Yum!?!

I have been introduced to a lot of new wonderful yummy food over the past two years.  I grew up with a pretty traditional diet for the area I lived in, consisting of meat, potatoes, pasta, and lots of stuff grown in our garden, raised in our barn, or caught in the nearby Atlantic Ocean.  My mom claims that she did not know the difference between a frying pan and a colander when she married my dad, but by the time I happened along, she had it nailed pretty good.  While we didn't have many of the finer things growing up, we never went hungry, even if it did mean peanut buttered toast as the main entree occasionally.  My mom was particularly good at making Tuna Loaf, Meat Loaf, and made a damn good home made brown bread, and her scalloped potato dish, I still crave from time to often. I think i am still trying to burn off calories from her divine Whoopie Pie  and gingerbread recipes.  Mom put a lot of love in her cooking and I wish I could give her a HUGE hug to thank her for all the hard work right now.

Occasionally, I would eat at friend's homes.  I generally never remember being overwhelmed with anything any better than what I was eating at home.  There was Mrs. Sawatsky's spiral honey ham however, which I remember very fondly and my grandmother Aucoin's meatloaf may have been a bit better than mom's, but barely if at all.  I have to give props:  I had a very talented mom when it came to whipping up dinner.

Well, I moved to Princeton, NJ last April, and brought along my maritime palette.   I never really thought that I was missing out on much, I mean I never had any problem finding food I liked to eat.  I had my own adaption of mom's greatest hits, I had my gourmet Kraft Dinner (add 2 sliced fried hot dogs, and ketchup instead of butter, or just add a can of solid white tuna to the box recipe- TRY THEM !). I actually make the BEST spaghetti  sauce ever made by anyone in the world, so I was doing OK.  I might pick up a loaf of artisan bread from time to time, some cold cuts, and salad bags, and I thought I was living pretty good.  Ignorance, as they say, is bliss.

Since moving here, I have been exposed to the other side of the tracks however, more of a European fare.  Just last night, while cooking dinner, the extra virgin olive oil dripped empty, and I had to use plain old vegetable oil!  I was horrified!  Truth is, 24 months ago, I had NEVER used olive oil for anything besides a vinaigrette dressing!  I fried everything in vegetable oil.  I didn't really know any better.  Besides, vegetable oil was less than half the price of the cheapest extra virgin olive oil.  I should have learned the lesson a long time ago, I mean, I knew from how poorly the bargain toilet paper performed, and how icky no-name ketchup is, that sometimes, the finer things are worth a few extra bucks.  The proof is in the pudding! 

Olive oil is just the beginning.  The European way of cooking won me over very quickly!  From the simple schnitzel to the complex roasts to the much less sugary desserts, paint me impressed!  Roasted loin, both pork and beef.  raclette, fondue...  croque monsieur,  the list goes on every time I try something new.  For New Years Eve, we have planned a menu with my very first crown roast as the centerpiece.  I plan to take a picture of it an share it here! 

I have learned to make as much of this stuff as I can on my own, and I will continue to soak up the knowledge as fast as I can.  I always thought myself quite limber in the kitchen, but recently I have been able to add what are now some of my all time favorite dishes to my repertoire.  

So is there a lesson to learn in this?  I was happy with my eyes closed.  There is nothing wrong with that
I suppose.  Many live their whole life this way, and are truly happy.  I would recommend that we keep an open mind, or palette, in this case.  You never know what may tickle your fancy.