What foods do you like? and how has this changed since you were a child?

[lil_stinkie]

i'm really interested in what other people like to eat, and how their taste buds have changed since childhood

i'll start

i never was much of a fussy eater, i'd try anything put in front of me. i did have my preferences though, a typical kids diet, pizza hamburgers nuggets, all consumed with copious amounts of ketchup. i did LOVE cheese as a child, i would have eaten a whole bag of shredded cheese if my parents let me (thankfully they did not ?) i remember gritting my teeth as a child, when forced to consume vegetables (i mean really, who likes to eat just PLAIN broccoli???)

as an adult, my city is becoming more racially diverse, and i enjoy sampling dishes from different countries, curries, sushi, stir frys. I'm starting to get into eating more spicy food, but my tolerance is still low (siracha is probably the spiciest i can handle). in a strange turn of events, i have also discovered that im lactose intolerant, so eating cheese so freely is not an option for me, i'll still eat a slice of pizza, but i'll stop there,  i have come to realize, the gastrointestinal distress is not worth it. thankfully there's options now, between vegan cheese substitutes and cheeses marketed as "lactose free"

long story short, i love burgers, curries, sushi. i still hate broccoli.

[feralfreak]

my tastes are the same as when i was a pup, basic foods only, if i dont like the looks or smells i wont even touch it with a 10 foot poll(something my sister in michigan gets mad at me over, she cooks some things i wont eat, such ass what i call frankenburgers, she will use 100 percent ground deer and egg to make burgers, the only way ill eat bambi burgers is if its made of 50\50 cow and venison, she cut up taters and covered them in sour cream, i wont eat sour cream, so i wouldnt touch those spuds), wont touch meatloaf, anything with sausage, im a picky eater.

[wetbedmo]

I hated onions but I love them now. I put up with broccoli but my mother used to make the frozen kind, Then as a teenager I worked in the kitchen of a country club and they had fresh steamed broccoli with real lemon butter I have been hooked ever since. Brussel sprouts and radishes should be outlawed.

[DailyDi]

12 minutes ago, wetbedmo said:

Brussel sprouts and radishes should be outlawed.

Yep, that's my big two no-foods as well. Not a fan of mushrooms or raw onions either, and it doesn't hurt of broccoli is smothered in cheese sauce.

[wetbedmo]

3 minutes ago, DailyDi said:

Yep, that's my big two no-foods as well. Not a fan of mushrooms or raw onions either, and it doesn't hurt of broccoli is smothered in cheese sauce.

I hated mushrooms as a kid but like them now, breaded and fried are the best

[~Brian~]

@lil_stinkie

There's not very many foods that I don't like. When I do not like something, it usually means that there's a reason behind it. one of the things that I hate about our meal site is the fact that they seem to serve the same vegetables all the time. they don't just serve things like corn and beans and potatoes and carrots and things like that, But they always add things that make no sense for vegetables.

One thing I can't stand is spinach: To me spinach is a good vegetable, and it might have some good qualities are like iron or vitamins or whatever you need. I have no objection to spinach, But if it is something that they just spoon out of a can, and they just slide it onto a plate heat it up and then throw it to you It's like eating grass out of the ground. It's dark green It looks like something that came out of the sewer system and it's and it's not even healthy as far as I'm concerned because it's just sitting there looking at you. It might look appetizing to somebody else that likes the spinach or likes the taste or likes the Stringiness, but I can't stand it.

Now, if somebody puts spinach into something like a casserole or maybe a lasagna for example, then I would eat it because then you have it in something that is good, And you just add the vegetable. You don't just taste the the spinach alone and there's no reason to douse it with a bunch of different spaces or something so that it tastes good enough to be able to eat. The looks of just spinach alone would make me would make me want to throw it away. i've actually taken meals where they give you beach sprouts so sprouts and spinach and thrown them away. I can't even stand them, and that's why I don't eat them.

As I've stated above I also don't like Beets.  I've tried many a time to eat beets and I just don't like them. Sometimes people will make them taste different: by that I mean they'll either take some beats and they'll add sugar to them, and that will make them extremely sweet, then when you eat the beets then you end up with this incredibly sour tasting after taste. This way they are too sweet and they just don't taste right. you could go the other way and not sweeten them up at all And then they're too sour. whoever's making the beats either ends up making them too sweet or too sour And there's nothing I can do about it, not only that but most of the ones that they make at our meal site look like their burnt to a crisp, and then they're frozen so they look like they're half dead. why would I want to eat something that looks dead or doesn't look appetizing.

