My Changing Palate

6/18/14

At the Greenlight Bookstore (in Brooklyn) party for my cookbook, Emily Duff gave us her kombucha — plain, raspberry/lemon/ginger, and vanilla/cardamom. Inspiring flavors, inspiring cook and mother. We also served a June version of the radish, fennel, and apple salad (on the cover of the book), with local fennel, local Galas (yes, a bit mealy by then, walnuts, fresh orange juice, nice Sicilian olive oil, and Jacobsen sea salt. A delicious shaved salad you can make with one thing or another all year.

When I talked about my journey from a low-fat, vegan, and vegetarian life to one of conscious omnivory, I said that I don’t feel obliged to eat anything I don’t like (which includes bananas, peanut butter, lamb, white asparagus, smoked cheeses, and dark chicken meat).

But when I reached home at 10 pm, there was a roast chicken (earlier, Jacob and I put the garam masala, butter, thyme, and lemon in and on it) sitting there at room temperature for me. I love a home-cooked meal, especially one that’s already cooked! And I found to my surprise, I had a huge leg and thigh of dark meat, and enjoyed it very much. I had forgotten, perhaps, what I do and don’t like. Your palate, like that of your children, may be changing. Don’t consider it a fixed entity. Find The Real Food Cookbook at Murray’s on Bleecker Street and all over the country, in fine bookstores, and on-line. Eat well.