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Funny how one topic of discussion leads to a new train of thought.

WHen writing on Charcoalsmom about spices and herbs I thought about sage. I don't care for the flavor of sage and will substitute other herbs when cooking.

What is the main reason I don't like sage? Probably because my mother didn't care for it and would always buy the sausage without sage and never used it when cooking. It might be a flavor you have to develop a taste for.

Now anise/licorice - I've never liked that flavor - Don't recall licorice ever being in the house and the one time I tried it - tasted like pine tar.

What have you been influenced by because of foods at home when growing up?

One food that I LIKE that I have never ever seen anyone else eat (other than immediate family) is homemade buttermilk buckwheat pancakes. My grandmother on my father's side made them and my mother made them and I make them now. I've seen buckwheat pancakes on restaurant menu's, tried them, disliked them. I've seen buckwheat pancake mix in stores -- tried them, disliked them.

They are thin, almost sour, pancakes. Paired with warm melted butter and hot maple syrup -- to this non-gourmet palette, it is almost hea ven.

I cannot think of a thing that I do not like because of my upbringing. In fact, my mother ate a lot of stuff that I cannot tolerate: bleu cheese, baked squash, liver, cooked cruciferous vegetables, tongue, wilted dandelions with hot vinegar, and sweet potatoes. I think she prepared these items for herself and my father but did not ask the kids (5) to eat them -- maybe because of the cost? I don't know why.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MyLifeVacation1,

Nice to be in the company of another rare person who dislikes licorice. HATE IT !!!

4 things I loathe and refuse to eat- licorice, cooked spinach, liver, raisins.

Perhaps it's due to my Italian ancestry coupled with the fact my mother did not set a negative tone regarding any food, because I am a fan of both sage and anise (fennel) with its strong licorice note. I do recognize that we all have different palettes however, but many of our childhood culinary experiences impact our adult tastes though I think we can all agree that as we age our tastes change. Btw, another favorite spice of mine is rosemary.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Froo Froo,

Similar experience to Froo. (And I LOVE licorice and anise and fennel.)I am not of Italian ancestry, but Spanish and French, so things were the same in my household when I was a child. Growing up in Brooklyn and Long Island, where we had access to all kinds of wonderful foods from different cultures also helped. Of course, we were always WILLING to try new things, encouraged as we were, by our family members who were adventurous eaters. We were foodies before being foodies was cool!

I don't like licorice either, but I don't mind fennel. My mother is a terrible cook so the things that my childhood experience taught me to dislike are commercially canned vegetables and soup.

True statements above...we had licorice and liver in the house too. I like neither. My most "favoritest" grandmother liked licorice and I wanted to be just like her...but never liked that black tarry stuff. I've tried liver many times...as a kid and as an adult. I just don't like it...texture or flavor....beef, chicken, duck...I've decided that I'm old enough to never try it again.

I love sage! Someone else has to taste the cornbread dressing for me. Once, even my mother complained.

I like raisins out of the box or in cookies. Do not, however, put them in muffins, cakes, carrot salad, coleslaw, chicken salad. I do not like the texture once they are plumped...and in salads...blech. The diner across the street from the courthouse makes a delicious chicken salad...after I flick the raisins out. If I miss one and bite into it... In addition to not liking the texture or taste of plumped raisins...there is just too much resemblance to those big deer ticks I picked off the hound dogs.

I prefer ham over turkey - because that's what I grew up eating for holidays. I can eat turkey, but am not fond of it leftover.

I do not like anchovies or most canned in oil fish...many are too salty or just too strong. I've tried anchovies and sardines both in high-end restaurants...still don't like them.

ALL meat in my mother's house was cooked well-done. As an adult, I find that I like beef steaks cooked medium. I want ground beef, beef roasts, all pork, poultry, and fish cooked done. I tried seared tuna once (mentioned it here). Will NEVER eat rare or raw fish again...unless I'm starving and the chances of that are probably pretty slim.

I neglected to mention my love for basil too.

quote:

What have you been influenced by because of foods at home when growing up?

Fish, but particularly smelt. We fed it to the cats my parents bred (Siamese and Burmese).

I was grocery shopping for a friend, and she put smelt in her cart. I exclaimed, "I didn't know you had a cat!"

It took her by surprise, but I found out she fixed it for her family to eat.

I thought fish, particularly smelt, was cat food and not fit for human consumption. And, I still don't eat fish.

I adore sage and licorice. My mother always used sage in her turkey stuffing but I had an aunt who couldn't stand it at all.

I don't like cilantro at all. But I never had it when I was young so maybe that's why.

I also hate any meat with gelatin on it. But I like jelly candies.

I grew up with lots of different fish and seafood so I really enjoy them.