If music be the food of love...

... then last night saw the gentle sound of sitars fill our kitchen. OK, that's rather a flowery way of saying that I made an Indian recipe, but it was really remarkable since the dish in question contained two things that Husbandio loathes, and yet (a) he still agreed to eat it, (b) he finished it all up, and (c) demanded that I make it again at some point.

I'd made spinach and potato dahl using a recipe in one of my Weight Watchers cookbooks - I've got two, and the recipes are so simple and delish that they are definitely the cookbooks I use most. The two ingredients that Husbandio hates and has always refused to eat were spinach and lentils. In fact, I don't think I've ever cooked him anything with lentils in because of his claim that he'd been put off them for life by being made to eat them too much as a child - that's what comes of having a hippy style childhood and growing up in Ibiza. I have occasionally presented him with spinach but it never goes down well, which is a shame because I love it, and it's so good for you.

Food likes and dislikes are funny things - if you love something it's hard to imagine someone else hating it. For example, I love both mango and avocado, yet Husbandio and my mum can't bear them, since they hate the texture. For my part, I can't stand olives or anything pickled (it's the vinegar I reckon, but it can make life difficult for a new jewish girl!), or soft/blue cheeses like brie, camembert or stilton. Isabel loves cheese and will eat brie and camembert til the cows come home, but doesn't like honey (what's not to like?!) or tomatoes. We all try to be good about trying new things or re-trying old things since tastebuds do change. There are exceptions though - I will not eat Marmite for love nor money, and Husbandio is the same about cream. We'll have to let Isabel choose one foodstuff which she can elect never to have to try ever again. After that, anything's fair game. Ant mashed potato anyone?