An aquired taste, do you have any?

[Old]

Recently the sisters in our congregation have organized a program to provide one prepared meal a week for the elderly. Somehow they have concluded that Gertrude and I fit this category, don't know why, I thought our elderly ones were the Robinson's, both are past 95. Anyhow to make a long story short, we are included in the group receiving a prepared meal each week. Last week it was a full dinner of Mexican dishes. Coming from California I acquired a taste for Mexican dishes at a very young age, Mexican food including tripe are delicious. Yesterday a very sweet sister went out of her way to prepare one of her favorite meals, pumpkin soup and fresh biscuits. Neither of us had every heard of, let alone tasted pumpkin soup. Since it looked more like lunch than dinner we saved it for lunch today.

Before I go any further I need to explain, my wife and I are not against trying food we are unfamiliar with. Ethiopian food is definitely different from typical American dinners, we came to love it. We did not fair so well with chitlins, I think it was the odor of them cooking. Short of chitlins and rotten tofu I can think nothing we have been totally turned off from, we have even eaten durian fruit (best served outdoors on a breezy day.) Back to our lunch. I sniffed the soup as I placed it in the microwave. It definitely smelled like pumpkin, the spicy aroma that accompanied it reflected a lot of the herbs and spices you might find in pumpkin pie which I love. There seemed to be a strong nutmeg tang to it. I tasted it as it was warming, surprise, a sweet soup with a lot of unidentified flavors. I put the soup in a couple of bowls. I tackled mine with very little trepidation; having been a starving pioneer I knew I can quickly acquire a taste for almost anything. Not this time. The flavor was so foreign to me that even after half a bowl I didn’t like it any better. That is as far as I got. My wife, watching me did not get it past her nose. I don’t think I could acquire a taste for this if marooned on a desert island. Actually the aroma has permeated the house, very similar to durian fruit which can be likened to a pail of soaking diapers.

So dear members: educate me, pumpkin soup, do you like it? Is it an acquired taste? Would you serve it to you CO? Any food turn you off that fast? What can I say to the loving sister that provided our meal?  

 

[Tortuga]

Have you tried it cold?

[Old]

Just now, Tortuga said:

Have you tried it cold?

No, it was still warm when we got it. Is it to be eaten cold?

[BLEmom]

Lol was it perhaps curry pumpkin soup?  A lot of people never exposed to curry have a hard time at first. There are also different curries depending on where they are from, some I like some are just ok. 

 

My my whole family loves when I do soups like that including teen boys.  I bet it was just the spice combo that hit you wrong. 

[Tortuga]

9 minutes ago, Old said:

No, it was still warm when we got it. Is it to be eaten cold?

I had a cold pumpkin soup once, I liked it.

[BLEmom]

10 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Have you tried it cold?

I wouldn’t eat it cold. 😝 but that is me. 

[Old]

1 minute ago, BLEmom said:

Lol was it perhaps curry pumpkin soup?  A lot of people never exposed to curry have a hard time at first. There are also different curries depending on where they are from, some I like some are just ok. 

 

My my whole family loves when I do soups like that including teen boys.  I bet it was just the spice combo that hit you wrong. 

It was unlike any curry I have ever tasted. We are very fond of curries, sweet or otherwise.

[Tortuga]

18 minutes ago, Old said:

Would you serve it to you CO?

That's not a fair question...

[Brother Arellano]

Actually pumpkin soup is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. There’s also a thousand and one ways to make it. It all comes down to personal taste. 

[BLEmom]

31 minutes ago, Old said:

It was unlike any curry I have ever tasted. We are very fond of curries, sweet or otherwise.

Can you pinpoint the spice or herb that hit you wrong?

[Friends just call me Ross]

I prefer to consume my pumpkin in pies.

 

No longer having fresh-baked pumpkin pie at our Assemblies and Conventions

is one of the things I miss most about 'the old days/ways'.  I could (and did)

consume many paper 10 cent tickets worth of those delectable pumpkin pies.

