Chef Paul: I struck out on Sunday
April 04 2011
For Sunday dinner this week I made a wonderful roast pork shoulder. It was marinated for 24 hours with garlic and oregano and served with French lentils, roasted candy cane beets, turnips and sweet potatoes. I thought it was fantastic! The pork
was flavourful and very moist; the accompaniments were great; and the wine we had was a perfect pairing…unfortunately, neither my wife nor our three year old agreed (the three year old really knows her wine). Neither of them was very keen on the pork. The lentils went over OK but the sweet potatoes, beets and turnips less so.
It just goes to show that everyone has an opinion when it comes to food…and no one’s opinion is necessarily wrong. There is one universal truth in this world…we all need to eat! And because we all eat, we all have an opinion about what we like and dislike.
What I did appreciate is that both my wife and daughter tried everything on the plate, that’s all I ask. Like most three year olds, my daughter can be very fussy at times. What was a hit last week might very well be a miss the next (I’ve even resorted to taking photos of her as she eats to prove to her that she did in fact like broccoli last week!). And it’s not just three year olds; I too have my likes and dislikes, such as calves’ liver or canned salmon. Eating is a very personal and yet communal thing.
That’s why it can be tough and sometimes frustrating trying out new food ideas. Many folks are not very receptive to change; they know what they like and are not willing to try anything beyond that. But what we need to remember is that for a lot of people, their food choices are slowly killing them. Too many amongst us are eating diets high in fat and sodium. Too many folks are eating their way to diabetes. Too many people are not willing to change their eating habits. It’s tough…no one wants to eat food they’re not going to like (or that they THINK they’re not going to like). But changes need to be made. Eating healthy meals needs to become a priority for ourselves and our loved ones. You might not always like what you’re eating but you owe it to yourself to at least try it. It’s important for you to make that commitment. I guarantee that if you go in with an open mind, you’ll discover wonderful new flavours and delicious meals you’d never thought you’d like.
