First time tastings

"D.Currie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

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The thread about school cafeteria food got me thinking about the first

time

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I ate certain foods. For the most part, as I was growing up, we ate

whatever

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mom knew how to cook, and we didn't go out to eat often. When we did, we
didn't go to ethnic restaurants, if they even existed near us at the time.
The exception was a German restaurant that mom waitressed at for a while.

I

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ate there now and then when she was working at night.

First time I ate Mexican food was in high school, on a date. It was the

only

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Mexican restaurant around, and during peak times there was a line outside
the building.

First time I had lasagna, I was in grade school, maybe 8-10 years old, and
I'd never had "real" Italian foods before. Mom made what she called
spaghetti sauce, but it wasn't exactly an authentic Italian recipe. It was
good, though. Anyway, the fellow that owned the local butcher shop invited
mom and her girlfriend for lasagna dinner one night. Looking back, mom and

I

Quoted message said:

were probably "chaperones" for the evening. This was my very first
experience with lasagna and ricotta cheese, and I was absolutely

enthralled.

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Later, at the butcher shop, he offered me a taste of the ricotta cold, and

I

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thought it was terrible.

I was in my 20's the first time I had artichokes, and asparagus came after
that. I don't recall the first asparagus, specifically, but it was at a
restaurant.

First time I had Chinese food that wasn't mom's weird chop suey, it was

when

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a take-out place opened nearby. I was in the later years of grade school.
The parents who owned the place spoke little or no English, and the

daughter

Quoted message said:

ran the counter. The kid was younger than me, just barely learning how to
write, when the place first opened. And she seemed to be there every

night,

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often doing homework when she wasn't taking orders.

My first taste of Indian food (the country, not AmerIndian) was at the
German restaurant. The busboy was Indian and was a college kid. He and

some

Quoted message said:

friends cooked up an Indian feast for the other employees of the

restaurant

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and their families. It was many years before I had Indian food again.

--
Donna

Food is so personal isn't it? I had never eaten a salad (formally) until I
was in my late teens and began to eat away from home. Not that I hadn't
eaten salad foods, it's just that my mom would get the veggies from my dad's
tremendous garden, slice them up and put out a great platter of it along
with meals.

As for salad dressing(s) there were non -- even now I think, "who the hell
would mess up a sweet, juicy New Jersey tomato with anything other than salt
and pepper?", except when I make tomato sandwiches with mayo, s & p.
--
Lefty

Life is for learning
The worst I ever had was wonderful

Quoted message said:

"Lefty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Food is so personal isn't it? I had never eaten a salad (formally) until I
was in my late teens and began to eat away from home. Not that I hadn't
eaten salad foods, it's just that my mom would get the veggies from my
dad's
tremendous garden, slice them up and put out a great platter of it along
with meals.

As for salad dressing(s) there were non -- even now I think, "who the hell
would mess up a sweet, juicy New Jersey tomato with anything other than
salt
and pepper?", except when I make tomato sandwiches with mayo, s & p.
--
Lefty

Ooohhh. I'd go into the garden and pick a tomato, and eat it right there,
still warm from the sun. Those were the best!

I can remember when I was introduced to chain hamburgers -- don't remember
if it was Micky D's or Burger King, but I was with someone else's mom and
kids and the kids were saying how good this place was, and I'd never been
there. But they want there often, apparently. I wasn't all that impressed,
and it was a long time before I went back to that type of place. Probably
years.

Mom didn't drive, so any forays into the world had to be within "walking
distance" which for her was pretty short. Or we went with one of her friends
who drove, but those were always "adult" events, so we'd go to a nicer
restaurant for lunch where mom could have a couple of afternoon cocktails. I
can't remember ever going to a fast food place with her.

Donna

"D.Currie" <[email hidden]> wrote

I really enjoyed this post.

Quoted message said:

The thread about school cafeteria food got me thinking about the first
time I ate certain foods. For the most part, as I was growing up, we ate
whatever mom knew how to cook, and we didn't go out to eat often.

The only time we ever ate out was when we visited my great aunt Sarah
in the Bronx. It just occured to me, maybe I learned to love eating out
from her. Discovered cheesecake and the wonders of little trees on
your plate ... parsley.

When Burger King and McDonald's came around, we'd go there
every so often after church.

Quoted message said:

First time I ate Mexican food was in high school, on a date. It was the
only Mexican restaurant around, and during peak times there was a line
outside the building.

It was in the early 80s, this Mexican restaurant chain opened a place
near our apartment. Heck no, we wouldn't go, all that spicy food?
Then I went with a couple of friends from work ... well, might not really
be Mexican, but I loved it. Soon after Ron was curious enough and out
of the blue wanted to try it. Wish they were still there.

What's with those wildly popular restaurants, for years you have to
wait to get in to eat, suddenly they are out of business.

First time I went with my friends, they ordered fried ice cream for dessert
and I laughed. I thought they were joking around. They weren't.

Quoted message said:

First time I had lasagna, I was in grade school, maybe 8-10 years old, and
I'd never had "real" Italian foods before. Mom made what she called
spaghetti sauce, but it wasn't exactly an authentic Italian recipe. It was
good, though. Anyway, the fellow that owned the local butcher shop invited
mom and her girlfriend for lasagna dinner one night. Looking back, mom and
I were probably "chaperones" for the evening. This was my very first
experience with lasagna and ricotta cheese, and I was absolutely
enthralled. Later, at the butcher shop, he offered me a taste of the
ricotta cold, and I thought it was terrible.

That's funny. My father ran into a friend of his from the Army, they lived
near
us. We went there for Thanksgiving dinner for some reason. Well, that
was an eye opener! I was in junior high school, I guess. Lasagna! Where
have you been all my life! And that was just the first course. Should
have paced myself.

