Occasionally when dining out I’ll tweet or facebook pics of delightful and decadent meals. More often than not they’re not actually mine; rather they’re the choices of my dining partners who have a far more discerning palate than I could ever hope to develop or adopt.
I’d like to blame my childhood and the fact that I grew up in regional Queensland with limited options, so – other than the local Pizza Hut – I only ever went to two restaurants before I actually left home for University.
Of course times have changed and I’ve been exposed to many towns, cities, countries, cultures and cuisines.
I do love Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese food. I don’t mind Italian, Indian and other cuisines as well. However… it has to be said, I’m still a small-town girl at heart with sadly simple tastes. I love dining out but am a fussy eater. And when it comes to my own foodie tendencies, well…. let’s just say my tastes haven’t evolved a lot since my childhood icing-on-biscuits and dixie drumstick / chicken crimpy (biscuit) fetishes.
Friends and virtual friends tweet pictures of their dinner party creations or finds from local farmers markets.
Whereas I tweet this:
I see bloggers sharing recipes for extravagant taste sensations but find myself cooking THE SAME THING night after night. Steak; chicken; steak. Rinse repeat. (And yes, my Twitter followers will be well-aware that steak and mashed potato feature heavily and regularly in my winter weekly menu!)
I balk at trying new things although DO make an effort from time to time if given sufficient motivation (which I did recently when on Weight Watchers). I can’t be bothered cooking anything that has copious ingredients – any more than half a dozen and I close the recipe book. And if it requires something I don’t already have in my cupboard (which – incidentally – looks like it belongs to a college student), then fuhgetaboutit.
Don’t get me wrong. I may have an indiscriminate palate, but I do not have ‘cheap’ tastes. I really only eat fillet steak or chicken breasts and the like. I have mince occasionally and don’t ‘do’ sausages, and… despite my finances, I haven’t yet succumbed to cask wine.
But I am kinda happy to eat the same boring things day in and day out. And I’m just as happy with corn chips and dip or Cadbury chocolate rather than antipasto platters, canapes and Haigh’s chockies.
This doesn’t usually worry me. I mean – I’m in my 40s so I’m kinda used to my heathen ways by now and my friends know better than to try to convince me to eat seafood. Or fruit. Or scary vegetables. However… it becomes a problem when I have to host visitors with a more discerning palate. I mean, I can usually fool someone for a meal or two, but when I have visitors for a few days I struggle with the “Oh my god, what will I feed them?” scenario.
I have an old friend coming for a few days this weekend. He used to stay with me quite a lot as my former hometown was a stopping off point to his previous o/s location.
He knows I’m a non-foodie and has – on many an occasion – shaken his head in disbelief (though not nastily) at my culinary antics or gaucheness. Naturally I feel compelled to exaggerate my heathenness when he’s around – such is the extent of my maturity. However, in all seriousness I’m yet again struck with the ‘Oh shit I need to stock my fridge and larder like a grown-up!’ dilemma.
He won’t expect much. Like I said, he knows me and I’ll take him out one night, but he’ll need breakfast. And coffee. And a lunch or two! *Sigh*
When working out what to call this post I called on google to find the opposite to epicurean. Cos that’s me. The anti-gourmet, if you like. However… I failed in the task cos – as it happens – there doesn’t seem to be a ‘direct’ opposite. ‘Non-indulgent’ or ‘strict’ seem to be the closest in the antonym stakes. And I’m definitely neither of those. Just… the opposite to epicurean.
Are you a foodie, or quite the opposite?
Any foodie-pleasing (but easy) breakfast and lunch suggestions?
And coffee (brand) recommendations for my rarely-used plunger are also welcome.
Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
Diet Schmiet 
Funny. Before I left home, I’d really only been to Pizza Hut (on family holiday treats) & the Chinese at the local RSL or Gold Club when in the country. Mum & Dad still eat the same meat & 3 overcooked veg every night. These days I like, no love, to try new things. I treat it as a creative outlet.
Both restaurants I went to were at the Gold Coast and one was a Jo Jos (they were a chain back then – not sure if they were interstate) and the other a steak house.
I would most definitely classify you in the foodie category Jo and love that you try so many new recipes!
I’ll grind you some beans from Lillianas if you like? I’ve got the beans and grinder after all, locally roasted etc, etc. You can pick it up one night after work?
You can always get some pastries or croissants for a breakfast, scrambled eggs & bread from one of the bakeries perhaps?