Ladies and gentlemen in my 50 years of being on this earth, I have been in a situation where I have worked in food service. By working in food service I mean that I work with my friend who used to run the meal site. She would serve a lot of different vegetables, but she would always be cognizant of people's likes and dislikes, and she would not force us to eat something that we disliked, nor would she put the same vegetables on the menu three times or four times a week just because we can get them for nothing through some sort of conglomeration with a farmer something. Vegetables that just don't taste good and I don't care what they do to it.

My third and final vegetable that I can't stand is Brussel sprouts! those things look like cabbages with no redeeming value, they don't taste good, you have to douse them in oil and all of this other stuff plus vinegar, and they still don't taste right.  I was always told that when you're in the food service industry, what you serve is what makes or breaks your meal. you have to be careful of the center of the plate Costs of course, which means you don't want to be serving fillet mingnon, or really really expensive center the center of the plate cost meals, without doing your math to make sure that the price is equalized. It's OK to have really good fancy food every once in awhile, but you don't want to be making the center of their meal cost exceed the entire meal, because you have to make sure that you can continue to make good choices for food and vegetables when you're ordering things. I also learned that there are certain things that people like and there are certain people who like different things as well, and there's times when you have particular dishes that you like, sometimes there's things that you don't. I don't mind it if for every once in awhile there's something that I don't like cause there's other people that might.

What I can't stand is the fact that it seems like every week at least twice, we have either beets, spinach or Brussels sprouts, And it seems like they always come up come up more than once a week, one time I counted 7 times in a month when we had all of these vegetables at least once. that means for example we might have brussels sprouts three times we might have spinach twice and we might have beats twice or something like that during an entire month. My question is why do we end up having these disgusting vegetables, when the most important thing is that guys like me need to change their diet And I don't like some of the vegetables that they're serving, so how in the world can I actually change my eating habits if I'm detested by what they're serving? I can't!

when I was growing up my mom and my dad were reasonable people. By reasonable I mean that most times they're not going to make something that I dislike. If they make something that I dislike, they'll always make something that I like, to compensate for the difference. I was never forced to eat anything that I disliked. for an example, my dad when he was married to my mom, would eat liver and onions. my mom didn't even like that, but would cook it for my dad because my dad liked it. my mother would not make me eat liver lima beans or anything like that, but I did actually eat lima beans and like them, so there are differing vegetables that don't taste too badly, but the ones that I mentioned I just can't stand And it's because we're constantly being shoveled that every other week. I don't know how much more I can take of seeing those particular vegetables I think they just make me not want to eat them.

We used to have a cook in my friend Sylvia who used to run the meal site and she used to run the cafeteria at our local high school where I graduated. She also used to be one of the drivers that would take me to school from the time I was about six years old, until the time I was about probably 15, and then she would be working be working between the cafeteria and Meals on Wheels. I remember bumping into her, and having an orange juice or coffee or a muffin or something with her common having a good discussion during a senior privilege area visit, Because if you're a senior in your grades were good you could skip certain study hall periods and go do something in the cafeteria, just like the staff would be able to have a coffee on breaks. Sylvia and I had a good talk a few times, I learned a lot from the lady. she used to drive me to school, she loves her dogs, she loves her family, and she was centrally grounded in the world itself, and was very cognizant of things around her, paid attention to things, and remembered things.

For example: she would actually go the extra mile to make sure that what we're eating was something that was favorable to most students in the high school. I mean, you're not gonna be able to satisfy everybody's wish wishes as far as what you eat and what you don't, But she always went that extra mile. I asked her one day when I was working downstairs in my apartment building, in the meals site, how she would figure out what people like and what people didn't, and she would tell me that she went through the garbage cans to determine what was being thrown away, which is something that she did not like to see, is somebody to waste food. She taught me that the most important thing is to make sure that if you can that you make sure that the somebody that you are with enjoys the cuisine. If you are just cooking because someone at the council on aging says cook this, cook it this many times a week, and use these vegetables and these particular things, then it makes everything you make mundane, because that's what you constantly see Certain foods certain vegetables certain ways of cooking them, and they get in a rut. Sylvia always used to toll us that she always wanted to go the extra mile, and use her skills. her father owned a restaurant, and she worked beside her father for many many years. I learned that the most important thing is you have to watch your cost and you have to watch what's going on in your records. with her help I was able to computerize the entire meal site.  I did that for many years, retiring in 2000. I was always on the watch for things and looking at my documentation to make sure I wasn't making mistakes, and of course I made some, But one of the things that I would never do is to force someone to eat something that they didn't like, in Sylvia would always do a center of the plate change if it was something that I did not like. there's a couple of times when somebody would say something to her common she would say when I tell someone to do something I warn it done! so that means some guy that was a newbie didn't follow my instructions or hers come and he got spoken to.

