I was virtually force fed Tripe cooked in milk. My grandad sold it in his cafe on Tyburn rd, and i spent hours stirring and turning it in a big old clothes boiler! With a wooden clothes plier sort of thing. Hated it then, and still do!
I loved sausage and mash made by my nan, salt and butter galore. My mom Was, and at 92, still is, a hopeless cook. Tinned peas and great chunks of boiled potato with everything- Never varied. But agreat Mom in every other way. Discovered Stilton, Asparagus, Tiramisu, Partridge and Pheasant, Claret, Pears in Honey, and other delights in my teens. Crispy bacon in USA, salted pork neck in Germany, Kebabs on the street in Turkey.
Took me 40 years to get Diabetes, 1 heart attack and Kidney Cancer. NHS sorted me out, i stopped smoking, and now live in the most food obsessed country in the world!
In 3 years i doubt i have sampled 5% of what is on offer here, but i try to behave. I have Muesli or porridge for brekkie every day, my wife and her mom pity me as they tuck into sticky rice, fish soup, chickens feet, god knows how many dishes of spiced up veggies and various leaves from the garden and fields. Bananas, mangoes, mangosteens, longans and numerous other fruits grow in the garden and fish and lumps of pork appear from friendly neighbours.
I have discovered baked beans in Tesco Lotus, only 60km away, and managed to make a cottage pie with Australian Beef last month. Looks of horror from Thai neighbours, (cows are virtual house pets), but a big baking dish of it swiftly disappeared when offered with a cold beer!
Would give much fine gold for a good sticky toffee pudding.