An Old Dog Learns New Tricks (Or, I Discover I Like New Foods)
Almost every year, a foodie friend of mine hosts a St. Patrick's Day party and goes all out on the suds and grub. He brews the beer. He corns the beef. The whole shebang.
Even though I'm a lot Irish, I'm not a huge fan of Irish food. (Although I do like the whiskey. Yum.) So while I always appreciate my friend's effort — along with the good conversation and the fun, nerdy folks he invites — I generally stick to soda bread and the veggie tray. Which, now that I think about it, explains all the years I had to be pushed to the car at the end of the night. Whiskey on an largely empty stomach is a bad idea.
But I digress.
This year, he went with more of a green food theme, which proved to be enlightening for this non-adventurous eater. Alongside the platter of corned beef and cabbage were a homemade pea spread with flatbread crisps, tabbouleh, and a baked rice pie filled with herbs and deliciousness. On top of that, friends of ours showed up with a homemade vegetarian shepherd's pie made with lentils. It was heavenly. The pea spread was sweet and wonderful, the tabbouleh had good tang (and lots of parsley), the rice pie thingie was super good, and I learned the easy way that I like lentils.
I'm not generally a vegetable fan, but the older I get the more I realize it's because they're often cooked in ways I don't really like (i.e., boiled until they're paste). I don't think I'll ever enjoy the veggies that taste like farts (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.), but experiencing veggies I sort of like in new ways is enlightening. Pea spread is a great, healthy alternative to dip for carrot sticks and cucumbers. I would eat tabbouleh on a piece of cardboard, it's so lemony and flavorful. And I'd make Emily's lentil pie any day and not feel deprived because it's meatless.
Today, while most people slept off their St. Pat's hangover, I decided to test my luck and make Ina Garten's Snap Peas With Pancetta and Parmesan. It's a simple salad I saw her make on a recent episode while I was at my parents' house last week. You blanch the peas, cut them in half, and toss them with some crisped pancetta, grated parm and an easy lemon vinaigrette.
Totally. Amazing.
Perfect served with some knock-off, bacon-wrapped "filets" from Aldi.
This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between me and vegetables.
Even though I'm a lot Irish, I'm not a huge fan of Irish food. (Although I do like the whiskey. Yum.) So while I always appreciate my friend's effort — along with the good conversation and the fun, nerdy folks he invites — I generally stick to soda bread and the veggie tray. Which, now that I think about it, explains all the years I had to be pushed to the car at the end of the night. Whiskey on an largely empty stomach is a bad idea.
But I digress.
This year, he went with more of a green food theme, which proved to be enlightening for this non-adventurous eater. Alongside the platter of corned beef and cabbage were a homemade pea spread with flatbread crisps, tabbouleh, and a baked rice pie filled with herbs and deliciousness. On top of that, friends of ours showed up with a homemade vegetarian shepherd's pie made with lentils. It was heavenly. The pea spread was sweet and wonderful, the tabbouleh had good tang (and lots of parsley), the rice pie thingie was super good, and I learned the easy way that I like lentils.
I'm not generally a vegetable fan, but the older I get the more I realize it's because they're often cooked in ways I don't really like (i.e., boiled until they're paste). I don't think I'll ever enjoy the veggies that taste like farts (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.), but experiencing veggies I sort of like in new ways is enlightening. Pea spread is a great, healthy alternative to dip for carrot sticks and cucumbers. I would eat tabbouleh on a piece of cardboard, it's so lemony and flavorful. And I'd make Emily's lentil pie any day and not feel deprived because it's meatless.
Today, while most people slept off their St. Pat's hangover, I decided to test my luck and make Ina Garten's Snap Peas With Pancetta and Parmesan. It's a simple salad I saw her make on a recent episode while I was at my parents' house last week. You blanch the peas, cut them in half, and toss them with some crisped pancetta, grated parm and an easy lemon vinaigrette.
Perfect served with some knock-off, bacon-wrapped "filets" from Aldi.
This may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between me and vegetables.
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