I know, I know, 'Don't forget the whole quails in the desert disaster.' 

 

Beets, cottage cheese and coffee were all things I had to acquire a taste for,

because the first time I tasted them, I HATED all three. 

 

I simply cannot acquire a taste for beer.  

I cannot even stand the SMELL of it. 

 

When I was a kid, I couldn't stand anything sour.

Now, as an adult, I can't stand anything sweet.

Does this mean that our taste-buds 'evolve' over time?  

[BLEmom]

18 minutes ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

When I was a kid, I couldn't stand anything sour.

Now, as an adult, I can't stand anything sweet.

Does this mean that our taste-buds 'evolve' over time?  

I was going to ask if you had ever met a baby but then realized you answered that.  😉. Seriously though, babies are prime examples of the metamorphosis of taste. I couldn’t get mine to do any kind of mashed green, they wanted fruits.  They now eat all kinds of veggies. I’ve heard that returns in old age, the craving of sweeter foods.  Another factor is hormones. Pregnancy anyone?  That will get you eating more of certain foods and hurling at the smell of others. If our tastes didn’t change, how could we learn to like new foods?

[Miss Bea]

Pumpkin soup? I haven’t had it, but, it seems pretty acceptable to me. I fix a yam, squash, and carrot soup for our Wednesday lunch now and then. It’s a favorite. My theory is, if it’s orange, toss it in. 

Acquired taste. There are cheeses that I cannot tolerate, and, furthermore...

It’s  the strong cheeses. Blue cheese, shudder. Last week, one of the sisters had melted cheese on bread. Her,  “favorite cheese”. It was yellow. Yellow-yellow, and it reminded me of butter. It was awful. To me. Almost tasted like it had soap in it. I did my best. I could not finish it. Just could not. I tried. I put it aside, and, eventually, it disappeared. 

Other then, green olives, (and I do not care what they are stuffed with) and, Greek olives. Another shudder...

[kejedo]

 

A mother was trying to introduce grapefruit to her young son. She cut the grapefruit in half and put one on his high chair tray and said, "Just try it. The first bite will taste sour, but you'll like it after that." Youngster answers: "Okay, but you take the first bite for me."

                               Y (loves grapefruit, loves to dance)S

Edited January 24, 2019 by kejedo

[Alexa]

I speculate there are no salt. Many are sensitive and avoid salt

[boodles]

Pumpkin soup is a Mexican dish? 🤔

[Dalbyj]

I'm the opposite .. I love pumpkin soup but cannot seem to acquire a taste for pumpkin pie. To me, pumpkins are savory and do not taste good as a sweet!

I make my pumpkin soup every year with pumpkins from my friends garden, I dice up and roast about half a pumpkin, peel it and blend with a homemade chicken broth, then season as necessary. I like it thick like a chowder, and served with lots of hot buttered toast. It's a very simple but warming and comforting lunch for the winter months. 

That reminds me .. I must get a batch of chicken stock underway!

[kejedo]

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 6:44 PM, Old said:

 What can I say to the loving sister that provided our meal?  

 

Just say, "Thanks."

[kejedo]

As far as an acquired taste, I was brought up on eggplant. There are a few ways that  I make Eggplant,(Mulanjana), that I like. I have tried store bought or prepared eggplant, that I am generally not fond of. I also do not prefer batter dipped and fried eggplant.   Our Sicilian grandmother taught us to make eggplant pie (Parmaggiana) or egg plant salad. First we peel and slice the egg plant. then we put it in a large bowl and put salt on each slice (corning.) Later, we pour off all the excess water and wipe the salt off the slices, which are no longer slimy and have the consistency of meat protein. Next layer eggplant, tomato sauce, raw beaten eggs, and cheese. Bake this casserole til bubbling on top. This pie is low carb and a small piece is quite filling.  Maybe I'll put the menu for eggplant salad on a banquet of well oiled dishes. I also might try a recommended pumpkin soup recipe. Pumpkin is a low carb and relatively low cal versatile vegetable.  When I have cooked with it, I buy the canned variety. Harvest grown pumpkins have been farmed for halloween pumpkins at the risk of flavor. 

