Sunday, June 27, 2010

Food, Glorious Food

When I was seven or eight, I started giving up foods left and right. I developed lists in my mind of what I would and would not eat, and you can imagine which list was longer. Some foods I wouldn't eat because they looked weird or smelled weird or had a weird texture; others just because I hadn't eaten them before and didn't want anything unfamiliar in my mouth.

As with my shyness, I look back at this behavior and cringe. My poor parents struggled to find things I would eat; there were weeks where we probably alternated between macaroni & cheese (only Kraft brand) and chicken nuggets and fries. They thought I'd grow out of it, but I was terribly stubborn. It wasn't until college that I became slightly less neurotic, trying other brands of macaroni and cheese, and it was still years later that I began trying other kinds of food, like Indian and Thai cuisines.

I still have my lists, but the one of foods I will eat is longer now. Friday nights, as I sample baked salmon and gazpacho dishes I wouldn't have touched five years ago, I feel a sense of pride. Still, my bathroom scale tells me I need to eat some cheeseburgers and milkshakes, pronto.

2 comments:

Aki Mori said...

I also cringe at my long list of food ingredients that I hated as a child--mainly because I love them today as an adult. I must have made my parents suffer, not allowing them to eat so many foods that were tasty to them. I think I was spoiled. (Actually, I know I was spoiled.)

On the other hand, I am not going to let my daughters dictate what does and doesn't get cooked in our house. At least that's the strategy I'm holding to now! :-)

August said...

Hold strong! While ideally I'd make my hypothetical children eat whatever I cook, what I "cook" is severely limited... I do make some awesome homemade mac & cheese...