That thing everybody else loves, but you don't

Truffles and caviar. I can eat them, but I've never had them where I thought either added anything special to the meal or appetizer.

No white truffles? Jo Ann yout taste is not perfect as I thought.

Like Frank, I pretty much love every cuisine. There's no food that I don't eat, though I can't say that I'd usually order anything with pineapple. That's probably closest. I haven't eaten sweets in 25 years, but that's not because I don't think they taste good, just neurosis.
A life without foie gras, truffles, apples, caviar, pickles, artichokes, or haggis- oh the humanity!

Like Frank, I pretty much love every cuisine. There's no food that I don't eat, though I can't say that I'd usually order anything with pineapple. That's probably closest. I haven't eaten sweets in 25 years, but that's not because I don't think they taste good, just neurosis.
A life without foie gras, truffles, apples, caviar, pickles, artichokes, or haggis- oh the humanity!

Haggis? I would rather eat at Chipotle for the rest of the weekend.

I am with Frank, haggis (this I have had) were like a very tasty, savoury mince.
Served with all the trimmings of course, the pipes the ode to the haggis, neeps and of course a wee dram!

Truffles and caviar. I can eat them, but I've never had them where I thought either added anything special to the meal or appetizer.

No white truffles? Jo Ann yout taste is not perfect as I thought.

Truffles are okay. But, just okay in my book. Neither truffles nor caviar gave me that heady experience like the first time I had an expertly made cioppino or paella and I came to learn the common ingredient was saffron. Or the first time I had Tanquerey gin.

Jo Ann, I like your food EPIPHANY !!!!! moments.
In defense of caviar, since I have the privilege of immediately processing sturgeon eggs as soon as they are harvested, there is no similarity between the freshly cured eggs and ANY other commercially available sturgeon caviar. I also thought caviar ghastly until I got enlisted as kitchen help during the ice fishing season. That was my EPIPHANY !!!! Lemon vodka shots not necessary but adds to the Russian ambiance.

[Jenise]

Jo Ann, what I find unusual about your reaction to truffles is that you're more or less in the middle vs. experiencing either love or hate, which I think is the more typical reaction. Most people seem to either be strongly attracted to it--almost an animal thing--or something close to repulsed. Put me down with the animals--and btw, I have a similar reaction to the aroma of certain well-aged wines, Bordeaux and Rhones in particular. They seem to excite in a similar way.

Jo Ann, what I find unusual about your reaction to truffles is that you're more or less in the middle vs. experiencing either love or hate, which I think is the more typical reaction. Most people seem to either be strongly attracted to it--almost an animal thing--or something close to repulsed. Put me down with the animals--and btw, I have a similar reaction to the aroma of certain well-aged wines, Bordeaux and Rhones in particular. They seem to excite in a similar way.

I love the way truffles smell. But the taste doesn't deliver on the promise for me. Caviar - Eh!

[Jenise]

I'm with you on caviar. But I didn't even mention it, as in my case I'm squeamish on the subject of 'eggs' so it didn't seem like a legitimate claim. Whereas potatoes. Love all the others, but fingerlings are worthless.

I am also blessed to enjoy all the things. I admit I don't like lemon/orange/citrus in sweets and candies as much as everyone else, but that's about it. Maybe dried shrimp, I like it in small quantities but some people really like it.

Walter -- that reminds me of something. We cooked our way through Julia Child's cookbooks, not every recipe but many cookbooks not just Mastering. And one facet of her taste that I didn't quite understand was that she liked to load up desserts with apricots. Apricots are OK in my book but they aren't so special that I want the flavor to dominate an otherwise very special dessert.

Citrus -- I would almost agree but a friend made an orange cake and I brought a good Sauternes and the combination was fireworks, the orange cake brought out beautiful flavors in the wine and the wine made the dessert taste spectacular. So I guess I am not against citrus in desserts.

Maybe apricots have a similarly synergistic effect with Sauternes? I haven't tried the combo.

[Jenise]

Maybe apricots have a similarly synergistic effect with Sauternes? I haven't tried the combo.

I can offer you this: they do.

I have also been in Burgundy when apricots were ripening--the bakeries were full of amazing fresh apricot pastries. And it's probably the most fragile fruit in the world--incredible when tree-ripened, poor when not, short season, short shelf life--they are quite precious things and those of us who love them never get enough. I haven't noticed Julia's obsession with them, but to me it's entirely understandable.

I can't think of any particular food I dislike. But what I don't like are some food pairings that seem to be pretty popular.

Any kind of fruit (sauce or chopped) w/ Meats, Chocolate & Red Wine are my 2 most disliked pairings.

I can't think of any particular food I dislike. But what I don't like are some food pairings that seem to be pretty popular.

Any kind of fruit (sauce or chopped) w/ Meats, Chocolate & Red Wine are my 2 most disliked pairings.

My wife agrees with you on the fruit-and-meat thing. I'm not a huge fan of that but once in a while I'll come across a recipe with that combo that looks good to me. I'm free to cook it up as long as I plan on eating alone.

I'm free to cook it up as long as I plan on eating alone.

Well, as long as the rules are clear.

I think it is bananas, eating them make me feel sick

[Jenise]

I think it is bananas, eating them make me feel sick

So is that just plain repulsion (like me facing a liquid abortion--I men, runny egg yolk) or is that an allergy?

Welcome to the group. I see you're from 'Moody'; Port Moody by any chance? If so, we're almost neighbors.

Coffee for me. It makes me nauseous - even the smell, before I lost my sense of smell.

The first time my high school girlfriend invited me for dinner, her parents served a mocha pudding for desert. I struggled manfully to get it down, but I wasn't a happy bunny. Maybe that's why the relationship didn't last .

[Jenise]

Coffee for me. It makes me nauseous - even the smell, before I lost my sense of smell.

The first time my high school girlfriend invited me for dinner, her parents served a mocha pudding for desert. I struggled manfully to get it down, but I wasn't a happy bunny. Maybe that's why the relationship didn't last .

I feel the same way about the flavor of butterscotch, and it was a pudding that got me, too. First grade. I've never gotten over it.

Yup - duck a l'orange. Yech!

[Jenise]

Yup - duck a l'orange. Yech!

I love it! But the critical issue is: balance. Has to be a lot of salt and tang there to carry the sweet.