firecat: damiel from wings of desire tasting blood on his fingers. text "i has a flavor!" (Default)
firecat (attention machine in need of calibration) ([personal profile] firecat) wrote2003-01-18 08:29 am

Brussels sprouts

I've avoided brussels sprouts for many years because I hated them as a child.

Recently I went to Masa's, a very tony restaurant in SF (it was supposed to be a surprise for the OH, but he figured it out beforehand). The chef at Masa's is Ron Siegel, famous for besting Iron Chef Sakai in Battle Lobster. I don't like lobster either, but when Siegel reproduced his Iron Chef meal at his former restaurant, Charles Nob Hill, I went, and he did indeed feature the lobster in ways I liked.

Anyway, at Masa's, my dish came with brussels sprouts on the side. I figured I would try them again - if anyone can cook brussels sprouts in a way that I can tolerate, Ron Siegel can, right?

I ate one. I still hate them.

Habit

[identity profile] mama-hogswatch.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 08:36 am (UTC)(link)
I make a habit of retrying foods I have known myself to dislike every few years, and am careful to try them made by a very good cook.

I hated broccoli as a kid. I like it lightly cooked now. Steamed spinach is okay, don't overcook it or it'll nauseate me.

I still hate okra. Still despise brussel sprouts. {grin} I retried grits today and enjoyed them!

I do think retrying every now and then is wise.

Re: Habit

[identity profile] mittelbar.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 09:09 am (UTC)(link)
I keep retrying unagi with no great success. People keep saying "just wait until you have it at [x restaurant]!" and I do wait. But it still tastes like eel. Then again, it can't be that bad, or I'd not keep eating it.

I have retried reconstituted mashed potatoes (and derivatives like Pringles) with no luck at all. Gag, gag, gag.

Ditto any kind of canned veggies except tomatoes.

Brussels sprouts, on the other hand...

Just wait until you've tried them cooked *right*. :-)

Re: Habit

[identity profile] lysana.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 12:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Fake mashed potatoes don't taste good to me, either. I like Pringles, but a bit too well what with my insulin sensitivity issues.

Re: Habit

[identity profile] femmediva.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Unagi used to be my favorite, but I'm getting a little burned out on it- it is the sauce.
I do the retrying of things periodically too- and have been pleasantly surprised at times- other times, not. I recently retried sea urchin (can't remember the Japanese name for it offhand), and learned that I still can't stand it.

Re: Habit

[identity profile] mittelbar.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 08:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Nae, nae, it would just be more for me.

Re: Habit

[identity profile] marykaykare.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Have you ever eaten fried okra? And I don't mean that deep fried garbage they seve in cafeterias. Properly, the okra is sliced into little wheels about 1/3 of and inch thick, dredged in cornmeal and shallow fried. Ummm good, especially with lots of sliced vine-ripe tomatoes.

Mary Kay

Re: Habit

[identity profile] krasota.livejournal.com 2003-01-18 03:15 pm (UTC)(link)
mmm, fried okra. one of my favorites, along with fried green tomatoes and fried summer squash or zucchini.

i like brussels sprouts, too, though. and spinach. and broccoli.