Question du jour
What food traditionally considered to be a delicacy are you quite sure you can live without ever trying? Similarly, what food or drink have you always wanted to try but haven't had the chance to yet?
Spare me anything on the half-shell, and you can throw in escargot for good measure. Also, I'm underwhelmed by the idea of eating anything's liver. Yuck.
I'd like to try more kinds of fish. I've heard of tilapia, orange roughy and mahi-mahi, but I couldn't pick them out of a lineup. The only fish I'm really familiar with are tuna (canned), salmon, and cod ala fish sticks. Nothing exotic, like swordfish (although I hear mercury can be a problem with that one, so moderate moderation) or shark. Heck, I've barely even tried common catfish!
I'm self-taught when it comes to the consumption of mushrooms. Growing up, my mother was highly suspicious of any such fungi, and they did not appear on our table in any form, not even white buttons. Finally, during my twenties, I realized that I'd never heard of anyone croaking from eating cultivated 'shrooms, and I got tired of picking them off my pizza. I even progressed to the point of liking grilled 'shrooms with a burger, or stuffed at a buffet and occasionally sampling a grilled portobello. There are others out there, I know, what I'd love to try some day: shitakes and criminis and chanterelles. (Now I'm thinking about that organic mushroom risotto again....)
I'd also like to sample interesting veggies prepared by someone who knows what they're doing. Things like jicama, which is fun to say---is it as much fun to eat? Or fennel, which I hear has a mildly licorice flavor, which predisposes me to like it anyway. I've never had eggplant, but with a layer of parmesan, sure, bring it on. I wouldn't mind investigating various kinds of squash, or root vegetables. Maybe I'd even like sweet potatoes if they were prepared and presented in an appetizing way.
That's kind of the point: I'm clueless when it comes to cooking fresh veg, and I watch all these cooking shows wistfully thinking that they make it look so easy. They make all these "Mmm nommy!" noises as they taste their creations, and I feel like I'm missing out. My attempts are clumsy and disappointing; in the immortal words of George Carlin, "Is there a picture of it in the cookbook? I bet it doesn't look like that!"
.
Spare me anything on the half-shell, and you can throw in escargot for good measure. Also, I'm underwhelmed by the idea of eating anything's liver. Yuck.
I'd like to try more kinds of fish. I've heard of tilapia, orange roughy and mahi-mahi, but I couldn't pick them out of a lineup. The only fish I'm really familiar with are tuna (canned), salmon, and cod ala fish sticks. Nothing exotic, like swordfish (although I hear mercury can be a problem with that one, so moderate moderation) or shark. Heck, I've barely even tried common catfish!
I'm self-taught when it comes to the consumption of mushrooms. Growing up, my mother was highly suspicious of any such fungi, and they did not appear on our table in any form, not even white buttons. Finally, during my twenties, I realized that I'd never heard of anyone croaking from eating cultivated 'shrooms, and I got tired of picking them off my pizza. I even progressed to the point of liking grilled 'shrooms with a burger, or stuffed at a buffet and occasionally sampling a grilled portobello. There are others out there, I know, what I'd love to try some day: shitakes and criminis and chanterelles. (Now I'm thinking about that organic mushroom risotto again....)
I'd also like to sample interesting veggies prepared by someone who knows what they're doing. Things like jicama, which is fun to say---is it as much fun to eat? Or fennel, which I hear has a mildly licorice flavor, which predisposes me to like it anyway. I've never had eggplant, but with a layer of parmesan, sure, bring it on. I wouldn't mind investigating various kinds of squash, or root vegetables. Maybe I'd even like sweet potatoes if they were prepared and presented in an appetizing way.
That's kind of the point: I'm clueless when it comes to cooking fresh veg, and I watch all these cooking shows wistfully thinking that they make it look so easy. They make all these "Mmm nommy!" noises as they taste their creations, and I feel like I'm missing out. My attempts are clumsy and disappointing; in the immortal words of George Carlin, "Is there a picture of it in the cookbook? I bet it doesn't look like that!"
.