We all have that one food, that one ingredient that makes our skin crawl and turn our noses up in disgust and rejection. But there are times when that food gets redemption in the form of a recipe. On r/Cooking, people shared their experiences and what made the most inedible food edible
Asparagus
“I had only been exposed to canned asparagus. One day I watched Julia Child on GMA. She gently blanched fresh asparagus spears in a shallow pan, then served them with butter, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Epiphany.” Via: DryInitial9044/r/Cooking
Coconut
“I never liked coconut in any form until I had good Thai food. Now I can’t get enough!” Via: CheerioMissPancake/r/Cooking
Mayo
“Mayo. Hated it until my mid-twenties when I was given a tomato sandwich on a hot summer day after working outdoors. With that, the switch was flipped. It’s a delightful addition to sandwiches, aioli is amazing, and it’s so easy to make fresh! The first tomato sandwich of the year is always a delight.” Via: spidersinmysoup/r/Cooking
Blue Cheese
“Blue cheese. Then one of my old chefs made me have this black and blue burger which was basically covered in cheese fondue and blue cheese and it turned me.” Via: Tspot/r/Cooking
Spinach
“Spinach. As a child, I’d usually see it boiled and overcooked, which gave it a weird smell and made it look mushy. Now I love spinach in salads or quickly sautéed then finished with a squeeze of lemon, also in pastries like spanakopita.” Via: randomcurious1001/r/Cooking
Parsley
“I didn’t particularly hate it, but I thought parsley was super overrated and flavorless for a really long time. Then I tried it fresh, in homemade chimichurri. That’s when I picked up on its refreshingly citrusy notes. Definitely don’t use dried parsley anymore.” Via: AggravatingOlive/r/Cooking
Avacados
“Avocados. They weren’t around in the Midwest much when I was a kid. Ex was in the Navy and we were stationed in California where avocados were sold on the street for $1 a dozen by kids. We actually lived in the “Avocado Capital of the World” So, when in Rome… The first time I tasted avocado I believed it was a topper to a seafood omelet and I thought it was slimy and gross. I swore I would never touch one again. And then I discovered guacamole. And I don’t eat raw tomatoes, but those flavors mingling with onion and lime were transformative.” Via: Mental-Coconut7854/r/Cooking
Chickpeas
“Chickpeas are horrible, but I recently tried papri chaat. It’s so amazing.” Via: CrabbiestAsp/r/Cooking
Tomatoes
“Tomatoes. I know, I know. I just don’t like them. Especially tomato sauces, but also raw tomatoes (like on sandwiches or in salads). Blegh. Everyone says “But have you tried a fresh cherry tomato?!” I tried one every year for the better part of a decade, fresh off the vine if I could. They’re just, well, not good. Tolerable at best. I don’t get why the general populace likes them so much. They don’t taste good. Do I have the tomato equivalent of the cilantro gene?
All that said. There’s an Italian-ish spot that makes a bruschetta and a pasta pomodoro that I need to order every time I go. For the bruschetta, I think it might be some kind of marinade that makes them tasty? Something smokey and also a hefty amount of black pepper, if I’m not mistaken. The pasta Pomodoro is so good I learned to make it at home and can now do it better than they make it. They put the same cherry tomatoes in their house salad and they’re not good there; I always give them to whoever I’m eating with or leave them on the plate. I don’t understand why these two dishes do it for me with an ingredient I ubiquitously dislike. But it has made me more open to making them.” Via: Motor_Crow4482/r/Cooking
Cottage Cheese
“I absolutely LOATHE cottage cheese. Can’t even look at it without gagging. I make my husband eat it in another room where I can’t see him. My mom makes these incredible homemade rolls called dilly rolls. I go NUTS for these rolls and request them at every family get-together. Asked her for the recipe one day and she just laughed so hard I thought she was gonna fall over. The secret ingredient of these beloved rolls? Cottage cheese. I was so mad. But I still eat them like crazy. I just can never make them myself now.” Via: beckybanta7075/r/Cooking
Shrimp
“Prawns/shrimp. I hated the texture. Tempura prawns changed my mind. I was so focused on the cloud-like batter that I forgot to worry about the texture of the prawns and realized that I really, really enjoyed the taste. They’re one of my favorite foods now. I’ve since made it a habit to re-taste every food that I hate once a decade. Liver made it through last time around so the only remaining food that I loathe with all of my culinary soul is peanut butter (not peanuts, I like those, just peanut butter).” Via: PurpleWomat/r/Cooking
Napa Cabbage
“My parents are generally great cooks but all my life they made this stringy, bland Napa cabbage dish that I just could not stomach as a kid. Had an odd craving for it years later as an adult and it turns out it’s delicious, they just didn’t cook it long enough nor cut it into pieces I could reasonably chew back then. It’s now a starter in my soup rotation.” Via: aiyahhjoeychow/r/Cooking
Olives
“Olives!! I do not like olives! I think they ruin every dish they’re in…Except for the Reggie’s Wedgies that my mother-in-law makes. Mayo, green onion, sharp cheddar cheese, chopped black olives, curry powder. Stirred and spread on toasted English muffins, then broiled. Delicious!” Via: CB-SLP/r/Cooking