Chomp!

Guest Column By April Kresken
March 14, 2014

Let’s make a first-food moment!

Just a mere six months ago, my littlest friend, Lucy (aka Pickles), celebrated turning six-months old by eating food…..for the first time!!!! I know it happens on the regular; babies graduating from breast milk or formula to pureed veggies and fruits, but really think about it. This little person has never ever nerver erver consumed food! It kind of blew my mind and really got me thinking about all the first food moments that Lucy will get to enjoy, and how many of those moments she probably won’t remember. That last part makes me sad, BUT that’s why we all have cameras on our phones, right?! Yup.

A face anybody could love!

Lucy’s parents are foodies and dig the benefits of fresh fruits and veggies. Her very first ‘big-girl’ meal is a beautifully ripe avocado, artfully mashed by her loving mother. Avocado is one of the most perfect foods ever. I don’t think I even tried one until I was at least 10 or older, and I certainly don’t remember it. They just weren’t as popular 20 years ago (in middle-class America).

But, avocado is what you feed babies now. It certainly sounds pretty awesome to be a baby! I’m going out on a limb and guessing that lil Pickles here, will not remember the day she used her silver spoon to shovel avocado into her mouth. We’ll show her the pictures when she’s older and have a good laugh, but the experience of tasting that ‘big-girl’ avocado for the very first time, will be long lost. Frownie face.

Later that same week, I was with my much larger adult friend in the food-loving city of Charleston. Surveying the goods at the farmers market downtown, my pal (not originally from the South), indicated that he’d never had a boiled peanut….which is NUTS and totally his own fault!

Now, this fella has been around boiled peanuts since moving to S.C. but never felt the urge to try one because he was, certain it didn’t sound very good. Wrongo. Almost before he could swallow these treasured Southern staples, he begins telling me about how they’d be amazing in this recipe.

And Again, it got me thinking about trying things for the first time.

As we grow older, it happens less and less frequently that we get these experiences. For someone like me, who L-O-V-E-S food, everything about food, obsesses over food and totally wishes I could relive my first taste of peanut butter, I start feeling inspired to think differently about my first food moments. With that, I have to try something new! But what?!

(Pro tip: Head Cheese does not actually contain cheese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese)

Head Cheese, a cold cut that I’ve always eyeballed with slight suspicion and determined curiosity.

So, to truly appreciate the experience and to really have a first taste moment, pull out your
trusty phone camera and snap a few pics!

A Meat Mosiac

Next, use multiple senses to help round out the event. Look at it. Touch it. And most importantly, get your nose all up in there. Our ability to taste would be severely impacted if we lost our sense of smell, so make sure you put both to work!!!!

Then, chow down and…….take more pictures. Don’t forget to include one of you actually eating your new food so there’s proof!

A Deli-ghtful Experience!

Finally, spend some time thinking and talking about it. This will help deepen the connection you have with the moment, keeping it fresh and hey, it may even inspire a new recipe or idea.

For me, the Head Cheese was better than I expected! More appealing to the eye when sliced, it has a slight brininess to it. The meat parts are bound together by aspic to create a congealing texture. I’m not the biggest fan of gelatin (unless it includes high-proof liquor) but it kind of works in this European cold cut. I think I’d enjoy it again, but with some horseradish mayo and a nice havarti cheese.

As for lil Lucy/Pickles, we recently enjoyed a nice BBQ dinner together and then she bowled her FIRST strike!!!

She gots mad skillz!

Until we ‘eat’ again…Thanks for letting me fill in for Chomp!

April Kresken is a complete novice at writing but a true professional at eating! She’s very proud of the blossoming food and arts culture that has enveloped our fair town and looks forward to achieving a self-appointed Doctorate in Deliciousness.