(Images nicked off the internet, collage created by yours truly.)Hmph and double hmph! What, I want to know is it with people who say: "Oh I don't eat this and I don't eat that."
For those of us with genuine and multiple food intolerances who would love to eat all sorts of things, those who are just plain picky are right pains in the proverbial situpons. For those of us who have always loved food, luxuriated in eating, delighted in concocting delicious meals, and relished trying a bit of everything, watching those who can genuinely eat anything but won't, makes us incline to murderous intentions.
Went out for dinner a while ago... friend perused menu... "Ooh no," she clucked, "I don't eat tomatoes... or asparagus. Yuck. As for polenta - gross."
Significant Other glanced over, "Yes," he said, the treacherous creature, "I don't like asparagus either. Nor do I care for funny things wot live in the sea. Don't like smelly cheese either."
Oh to be able to be so wantonly fussy.
The Mother is the worst. Doesn't eat mushrooms unless they've been peeled. Doesn't like vegetables, doesn't see the point of pasta, risotto or spices, refuses to eat anything porcine, caprine or avian (yes, well a certain chicken of my acquaintance thinks this is no bad thing... even if it has nothing to do with being kind to animals). And the list goes on. Finding a restaurant to which to take The Mother is downright difficult.
"Do you do plain grilled fish or steak?" I have to ask. "No? Okay. Reservation? No, thanks all the same."
I wish I could afford to be so fussy. But I can't. Besides, I had a father who could best have been described as an adventurous eater. My dad loved his grub and was willing to try almost anything once. His daughter grew up to be still more adventurous and has been known to try pretty much everything. I won't tell you all the things I've eaten as the animal and creature rights activists amongst you will be deeply offended. For those of you who were of the mistaken view that I am a vegetarian, I am not. Much to a certain Chicken's disgust. I was once. But it made me manic. For someone often nicknamed Tigger, trust me, I don't need more bounce. For two years my mother had to tolerate me bounding off the walls and ceilings. Eventually I resumed eating meat to slow myself down. It's true.
Today, ten thousand food tolerances later, I eat meat because I can't digest lentils, soya beans and such like legumes filled with protein. Nor can I wash it down with products that come from a cow or a goat. (Besides, I'm of the view that milk was meant for baby cows - not big humans...) And as much as I'd love a huge bowl of pasta or a dish of polenta, it's just not a happening thing.
But back to my present hissy fit.
"Oooh," said Significant Other, last night, "you're making what?!"
"I'm making a seafood soup," I muttered.
"Urgh! Disgusting!" he bleated.
I turned on him with a beady eye (I was borrowing a look I learned from Atyllah). "Disgusting is it?" I snapped. "Nice to be able to be so picky. Nice to be able to choose. Fun to be so squeamish about things wot have tentacles. What are you? A man or a mouse? Eeep, eeeep."
"Ah," he said, "I can see you're better. Back to your usual acerbic self."
"Mouse!" I snapped.
"Mouthe," he retorted, grinning
"Squeak!" I snapped. "Then shut your gob before I pop a squiggly squid in it!"
But see, here's the thing: I'm picky about what I eat because I have no choice. I would love to snarf down a bowl of fettucine con funghi, or a dish of Tuscan bean stew - and finish it off with a slice of chocolate cake and a dollop of ice cream or a nice plate of assorted cheese and biscuits. But I can't. So I get really pissed off when those who can eat whatever they choose, witter on about "ooh, I don't like this and I don't like that." Wish I had room to be so fussy. I'm sure all the millions starving across the world think the same way too.
Hissy fit over. Ranting complete. For now... besides, it's time for a mug of cocoa made with rice milk. How the mighty adventurous eaters have fallen.
Sigh.
25 comments:
On the bright side at least you can still enjoy seafood. Yum seafood soup!! lm biased though.
The only trouble, Cleo is the Significant Other loathes and detests seafood and making it only for one is well, just not much fun. Sigh. Oh for a bowl of pasta or a small insalata caprese. 's'not fair! Whinge, grumble, complain.
;-)
I admit to being a bit fussy about certain foods...especially red meat, but at least I will try things before I judge them. I consider myself very lucky that I do not have any food allergies.
I have two sons who are experts in the "Nah, no, I am not even going to try it" school. Drives my wife and I batty.
Often, the best food comes from the least likely sources. Just like life. You think you have it figured out and then you try something with tentacles and it is the best thing you ever had.
I think the willingness to try new things is, Silver one of life's greatest adventures - food or otherwise.
Hmm, then David could I recommend mopani worms to you... Actually no, don't bother, they really aren't very nice! ;-)
I am a fuzzy eater too, but a total foodie,.
I would love to try anything vegetarian..
A fussy eater and a foodie - hmm, Rambler an interesting combination... ;-)
Wish I was a fussy eater. Might be slimmer *sob*
Peeled mushrooms? Ridiculous! I'll eat damned near anything--animal, vegetable, mineral, whatever. The only things that make me cringe are disgusting combinations of things I (otherwise) like. The Japanese are masters of this: noodle sandwiches, potatoes and mayo on pizza, curry in a donut, stuff like that. Yuck!
I can eat everything, even things that I used to be sensitive to, as long as I do so in moderation. The only thing I can even think of that I don't like is olives. But I figure if I'm going to spend the calories it should be really good and so I don't eat junk food much.
