As a child, I wasn't a fan of food. I was a tall, scrawny, gangly thing who had so much energy and thought that sitting down to eat was a complete waste of time.
Six-year-old me in action.
I would rather swim laps in the pool, go rollerblading, or read a new book. I would chew without bothering to mind how flavorful a dish was; I didn't have any particular favorites, either (though spaghetti would always be a safe bet). I just wanted to get out of the dining table and resume whatever I was doing.
Until my parents introduced this new routine when I was about 10 years old. Every Saturday night, they would order pizza for my siblings and me around the time some of our favorite cartoons would be showing on TV (i.e. reruns of Richie Rich, Hanna Barbera cartoons, and even classics like Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home).
I would associate pizza with happy, sappy feelings of warmth and family bonding. We would watch TV together, break for dinner, gather around the dining table, take turns cutting the pizza into slices with the pizza cutter, talk and laugh, then resume our TV viewing.
My favorite pizza back then was Magoo's Pizza. It was an oily, sticky mess, but it was so cheese-filled that I loved it.
Photo taken from here.
The combination of gooey cheese and tomato sauce stirred something within me. Not only did I finally learn to appreciate the flavor of food, but I had this awakening.
Suddenly, I would start to crave certain dishes (especially after swimming 130+ laps a day; I used to be a competitive swimmer). I would look forward to trying new restaurants and being invited to parties and all sorts of gatherings.
And as I grew older, traveled more, and exposed my palate to more dishes and cuisines, I was always excited whenever food would be involved. In recent years, I've become increasingly interested in Asian and Mediterranean cuisine; today, some of my newfound loves are Thai, Indonesian, and Indian cuisine. (However, I will always love Italian and Japanese as my absolute favorites.)
It's hard to imagine that I genuinely didn't care about food when today, the idea of trying something new, or eating one of my staples, makes my day.
I'd like to think that pizza saved my life; which is why it holds a special place in my heart — and stomach. I can't imagine a life devoid of any interest in food.
Thank you, Italy, for creating pizza. Thank you, America, for sharing its goodness with the rest of the world. Thank you, dear parents, for making it a big part of my childhood.
How about you? What were your favorite things to eat as a child? What do you enjoy eating today?
It's hard to imagine that I genuinely didn't care about food when today, the idea of trying something new, or eating one of my staples, makes my day.
I'd like to think that pizza saved my life; which is why it holds a special place in my heart — and stomach. I can't imagine a life devoid of any interest in food.
Thank you, Italy, for creating pizza. Thank you, America, for sharing its goodness with the rest of the world. Thank you, dear parents, for making it a big part of my childhood.
How about you? What were your favorite things to eat as a child? What do you enjoy eating today?
