To whom it may concern this is a relatively exhaustive list of all of the foods/ingredients I don’t eat or like in case you are in a position to cook or order for me in my absence.
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Don’t Eat:
- (The vegetables) Peppers (Chili, Habanero, Jalapeño, etc.)
- (The seasonings) Peppers (Black, cayenne, paprika, etc.)
- Hot Sauces and Pastes (Harissa, Sriracha, Tabasco, Wasabi, Gochujang, Spicy Mustard etc.)
Don’t Like:
- Red, Orange, and Green bell peppers (Exception: I love raw yellow bell peppers and will occasionally eat banana peppers aka “pepperoncini” on an Italian sub)
- Canned fruits or vegetables (Exceptions: canned pineapple, lychee, and baked beans)
- Sauerkraut
- Capers
- Apricots
- Dragonfruit
- Passionfruit
- Goji berry
- Grapefruit
- Dried fruits
- White Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate (Exceptions: Sugarfina Single Malt Scotch Cordials)
- Flan
- Tapioca
- Fruitcake/Panettone
- Cheap maple syrup (I only like Grade A maple syrup — not that thick corn syrup stuff)
- Bucatini and Spaghettini (This one I can neither explain nor justify)
- Cashews
- Oysters (Raw or cooked)
- Shrimp (Exception: coconut shrimp)
- Prawns
- Squid
- Tofu
- Spam
- Udon noodles
- Seaweed salad
- Escargot
- Black licorice
- Anchovy
- Sardines
- Uni
- Namako (I tried it a 3 star Michelin restaurant so I’m very confident my mind won’t be changed about this one.)
- Catfish
- Fish skin
- Frog’s legs
- Escargot (much to my mother’s disappointment…)
- When meat is served in the same dish as seafood (in a paella for example)
- Kombucha/Hard Kombucha/Natural Wines
- Campari liqueur
- Vermouth liqueur
- Aperol liqueur
- St. Germain elderflower liqueur
- Pastis liqueur
- Mezcal
- Jägermeister
Not My Favorite:
- Dill
- Olives
- Pine nuts
- Eggplant
- Feta Cheese
- Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
- Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, etc.)
- Lemon flavored pastries
- Raisins in baked goods (cookies, pastries, etc.)
- Sesame seeds (but I’ll eat them if they can’t easily be left off)
- Cream cheese frosting (a moment of silence for all the wasted red velvet cupcakes out there that could have been delicious)
- Clam Chowder (I actually really like clams… but chopped up in a soup, especially if it’s from a can, no thank you)
- Charbroiled foods (burgers, fish, etc.) (I don’t like the burnt taste… I think it may be a carcinogen anyhow)
Hit-Miss:
- Eggs (Sometimes eggs don’t sit well with my stomach. I sometimes will eat them over medium with breakfast, but as a rule of thumb if it’s being served in an Asian dish, I would prefer it without)
- Beansprouts(I like the taste, I’m just paranoid about food poisoning)
- Fish/seafood other than salmon or tuna (again I like the taste, I’m just paranoid about food poisoning)
- Mayonnaise (I’m very particular about when I’ll eat foods with mayonnaise because I’m paranoid about botulism. i.e. I only eat coleslaw, potato and egg salad at home or nice restaurants)
- Pudding, porridge, and custard (I’m sensitive to this texture)
- Bacon (I really only like bacon by itself or with Brussels sprouts, otherwise I find the flavor overpowering, like in Coq au Vin)
- Smoked foods (I like smoked salmon… that’s about it)
- Sausage (often too spicy)
- BBQ sauce (often too spicy)
- Orange juice (sometimes fresh squeezed organic o.j. is ambrosia, nectar from the gods, sometimes it’s battery acid, you never know until you try it)
- Apples: not all apples are created equal, Honey Crisp or Cosmic Crisp for eating and Granny Smith for baking