Food Confessions

Yesterday a friend announced that she doesn't eat tomatoes or mushrooms. She is a very kind, well-balanced, mature and smart person. And yet I found myself thinking "How ridiculous! Something must be wrong with her."

I have another friend who grew up in San Diego and doesn't eat avocados. I can't tell you how much time I've spent being incredibly baffled by this. I excuse people from Ohio that don't like avocados. I get that it's a texture thing. I figure Ohioans aren't enlightened enough to get over the texture. But if you're from San Diego? Incomprehensible!

I let my judgment fly left and right but the truth is that I am not without my food flaws. I thought it was time I confess...

I don't eat mustard. Let me make that perfectly clear... I don't eat it. I hate it. I despise it. Mustard makes me angry. I hate the color, the smell and especially the taste. And I know very well that most of the world considers mustard a wonderful and delicious food item.

If I order a sandwich I always say "no mustard." If mustard comes anyway, I either send it back or remove all bread and anything else that touched the mustard. Bryan and I have a favorite restaurant and I'm convinced they have mustard in their salad dressing. I can taste it. So last time we were there I didn't touch the salad and asked the waiter, "Is there mustard in this salad dressing?" He told me no and listed off every ingredient in the dressing. I thanked him, he walked off, and I turned to Bryan and said "I think he's wrong, I think there's mustard in the dressing."

Mustard is pretty much my only won't-eat-at-any-cost food. But there are a handful more that I try to avoid. I know that as I avoid them I'm missing out on delicious meals. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to be open minded to these foods:
- Salmon (I think I really just haven't had good salmon)
- Zucchini and pretty much anything in the squash family. I know! I know it's good, I know you love it. I just gag if it not perfectly hot.
- Salads with nuts, ice cream with nuts, cookies and brownies with nuts
- Unagi (eel) - just don't like it, creeps me out
- Mussels and clams - they creep me out too. But give me an raw oyster any day. Yumm!
- Eggs with running yolks. Yuck. But I stay strong if I see crab cake benedict on the menu.
- BBQ sauce. I just don't love it. Too thick, too sweet.
- "Wings." The tiny bones freak me out.

Oh I remembered two more must-avoid foods. Diet soda. Yuck! Fake sugar gives me a headache anyway. I am so tuned in I can taste fake sugar. And coconut. Tastes fine, just upsets my stomach. I believe I am mildly allergic so I try to stay away.

Your turn, what are your food confessions?