I can't think of a single ingredient that I've tried and didn't like cooked some way. Even if you try something and hate it, cooked or prepared another way it could be the most delicious thing you've ever had.
I'm a really adventurous eater. I think that's my favourite part of traveling, trying all the weird and wonderful food. Picky eaters drive me up the wall as well.
Yes, well, Baino, I'll say on thing for food intolerances - you do get slimmer.
We-ell, I dunno Kyklops - the English to chip butties, I've even tried potatoes on pizza - was't bad - but then I used rosemary not mayo. Sometimes strange combinations can yield remarkably interesting results - though I draw the line as at mayo milkshakes! As for curry on a donut - it has possibilities... ;-)
I'm hoping, Colleen that one day my system will strengthen sufficiently to allow me to do the "in moderation" thing. I live in hope.
One of a kind, Rob - there are few things I've tasted cooked one way or t'other that can't be palatable. But I will say this - the mopami worms really weren't a big hit - I think it was the bit where you have to bite the head off and suck out the innards that was so off-putting - even though the garlic butter sauce was perfectly tasty...
good post. My father loves to tell the story of a Bengali villager, who was cutting water hyacinth from a pond. Some local wags asked, "Uncle, why are you cutting those weeds?"
The villager said, "To feed my cow."
"Oh come on! Even a cow won't eat those tough weeds."
"If you're tied up, even you will eat it!"
I rest my case.
You are right - and it gets worse. Sometimes I have to cater for my lovely daughters friends - they are all aged 14 - 15. Between them and their pickiness there is not a lot left to give them. Fish fingers, oven chips, thats all- unless you want to make 6 different meals.. my girl is different she eats everything in sight. Properly raised you see..
My daughter's fave slogan is, 'What can I have instead?' Our reply? 'That empty feeling one gets when one hasn't had enough to eat!' We're cruel!
I used to be a vegetarian but I got really anaemic so had to start eating meat again.
I am allergic to dairy so I have to drink soya milk, which I prefer to cow's milk anyway. I do miss cheese tough. I eat it sometimes but I just break out in spots. It's the same with chocolate, but I can't give that up or I'll go mad. I try not to eat too much of it.
Sorry, that was supposed to be 'I do miss cheese though'.
"(Besides, I'm of the view that milk was meant for baby cows - not big humans...) "
I worked in the cattle feed industry for a few years (not any more) and I was once talking to a sales rep and asked him if the cows can produce enough milk for their calves and have any left for humans to drink. Apparantly they never see any real milk, but are weaned on a kind of milk powder. I think it is mostly made from whey.
The powder, of course, worked out cheaper than letting them have the real stuff.
Smart one, that Bengali villager, Moni - most of us don't realise just how fortunate we are.
Well done on raising a sensible daughter, Mutts - all that pickiness, really... What some wouldn't give eh - even for water hyacinths.
Nah, Jon not cruel, just sensible. You know I'm a firm believer in kids knowing what is good and right for them - until social conditioning screws up their own food intuition and they get just plain silly.
Have you tried rice milk, Marie - I can't do soya but I really enjoy rice milk if I have to have "milk" with anything. And don't talk to me about chocolate - I'm in the throes of making the River Cafe's Chocolate Nemesis at the moment and have just been licking out the bowl.... urgh, one of us feels very icky right now!
Agricultural industry has a lot to answer for Steve given it means humans end up drinking milk from cows who don't have a clue what milk even tastes like. Something screwy in the system, don't you think.
And Atyllah says: Humans! Ba-kaaaak! Always mucking about with everything! Will they ever learn to to follow the natural processes? Nah, probably not!
I am vegetarian for health reasons (my body over produces bile in order to break down meat) but still love to 'smell' bacon.
I think we were meant to eat everything and an omnivorous diet is what made humans successful. I do believe that many illnesses are caused, or aggravated by additives. Our packaged food is mostly as far away from natural as it can get. Bleach and chalk in bread? And how the hell do they get bread to 'stay fresh' for a week. Homemade lasts a day.
One of the most scary things I've met is a carrot which had been on my compost heap for over a month and still looked in "perfect working order" - now what the hell do they do to carrots that they last so long - and in a compost heap!
I shop in only two aisles of the supermarket - fresh produce (fruit and veg) and butchery/fishmonger. The rest are toxic no-go zones.
I learn something new every day. Humans, finicky? I find this difficult to believe. Just wait until they've tried their first juicy, full of protein, slug. I absolutely recommend them. Bob tried one a week ago, where after a few seconds his face took on a peculiar yellowish-green hue. Needless to say, I didn't stay around to see what happened next. Ribbit!!!
Froggy
Well there are some humans who rather fancy snails - and let's face it, they're not that different from slugs. Clearly Bob doesn't know a good thing when he sees it, eh, Froggy?
I absolutely eat whatever the hell I want.
Last night... went for gelato with three friends. They each smiled politely and asked for a single scoop in a cute little plastic cup with the little plastic spoon.
I got two huge scoops; one chocolate turtle and one wedding cake flavor (that's smarty pants for vanilla) in a gigantic waffle cone with an extra cookie on the side.
Amen and pass the syrup. Life's too short to worry about the stupid things.
I'm healthy and usually watch what I eat, but I don't skimp.
And I love to try new things. I may not have discovered my favorite yet!
Scarlett & V.
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