"Are you going to try it with me tonight?"
me, gulping audibly "You know what? I will. But you're going to have to guide me."
"If you're apprehensive, we don't have to do it."
"No, I want to! I really do!"
"You're sure? I don't want to seem like I'm pressuring you."
"No, I've wanted to try it for a long time, and I was hoping the first time would be with you."
"Why me?"
"I guess I consider you an expert."
"Well, let's go then!"
a few minutes later
"Stop trying to be dainty. Just put the whole thing in your mouth. You need to suck off the salt, it makes it taste better."
"Here again, you just need to pop the whole thing in your mouth, otherwise it falls apart and it's just not the same."
What? Oh my Go, NO! It's not that. My boss took me out for my first sushi last night.
For years I've gagged at the thought of eating what I considered to be bait. But at the same time, I knew I couldn't claim to be a real foodie if I didn't at least make an effort. In the past year I've been trying to broaden my horizons and eat cuisine I'd decided I didn't like, even though I'd never actually tried said foods. So, I'm sucking it up and I'm eating Indian food and sushi and looking for even more culinary diving boards to leap from.
John started out with edamame. I was relieved that I've never said the word out loud, since I've been mispronouncing it horribly in my mind all this time. That was the food that I was nibbling on to extract the soybeans inside.
Next we had tempura. Shrimp and vegetables fried in a very light breading. This I've actually eaten before, so there was no risk there. The waiter was kind enough to bring me the "training wheel" chopsticks-they have a rubber band at one end for incompetents like me who can't handle the real thing.
We then shared spicy tuna rolls, and a sashimi sampler. This is where I almost lost my nerve. More than a fear of the flavor, it's the texture that has deterred me from sampling sushi. I didn't think I would like the feel of raw fish in my mouth. The tuna rolls were a good way to ease me into it, but what I didn't like was the feeling that I'd taken a bite of food that was too big. It was hard sorting out the flavors in my mouth, using my tongue and teeth as a guide. Also, I have this major hangup about eating in front of other people. I'm constantly terrified that food will drip from my chin, fly out of my mouth-anything horrid and ill mannered.
We ended with the sashimi platter. I had the salmon and shrimp and found both to be quite good. I love wasabi, so it was interesting to actually use it to enhance the flavor of the sushi. We topped dinner off with a bowl of green tea ice cream, which was a perfect ending.
I wouldn't hesitate to try it again, and to be even a little more ambitious next time with the ingredients. My boss even suggested that perhaps Steve and I would enjoy eating at his fiance's sushi bar next time. I think that was a good sign that I didn't make too big of a fool of myself, and perhaps a hint of job security as well.
