Posted on 03/30/2009 8:56:15 PM PDT by Sally'sConcerns
I recently bought me an inexpensive bread maker. My reasons were two-fold. I had stomach surgery back in June, 2006 and due to a few neurological changes, my taste buds changed.
As an example of the changes, I actively disliked cauliflour as well as spinach. Now I don't automatically say I don't like something just because I despised it prior to my second tummy surgery. I haven't actually gone out to buy caulifour but I AM keeping frozen spinach on hand.
In some ways this change has been a blessing because it opens a whole new world to my taste buds. I've had freshly caught fried fish and thoroughly enjoyed it with or without tartar sauce. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately given the cost of fresh salmon, it's still on my "take it or leave it' list.
Am I the only one whose taste buds have changed after they became a little older? or had surgery or even had a change in likes or dislikes after after adding a few chronicallogical years?
What got me to thinking about this is I'm baking a loaf of bread in my almost new breadmaker. I've been going through one of my books, making a list of ingredients I'll need in order to make breads I never would have considered much less actually eat.
As I mentioned, spinach had a major ick factor for me but I now really enjoy it. Same with brussel sprouts, beets, even eggplant which is now in the like column. Up until a few months ago there wasn't enough money in the world to get me to eat spinach or cauliflour.
I've even go so far as to buy and keep frozen spinach in my freezer. I love spinach-artichoke dip now.
I know part of my changeing is because for whatever reason I can now taste corn syrup in so many things and I've developed an aversion to how sweet corn syrup tastes to me.
I even now eat fried catfish and bass where I used to actively dislike them.
Before I attempt to tackle some of the more complicated breads, I've been working on perfecting my French Bread. And yes, I'm having a bit of difficulty as my breadmaker is a bit quirky.
Besides, I'm nosy too.
So, is anyone else working on expanding their food horizons?
That’s wonderful that some of your tastes have changed and you’ve gotten to like some foods you didn’t care for before!
I’ve never had major surgery (knock on wood!) ~ just 2 cysts removed from my wrist, so I can’t answer about that part.
As for me, I have never EVER liked meat, even as a very young child and I still don’t. Just never liked the taste or texture and can remember very young having disagreements with my parents over me not wanting to eat it.
I’m 49 and have to say my tastes have pretty much been stable. I do occasionally try something I don’t care for, kind of a “just in case” check, but I’ve had no changes. Might be something for me to still look forward to though!
I love tomatoes, chili’s, and don’t mind onion’s when they are cooked. I can even stand salmon and halibut. All of them used to gross me out.
I haddock a fish dinner once...just for the halibut. ;)
The item most dis-tasteful to me is people posting frivolous things on a serious site.
Anchovies.
Jalapenos.
Okra.
No, my taste buds haven't particularly changed as drastically as yours appear to have. It sounds as though this is a true blessing for you as you may have only liked "comfort" foods prior to your surgery (lots of mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn and the like.)
I grew to love vegetables as a kid. Mom was a really bad cook so I looked forward to school lunches (most kids were saying YUK). I traded certain items for others spinach as I just loved the stuff (and it was the old canned version even.)
Never, ever cared for fish though until moving for about a year to the Milwaukee area.
They have lots of fresh water fish that well prepared was quite tasty. I found that I truly liked the mild white fish though still don't care for salmon, so whatever price its going for, isn't a problem.
There are only two things that I actively do not like - cantaloupe and pears (the taste is OK but they're just too gritty.)
Seriously now that you have a bread machine, investigate some whole grain or multi-grain recipes.
I don't actually bake in those wonders but take it to the second stage, then turn out on to a board, shape into loaves and bake in my oven, after basting with milk, egg white, etc. on top.
I do have a wonderful saffron braid bread that's just fabulous! If you'd like it, send me a personal post and I'll send the recipe along off the blog site.
Happy food exploring.
Please, if you make a perfect french bread, do it over and over before moving on. Baking is a science and an art and the world has a shortage of perfect breads. :)
I have had changes in my food likes and dislikes with each pregnancy. I wasn’t uber picky beforehand, but I was picky. Now, I’ll eat fresh spinach, grilled squash (that’s a biggie ‘cause I HATED squash) and zucchini, grilled asparagus, and olives. I’m still not crazy for olives, but I will eat them. The others, though, they are on my fav. list along with my usuals.
