My First Time

O.K. It's not what you're thinking. What I'm really referring to is the first time I ever tasted an avocado. I've been going back in my memory, which is actually pretty fuzzy, and I really can't remember the very first time. I'm sure it was after we moved to California though. Avocados were not available much in Chicago back in the 40s and 50s. My mother was kind of an adventurous cook and I know she would have tried them if they were in her local A & P market.

(Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission)

This is my very first memory of how she prepared avocados. She sliced them thin, put them in a bowl and drizzled the slices with lemon juice and honey. That was it. And it was and still is delicious.

Then that got me to thinking about other firsts. Another thing my mother used to do was try international cooking. Kind of like Betty's international dinner on Madmen. But in those days there weren't the choices of ethnic ingredients like we have now. So for Mexican night we would have canned tamales. I never even knew that tamales really were made in corn husks. Ours always came wrapped in thin little pieces of paper!

(Photos from Ridiculous Food Society of Upstate New York)

When we were still living in Chicago my mother had traveled to California and came back home all excited about tacos. She had eaten them in New Mexico, probably at a stand on Route 66. So when she got home she was determined to make tacos for Mexican food night. But she couldn't find fresh tortillas anywhere. But she did actually find some canned tortillas! She was so frustrated that she couldn't fry them up to make an authentic taco. They just kind of fell apart. So much for canned tortillas. I wonder if they're still available. I couldn't find any on line.

My other remembrance is the first time trying artichokes. I bet everyone has an amusing story about their first time with that mysterious food item. It was at a wonderful little restaurant in L.A. called the Nine Muses. This was back in the 60s and it was kind of a gourmet, hippie type of place. The order of artichokes cost a whopping $1.50 back then. Pretty darn pricey. We had to ask our waiter how to eat this weird looking thing. It was steamed with herbs and had a little dipping bowl of melted butter. I thought it was the best thing I had ever eaten. I'm still a big fan of artichokes. My new favorite is a seafood stuffed artichoke from a Thai restaurant in Encinitas called Siamese Basil. Delicious.

 (photo from Pink of Perfection)

Can you remember your first time? Comment and let me know.