03 May 2011

the worst thing i ever ate

I know I just posted a week ago about starting to overcome my food pickiness, but last night was a giant step backward.  I was making a new recipe, using my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook (New Tenth Edition).  Betty has essentially been my cooking teacher for the past 5 years, and she has NEVER let me down.  Until now.

I chose to make Rice Noodles with Peanut Sauce (p. 500; also online at their website).  I had all the ingredients and followed the recipe exactly (minus the optional cilantro garnish).  Since I'm picky and not that great of a cook, I find this is the only way I can try a new recipe.  Following recipes as they were written has actually helped me appreciate some of those foods I couldn't tolerate before.  I will disclose that I usually don't taste things as I go because usually they're too hot and I end up just burning my tongue.  I also don't usually know enough to fix something that's gone bad, so I just say screw it.  We only have so many spoons anyway.

What I tried to eat for dinner last night.

After I served it, B and I were sitting there eating, and apparently he was watching me.  He asked, "Why the frowny face tonight?"  I told him that I wasn't really liking the dinner I prepared.  He said it was okay and kept on eating.  If you read the recipe, you'll see that there were red peppers and green onions in this dish.  I had gotten one or two pepper pieces already and didn't really like them (yes, they are actually spicy to me, I decided last night).  I wasn't happy, but managed to eat some of it.  Then I got a bite with the green onion and the red pepper and all the sauce.  Once I put it in my mouth, my taste buds staged a REVOLT.  My eyes starting tearing up and I had to run over to the sink and spit it all out.  I haven't done that since I was a little kid!!  I felt terrible, and tried to shove a bunch of apple slices and animal crackers in my mouth to cleanse my palate.  I ended up having to brush my teeth and scrape my tongue, and the taste still lingered back there.

What I actually ate for dinner last night.

I was so mad at myself.  I was frustrated about being so picky, being a bad cook, and a lousy homemaker.  B told me that I shouldn't cook stuff I don't like (I apparently still hate onions of all types), and that it's really okay to have chicken every night of the week.    He even said he'd eat the leftovers of the offending dish, since he knows I hate to waste food.  Thank God for that man.

Have you had any truly awful cooking or eating experiences?  Also, I would love to hear if anyone actually tries (or has tried) this recipe and likes it.  If so, please tell me what you liked about it!

Note: I'm sure at least a few of you are wondering if I'm pregnant and that was the cause of this event.  I can say for a fact that I am not pregnant right now, as I know my cycle very well and it is way too early for any signs to be happening.


  1. Awww I"m sorry about your dinner! Picky eater or not, I still make things that make me want to spit them out, so you're not alone in that. What are some things you do like to eat? Can you start with some of those foods and branch out a little bit in that regard? There are several things I used to HATE that I've been able to cook a different way and now they're foods I like.

    Kudos to you for trying something new, though; I hope it doesn't keep you from experimenting in the future!

  2. Pulpo de gallegas... while I was in Spain, it appeared to be some kind of cheese dish, based on the pic on the menu. Nope- it was raw octopus. And horribly flavored. It tasted like pungent plastic and it was truly TERRIBLE. I suppose that's what I get for ordering something I'd never heard of!

    I usually have good luck with Betty. I don't have your exact cookbook, but if you have these recipes, they're worth a shot:

    Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
    Italian Chicken and Couscous (you can always omit the onion)
    Chili Macaroni (it makes a ton, but the leftovers are good)
    Straw and Hay Pasta

    They're a few favorites of mine & Hubby's- good luck! I never made the rice noodles with peanut sauce because I'm not a fan of bean sprouts and that much ginger root.

  3. It is totally ok to not like something! At least your meal wasn't inedible to someone who really likes those ingredients.

    I've made a couple things that ended up inedible due to bad canned tomatoes. Trust me when I say, it was INEDIBLE.

    Onions are definitely an acquired taste and I would recommend trying carmelized sweet onions (like Vidalia)to start; cooked into something so you can't really taste them. The flavor is MUCH more mild than green onions and it is a good introduction to the flavor of onion.

    Good luck on your adventure. Sorry to write a book!