A NEW ADVENTURE

by Ramona Powell Dennis

Are you one of those people like me, who usually eat the same foods, the same way, week after week? It gets old after a while, don’t you think? I’ve decided to go on another culinary adventure, and I would love for you to join me. I want to try foods prepared in different ways, flavor combos that I’ve never used before, and different cuisines. I’m a southern girl at heart and love cooking soul food, canning fruits and vegetables, baking cakes, and pleasing others with tasty traditional treats. Now I want to please myself and try something new.

I know my husband won’t go on this journey with me, but I’m hoping that you will at least try it along with me, even if it’s only for a month. Each week for the next three months, I want to either prepare or sample a cuisine that I haven’t tried in a while or ever. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, time will tell.

Since this will be trial and error, I will treat myself to a different restaurant each week to try something new. If I like the meal I tried, I will add it to my list of favorites and may even attempt to prepare it for myself. I started something like this a few years back and got distracted when I got married, because my husband likes to keep it simple when it comes to his meals. His rule is: cook it the way Miss Lillie taught you and you won’t get any complaints from me. Miss Lillie is my mother. She was a professional cook and baker who got special requests from the Governor of Florida back in the day. I’m nowhere near as great a cook as she was, but I know how to please a palette.

So, who’s with me? Who’s willing and ready to step out of their comfort zone and try something different? I challenge each of you to do so. If you aren’t pleased with the results, at least you can say, “I tried it, but it didn’t work for me” or you may open a window to a world of new favorites and broaden your experiences while doing so.

I’m sure I’ll make this a bit more complicated than most, but I want to journal the experiences and see where they lead. I will list the following: date, restaurant, cuisine, and food tried, and document the experience (including the service, atmosphere, and did I enjoy the experience and why). Perhaps, I won’t blog about it, but I will keep the records. I’m getting excited and look forward to this journey. Bon Appétit!