Anyone who knows me at all well knows that I do not eat onions. I do not like onions. They give me stomach upset. Raw ones are the worst, but even cooked do it. As a result, I do not eat them. The only family member I can stomach is garlic. I could probably eat the others, but I do not even try any more.
Many of us have foods we will not eat. I have friends/family who do not eat: asparagus, broccoli, salmon, whole grain breads, tomatoes, olives, cheese, red meat, fish of any kind except canned tuna, and on and on.
I love to cook. Since I do not eat onions, there are many foods that I enjoy that I only eat if I make them, since the recipe begins: brown an onion. This limits me when I eat out, but at home, I am very experimental. It is often years between times that I repeat a recipe simply because there are so many wonderful and interesting things to try. I am currently enjoying RSS or Facebook feeds of people who cook paleo or primal. While onions are often a part of the recipe, so are a great many other herbs and spices. I frequently try these new ideas, adapted for our taste buds. That often means not as spicy, as the pro doesn't like very hot, spicy dishes.
I have friends who go the other extreme. They do not cook at all-they heat things up the microwave. I can certainly appreciate being too busy to cook. In my opinion, that is what a slow cooker is for. Throw some things in and when you get back, dinner is ready. I do not like all the chemicals that are added to processed foods, so I try to make things from scratch so that real food is added, not chemicals.
I have an acquaintance who knows how to make only 7 different dinner entrees. I cannot live with such a limited selection of meals. One year, a friend picked up my daughter at gymnastics every Monday night and came to dinner. Both she and my daughter wanted macaroni and cheese every week. I found about 10 different ways to make it, but by the end of the school year, I forced such other items as cheddar cheese soup on them as I could no longer face mac and cheese. I still like it, but it is usually months between servings.
One of the great things that Bountiful Baskets has done for me is to expand the range of fresh produce I use regularly. Before I joined, I had never purchased a coconut, a plantain, fennel, leeks, fresh cilantro (only dried), vanilla bean or the sheer quantity of fresh produce we get each time we participate. I love getting my distribution and figuring out recipes for the upcoming week or two.
For example, I had so much salad fixings, I made a modified 7 layer salad (no hard boiled egg layer for the pro and no onion for me). I also had broccoli from the last contribution left, so I had a nice broccoli salad for lunch. Dinner was barbecued corn on the cob (from a summer case) and barbecued asparagus along side some garlic sauteed shrimp. The next night, more corn on the cob, asparagus vinaigrette, the layered salad and chicken sausages.
I know that many of us did not learn to like veggies as a child. Many are very strongly flavored and too intense for children. The friend I donate my excess to throws a lot of it into soups. Soups are a good way to introduce a veggie-it was how I learned to like cooked cabbage. Oven roasting veggies with olive or coconut oil is a great way to sweeten them and make them more interesting for the timid among us. If you are one of those who has limited taste for veggies, make a resolution to try one new one each quarter of the year (that's only 4-not too much to take on). You don't have to like it, but you may surprise yourself. Make it seasonal and local and you will likely find something good (unless it is onions in which case, I cannot say).
I know there are many who lament all the bad influences the Internet makes available in our lives. I personally love the information conduit it provides. It is so easy to find a recipe that sounds good by simply entering some ingredients in a search. I no longer have to search through cookbooks or my recipe files, although are still relevant in my life. However, I am as apt to have my tablet open to a recipe as I am to have one of those these days.We live in a time of abundance: information, food choices, cuisines and cultures to explore. I hope we take advantage of that abundance and stretch ourselves by trying new things. You just may find something new to love. I certainly have.
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