I am totally guilty of reaching for the usual suspects at the grocery store. White flour, zucchinis, romaine lettuce, tomatoes and carrots. I rarely step out of my comfort zone. I was never very adventurous in my dietary habits as a kid. In fact, I was notorious for ALWAYS ordering a grilled cheese sandwich or pasta no matter where we were. I wasn't exposed to a lot of ethnic foods either. Chinese food was even a rarity. I think Italian was as exotic as it got (and that is a stretch since spaghetti seems more of an American dish than authentic Italian cuisine).
Intent on shedding my juvenile habits, I am warming to the idea of trying some of the other 20,000 varieties of produce, grains, and spices. The closer I get to labeling myself as a "foodie" the more of a phony I become because I have never even challenged myself to try some intimidating ingredients like white truffle oil, gruyere, or heirloom tomatoes. There is an amazing world of variety beyond what I am serving- most of which holds a ton more nutrition and flavor. As a traditional American consumer, I reach for what's available at the regular grocery store. All of which are varieties of produce that were genetically chosen for those shelves because of their ability to withstand gross amounts of transportation and extended shelf-life. The natural region and season to which these fruits and veggies grow is completely obsolete.
Here in Hawaii, you'd think bananas are a dime a dozen since they grow here naturally in practically everyone's backyard. But, the actual local variety is something called an "apple banana", which is a shorter, fatter banana that tastes as if you'd crossed it with a green apple jolly rancher. One would also assume that this variety so readily available locally would cost less than the traditional "Cavendish" variety found in every grocery store on the mainland. Totally wrong again- the bunch of Cavendish I bought yesterday was $1.00/pound (yeah, I'm still not over that one) and the Apple Bananas cost $1.49. Why my bundle from Ecuador cost less than one trucked in from a farm a 1/2 mile from my grocery store is still not apparent to me (I'm definitely not an economics major).
I now understand my fears of trying new things. There are two main reasons I will have to overcome: UNFAMILIARITY and the UNAVAILABILITY.
Because something is new to me, I rarely risk cooking or tasting it. Eating out, I will always play it safe and go for the preparation I am comfortable trying. Another reason I have talked myself out of becoming a world traveler. I am frightened of being one of those cliche finicky American eaters who opts for McDonalds over fois gras.
Additionally, if it is an ingredient or preparation that is not supported in a mainstream grocery store or restaurant, I may never get the opportunity to try it out. I have gotten rid of several cookbooks that had crazy ingredients which required my travel to another part of town into a tiny Asian food market. It seems many of those cookbooks are written by people in New York or San Francisco where everything is available.
I still have no excuse for not grabbing the dragon fruit I saw tonight at the store. What it is exactly- I'm not sure. But, I would really like to understand the culture behind so many of the foods I have written off in the past out of intimidation. And of course, dragging the kids through this exploration will only expand their palate and they will never have my excuse that it just wasn't offered so they didn't try it.
Maybe I'll get around to trying each of the umpteen varieties of squash beyond acorn and butternut. And perhaps curried foods will actually make it to the weekly menu!
Here's to eating like a grown up!
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