I loved this so much. I wouldn't describe my husband as a fussy eater, but there are many foods he just refuses to eat, mainly vegetables. He has tried them, but insists they are not for him. I find it incredibly frustrating, to say the least.
My solution is to make tiny salads with things that I love, and enjoy them all by myself!
You have just described my life to a T, Ruth. Is it weird that I spend my summers cooking all the food that would go largely uneaten in a kitchen 2500 miles away from my husband ??
This hit close to home! My Austrian husband will only eat chicken breasts, super high quality fillet steak (he hates fat and gristle), and a bit of white fish if he has to (in a restaurant, for example). He won't eat salmon, sea food, lamb, stews, etc. He doesn't like baked potatoes, but he does like fries (only if they're thin and crispy), and mashed potatoes that are completely smooth and lump free.
He does like asparagus and arugula and leafy greens and tomatoes, but no cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, cucumber, peas, etc. I make a great salad with leafy greens, red onion, different kinds of fresh fruit (apples, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.--sometimes singly, sometimes a mixture) and feta cheese that he loves. I also make soups with different vegetables and puree them until they are creamy (so he doesn't know what is in them) that he likes. And I frequently roast mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and red peppers with olive oil and tons of garlic that he likes. So one way or the other, I manage to get some vegetables into him!
Oh, Clarice, that's my life--though my husband does like baked potatoes, but most of the fruits you name are off base. Who doesn't like peaches and berries? Well, him! The roasting trick does work sometimes--I should do more of it. It's so comforting to discover that I'm not alone! Maybe we should form a support group of food lovers with fussy spouses!😆 Anyway, thanks so much for weighing in!
Hilarious! LOL Thanks for making me laugh, I needed that. What really got me laughing was the photo of your hubby picking pieces of tomato out of his breakfast! 😂 Great writing, Ruth!
I can relate. My former husband never wanted any of the food on his plate to touch each other. I should have bought him one of those divided plates for kids! 😊
Thanks so much, Linda! We all need a laugh, don't we? I think there are more picky adults in the world than we know--and I didn't even get into the topics of avoiding gluten, becoming vegetarian or vegan, avoiding red meat, ethical eating, and on and on. I guess this could--maybe should--be a series!🤔
I loved this. My husband eats absolutely everything (except rhubarb and he has even started to change his attitude to that). However, I have a very fussy grandson (11) but he is slowly coming around. He loved Hetty McKinnon's sweet potato Mac 'n cheese which I made for him last week and he made it for the family over the weekend.
Lucky you to have such a husband--and it sounds like your grandson's tastebuds are developing. I just looked up that sweet potato mac 'n cheese and it sounds delicious. It might even work at my house--if there's enough cheese! Thanks for your comment, Bev!
Oh dear, I haven’t looked at the ingredients. I’m sure they’re appalling. It might be interesting to try to recreate the cupcakes with non-synthetic (i.e., real) ingredients. I wonder if I could. Thanks for the idea, Ellen! 🤗
My favorite thing to cook is what someone tells me they don't like. It's usually traceable to one bad experience, typically the first one. From the start, I made my daughter's baby food and included almost everything we normally ate. My highest compliment as a cook came when an eater told me "there's 13 things you made me tonight that I don't like. And I ate them all."
What wasn't said was that I would eat the same thing everyday if I could. Two eggs and red grape juice for breakfast, Tortilla soup for lunch, Garden burger and succotash for dinner, Grilled Cheese and shakes when traveling. And a Hershey bar with almonds every afternoon.
As a chef, I agree with a point about fuel - sometimes, after a 16-hour shift on the line, I'd drive home after midnight and realize I hadn't eaten. Del Taco is fuel. Your wife makes food!
Thanks, Ric—an important difference. Sometimes we all just need fuel. But hopefully we know the difference between that and a meal someone puts his/her heart and soul into.
It’s always inspiring to come across a chef who’s passionate about the craft and inspires you to want to try something new. It doesn’t happen often enough. Do you still teach?
I do want to teach again. I firmly believe Everyone Can Cook - even those that say they cannot. The greatest moment of a chef’s career is when a student creates a masterpiece! your food looks amazing -
Oh, I hope you do teach again, Ric! Thanks for the compliment on the looks of my food. I don't post my disasters or the dishes that actually taste delicious but don't look so good (I'm not the best food stylist). I'm a mostly self-taught home cook and even after many years, I feel like there's so much more to learn.
There is a doughnut shop in the town where I grew up that has been there forever - and they make probably 30 or 40 varieties of doughnuts. Over the years, I have tried them all...because how would I know which is my favorite if I don't try them all?? My twin sister, on the other hand, liked the first kind she tried...and in the fifty years since then she has only ever ordered that one flavor. I DON'T GET IT.
