Expanding Your Palate

I have always preferred following a mostly vegetarian diet. However, truth be told, I occasionally eat chicken, and have been known to crave a hamburger at a summer barbecue. The smell of a burger wafting from the grill is so enticing. At a friend's dinner party, I may even eat steak.

When my kids were little, my daughter (Sarah) ate only fruits and veggies at a meal, while her brother (Dan) could not be cajoled to try either, instead eating only his entree. Between the two of them, they ate one complete meal. I often encouraged them to branch out and try new foods, continually using my usual modus operandi, my “sml” ("standard mom line"): "What if you never tried chocolate? You wouldn't know what you were missing." (Sarah and Dan, can you hear me now?)

My husband, Marc, and Dan were self-professed carnivores, though recently Dan informed us that for a variety of reasons (one involving his effort to reduce his carbon footprint - - my environmentalist/hippie child) he is thinking about becoming a vegetarian. Was this really coming from my rib eating, hamburger craving son, who from his earliest years always opted for the most unique choice on the menu? How about some alligator nuggets? I kid you not. When other parents typically brought junk food up to overnight camp on visiting day, at age 8, I packed the cooler with his favorite food, sushi. This sudden change of heart must be genetic. So sorry, Marc! It looks like you are finally outnumbered.

Since becoming empty nesters this year, Marc has joined me in following a mostly vegetarian lifestyle - - lots of grains, nuts, tofu, tempeh, veggies, beans, etc. So much so, that recently Marc literally begged me for some white flour pasta. Hmmm......did I even stock any? Lucky guy.....I found a lonely box of organic durum wheat semolina flour spaghetti. (Shhhhh....don't tell him...I passed it off as white flour pasta.) It was delicious.

The next time you are grocery shopping, especially if you happen to be at my favorite store, Trader Joe’s, branch out and try something new. Be adventurous and sample a new grain. How about the quinoa I mentioned in a recent posting, or buckwheat (kasha)? You'll be hooked. Swapping grains and veggies for your main dish are also good for the college student's budget. Choose an unusual looking vegetable, like jicama, a cross between an apple and a potato, and add it raw to your salad. Dan tried jicama recently and gave it a heads up! Whoa…..we’ve come a long way! Add some tofu to your stir fry. Similar to pasta, tofu is bland to the taste, but picks up the flavor of whatever you add to the recipe. Not sure what to do with a new item? Ask someone in the store, especially in a store like Trader Joe's, where they are eager to assist. Bring the item home and search for it online. Try different recipes using the same item. You may find a winner. If you do, share it on my blog. Make your mother proud.

And, Marc, it's back to quinoa soup for dinner tonight.

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Thanks.
Mom