An acquired taste.

Being a legal alien for over 15 yrs in the UK, to use Bowie's genius term, I had to adapt to many things. Being originally French, it shook up my system a bit: the language, the routine, the driving, the social calendar...

Amongst these many changes, one has been a surprisingly long process. I now like Salt and Vinegar crisps!!! Thinking back, I can tell you it took me a year to try carrot cake, 3 years to get a taste for baked beans (although I still can't eat them just heated up as most of you do, I have to cook them for longer and add spices...), 7 years to get my head round to eating cheese cake and, as I have just found out, 15 years to start enjoying salt and vinegar crisps. Of course, there still are a few typical English dishes I just can't get my taste buds round...

Who came up with the idea of putting vinegar on chips? Seriously... who did? ... Because I need to sit him down and have a little one to one discussion with him. Wasting perfectly good chips like that is unforgivable. I can't steal my friends' when they drown them in that tangy juice! What about the fact that the country's favourite dish is curry!!! And that's just the beginning of my rant... what about jelly, trifle, custard, spotted dick, bread and butter pudding ( now that's just a lazy alternative to desert ) ...

I have to admit, during my first year in London, I found food a real challenge. But, as time past, I became more and more british - my dad does keep saying he's lost his daughter to the enemy ;-) - so either I am developing a taste for your twist on food or I am destroying my palet.

I could go on and on ... but that wouldn't be fair, because there are also plenty of dishes I have discovered since moving to this country which, even if I am a little fussy on how they are served, I actually really enjoy such as scones and jam & clotted cream ( try them toasted ... fabulous) or those Yorkshire pudding you get with your Sunday roast. Or even bangers and mash, especially with red onion and red wine gravy.

One thing that really scares me though, is how much the american food industry and culture is invading this little island. It's a shame we can't find pride in our own food culture and keep the americans from infecting us with their food habits. Wait ... did I just say WE? Guess my dad was finally right, I have been turned...