I loved this post, Ruth, partly because I identify with it - but mostly because of the affectionate way you write about your frustrations and your husband. 💕
Oh, Jodi, I’m with you on trying every doughnut (though I do wonder if you decided on a favorite). It’s interesting that you’re twins—it just shows how different siblings, even twins, can be! I’m touched that you noticed the affection as well as the frustration with my husband—I was a bit worried that would get lost in translation. Thanks so much for a great comment.
Well, to be perfectly honest I never met a doughnut I didn't like...but I am always particularly excited when they have coconut cake doughnuts available!
I can relate!! We were at KaDeWe in Berlin a couple of years ago with its enormous food hall. I turned around to look for my husband and found him sipping a Coke beneath his Yankee cap. It almost felt like an act of defiance against all the choices. He is also a big cheese fan. I have to admit that he is willing to try new things that I make, and not minding having the same menu frequently for dinner simplifies things. Thanks, Ruth. Very entertaining.
Thanks, Vicki! That does sound like Jeff too (the baseball cap and Coke part!). It is easier to cook for someone who’s happy to eat the same thing for several meals—it just isn’t super creative, but then it does give me an excuse to be lazy!🤗
Many foods I wouldn't eat as a kid are now staples in my diet; mostly vegetables and Chinese food. I was really pleased that our dog would eat my brussel sprouts.
Well, that’s the normal progression—just didn’t happen to Jeff! Unfortunately we didn’t have a dog when I was a kid—and the cat had no interest in Brussels sprouts! Thanks for your comment, Leslie. 🤗
I loved this so much. I wouldn't describe my husband as a fussy eater, but there are many foods he just refuses to eat, mainly vegetables. He has tried them, but insists they are not for him. I find it incredibly frustrating, to say the least.
My solution is to make tiny salads with things that I love, and enjoy them all by myself!
I love this answer, Marg! As the years have gone by, I’ve learned to do this more and more. It definitely beats denying myself what I crave and need.🤗
A wonderful column!
Thanks so much, Tina! That means a lot to me.❤️
You have just described my life to a T, Ruth. Is it weird that I spend my summers cooking all the food that would go largely uneaten in a kitchen 2500 miles away from my husband ??
PS: Jeff needs to try Funny Bones.
Aha, Amie! I wondered about that! Clearly we're kindred spirits. I knew it! Obviously, I need to plan another trip to Maine--solo this time! 🥰
P.S. Jeff tells me he LOVES Funny Bones and that I should have included them in the list.
This hit close to home! My Austrian husband will only eat chicken breasts, super high quality fillet steak (he hates fat and gristle), and a bit of white fish if he has to (in a restaurant, for example). He won't eat salmon, sea food, lamb, stews, etc. He doesn't like baked potatoes, but he does like fries (only if they're thin and crispy), and mashed potatoes that are completely smooth and lump free.
He does like asparagus and arugula and leafy greens and tomatoes, but no cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, cucumber, peas, etc. I make a great salad with leafy greens, red onion, different kinds of fresh fruit (apples, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.--sometimes singly, sometimes a mixture) and feta cheese that he loves. I also make soups with different vegetables and puree them until they are creamy (so he doesn't know what is in them) that he likes. And I frequently roast mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant and red peppers with olive oil and tons of garlic that he likes. So one way or the other, I manage to get some vegetables into him!
Since m
Isn't it funny that we hide vegetables from grown men? No judgement here, I do it too!
Sad but true.
Yes, it is! I try not to be judgmental, but sometimes I can’t help it. 😏
Oh, Clarice, that's my life--though my husband does like baked potatoes, but most of the fruits you name are off base. Who doesn't like peaches and berries? Well, him! The roasting trick does work sometimes--I should do more of it. It's so comforting to discover that I'm not alone! Maybe we should form a support group of food lovers with fussy spouses!😆 Anyway, thanks so much for weighing in!
It would help to have some support sometimes, wouldn't it? Especially when you're trying to come up with ideas for dinner!
Hilarious! LOL Thanks for making me laugh, I needed that. What really got me laughing was the photo of your hubby picking pieces of tomato out of his breakfast! 😂 Great writing, Ruth!
I can relate. My former husband never wanted any of the food on his plate to touch each other. I should have bought him one of those divided plates for kids! 😊
Thanks so much, Linda! We all need a laugh, don't we? I think there are more picky adults in the world than we know--and I didn't even get into the topics of avoiding gluten, becoming vegetarian or vegan, avoiding red meat, ethical eating, and on and on. I guess this could--maybe should--be a series!🤔
I loved this. My husband eats absolutely everything (except rhubarb and he has even started to change his attitude to that). However, I have a very fussy grandson (11) but he is slowly coming around. He loved Hetty McKinnon's sweet potato Mac 'n cheese which I made for him last week and he made it for the family over the weekend.
Lucky you to have such a husband--and it sounds like your grandson's tastebuds are developing. I just looked up that sweet potato mac 'n cheese and it sounds delicious. It might even work at my house--if there's enough cheese! Thanks for your comment, Bev!
Savory squid pancakes yum!! The Japanese are awesome
Aren’t they? Thanks, Ethan!
