We have Squirt in the American South. Its hard to find but it’s one of my favorites.
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I remember my parents’ friends using Squirt as a mixer in the 70s. I think the only reason I remember it (aside from the memorable name) is that cocktails were incredibly rare for them - it was usually only beer in their social set.
Not counting foods from my childhood, the only thing on which my perspective has changed that comes to mind is artichokes. I used to love artichokes, but in the last 10 years, the 'chokes we’ve gotten have been bland and tasteless, so we don’t bother buying them anymore. I’m not sure my attitude counts as a 180, though…maybe more of a 90.
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My favorite local market here “La Bonita” had artichokes on sale for 2 for $1.00 last week. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them that cheap, but La Bonita’s prices constantly surprise me.
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Not sanctimonious at all. When I was in my 20s, and first started working, I decided I was going to learn how to cook. My mom taught me how to make a few of my favourite dishes before I moved out on my own but when you have to make three meals a day for the rest of your life that’s a steep learning curve 
Periodically I would go back and try something I liked in my youth (cheez whiz, boxed mac 'n cheese etc.) but all I can taste is salt. When you become accustomed to made-from-scratch cooking, the processed foods definitely tastes salty.
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In 1977 I hitchhiked from upstate NY to San Francisco to visit a friend. Bell Market on 24th street had avocados for $0.10 and artichokes for $.25 (or maybe it was the other way around). We feasted on artichokes and avocadoes.
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I’ve done a…120…on onions. Couldn’t handle them at all as a child – even finely minced or pureed was a turn-off. Spaghetti dinners et al ended with a pile of discarded onions on the rim of the plate.
Now, it’s rare I cook a savory meal that doesn’t involve onions in the base or as a component. They still need to be finely cut OR well cooked, but I appreciate what they contribute. I will still refuse chunky or a high volume of raw onion (e.g. too much ruins egg salad, and I ask for pho, burgers, and salads without.
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I don’t think I’ve ever had onions in egg salad.
Tuna salad yes.
I’ll have to try that now.
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Scallions are pretty good in there. Or finely minced shallots!
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It does sound good. I’ve just always made the egg salad I grew up with. Old habits.
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I wanted to mention onions when I was writing my post. I cannot abide raw onions anymore. And even though I love a big pot of braised meat as much as anything in the world, I find myself cutting down the volume of onions I put in it even though I don’t eat them in the finished dish. My body isn’t a fan anymore.
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i live in the boston area andm thankfully, we have year-round farmers markets where i can get locally and humanely raised pork, beef, and chicken.
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Same in Berlin. Really, I suppose it’s available in most places if one is willing to do research.
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having year-round farmers markets accessible by public transportation makes it easy! we’re really lucky.
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Watching Julia and Jacques cooking at home . Episode is roast whole chicken.
Its time for me to roast a whole chicken. Rather than cooking legs or thighs.
They do have some smaller ones at the local market . Been a long while .
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I can’t think of anything I disliked before that I like now. I’ve always just liked food. (Exception - foods that growing up were always malprepared (made up word?). For example, I never got nicely prepared (not cooked to shoe leather) liver and onions until I was in the army.)
One thing I try to avoid now that I still like is green bell pepper. Seasoned ground beef stuffed green bells were a Midwestern staple that I enjoyed growing up but now the greens give me heartburn. No trouble with red-orange-yellow or any of the spicier stuff.
I loved soda as a kid and young adult, mainly Coke (never Pepsi, fer Pete’s sake!), and my wife loved Dr. Pepper. No conscious decisions were taken, but about 25 years ago I quit buying coke, and after our 4th kid was born (he’s 20) my wife stopped with the Dr Pepper. The only soda I’ve had since is the rare tonic with gin.
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Theres a Facebook group in Florida specifically targeted at connecting Florida consumers with local family farms. Im amazed at how much is available, even near the suburban sprawl of Tampa, Miami, and Orlando.
Many of them even run delivery routes around their areas.
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Same here in Philadelphia, the only meats I buy are from the farmers.
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I used to like green peppers, now that you mention it, but not any more. I can eat a raw one once in a while if it’s nice and fresh, but I can’t abide it in cooked dishes- seems like it’s all I can taste. I love just about any and all green chiles in food, to me the taste is really, really different than bells, even if it’s a really mild chile. And totally wonderful.
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That squares with my experience. For making chili, I like to have a lot of variety. For beef (red) chili, it’s easy to get a whole lot of different chili flavors (I usually shoot for 8+ types, and even then it’s not too spicy).
But for my white chili (chicken or turkey), I use as many green to light green chilis as they sell here, but usually can’t get more than 4 or 5. Cubano, serrano, poblano, Hungarian wax, hatch, whatever I can find.
But I just can’t stand to put green bells in there, so I use some yellow and orange bells to add some more different chile flavors.
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