Trying New Foods

I have always said I am willing to try anything (meaning food) once. I really meant it. I went to Cambodia many years ago and thought about trying fish-head soup, but thankfully, no one offered any to me. Well, after tonight, I think I am going to stop saying that. If it doesn't look good or I just don't think I will like it, I am not going to try it...period.
What is this? Eggplant. Well, my attempt at making eggplant parmesan. After several suggestions of my facebook friends, I found a recipe and decided to try it. What made me pick up an eggplant at the grocery store, you ask? Ella. The past 3 trips to the store, she has begged me to buy an eggplant. Realizing this was not going away, I decided to pick it up. I told her she could help me make something with it. She was so excited.
Note the fresh basil, soon I will have some coming from my own garden.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to try something totally new. It was so pretty. I was cautiously optimistic. I had visions of this being a new favorite meal and the one Ella would request me to make when she came home from college. It filled our home with wonderful smells. Only if I could bottle that smell and spray it in the house before people came over.


We sat down to dinner. I made the girls try it first, I had a sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't like it and I didn't want the to be swayed by my reaction. Olivia got a mouth full of cheese and said she liked it. Ella took a big bite and said she loved it. I took a bite and....


Needless to say, I didn't like it. It had a similar texture to cooked mushrooms, and I do not like mushrooms. Once Olivia took a bite of the eggplant, she didn't like it either, at least I swallowed. Ella ate about half of her helping. I really do think she liked it.
Since I didn't have a back up meal prepared, we went to BK and got this...

Although, this probably wasn't the best meal to have after watching Food Inc. (the movie will probably change the way you view you food)