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Let’s Be Adventurous: Solutions for a Picky Eater

MMMmmmm... Beer

MMMmmmm... Beer

” Let's be adventurous!”? I said. Andy cringed, ” Are you sure?”? I immediately rolled my eyes at him, ” Yeah let's order something new! What's the worse that could happen?”? Having that combination of words come from my mouth immediately sets us up for an interesting eating experience. We had no intention of living on the wild side that day but, sometimes the spirit moves us and just have to go for the culinary gold and try something new. As Andy and I sat in the little German restaurant and poured over the menu, we finally settled on a cheese and chive bread appetizer.

Our appetizer came out and did not look intimidating at all. I excitedly grabbed a slice of cheese and began to take a huge bite. Andy quickly suggested that we wait for our beer just in case we need to diffuse the taste of our food. ” I don't need beer! It's be adventurous day,”? I triumphantly exclaimed. I took to making a huge chomping noise as I tried my cheese. Oh the cheese, did I mention I am the world's pickiest eater and in no way am I a cheese connoisseur? Needless to say, Andy was more then right; I should have waited for the beer!

The last thing we wanted to do was insult our hosts. So, ¾ of a beer later, we managed to choke down our cheese tray. The best part about our appetizer came after we finished it. I sat at the table with my hand over my mouth trying to choke down the rest of the cheese when I smelled something terrible.

” Andy, do my hands smell?”?
” What?”?
” Oh my gosh, smell my hands!!”?
” No! Why?”?
” They smell terrible! Smell them!”?
” Fine.sniff..yup, gross”?
” EWWWWWW!! Why do my hands smell?!”?
” Is it the cheese?”?
” I'm not smelling it! You do it!”?
” Fine.sniff..yup, it's the cheese.”?

The cheese and bread mix left a terrible smell on our hands. It very much resembled how Tucker (our dog) smells when he comes in from the rain. We had to laugh; being adventurous definitely kicked us in the butt! The rest of our meal was just as eventful with the majority of my food being shoveled onto Andy's plate.

Shelly Eating Pizza

Shelly Eating Pizza

Andy and myself have a very interesting dynamic when it comes time to eating. More often then not, I am the one who decides to try something new and ends up hating it. To counteract both of us starving, we agree on one exciting dish and then one normal dish. This has saved me multiple times from starving to death, or a 100-yard dash to the closest bathroom. We both try new foods (let's be honest, Andy tries the new food and I take tiny bites and claim I am expanding my international food palette) and are fully satisfied, most of the time, when we leave a restaurant.

Our plan of attack has lead us to great food discoveries we never would have dreamed of trying in the States. Goulash and dumplings is now one of my favorite dishes, while Andy has grown to love eggs cracked in the middle of his pizza. Having a partner to travel and eat with is the only way I am willing to do things! If it weren't for Andy's good nature, I probably would have never stepped outside my comfort zone and tried new foods around Europe.

Every day is a new adventure when it comes time to eat in a foreign country. Whether you have a successful food day, or a failure of a food day, it almost always leads to great stories to tell later on. I always live by one rule, if I'm scared of my food after a few bites; I can always get ice cream later.

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