The most important thing is not to waste money or waste food or waste time. Sometimes I think what they use for menu choices today are really mundane and boring. They just change the cooks downstairs because it seems like the entire was all of one or two different types of things. They had been using the same cooks in the cooking styles that they had been using for the last 20 years, and I swear to God some of the things that they follow at the Council on aging maybe the reason why we get the same vegetables every week or we get the same vegetable three times a month or more. it just seems like they're getting an overage of particular vegetables and not enough of others. It just doesn't seem the same as it did 20 years ago or 30 years ago, but my friend Sylvia always used to make the experience downstairs really really awesome because you would be able to enjoy your food in almost like a restaurant family style environment. I miss her every day, and I always wonder if some of the people that work down there could be by her,, would they make the choices that they make now? i've learned a lot from her, and she and she was an author in her spare time, making a whole bunch of different stories and different things And she would have made three and things like this, And she was always always always involved with governments and her dogs. she lived her friend for many many years, and there's a lot of different things that I take from her.

Sometimes I wish somebody would go downstairs and kick these guys into high gear. what I would do is I would seriously go downstairs and pull out all the extras of the three things I mentioned and get rid of them. then I would order a tori 10 or 12 vegetables that were always available that were always something that were easy to make that were healthy for you without making someone sick to their stomach. I don't understand why they would force you to eat particular vegetables three to four times a month, when they could make differing vegetables and actually make dishes that had vegetables within them such as tetrazzini or some of pasta dish with vegetables like carrots and all of this!

I was always taught that the most important thing is that whatever you were serving, you have to remember it's like being a presenter at an award ceremony or when you are reading a book, or you're doing something important. if you're a lecture on the pulpit, you want to be able to tell a story, and bring people in and make them believe what you're saying And you do that by using your inflections your voice your mannerisms and everything else. cooking is no different: is that you're using your culinary skills to make somebody taste feel smell and enjoy what you're making. if the center of the plate entree does not look appetizing or anything else around it does not look appetizing And it looks like dog poop on a plate, no one's gonna eat it, if it doesn't smell good no one's gonna touch it, and if it doesn't taste good, you can guarantee that it's going into the garbage receptacle! this is one of the things that I wish our current staff would understand! some people can eat some of the things they make down there because of the drastic change they make, but at least we're getting more differing choices because we're not eating the same thing three times a month. I can understand people eating fish and things like that on a Friday because they might be Catholics, and that's something that they usually would do as a part of their religious beliefs, and I don't like to bring religion into this, but that seems to be what it is Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and all these other different situations when you eat fish or lent or something, and that's one of the things that seems to be a mainstay.

But as I said, there are certain things that I'll not eat! those are hard stops for me! i've tried these things and I just don't like them If I look at em and they don't look good and they don't smell good and they don't look like they're cooked very well, then I'm not gonna touch them. There are millions and millions of other things that you could make with vegetables that taste good that feel good going down, that actually have the aroma, and other things too. you don't wanna be ending up serving dog poop on a plate to people when they wanna eat lunch, cause that's gonna turn it off, but you wanna make it so people will eat what you are serving, and if people don't like it, people won't eat! that's one thing that Sylvia taught me exc She may have to have followed the guidelines for the council on aging, but she would always try to make up for those particular guidelines by throwing something in that was always a comfort food, or something that she knew that people would like for every time she had to throw something else on. she would always make the best the best risotto I ever tasted, and she was Italian, so via Italian! she was awesome and she taught me so many things, and I miss her And every time I think of what I eat downstairs always remember what she taught me, and sometimes it makes me cry because where we are now compared to where we were then! I know things have to change and I might be an old softy but there's a reason why she taught me what she taught me, because food doesn't have to look awful doesn't have to taste awful doesn't have to smell awful! it just has to be something that people will eat and like!

I can understand why your parents want you to try different foods! because of this I have been able to learn to like things that I used to hate! I used to not like Shepherd's pie for example My mom would make that all the time common and I would eat it but it wouldn't be something that I would eat a lot of, But I like my chicken and I like my Turkey and I like my hamburgers or hot dogs, or salad or something like this. every time we would have a new vegetable, my mom would make me try it, and then if I didn't like it my mom would say OK you did that piece. But the thing is after a while I got used to certain vegetables, and my mom would always have three vegetables on! This way I would have a chance to make a choice, and sometimes what I would like to do is mix them up!

my brother picks on me now cause I don't eat very many vegetables!  this is because most vegetables are just the same things over and over again. I tell him for example that downstairs they would serve those three vegetables that I dislike constantly! If they would serve more different vegetables at a different variety than it wouldn't be so bad, and I'd be eating more vegetables. making vegetables for me just seems to be a bother because you have to make the vegetable And it's not something where for one guy to eat eating a whole can of vegetables by myself I'll have to make some changes to my diet but I don't want to end up being in a situation where I'm forced to eat same 3 vegetables and most of the only ones I eat. I like certain ones like corn peas beans carrots celery and stuff like that. I even like zucchini and summer squash and squash and other types of things like that, and I'll even eat broccoli or cauliflower. There's not that many times when downstairs will serve that, Otherwise I'd be scarfing that up like you wouldn't believe!

