Taste

When I, the endlessly curious adventurer, nibbled on my first (and only) lobster tail at Chili's, years ago, I did that dead crustacean a great injustice. Because at that time, for some inexplicable reason, I suffered from a lifelong dislike for the taste of butter. And having dipped the soft sweet meat into a bowl of melted butter sauce, I gave the lobster no chance at winning over my taste buds.

But one day, having awoken from the same bed, with the same legs and arms and eyes and ears and even tongue that I had for many days and years before, I tasted butter and said to myself, "This is really awesome!" Perhaps the newly manufactured skin cells or blood cells or hair follicles in my body contained and infected me with a butter-biased message. I don't know. Whatever the culprit, I thank it gladly. My waistline does not, but ah well. Butter truly is awesome.

If trusting a skinny cook is eternally forbidden, maybe you should trust flabby old me, who offers you today a little list of other foods that in recent years have shed my negative view of them and wowed me, finding their way onto my table increasingly more often.

Brussel Sprouts: Laugh if you like, but shake these babies, cleaned and stemmed, up in a bag with a bit of olive oil and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper, then roast them on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes (depending on size) and you may find you love them too. The "chips" that separate from the main heads and blacken during roasting really steal the show with these.

Artichokes: Just a year ago, I would have declared "I hate artichokes," quite firmly to anyone who asked. But fish one out of a jar of oil now and I'll chop it into my pasta salad or slide it onto a relish dish and serve it up gleefully to you. If you haven't lately, give one a shot.

Fresh Parsley: Grandma used to serve this on every relish dish and before long, I despised even the smell. But in recent years, I've started chopping it up and roasting it with wedged potatoes, stirring it into mashed or hashed taters, and adding it to my soups and red pasta sauces. Even my kids love it.

Mrs. Dash: When my husband discovered he had high blood pressure, nearly all of my specialties and favorite dishes required immediate transformation to a low sodium alternative. Having used Mrs. Dash (the traditional blend) as a salt substitute for my Uncle Clinton years before and strongly disliked it, I had misgivings about the product. But in the spirit of fairness, I tried out their table blend and now (when we can afford it) use it all the time! It's fantastic, in my opinion, as a versatile, sodium-free seasoning, good for cooking soups, burgers, casseroles, veggies, steaks, fries, and much more. But (again, when we can afford it) Italian dishes such as pasta sauces, easy chicken marinara (stuff a bit of provolone or mozzarella under the skin of some bone in breasts, sprinkle with it some of the following season, bake it at 400 degrees until no longer pink - about 35-40 minutes - place it on some cooked pasta with marinara sauce and taste easy, juicy triumph), and even pizza and breadstick doughs go much better with Mrs. Dash Basil, Garlic and Tomato (may have messed up the order there). Just don't be timid with these - generosity is key. A few hearty shakes and you've got flavor.

Frozen Bananas: Although this tropical fruit has never been a personal fave, I can't say I've despised it either. But using an inexpensive kit from the store, I got hooked on frozen chocolate bananas, which in my opinion elevate them to a much more delectable flavor profile. If you have chocolate chips or chocolate shell sauce and craft sticks at home, no need for a kit - just insert a craft stick into each banana half (starting with 3 or 4 halved bananas makes a decent batch), freeze for an hour, melt your chocolate by microwave in a bowl - 30 seconds on high, stir, 30 more, stir, repeat until smooth - then dip and roll the bananas in the sweet goodness until covered and return to freezer. Butterscotch or peanut butter kits or chips work fine too, and some stores carry strawberry flavor. They're all delicious.

I promised a little list so that's all for now. Perhaps you can sense my passion for food. Personal motto: If you're going to eat it, enjoy it.

If variety is the spice of life, don't be bland. Be bold! Unless you're face to face with a plate of blowfish.

Blessings,
V