After dinner I went into another room with their teenage son and played
Stratego. (laugh)

Quoted message said:

I was in my 20's the first time I had artichokes, and asparagus came after
that. I don't recall the first asparagus, specifically, but it was at a
restaurant.

Asparagus. Out of a can, dragged out with those horrid mashed
turnips every thanksgiving. Artichokes, introduced to me by my ex.
First, the marinated kind in a jar. I was very slow to get into them,
then my ex mil would make stuffed artichokes. I loved those but
would hand over the heart to him, I didn't like that.

Quoted message said:

First time I had Chinese food that wasn't mom's weird chop suey, it was
when a take-out place opened nearby. I was in the later years of grade
school. The parents who owned the place spoke little or no English, and
the daughter ran the counter. The kid was younger than me, just barely
learning how to write, when the place first opened. And she seemed to be
there every night, often doing homework when she wasn't taking orders.

We didn't have chinese food places near me, growing up. It was pretty
much Italian/Irish. When I got my first apartment, my friends took me to
a chinese restaurant, wow, I loved those ribs and the beef & broccoli.
Nothing's changed. And the munch crunchies.

They put leftover beef/broc in my refrigerator. Well ... next morning I
opened it and smelled that, that was my introduction to cold not-breakfast
food for breakfast. Nothing's changed, I still do that.

Quoted message said:

My first taste of Indian food (the country, not AmerIndian) was at the
German restaurant. The busboy was Indian and was a college kid. He and
some friends cooked up an Indian feast for the other employees of the
restaurant and their families. It was many years before I had Indian food
again.

(laugh) Why, was it bad? Indian food, this one guy at work had a cousin
with a restaurant. They had the whole place over for a lunch, I remember
we had a lot of fun and the food was very good. First time I ever had
Indian food. I should find a good place nearby. I know just who to ask,
the local food critic just loves Indian food, and Chinese.

Funny how you remember where you were in relation to what food you
had a lot of times.

nancy

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"D.Currie" <[email hidden]> wrote

I really enjoyed this post.

I enjoyed thinking about it. DH and I often talk about foods we ate as a
kid, or things we never had until years later. He has a whole long list of
things he never tried until I cooked it for him.

Quoted message said:

The only time we ever ate out was when we visited my great aunt Sarah
in the Bronx. It just occured to me, maybe I learned to love eating out
from her. Discovered cheesecake and the wonders of little trees on
your plate ... parsley.

When Burger King and McDonald's came around, we'd go there
every so often after church.

Quoted message said:

First time I ate Mexican food was in high school, on a date. It was the
only Mexican restaurant around, and during peak times there was a line
outside the building.

It was in the early 80s, this Mexican restaurant chain opened a place
near our apartment. Heck no, we wouldn't go, all that spicy food?
Then I went with a couple of friends from work ... well, might not really
be Mexican, but I loved it. Soon after Ron was curious enough and out
of the blue wanted to try it. Wish they were still there.

What's with those wildly popular restaurants, for years you have to
wait to get in to eat, suddenly they are out of business.

First time I went with my friends, they ordered fried ice cream for
dessert
and I laughed. I thought they were joking around. They weren't.

snip
..

Quoted message said:

That's funny. My father ran into a friend of his from the Army, they
lived near
us. We went there for Thanksgiving dinner for some reason. Well, that
was an eye opener! I was in junior high school, I guess. Lasagna! Where
have you been all my life! And that was just the first course. Should
have paced myself.

I always thought mom was a good cook, and that she could make anything. When
she didn't know how to make lasagna, I was crushed. I couldn't believe how
good that stuff was!

Quoted message said:

After dinner I went into another room with their teenage son and played
Stratego. (laugh)

snip
..

Quoted message said:

Asparagus. Out of a can, dragged out with those horrid mashed
turnips every thanksgiving. Artichokes, introduced to me by my ex.
First, the marinated kind in a jar. I was very slow to get into them,
then my ex mil would make stuffed artichokes. I loved those but
would hand over the heart to him, I didn't like that.

snip

Quoted message said:

We didn't have chinese food places near me, growing up. It was pretty
much Italian/Irish. When I got my first apartment, my friends took me to
a chinese restaurant, wow, I loved those ribs and the beef & broccoli.
Nothing's changed. And the munch crunchies.

They put leftover beef/broc in my refrigerator. Well ... next morning I
opened it and smelled that, that was my introduction to cold not-breakfast
food for breakfast. Nothing's changed, I still do that.

Quoted message said:

My first taste of Indian food (the country, not AmerIndian) was at the
German restaurant. The busboy was Indian and was a college kid. He and
some friends cooked up an Indian feast for the other employees of the
restaurant and their families. It was many years before I had Indian food
again.

(laugh) Why, was it bad?

No, it was great! The flatbread had me fascinated. Never saw anything like
it. But there was nowhere nearby that served any kind of Indian food, and
mom wasn't about to try anything like that.

Indian food, this one guy at work had a cousin

Quoted message said:

with a restaurant. They had the whole place over for a lunch, I remember
we had a lot of fun and the food was very good. First time I ever had
Indian food. I should find a good place nearby. I know just who to ask,
the local food critic just loves Indian food, and Chinese.

Funny how you remember where you were in relation to what food you
had a lot of times.

Oh yeah. And I may never forget the first time I made liver and onions for
DH. He'd never had any except the shoe leather variety.

Donna

Nancy Young wrote on 02 Apr 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Funny how you remember where you were in relation to what food you
had a lot of times.

nancy

We'll always have tortillia soup...(sigh).

--
-Alan