 

p.s. Eggplants originally were and some still are the color of eggs.  Pumpkin is the color of my hair after a drastic home attempt.

Edited January 26, 2019 by kejedo

[leoperales]

French fries with honey 😋

[kejedo]

3 hours ago, kejedo said:

Just say, "Thanks."

Once, I had just gotten out of the hospital and a young elder's wife sent a dish for my then family of five. It was a bottom layer of pilsbury biscuits that were cooked touching each other and burned on the bottom. On top of that was a layer of spinach. I don't know whether it was cooked all at once or the biscuits burned first, then the spinach put on top. Her husband told me it was her specialty. It was unusual. I was thankful. Just thinking of it makes me crave some pumpkin soup. 

I guess I'm not quite as elderly as Jerry. One of the young sisters came by today and went into my fridge and put together lunch for herself. Some times I just make something for her. 

[Jeanie]

4 hours ago, kejedo said:

As far as an acquired taste, I was brought up on eggplant. There are a few ways that  I make Eggplant,(Mulanjana), that I like. I have tried store bought or prepared eggplant, that I am generally not fond of. I also do not prefer batter dipped and fried eggplant.   Our Sicilian grandmother taught us to make eggplant pie (Parmaggiana) or egg plant salad. First we peel and slice the egg plant. then we put it in a large bowl and put salt on each slice (corning.) Later, we pour off all the excess water and wipe the salt off the slices, which are no longer slimy and have the consistency of meat protein. Next layer eggplant, tomato sauce, raw beaten eggs, and cheese. Bake this casserole til bubbling on top. This pie is low carb and a small piece is quite filling.  Maybe I'll put the menu for eggplant salad on a banquet of well oiled dishes. I also might try a recommended pumpkin soup recipe. Pumpkin is a low carb and relatively low cal versatile vegetable.  When I have cooked with it, I buy the canned variety. Harvest grown pumpkins have been farmed for halloween pumpkins at the risk of flavor. 

 

p.s. Eggplants originally were and some still are the color of eggs.  Pumpkin is the color of my hair after a drastic home attempt.

Pauline, I have tried eggplant and can not stomach it.  Just the thought of it still makes me want to vomit.  I am the same way with mushrooms.  Both of those taste very "meaty" to me.  I don't know any other word to describe it.  It is just a strong taste that I can't get use to.  But, I loved hearing of you spending time with your grandmother learning how to make the dishes.    Thanks for sharing that. 

 

[kejedo]

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 6:58 PM, BLEmom said:

Lol was it perhaps curry pumpkin soup?  A lot of people never exposed to curry have a hard time at first. There are also different curries depending on where they are from, some I like some are just ok. 

 

My my whole family loves when I do soups like that including teen boys.  I bet it was just the spice combo that hit you wrong. 

There are certain curries that I cannot abide, although I've tried. One of my (former) B.S. from Gujarat, India used to make us a curry tea, (I think). It wasn't bad.  Someone else has the call now. 

 

[kejedo]

5 hours ago, Dalbyj said:

I'm the opposite .. I love pumpkin soup but cannot seem to acquire a taste for pumpkin pie. To me, pumpkins are savory and do not taste good as a sweet!

 

I also am not fond of pumpkin pie, or spice cake, either for the same reason. I like carrot cake if I make it myself, not store bought. One of my students works in the bakery dept of a large chain. She told me the batter came premade and they took the spice cake batter, opened a can of carrots off the shelf, then added it to the spice cake batter and baked it. YUck. I don't make carrot cake too often because my family doesn't eat it. I saw single slices at a different grocery store and asked them if it was carrots added to spice cake, and she said "No, we make it here." ONe tiny bite told me she was lying. Maybe I'll make a carrot cake from scratch next time the cong get together is at my place. 

[Qapla]

  I like carrot cake ... I also like spice cake and pumpkin pie