because of my parents and other people around me, I learn to love things that I hate it, but those three things I mentioned I just can't stand! I don't care how old I am I don't care how many times I see it They just turn me off. If you mix up vegetables and make them look appetizing then at least they'd be edible or at least you would try to find the goodness in it, but to see seaweed just slapped on your plate And it's all black or green and dark, It just reminds me of eating grass literally!

Brian

[lil_stinkie]

@~Brian~

thank you for your detailed response, i find your post to be an interesting read.

what i appreciate about it, is that even when stating your dislike of a food, you still acknowledge it's redeeming value when you see it.

i also have a background in food, having worked in an aged care kitchen. One thing that amazed me, is the food that came back.

even a simple side, like mashed potato's, the chef would receive high praise from some clients and others wont touch it.

same thing would happen for a main, roast beef for example.

and same for vegetables.

although it does concern me, that it sounds like you are not being offered much variety, a good catering service would have a little bit of variety (even with cooking styles) to keep things interesting. but, i also know, meal planning can be difficult when you take into consideration budgets,food supplies and training the kitchen staff, and chefs have a tendency to go with what works, and what receives the least amount of negative feedback. i hope your situation improves in the future

it's entirely possible that i have misinterpreted your post, if that's the case, i sincerely apologize.

 

[tigercub59]

Raw hamburger. As a kid we used to steal raw hamburger from mom before she cooked it, now you couldn't pay me to eat it.

[wetbedmo]

I tried something like raw hamburger, It was called raw hack, it was raw hamburger that had been cured, it was nasty

[Mars.inDiapers]

I've certainly acquired some tastes that I didn't have and discarded some that I used to have, sometimes the change was almost 180°, for example in my younger days I didn't really like duck meat; I thought it too greasy and the taste too .. bitter, for the lack of a better word (I'm bad at describing taste). Now it's one of my favorite foods.

I used to like bananas, sometime during my puberty I started absolutely hating them and I couldn't stand just the smell when someone ate one nearby, now I sort of tolerate the smell and taste, but I never eat them unless I absolutely need to.

I used to like dill sauce well enough to eat it when that was the item on the day's menu at school, or elsewhere, now I absolutely despise the taste and won't go near it. 

I never liked liver and mushrooms. I still don't.

I never liked mayonnaise (and it's derivatives such as tartare sauce) as a condiment, and usually it's a total deal breaker for me if I'm looking to buy a sandwich for a quick snack and it has mayo in it. I often joke that if I ever became an autocratic leader, first thing I'd do would be to ban mayonnaise.

But, oddly enough, I do like Olivier salad which (usually) contains mayonnaise. So I guess there would be an exemption ?
That also happens to be an acquired taste of mine. I disliked it very much in my childhood, and grew to liking it sometime around my teens.

For a very long time I thought I didn't like boiled potatoes as a side dish, so at home I'd eat barely any when we had them, and at school I just didn't. I got called wasteful, picky eater, etc. for it, but as it turned out, it was just due to my mom's questionable cooking method that resulted in them tasting kind of like the water they were boiled in, and with a similar texture too, because when I started my working career and tried some at the cafeteria of my first place of employment, they tasted great.
I then realized that this is how boiled potatoes are supposed to taste (if they're cooked right), and all the time I was avoiding them (outside home) was unjustified. The root cause was that my mom had once experienced a bad case of food poisoning from boiled potatoes that she boiled unpeeled, but something went wrong and it made her very sick, so since then she decided to "play it safe" and always boil them peeled, sliced and for way too long, which eliminated any remote possibility of that ever happening again to her or anybody else, but unfortunately it also eliminated any taste, texture and nutritional value.

I guess I shouldn't have been too disillusioned when I cooked her a rib eye steak medium rare, and she insisted on putting it in the oven for 10 more minutes because it was uncooked. To her, for a beef to be cooked properly it must be brown throughout; if there's even a slight hint of pink it's still raw, and if there's more than a hint of pink, it's still alive going 'moo'.

 

 

Oh, and I also hate honey.

Some say it's better than sugar to put in your coffee or tea. I say nothing at all is best to put in your coffee or tea.

 

[dlsafrica]

I didn't like broccoli as a child. Now I love it. I adore spinach. And a few things happened when I turned 37. I started feeling the cold. And I started loving liquorice. I used to hate liquorice