Stuffed Peppers

Spoiler alert, there is no recipe for stuffed peppers to be found anywhere in this post, or anywhere @The Chef’s Last Diet. Because this is my site, I get to decide what to include, what to cook, and what to talk about, and I don’t like stuffed peppers. I do like stuffed other things, like cabbage, grape leaves, squash, chickens, apples… though none of those recipes are included today, they may very well show up here at some point. I really don’t like peppers much at all, except in roasted form. I have always been a bit ashamed of the list of things I don’t like. It’s not a long list, but it contains things that most people like a lot, like peppers, and spicy food. Things that a food lover is supposed to love.

When I was a senior if high school one of the colleges I was applying to asked for an essay about something I didn’t like. In retrospect they might have been looking a subject a bit weightier than my choice, which was an essay on my dislike of celery, raw celery specifically, and yes, even in tuna or chicken salad, which is what most people ask me when I mention this. They ask this because it seems, my dislike of celery is just that odd. “But it has no taste” they say, “it’s about the crunch”. I understand the crunch factor, but if you don’t like a taste it asserts its presence, ask anyone who doesn’t like cilantro—those people are very easy to find!  

It isn’t my feelings about celery that embarrass me though, it is that I don’t like asparagus, spicy food of almost any sort, and peppers; any peppers, chili peppers, bell peppers, pickled peppers…  Not too long ago I took a test called the Supertaster Test, in fact I did it twice, and the results were inconclusive, but from what I read, this may be my issue. I don’t think I am a high supertaster, but my preferences fit the aspects of the profile. I’m not wild for bitter things, I LOVE salt, don’t enjoy most carbonated beverages (except Champagne), I am not much of a drinker, and can’t bear black coffee. It also offers me a new perspective on my love for ice-cream which is more about creaminess than sweetness. I would not say this is some badge of honor, in fact it really limits the range of food I enjoy. I do happily feel less shame in finding that my sensitivity to spicy and bitter foods is a function of my taste buds rather than a character flaw.

I have always prided myself on being an excellent judge of delicious food. Whenever I offer a recommendation of a restaurant or particular dish I do so with complete confidence, if I say the food is good, you can count on it!  Does that mean if I don’t like the food it isn’t good? I don’t think I suffer from this level of hubris, I like to think I am careful enough to offer my criticism based on things like quality, service, presentation, and artful and creative combinations of flavors, and like everyone I generally order food I expect I will like, so I will not be ordering stuffed peppers or the smokin’ hot chili no matter the accolades those dishes might earn.

Clearly I still feel some trepidation about this admission, as I hope I don’t disappoint you, faithful reader, by confessing my limitations. I hope you will still be interested in what I have to say and share about food, will still try recipes and will be willing to look elsewhere for recipes for Sriracha anything, jerk chicken, anything involving Thai chilies, as well as for stuffed peppers.  They are pretty though: