Much Maligned Food That I Love

I'm not the most adventurous eater ever, but I will eat almost anything to be polite. And I will try almost anything, too. A few things that I love that other people can't abide are:

1. Brussels Sprouts. Everyone else in the house can't stand it when I cook them; Thing 2 says they smell like "troll farts", but I LOVE them. If you take off the outer leaves, slice them up thinly and sautee them in a bit of garlic and olive oil, I would happily eat the whole pan's worth without sharing.

2. Olives. Again, no one else in the house eats them, which is a-ok by me. My friend's mother, the teeny-tiny Greek lady, brings me some little, black olives which I'm pretty sure she gets on the Secret Greek Black Market, because I have never seen them sold anywhere, and they are spectacular.

3. Peanut Butter and Lettuce Sandwiches. Don't knock it without trying it....iceburg lettuce lands up on almost every other kind of sandwich you can think of, so why not peanut butter? And just to tell you? Peanut butter and cucumber is pretty good, too.

4. Porridge. On a cold, dark, snowy morning, a bowl of oatmeal is about the most wonderful thing ever. If you can get your hands on some Steel-cut oats, then you might be a convert. I will happily scarf down a bowl of regular rolled oats, but steel cut oats are heavenly. (I put a half a cup into a bowl the night before, cover them with water and let them sit overnight. In the morning, I microwave on high for 3 minutes. Almost instant.) Steel cut oats with a bit of brown sugar and vanilla soy milk will make me a very, very happy woman for the rest of the day.

5. Soy Milk. Is there anything that sounds more joyless than "soy milk"? Maybe "tofu gruel" or "low-carb bread". But I've come to really like soy milk, especially the vanilla kind. It's kind of sweet and has a nutty taste to it. It's really good in Chai tea lattes.

6. Arrowroot Cookies. Possibly the most boring cookie ever created, but dipped in my coffee, they are the perfect blend of starchy and sweet. I have to stop myself at 4.

7. Rhubarb. I know lots of people who hate rhubarb, and even more people who have never tried it... but it is wonderful stuff. You DO have to cook it, and even more importantly, you DO have to add sugar to it (or your head will positively dissolve with the sourness.) but oh, my, it's fabulous.

8. Weird desserts: #1: sliced bananas, drizzled with lime juice and a sprinkle of brown sugar, broiled for a bit to melt the sugar and then topped with a dollop of sour cream. Excellent, but other people look at me like I might have hit my head recently when I eat it. #2: mangos, chunked up, with lime juice and chili powder on top. Fabulous. #3: apples, sliced up, drizzled with carmel sauce and a sprinkle of kosher salt. I love that one.