Back to my senses

So speaking of sandwiches (my fave, Cali Club eaten Tuesday night and Wednesday lunch), reported and photo shown here. Taste is one of my senses that has changed quite a bit through the years. Though I still draw the line at some stuff.

My mother was a believer in the "everyone must try everything rule". Even when it came to little girls and brussel sprouts. Yuck! I'll never eat another one, thanks to that rule. I got good at chewing stuff and spitting it surrepticiously into my napkin (or slipping it to Jud the doggy).

When I was little, I was a ketchup only girl. No mustard, ever. It took until I got to college for me to broaden my food horizons - thanks mostly to Vicki, who had a more adventurous nature when it came to food. She turned me onto some of the good things in life - like onions on my pizza. Before that, I was pretty much a pepperoni pizza girl.

She liked to embellish basic recipes - like adding more stuff onto cheap frozen pizzas. Vicki pretty much taught me to cook - I imitated her. Mom hadn't taken the time to force lil ol tomboy me to cook (except for that stuff I HAD to bake for 4-H, pot o' gold bread and buttermilk chocolate cake). She taught me to brown hamburger - for spaghetti and hamburger helper. I learned to add cheese and mushrooms to scrambled eggs.

I can't say that I have a flair for gourmet foods, like my sis Cindo was born with (and apparently her pretend daughter, my girl Amy). One time in New Orleans, when Cindy was about 12, we dined at a fancy restaurant and while Mom was busy helping Betsy (the pickiest of eaters when she was little) and me order (I got meatballs and spaghetti at a seafood place), Cindy ordered a whole horseshoe crab. She was delighted when it arrived and ate the whole thing.

I stay pretty basic at restaurants, because dammit, I know what I like and I like what I know! Why get something you may not like as well, when you've already got something you know you'll enjoy? But I do like fish, and all the types of meat. I enjoy meatless stuff too - but peppers don't agree with me.

One thing I've come to realize is that as I age, I like more and different flavors. Perhaps because my taste buds are aging just like me!