I'm not talking about the boys' tastes. No I'm talking about my own. I think you could have put me in the running as one of the pickiest kids in America. I didn't like eggs forever. I don't think I enjoyed scrambled eggs until my 30's. And I didn't like eggs fried unless they were rubbery-hard and then only between bread smeared with lots of Miracle Whip. I didn't really like toast, didn't like pancakes, didn't like homemade waffles. Is it any wonder my mom only fed me box cereal, which I also didn't like? Heck, if I'm not going to like anything anyway, why bother making anything? (Although why we couldn't have French toast every morning is beyond me.)
Well. My tastes have changed, thank God, or should I say they have "matured." I like all those things now, and I have learned that I should never write something off entirely forever without giving it another try. (Exceptions are canned corn and coconut. Totally and forever.)
Which brings me to today's breakfast: broiled grapefruit. About once a year, growing up, I would come to the breakfast table and find, much to my horror, a half grapfruit sitting at my place and a bowl of sugar next to it. I was supposed to sprinkle the sugar on top and eat that thing. It felt like I sat there for hours, sprinkling and sprinkling, and just could not get that grapefruit to taste any better. Once I had flown the coop, grapefruit was on my "never to be endured again" list.
And then, again in my 30's, I found out that corn on the cob is good. You see, my personal war with canned corn turned me against any and all forms of corn, seemingly for the rest of my life. Poor Burt. He never got corn at our house. Then one day, we had some friends over for dinner, and they brought some fresh corn and made it for us, and I knew it would just be plain rude to refuse, so I put on my best face and decided to fake my way through it, choking it down with a smile. What a revelation! Corn on the cob was good!
What else have I been missing in my life? Well, runny eggs on toast, for one, and pancakes and waffles. Not to mention steak, celery, and lima beans. And grapefruit.
I finally got up the nerve to try grapefruit again this winter, and what a treat it has been. It's quick, easy, and good for you, and it has this juxtaposition of tastes and textures when it's been broiled. The coolness and tang of the fruit contrasts so well with the warmth and sweet crunch of the topping. I had some again this morning, and am so glad that I didn't let grapefruit pass me by forever.
One grapefruit, not counting the topping, has less than 100 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, half of your Vitamin A for the day, and over 100% of your vitamin C.
Full disclosure: boys didn't like it. Their tastes haven't matured enough yet.
Are there any foods that you need to try again? Or foods that you have matured into? Let me know!
Broiled Grapefruit
serves 1 or 2
2. Cut the grapefruit in half.
3. Use a small serrated knife to cut the fruit away from the white part all the way around and also cut between each segment. This makes for easy eating and takes 1 or 2 minutes. It's worth the time.
4. Mix together the topping ingredients and spread over the cut grapefruit. What I mixed together this morning wasn't quite enough to allow for a nice thick layer, so I just sprinkled a little more brown sugar on top.
5. Broil until the top is bubbly.
Well. My tastes have changed, thank God, or should I say they have "matured." I like all those things now, and I have learned that I should never write something off entirely forever without giving it another try. (Exceptions are canned corn and coconut. Totally and forever.)
And then, again in my 30's, I found out that corn on the cob is good. You see, my personal war with canned corn turned me against any and all forms of corn, seemingly for the rest of my life. Poor Burt. He never got corn at our house. Then one day, we had some friends over for dinner, and they brought some fresh corn and made it for us, and I knew it would just be plain rude to refuse, so I put on my best face and decided to fake my way through it, choking it down with a smile. What a revelation! Corn on the cob was good!
What else have I been missing in my life? Well, runny eggs on toast, for one, and pancakes and waffles. Not to mention steak, celery, and lima beans. And grapefruit.
I finally got up the nerve to try grapefruit again this winter, and what a treat it has been. It's quick, easy, and good for you, and it has this juxtaposition of tastes and textures when it's been broiled. The coolness and tang of the fruit contrasts so well with the warmth and sweet crunch of the topping. I had some again this morning, and am so glad that I didn't let grapefruit pass me by forever.
One grapefruit, not counting the topping, has less than 100 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, half of your Vitamin A for the day, and over 100% of your vitamin C.
Full disclosure: boys didn't like it. Their tastes haven't matured enough yet.
Are there any foods that you need to try again? Or foods that you have matured into? Let me know!
Broiled Grapefruit
serves 1 or 2
- 1 grapefruit, which has been stored in the fridge for that cold contrast
- brown sugar, about 1/4 cup
- butter, softened, about 2 Tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2. Cut the grapefruit in half.
3. Use a small serrated knife to cut the fruit away from the white part all the way around and also cut between each segment. This makes for easy eating and takes 1 or 2 minutes. It's worth the time.
4. Mix together the topping ingredients and spread over the cut grapefruit. What I mixed together this morning wasn't quite enough to allow for a nice thick layer, so I just sprinkled a little more brown sugar on top.
5. Broil until the top is bubbly.
I am not a liker of grapefruit. Tho, I always liked steak but since you had fish sticks, I had to have fish sticks. And you wondered why I always tormented your growing up!! I love all food for the most part. I miss when mom would make canned spinach with a boiled egg quartered.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you brought that up. When I was thinking about what I was going to write today, I was thinking that, yes, I was picky, but I also liked some really weird stuff, like canned spinach with egg quarters on top. And chicken livers, and smoked oysters. It would be interesting to find out what weird foods are in other people's families.
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