Friday Five - Food Edition II

[ofearthandstars]

Questions from thefridayfive here.

1. What's a food you liked when you were younger but don't anymore?

Oof, I'm not sure. Much of the food I ate as a child was that of a latchkey kid - processed or boxed stuff, Little Debbies as snacks, TV dinners were a frequent occurrence when my working mom was tired. I guess if I had to choose, I'd probably have to say pound cake with sugared strawberries. Now it is rather hard to find pound cake vegan, or at least one that tastes like I remember, but it's something that my grandmother always made and had around when I visited.

2. What's a food you used to not like but now you do?

Mmm, brussel sprouts, most likely, although it's been widely reported that this is not a cultural phenomenon and that the plants have just been bred better. But I also enjoy things like asparagus, and even kale (though well massaged with oil or acid), and I probably wouldn't have touch those as a kid. Collards, though I'm still picky over them - they must either be loaded into another meal or stew, or used as a wrap - the kind my family used to slow-boil to death still makes me shiver. Oh, and okra! Honestly, it boils down to the fact that a lot of the vegetables I ate growing up were usually steamed/boiled to a mush, which does not work for my in any way, but now I eat them roasted, grilled, air-fried, or in other ways.

3. What's a food you enjoy eating both warm and cold?

Mmm, I'm a weirdo, but either potatoes or tofu. Neither change very much in texture once cold, and they both tend to soak up the flavors of any sauce or herbs they are cooked with. Last night we had tofu wraps and I sauted the 'fu with hoisin, tamari, and sriracha, and it replayed well as a snack today.

4. Are there any foods you can't get anymore? Why not?

Well, it's been several years since I've been able to enjoy any food made by my mom. She made a homemade pimento cheese, and macaroni salads, and fresh salads, and a litany of desserts - and while I likely wouldn't eat many of those things now anyway, the grief lies more in knowing that I will never have the option to eat something she made again. And my mom was big into holidays and food and special occasions - it was one of her love languages, even though she was a type I diabetic. So the foods I miss are the foods that she loved making. Her zucchini bread - I kept a loaf in my freezer for nearly 2 years after she passed, and her canned salsa - I finally ate the last jar this year, and it was still delicious.

5. What's your favorite "breakfast for dinner" (or "dinner for breakfast") food? L. occasionally makes breakfast burritos that have a 'fu scramble and Gimme Lean sausage and peppers/onions, and he made a breakfast pizza not long again that is full of processed vegan meats that is very tasty, but not something I'd eat on the regular. One thing I frequently used to do for my kids, when they were smaller, was make pancakes for dinner, with margarine, peanut butter, and/or warm fruit compote and maple or berry syrup. We occasionally do this still when comfort food is called for. The lovely thing about pancakes is that the batter is versatile and can be cobbled together from dirt cheap ingredients. I think pancakes helped us get through some seriously rough times, so I will always treasure those little golden orbs.