Don't Be Afraid Of The Uni

I get twitchy watching loved ones enjoy a meal that still has eyes. You will never hear me say: "Let's go for tripe!" or "Are you kidding me?! I LOVE brains!"

Hi. My name is Cindee, and I have a fear of the culinary unknown.

My rule of thumb for foods I will never try is: Never eat anything that scared me as a child. Bugs, whole heads of animals, and frogs are at the top of that list. Being jewish also predisposes me to being very afraid of most foods. Herring, chopped liver, and tongue being exempt. Those are holy foods required on Sundays and Yom Kippur.

We did not have adventurous food growing up. We had great,delicious,comforting food. I did not branch out to the forbidden, exotic foods until I moved to NYC. Telling my parents that I loved sushi was a weighted, serious discussion.

Which brings me to the Uni. Oh uni. Uni is the one food (Fish? Food?) that makes me anxious. I have never tried it. It's not pretty (see photo above). It doesn't even look edible, but AnonyMouse has shed tears of happiness after eating it.

So this is going to be the summer of Uni. No. Wait... Before the end of 2009 I am going to try Uni. It will be a big deal. I will post a status update on Facebook. I may even call my parents afterwards to tell them I am ok. It will be glorious. AnonyMouse and I will weep together as we liberate my palate.

I will not be having a staring contest with a deep fried shrimp head anytime soon, but I will be more than happy to sit with you.


Three Foods I Will Try Paired With My Top Three Scariest Movies

Something Curried and The Shining
Squab and The Ring
Lentil Soup and The Exorcist