A Year of Adventures

One year ago, I decided to actively eat disgusting foods.  But I had (and still have) a very skewed view of what qualified as "disgusting."

My views were not affected by morals.  I do not categorically avoid foods because I am vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, fruitarian, or any other type of eater restricted by ethical or religious qualms about eating certain things.

(Uh oh, cue minor rant about privilege....) Yes, when possible, I try to get meat and produce from companies that I know treat their animals well or better yet from farmers' markets.  I prefer Heartland meat over anything I can get in Jewel.  But I can afford to prefer that.  Other people cannot afford to buy grass-fed beef over industrial beef.  I respect that and do not judge what people eat based on how it came to be on their plate.  I judge it based on if it's gross.  (End rant.  Thanks for sticking it out!)

But my views on what makes a food gross are also not tied up with cultural norms.  I understand why people eat grasshoppers, squid, livers, testicles, you name it.  While I would not seek out a testicle as part of my meal, I might feel differently if I hadn't grown up in a very specific part of the world.  I also find culturally "normal" foods for my region to be disgusting.  Pickles, for example.  In the Midwest especially, people eat pickles off of sticks like popsicles.  They are disgusting.

 

Pictured above: Nightmare fuel.  Photo from http://jschumacher.typepad.com/joe/

But a lot has changed in a year.  I have had many adventures, with varying degrees of success.  There are foods that were securely on my "Do Not Eat" list that are now very securely on my "Do Eat" list.  And I have come to terms with the fact that I may occasionally have to eat birds.

These are the foods that have made the jump to the other side:

• Bell peppers
• Beans
• Cooked tomatoes
• Cooked onions
• Squash
• Small amounts of pepper
• Larger amounts of mustard
• Ketchup
• Hollandaise sauce
• Worcestershire sauce

If I can make that much progress in my first year adventuring, imagine what I can accomplish in my second!

A Case of Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Joey got a Scottish-American cookbook for Christmas.  We were recently snowed (and polar vortex-ed) in.  We decided to make some recipes from the new cookbook.  The first recipe we made was Bacon and Egg Cups.  Didn't turn out so pretty, but they were delicious.  Next time we'll make the cups prettier so we can get them out of the tin better.  Live and learn, right?

Then Joey sees the recipe for Mince and Tatties.  "We have to make this.  I love mince," he says.

I look at the recipe and see Worcestershire Sauce.  Gross.  I hate Worcestershire Sauce. It is horrible and terrible and I have never actually had it before.

Doesn't it just look dreadful?  Also, maybe it was knocked over and sauce spilled on the bottle....

So I voice how disgusting Worcestershire Sauce to Joey.

"Have you ever tried it?"

"No.  It's gross."

"But how can you know it's gross?"  He's trying to use logic to win the argument!  That cheater!  He also looks so excited to make a mince.  So I give in.  "You'll love it!  It's like Scottish Sloppy Joes!  I promise!"

So we start preparing the mince.  A lot of it is like Sloppy Joes.  But that doesn't make Worcestershire Sauce okay!

Scottish Sloppy Joes?

But if you're making Mince and Tatties, you need tatties to complete the meal.  Luckily tatties are not relate to tats and are in fact potatoes.  We don't have the energy to mash them ourselves nor do we think to make boiled potatoes.  We go for instant mashed tatties from a pouch.

Scottish Sloppy Joes!

Long story short, I owe Worcestershire Sauce an apology.  It's pretty good.  It's quite mild but definitely enhances the flavor of the meat.  Mince and Tatties is a delicious meal and perfect to cook when you are vortex-ed into your house!