post off: what food do you like that you used to hate?
That’s an easy one for me to answer: Brussels sprouts. The truth is, I’m not sure I even used to hate them, only that I used to refused to eat them — they just looked like small, stinky cabbage to me. (I love my mom, but a childhood of German and Irish cooking — read: boiling — probably contributed to that notion.) Flash forward to Christmas 2009, when my pal Bay did a simple Brussels sprouts stir-fry with some balsamic vinegar. Suddenly, I can’t get enough of those crazy, tiny cabbage. Have you had any food revelations lately? — Mary T.
Photo by Flickr member Esteban Cavrico
Lentil Soup – it’s more of a meal than one item – but my mom used to make it and as a kid I thought to myself, “This is what they must eat in Hell”. Now I love it!
Mango. I know, who could hate a mango? I hated mangoes for the longest time after a school trip to Mexico, where EVERY DAY my host mom fixed me runny scrambled eggs and half-raw bacon with mango on the side. I had to choke it down out of politeness. This was enough to build up a terrible food association that lasted for a good ten years. Mango and I have recently rekindled our love, and now I can’t get enough of it. Especially the dried stuff. Must. Purchase. Dehydrator.
Bell peppers, avocado, Indian Food, Beets…
For the avocado and the beets I just realized there are only some ways i like them. beets HAVE to be fully cooked, and the avocado MUST but in chunks IN something, or made into something that doesn’t resemble and avocado 9like chocolate pudding). But Bell peppers and Indian food…oh now I just ADORE.
I’m with Marissa- peppers. I know exactly when it happened too: my first Chipolte fajita burrito. Now that the barrier is breached, I add peppers to everything!
Avocados. Love them now! The texture used to bother me.
Beets. Turns out I like them freshly cooked, not from a can.
Olives. Still don’t enjoy black or green, but have discovered Kalamatas and that’s all I need.
The aspic on gefilte fish. I’ll eat any wobbly, gelatin texture now. As a child it freaked me out. With the exception of head cheese, still won’t eat that.
I used to hate vegetables and feta cheese. I like most vegetables now and I love feta.
Still don’t like mangoes and papayas though–which is a pity since they’re easy to get in my neighborhood.
OMG. So funny you said Brussels Sprouts. I feel the same way. In fact, I just went to lunch at a place that serves the most amazing, shaved, roasted Brussels sprouts and was devastated they came off the menu for the season. They are so yummy — will change the way you think of them!
I’m with all the previous beet haters who now love them! What a difference fresh makes over canned. Wow.
Celery and raisins IN things…used to anger me as a kid when my grandmother would smuggle them into various foods, but now I LOVE a good chicken salad with celery, raisins, and even chopped apples!
Tomato soup. I would not go near it until my early thirties. Now, I don’t know how I could get through some weeks of working parenthood without serving up grilled cheese sammies and tomato soup. It’s so easy and yummy!
i’m with ya on the Brussel Sprouts… but my new food that i learned to like is beets. lately i can’t get enough of them… beet salad with cheese and spicy greens… yummy. i used to think they tasted like dirt, what do kids know anyway?
Stinky cheeses.
I loathed legumes until I became a vegetarian. And then hated the smell meat for the 20 years of vegetarianism, that is, until I switched back to my natural carnivore state. Now I love ‘em both. Sadly, I still can’t stomach seafood, though.
The only one I can think of now is asparagus. Turns out I don’t like canned asparagus, I could eat fresh all day every day.
I am thinking I might need to try beets again though after reading the comments. Last time I tried them (many years ago), they still tasted like dirt from what I remember.
Oh I thought of another one: cilantro. Technically, I never hated the taste, I hated the smell and therefore would never try it. Fast-forward a few years and turns out that the flavor I can’t get enough of in my new friend’s Mexican cooking is cilantro. Now I love the smell of it too!
Guacamole! Still not a fan of avocados any other way though.
Avocado and guacamole. Can’t believe it took me this long to start loving them!
Cilantro, eggplant, blue cheese, Kalamata olives, coffee. Mmmmm!!! Still detest bell peppers of any color, though I try them now and then to check. They look so pretty they ought to taste good!
The aforementioned brussels sprouts and beets, yes. Cucumbers took a while ( though I’ve always loved pickles) — had to do the lime and chile powder treatment to make my palate get accustomed. Oh, and I’m starting to like coconut now, after years of sheer abhorrence. Still can’t manage to get down raw carrots and cantaloupe, though. I know, I’m weird!
I hated asparagus but found out that my mom just didn’t cook it right.
She would cook it in vinegar til it was soft and squishy. Now I love it fresh, cooked crisp and peppery. YUM!
Isn’t it funny that cooking style makes such a difference? It wasn’t until I moved out of the house that I realized, oh, asparagus isn’t SUPPOSED to be soft, squishy, and stringy! Ha!
[...] and spicy greens… yummy. i used to think they tasted like dirt, what do kids know anyway?” What food do you like that you used to hate? (Mary T. confesses: she still doesn’t like [...]
radishes!