Most times I chose not to ask. Grasscutter meant nothing to me until much later when I saw one being sold. It looked like a giant rodent, but I had been eating it before I knew what it was so I kept eating it. Kelewele is amazing. It is a street food. Kenkey and banku are fermented, and I never liked the taste.
October 27, 2018 at 1:53 am
The record for number of innings played in World Series is 14.
October 27, 2018 at 10:47 am
Not any more- last night was eighteen innings and seven hours and 20 minutes.