Oh, I hadn’t thought of real coffee bought locally but that’s a great idea. Usually I stand in front of the coffee in the supermarket doing the ‘einy meeny miney mo’ thing! 😉
I love food but I’m a bad foodie. I love it, so I eat it more often than photographing it. I also hate recipes and fly by the seat of my pants when cooking.
I’m a little the same with recipes. I start using one but then cook to ‘taste’!
I haven’t had to cook for guests in years and the thought of freaks me out – I’d prefer we all dined out so no one had to do dishes #lazy xx
Yes, I like the idea of that too Em but don’t think I can ask my friend to eat out every meal for the 3 days he’s here! #alas
I must say, I love to cook and love a bit of variety. I don’t cook steak, only because I can’t, so I save that for my go to restaurant order. Here’s my easy suggestions for breakfast: pancakes/pikelets, or plain old bacon and eggs – you can’t go wrong. Or for something a little bit more fancy. Get some sour dough bread cut it thickly and toast lightly, fry up some bacon and eggs (or poach), throw some rocket on the plate load up the bread with the bacon and eggs and top with some chopped avocado. Finish with a splash of balsamic or olive oil. Simple but tasty. As for lunch.. I’m hooked on home made caesar salads at the moment. Easy peasy. And yes, I do have a bacon addiction 😉
I completely understand the bacon addiction – as I have it every day for breakfast (middle rasher with egg – zapped in microwave) sandwiched between 2 pieces of gluten-free toast. Every day. Almost.
Not too sure about the salad though… would require buying green leafy stuff! 😉
So refreshing to meet a self-confessed non-foodie! There is so much pretentiousness around food these days, I know I’ve been guilty of blogging ‘food selfies’ as I’ve called them, particularly with meals/cakes that look nice, never mind the taste.
My all-purpose word for anyone who isn’t gourmet or sophisticated is ‘philistine’ – basically it describes a sensible, down to earth person! 🙂
Ah yes… probably less archaic than my ‘heathen’ label!
PS: A really nice and very easy lunch for your guest would be “smashed” (why they can’t call it “mashed” is beyond me!) avocado with crumbled fetta on a good bread (toasted). Lemon juice on the top is mandatory.
I’m a foodie inasmuch as I love to eat it – thought I can be a bit fussy too. I’m allergic to seafood and bananas, and anything with even a hint of curry not only sets my mouth on fire – but I end up with a streaming nose too. And that’s just the start of what I won’t eat …
Visiting today from #teamIBOT xxx
Ah yes, I’m the same sadly! There’s a long list of ‘things Deborah doesn’t like!’
I am not a foodie. I am not a picky eater but I am so bored of cooking. I hate following recipes and meals are slapped together based on what food is going to go bad first. It is never pretty!
I don’t mind cooking for me – but do tend to stick to what I know and what’s easy!
I eat the same thing every day unless I dine out. I must tell you Deb that when I was on the Gold Coast at the weekend I went to a fantastic restaurant called Panchos. The food was scrumptious if you like Mexican. Damn scrumptious! And cheap! And quick!
I actually ate at a little mexican ‘chain’ restaurant here (in a shopping centre) in Hervey Bay on the weekend and was surprised at what they had on offer.
Your comment box isn’t showing for me Deb so I’m gonna crash Pinky’s comment thread. Let’s just say that a good cab sav elevates any old slap-up dish into a gourmet feed. Foodies schmoodies. They can have their food. Sensible folk like us know that most important part of a meal does not happen on a plate.
True! Note to self: stock up on wine!
I love eating, but really don’t enjoy cooking. Recipes are a real challenge for me, as I always tend to add extra stuff!
My go-to easy breakfast is an omelette loaded with everything; capsicum, shallots, bacon, feta, whatever you can think of, and lots of cracked pepper.
I also do a lot of rice dishes, filling and easy.
And Deb, I’m a Cadbury fan too. Lindt or Haighs just don’t grab me 🙂
Oh I’ll force myself to eat any chocolate (you know if tied down etc etc) but Cadbury’s plain chocolate is my current fave. I’m not great at omelettes but can handle scrambled eggs!
You could come and eat here. I am so not a foodie. We eat the same things all the time, and it makes me hate cooking. Or eating for that matter. I stress about having people over, but I also worry about going to people’s houses, cause chances are, I won’t eat it. It’s a hard way to live.
Oh yes, so true Jess. I don’t mind ‘cooking’ (such as it is!) or for me but when others are involved I worry. Even if it’s just nibblies!
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