The other night, I was watching a cooking show on TV. No, that's not the news. I am hopelessly addicted to cooking shows. Not that I especially like to cook but I love to watch the various chefs' techniques. I have learned tons of interesting things from these shows. Not all in the cooking category, either.
So what's that got to do with fruit cocktail, you say? OK, here's the point: one of the chefs said that fruit cocktail was "disgusting". Now, I get that this is not a very chef-ish ingredient. But, disgusting? No way.
Fruit cocktail was a special treat when I was a child. There were pieces of peaches, pears, pineapples and green grapes. If I was really lucky, I might get half a cherry. Yes, nowadays, I can look at this canned concoction and say that the fruit was often mushy. But then? It was exotic to have pineapple at all. It was a thrill to have all the fruits in one bowl - in the winter. And I was, and still am, crazy about maraschino cherries. Even those pale, soggy half-pieces. The grapes I have to admit didn't tickle my youthful taste buds. I used to tell myself that they were gooseberries. I'd only ever seen a picture of that fruit and I imagined that this was it. It certainly wasn't a grape!
But, far from being disgusted, I looked forward to a treat dessert of fruit cocktail - and maybe some ice cream that I could swirl into the juice. See, even as a child, I was using ingredients my own way. Not sure the chefs did anything more creative with this ingredient.
I loved fruit cocktail growing up too! And it was a treat! Oh and how I would dig for that half a cherry-LOL
ReplyDelete.....so few cherries in tinned fruit cocktail, we kids used to fight over them! (pausing to remember the days of fruit cocktail and evaporated milk for pudding.....simple pleasures!)
ReplyDeleteAgree, agree, agree!
ReplyDeleteI'm nodding away here, Stephanie!
Someone told me a few years ago that Weightwatchers had a maxim along the lines of "don't be too fussy", and specifically that, at a push, tinned fruit was better than none. So "disguisting", no I think not.
We used to love fruit cocktail with custard. And by custard I mean the kind made with yelllow powder! Loved it! and would still eat it if my mother made it! ah, the memories..
I so agree with you, Stephanie. I have enduring good memories of fruit cocktail and to this day, love it. I like it best when icy cold or when it is whipped in with jello and cream. Divine.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you; it was pretty special when my mom bought a can too. We are much more spoiled these days, but thanks for reminding me of a great memory.
ReplyDeleteI say, too, yes - good memories from my childhood here in Denmark, and with icecream it was doubbelt up tasty :-D
ReplyDelete