My relationship with food did not start easy. I suppose I was fighting my destiny all along despite powers much greater than all of us continually prepared me. Perhaps this path gave me the rich appreciation that I so took for granted in my youth...
The Early Years
As a child, I was a very picky eater. Although born in Dallas, I grew up overlooking the most beautiful village in the world: Saint Paul-de-Vence, the jewel of Provence on the French Riviera. Surrounded by this culture, and a cuisine strongly influenced with French, Italian, North African, and Mediterranean origins, I just didn't get it. I didn't even like pizza, for Heaven's sake!
Our housekeeper, Flora, in many ways served as my grandmother given how infrequently we could visit the U.S. When Flora would host lunches or dinners, she would frequently fix my few favorites, welcoming me with a stack of crêpes, homemade gnocchi or fettuccine, and my ultimate favorite dessert: îles flottantes. When babysitting me, she would typically have me prepare dishes with her. Unbeknownst to me at the time, a seed was planted that decades later would show me that the preparation and hosting would take me back to that happy place.
The Growth Spurt
Back in Dallas at nine years of age, I expanded neither my palate nor my desire to do so. However, once I turned twelve, I started to grow...and grow fast, as boys do sooner or later. I craved food, if not in variety, at least in volume. I started to try new things and finally enjoyed pizza. My family was well conditioned, however, so my experimentation was still very limited. I did start to cook more meals through high school.
Hop Before You Leap
When it was time for college, I left for Washington D.C. in part to learn and appreciate more of my nation's culture and history. I stayed in the D.C. and Baltimore area for nearly 8 years to complete school and work but from the beginning, my exposure to new things, especially cuisines of the world, grew immensely. To my surprise, the more I tried, the more I liked. The melting pots in those big, dense cities provided a wonderful adventure of discovery and enjoyment...but little did I know what was in store for me.
The Big Leap
I returned to Dallas and, working over a year for a British boss, I went from having eaten Indian food twice previously in my life to regularly twice a week--ordering from any restaurant without the need of a menu.
Soon after, with my multicultural upbringing and as a multi-linguist, I became an IT “road warrior” who traveled the world, collecting millions of frequent flyer miles. I also accumulated an exhaustive shot glass collection from most of the various cities I would visit--some 97, I think. The most enjoyable thing I collected, of course, was the wonderful exposure to great people, food, and drink.
End Game: Enlightenment
Back home in between trips, I would frequently cook for me and my wife, content to avoid restaurants. Practice, learning, experimenting, more learning...and subtly yet undeniably, about 15-20 years ago, I realized how important that sense of comfort in Flora's kitchen is to me, and how much it pleases me to prepare, offer, and share a good meal with family and friends.
I have certainly come full circle to accepting this destiny. Furthermore, my wife and I were very successful at fostering early on a rich palate for our two boys, thereby side-stepping the whole picky ordeal I went through! Hopefully I can pass along a bit of my appreciation and knowledge to my boys, other family members, friends, and fellow gourmands.
“Manges, manges, chéri!” I can still hear Flora say with her Provencal Patois accent, beaming a broad smile. “Merci, Flora,” I would reply with a huge smile of my own.
Treasures at the marché provençal à Antibes, when I last visited in 2016
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