Trying New Things

Perhaps this blog might unintentionally turn into a series of posts about all of the foods that I force my boyfriend to try. I know that I said that I wanted to write about cooking, but I find myself really impressed at the amount of things that I've gotten Tony to try. And when I say that, what I mean is that I'm surprised at the level of trust he's placed in me when it comes to food, and I'm proud of how he continues to pursue new experiences. The fact that he gives me credit for playing a role in his recent food adventures makes me feel pretty good about things.

That said, I was pretty sure that I was never going to able to get Tony to try sushi, and the fact that he did marks such a momentous occasion for me that I felt it simply had to be cataloged in the annals of history (or, you know, this blog).

We were having a frank discussion about trying new foods, and he made a comment that he's been really loving trying new things and how glad he is that I've encouraged him to do so. As the conversation evolved, sushi emerged as a topic. I pointed out that he's been so interested in trying new things that maybe he should give sushi a try. He could be surprised. He's been surprised so far, right? So when he agreed, I naturally assumed that it was to pacify me because the tone of his agreement was not exactly the kind of tone that encourages one to have faith in the agreement.

Much to my surprise, he actually tried sushi when we went out for lunch a few days ago. We had selected a fusion restaurant in our area that we both really enjoy, Zing. (If you're in the South Bend/Mishawaka area, I highly suggest Zing. Their ads and menus are full of comical grammatical errors, but their food is some of the best Asian fusion I've ever had.) While selecting appetizers, I suggested sushi. He apprehensively agreed. To be frank, I was surprised we even got that far.

We selected tuna maki. He had asked me how raw tuna tasted a few days before during our sushi discussion, so we opted to remove his curiosity and replace it with experience. I truly believe that he had been expecting it to taste like decaying flesh because the look of surprise on his face after he put it in his mouth was riveting. He said, "It doesn't have a lot of flavor."

Tony's meal: Yaki soba.

He had spent so much time expecting it to be disgusting that the overarching blandness of it was a huge shock to him. The thing about sushi is that it tastes like the fish itself. If the fish is good quality, the rawness of it isn't going to have a great deal of flavor to it. It gives you a way to enjoy the fish for itself. (It also means that you really have to have the freshest of fish because old fish makes for some horrifying sushi.) For me, the texture of sushi is also part of the enjoyment of the dish. It has such a unique mouth feel that nothing else has ever really been able to match or compare to it.

My meal: coconut prawn

He only ate one piece, but I still consider it a victory. We had a great meal together. He tried something new, and I got to show him, once again, that he can place his culinary trust in me and my opinions. I must have done something right because he's suggested we have sushi for dinner tonight, and who am I to disagree?