Love them or loathe them,


common thoughts of food and or ingredients.

When I came across this post (follow link) I was not shocked or even surprised. I have repeatedly heard numerous people over the years express their distaste for the items on this list of 15 foods and or ingredients. In my humble opinion, the real problem is that the food or ingredients are not prepared properly and or used accordingly. In my pantry currently, I have and use 14 of the items listed, 3 of these items listed I use on a regular basis (or 14 of 15). 

Honestly, there is one on this list that I just can not stomach, yes I have tried numerous times. I always kept thinking I was missing something when sampling black licorice... Blah

Starting at the top, or the most unliked food;

  • Anchovies, honestly I love a small portion of the canned variety, mixed in with a very good Ceasar Salad. Unfortunately the anchovy can totally over power any dish it is added to. I have also had anchovies on pizza, and again a small amount goes a long way. Fresh, large anchovies are a whole different subject though.
  • Black Licorice, as stated before, I just can not understand the people that will eat this stuff. From the tar black twizzlers to the movie theater "Good & Plenty". I'm gonna hurl...
  • Oysters, or manna from heaven. If I could afford them I would eat them constantly. Raw, a little lemon juice and a hot homemade cocktail sauce, let them slide. Yes some people compare the texture to a glob of snot, well if I could afford premium globs of snot I would eat them every day, trust me.
  • Beets, really? how could this wonderful veggie make this list... I have a jar in my fridge of homemade pickled beets and eggs that I will snack on, and then we usually have at least one can of cooked beets in our pantry. I heat the cooked/sliced beets in a little of the juice, quality butter, garlic powder, ground pepper and aged Balsamic Vinegar.
  • Blue Cheese (dressing), how un-American can people be? The only proper way to enjoy spicy chicken wings is by dipping the wing portion in chunky Blue Cheese dressing before chowing down. You also should have fresh carrot and celery pieces with your wings and Blue Cheese dressing.
  • Okra, usually the first thing someone says when you mention okra, is that it is slimy. Yep, if you eat it alone. That slime is a natural thickening agent. Okra originated in Africa and was brought over to the US and has been used ever since. It is a southern thing. When you think of okra, remember Gumbo, okra is one of the main ingredients for thickening this wonderful dish. I use pickled okra to make a one of a kind  tartar sauce for fried fish dishes. I love cut up okra in my red beans and rice, it is a natural thickener and the taste is mild and not slimy.
  • Capers, this is an ingredient that needs to be used sparingly. I use these wonderful nodules of flavor in various fish dishes.
  • Brussel Sprouts, all I can say is you'll are missing out. Brussel Sprouts are a blessing from heaven, roasted with bacon or the best by far, "fried Brussel Sprouts", finished with S&P and soy sauce.
  • Fennel, honestly is one of the most misunderstood vegetables of all time. The whole plant is useful in numerous ways. The "fronds" have a slight anise (licorice taste) and is wonderful in various sauces. The stalks (looks like celery) make an excellent vegetable filler, if chopped finely, or use the whole stalks as a bed for roasting your favorite salmon fillets. The mild flavored bulb, sliced and sauteed/caramelized is an excellent substitute for onions. 
  • Olives, I eat these almost daily, especially the jalapeno stuffed green olives. Can not imagine someone not liking olives...
  • Mushrooms, really? what went wrong in your childhood. I use mushrooms constantly, in stir fry, sauces, on pizza, in soups and on and on. There are so many shrooms and so many ways to explore flavors with them, no excuses, live a little.
  • Cilantro, the only reason that I can think of that this made the list is well??? I guess the people surveyed have lead a very sheltered life. I use Cilantro almost daily, mainly I prefer the milder flavor instead of parsley. 
  • Coconut, wow! there are so many wonderful uses of this food. I am just awe struck that it made the list, all I can think of is the rice cooker, coconut, gluten free pancake that I make. 
  • Pickles, now I'm starting to get pissed, really, pickles? What is the matter with these 2000+ interviewees. My God there are so many pickles out there and you can't find one type you can stomach? Okay I can't handle black licorice, but your not getting a"mulligan" on this expression of distaste...
  • Mayonnaise, I'm sorry but this is just WRONG! How can you not like mayo, if it was the evil mayo "Miracle Whip" on this list I could see it, that crap is nasty, just plane nasty. Honestly mayo is a Saviour when it comes to the finish of a dish. I could and probably will write a blog post just about mayo and the creative uses that so many do not realize.
W

 https://www.instacart.com/company/updates/love-Love it or loathe it-polarizing-foods

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