Food and My New Year’s Resolution

First, what did yesternight deliver?
“Another year has gone for ever.”
“Sketch-New Year’s Day [1790]” by Robert Burns

Happy New Year to you!

How did you spend New Year’s Eve? Did you face crowds and traffic for a celebratory excursion? Did the party come to you? Are you guilty of pigging out on more goodies than were good for you? (Raises hand.)

Did you make resolutions, ignoring the voice in the back of your mind taunting, “Why bother?”

Well, I made one I certainly intend to keep—one that will force that niggling, inner voice to eat her words.

2016 will be the year my taste buds will never be the same as I eat more new foods than I have ever eaten before.

“But with recipes like this, don’t you already have an . . . interesting palate?” you ask.

Yes, you’re right. My fondness for experimenting with unique combinations has already expanded my flavor horizons. But there’s a world of foods out there—meals from different cultures to seek out and discover. (Okay, let me say upfront that some “delicacies” I wouldn’t be foolish brave enough to sip.)

Yet, something as simple as trying a new cheese once drove me to tears.

A small event at a local farm . . . a sampling of cheeses . . . my eager bite . . .

Seconds later, through watering eyes, I stumbled around, scrambling to find any way to scrape the vileness from my tongue.

Blue cheese. (Shudders.) Never again.

A Brussels sprouts recipe also reminded me that I was too long oblivious to the delicious wonders of this green, underrated veggie.

Want to know something else?

Last year, asking me what a persimmon tastes like would have yielded this response:

But on a recent trip to the farmers’ market, my curiosity got the better of me; this weird, vibrant fruit wasn’t going to remain a mystery to me any longer. I took it home, cut it open, and I can honestly say that . . .

I still don’t know what a persimmon tastes like.

Oh, don’t get me wrong: I liked it. I’d definitely eat one again. Describing how it tastes?

I’ll get back to you on that.

So, welcome, 2016! This will be the year I open my eyes—and my mouth—more often to life’s culinary pleasures and nature’s abundant bounty.

No need to search out all manner of rare, exotic dishes. Could be something as simple as picking up a bag of teff. Ordering rabbit stew or a venison burger in a restaurant. Going to my farmers’ market and snatching up a few stalks of rhubarb. I hear it makes great pie.

Speaking of pie, I have a slice of apple pie to dig into for dessert tonight. I should start the New Year off on the right track. (No, not by skipping the pie!) Skipping instead the usual pie à la mode.

I’ve always wondered how apple pie would taste with slices of cheese. What have I been waiting for to give it a whirl? That whole sweet-savory dynamic is appealing and intriguing.

Yes, a bite with a slice of cheese will do just fine as an initiation into my New Year’s food resolution.

Cheddar is the usual accompaniment. What other cheeses do you think would do?

No. No. A thousand times no!

On no account whatsoever will blue cheese ever do.