I still will not eat cooked spinach, or mushy veggies of any kind. Gotta be steamed or raw.
Mmm, French bread My mother used to make that.
I am really enjoying making my own bread. One thing I try to use is whole wheat flour or at the very least unbleached flour. One of the things I do to vary my Challah bread is to add dried fruit (cranberries and spiced apples) and sweeten it with honey instead of sugar. If I am making something special for the kids, I might add a double portion of honey to make it sweeter. I compensate by adding a bit more flour.
Another bread I like to make is sourdough. But you have to have a starter for that one, which I currently do not have. Hmm. Next week!
One thing I also have noticed is that my system cannot handle many of the foods I used to eat. They are apparently too spicy for me now?!
You can certainly turn off “View Comments,” and go to “Thread View,” Rembrandt. There are a variety of different forums within FR, and this particular thread is in “Chat.” Chat is precisely what it is, and a little levity or a diversion can be pleasant. So, lighten up.
I couldn’t stand cooked carrots into adulthood, Sally’sConcerns. Raw carrots were great, but cooked? Disgusting. Up until the past several years. Now I enjoy them. I drank milk constantly, all the way through college, and find it disgusting now. Taste does change over time. I think it might be our bodies trying to “tell” us what we need, lol.
Good luck with the breadmaking. The few times I’ve tried, I think I kneaded the dough too much. Came out hard as a rock.
I can so relate with your dislike of meat. Funny story even if it's a little tacky.
My Mom didn't season anything. No salt, no pepper, nothing! Every Sunday after church we'd go home, change out of out church clothes, go play on the swing set until we were called in to lunch.
Lunch always consisted of a roast, potatoes, carrots and onions in the pot to 'add' flavor. Not only did my Mom never use seasoning she also cooked meats to within an inch of their lives. Therefore, not only was there no seasoning, the roast could have been used as shoe leather because it was so tough.
In the entry way there were two antique umbrella urns which just happened to be located on the trail to the bathroom. My sister and I always spent an inordinate amount of time going to and from the bathroom.
Years later after my Mom died, my Dad's brother decided the urns would look pretty as lamps so he took them to a repair shop to get them back in working order. Poor lampmaker...he remarked to my Uncle that whatever was inside the lamps should be patented and sold as he'd never run into anything like that before.
Needless to say we never took 'credit' for the breakthrough discovery in the bottom of the urns. Sheesh, if the cat won't eat it, how bad must it be? Have you guessed yet what the substance was? Yep, my sister and I would stuff out mouths full of as much food as was humanly possible and then we'd make a deposit into the umbrella holders.
It wasn't until I was 16 and out on my first date with the "love of my life". He bought me a baby burger at the local A&W and I realized meat had some texture other than burned and could actually taste good.
In case you haven’t been around long enough to notice, FR is also a social network where like-minded people can chat.
There are numerous food/recipe forums on the net you may want to explore. On one particular forum I eagerly review...new and some time honored recipes are posted every day. On this forum, there are hundreds of reviewers, taking a chance on any given recipe, perhaps adding a few 'touches' of their own.
I review the basic recipe, peruse a few hundred 'reviews', mark down reoccurring 'additions/changes', evaluating what makes sense..what doesn't, then delve into my own creations. Sometimes my culinary talents evolve from just whats in the pantry. I evolved my cooking by the addition of various herbs/spices. I'm making lasagna/stuffed cabbage/marinated pork loins totally different from what I did years ago. Roasting, sautee vegetables a different way also. Am getting kudos for my new culinary efforts now.
My tastes have changed in that I desire to savor the sweet/spicy/sour/tangy within each presentation. Now holding dinner parties for an appreciative crowd.
Oh, good grief. Who peed in your coke?
This wasn’t posted in the news section. It is in the general and chat section. I find it fun to get to know fellow conservatives and not just be all serious about things. My goodness, the news is so grim. It is good to take a break.
If you didn’t like the thread, no one made you click on it.
That's why I bought a bread machine since I have no strength in my arms. Plus it gives me a hobby.
You too with the cooked carrots? I think that one has more of a texture issue than a taste one. Even today I can't do fried okra. There's just something about the slimy texture which triggers my gag reaction. Blech!
I have a sourdough mother a ‘festerin’ in my fridge. I make sourdough bread every 3 days. I live in San Francisco, too!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.