The History of me & FOOD

       Food has taken a leading role in North American culture with chef's taking on celebrity, recipes

My first ever pomegranate... how have I not eaten this before?

replacing manuscripts, and ingredients talked about like the latest Hollywood gossip.  While food has always played an integral role in our lives it has evolved into something much more than an essential element of life and this blog itself will add to the mounds of evidence to support that.
      For my own part, my immersion into the vast food culture was more timid and reluctant than most.  Having grown up on a very traditional meat and potatoes diet, though filled with delicious and favourite meals, there was certainly not the element of culinary exploration that features with increasing prominence in the plethora of cuisines and ingredients available to us today.  Having worked in the restaurant industry for over ten years I have marveled at young children ordering venison tenderloins cooked medium rare or starting off a meal with an arugula salad.  I don't think I had a salad until I was in my twenties, I know I didn't have sushi until I was 23, I tried Chinese food for the first time when I was 19, and I was previously so disgusted at the idea of seafood that I once opted to pull an eye from a cooked lobster rather than enjoy the succulent, buttery meat trapped inside. 
        There are a number of factors that have helped me to overcome my shyness for new and intimidating foods; namely my employment in the restaurant industry and my husband Dan's refusal to accept that I "don't like" foods that I have never tried.  Reluctantly, my eyes have been opened to the splendor of previously unknown ingredients and while I have come a long way there is still a lot of ground to cover.  This blog will allow you to follow me through my exploration of something new in food each week as I taste, cook, or order something to challenge my palate. 
        The inspiration for this came through a recent visit to the farmer's market; while searching the vendors for inspiration for dinner, Dan pointed out an opened pomegranate. I had never seen an opened pomegranate before - I've enjoyed pomegranate in other formats but had never seen a pomegranate as this collection of gem-like seeds glistening with delicious juices.  The next hour consisted of me prying each seed from the fruit and individually sucking out the juices with ever stickier fingers.  So I hope you enjoy coming along for the journey as re-enter the world of blogging and set out to discover (and hopefully enjoy) new ingredients and dishes.