Hostess cupcakes but I’m now appalled at how synthetic-tasting they are….even nostalgia couldn’t overcome the taste
Oh dear, I haven’t looked at the ingredients. I’m sure they’re appalling. It might be interesting to try to recreate the cupcakes with non-synthetic (i.e., real) ingredients. I wonder if I could. Thanks for the idea, Ellen! 🤗
Hostess HOHOs - got to love them too. Fun post - enjoyed it very much!
Haven’t had a Hostess HoHo, but I’m sure I’d like them. I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Wendy. Thanks for your comment!
This made me laugh! I just had a similar conversation with my husband and his name is also Jeff. LOL Great post Ruth!
I wonder if all Jeffs have eating issues! 😆 thanks for commenting, Julie!
HA! I wonder...thanks Ruth! :) Enjoy your Sunday.
My favorite thing to cook is what someone tells me they don't like. It's usually traceable to one bad experience, typically the first one. From the start, I made my daughter's baby food and included almost everything we normally ate. My highest compliment as a cook came when an eater told me "there's 13 things you made me tonight that I don't like. And I ate them all."
Wow, Ric, obviously I should take cooking lessons from you and see if I could convert my husband. Thanks so much for your comment!
What wasn't said was that I would eat the same thing everyday if I could. Two eggs and red grape juice for breakfast, Tortilla soup for lunch, Garden burger and succotash for dinner, Grilled Cheese and shakes when traveling. And a Hershey bar with almonds every afternoon.
Yes, that’s an important point—you don’t crave a variety of foods, as I do. I couldn’t eat the same thing every day.
You can’t go wrong with a Hershey bar with Almonds. 😀
As a chef, I agree with a point about fuel - sometimes, after a 16-hour shift on the line, I'd drive home after midnight and realize I hadn't eaten. Del Taco is fuel. Your wife makes food!
Thanks, Ric—an important difference. Sometimes we all just need fuel. But hopefully we know the difference between that and a meal someone puts his/her heart and soul into.
completely agree - I have a saying
sometimes I eat for fuel
other times I eat for flavor
I’ll try anything you cook!
when i ran a restaurant in DTLA, if a table of 10 ordered more than 2 of the same dish, I’d go out and convince them to be more adventurous -
I’d explain that this was an expression of my heart and soul - ps i gave cooking lessons for many years!
It’s always inspiring to come across a chef who’s passionate about the craft and inspires you to want to try something new. It doesn’t happen often enough. Do you still teach?
I do want to teach again. I firmly believe Everyone Can Cook - even those that say they cannot. The greatest moment of a chef’s career is when a student creates a masterpiece! your food looks amazing -
Oh, I hope you do teach again, Ric! Thanks for the compliment on the looks of my food. I don't post my disasters or the dishes that actually taste delicious but don't look so good (I'm not the best food stylist). I'm a mostly self-taught home cook and even after many years, I feel like there's so much more to learn.
There is a doughnut shop in the town where I grew up that has been there forever - and they make probably 30 or 40 varieties of doughnuts. Over the years, I have tried them all...because how would I know which is my favorite if I don't try them all?? My twin sister, on the other hand, liked the first kind she tried...and in the fifty years since then she has only ever ordered that one flavor. I DON'T GET IT.
I loved this post, Ruth, partly because I identify with it - but mostly because of the affectionate way you write about your frustrations and your husband. 💕
Oh, Jodi, I’m with you on trying every doughnut (though I do wonder if you decided on a favorite). It’s interesting that you’re twins—it just shows how different siblings, even twins, can be! I’m touched that you noticed the affection as well as the frustration with my husband—I was a bit worried that would get lost in translation. Thanks so much for a great comment.
Well, to be perfectly honest I never met a doughnut I didn't like...but I am always particularly excited when they have coconut cake doughnuts available!
I can relate!! We were at KaDeWe in Berlin a couple of years ago with its enormous food hall. I turned around to look for my husband and found him sipping a Coke beneath his Yankee cap. It almost felt like an act of defiance against all the choices. He is also a big cheese fan. I have to admit that he is willing to try new things that I make, and not minding having the same menu frequently for dinner simplifies things. Thanks, Ruth. Very entertaining.
Thanks, Vicki! That does sound like Jeff too (the baseball cap and Coke part!). It is easier to cook for someone who’s happy to eat the same thing for several meals—it just isn’t super creative, but then it does give me an excuse to be lazy!🤗
“Lily’s favorite foods” similar to Jeff’s! Love it!
Thanks, Jolene! 🤗
Many foods I wouldn't eat as a kid are now staples in my diet; mostly vegetables and Chinese food. I was really pleased that our dog would eat my brussel sprouts.
Well, that’s the normal progression—just didn’t happen to Jeff! Unfortunately we didn’t have a dog when I was a kid—and the cat had no interest in Brussels sprouts! Thanks for your comment, Leslie. 🤗