Not for me, Thanks

There are certain foods I like and eat often (sandwiches), some I like certain forms and types of, say sushi or tofu - and others I just can't stand - broccoli, tuna fish salad, zucchini. I can usually avoid them and they don't bother me too much. I'll often pick olives out of things I don't like, but they don't ruin a dish for me. I started thinking about all this last week when I had a conversation with people I work with about what they won't eat. Actually it was more about the ways they won't eat things. I can say I don't have any of these little eccentricities.

One woman didn't like to have jelly, or any other condiment for that matter touching the bread itself. Apparently if the jelly is in between peanut butter or the mustard is on the meat and not soaking into the bread this is OK. Another guy could not tolerate pickles in any way. If he gets a pickle garnishing a Cheeseburger platter he says the pickle "taints" all the food on the plate. I just move it out of the way and ignore it or give it to someone else. (I actually like sliced pickles on a hamburger, but not the pickle spear type- is that weird?) One woman I work with is legendary for not eating anything green- I'm sure this includes all manner of green vegetables, but I'm not sure if it extends to green hard candies or M&M's. What does she say to her grandkids when they don't want to eat their peas? I guess she doesn't cook them in the first place. I think someone else mentioned a problem with peas too, now that I think of it.

When we were growing up my brother insisted on eating his spagetti and meatballs separately. It was meatballs first then - clean off the plate and eat the spagetti plain. He has become more sophisticated in his old age, but he still eats tunafish salad all the time. Several other people in my extended family have a thing about nuts and raisins in deserts. They are relatively OK by themselves I think, but not in a pie or a cake. One uncle actually passed this concept down to his daughter. Another friend doesn't like food with "endoskeleton" as he puts it. Lobster and "exoskeleton" seafood are acceptable. He'll still eat it I think, but he won't like it- too much work I guess.

I hear that many people- otherwise normal, healthy adults- don't like certain foods touching
each other on their plates. Perhaps their mothers made them some bad combinations in the past. There is a character on TV who only eats white food. Then there is the young woman I've heard of who is afraid of mustard. Not just on her sandwich, but on the table at a restaurant too. Its like garlic to a vampire with her. Baseball games must be hell.