"To me, the farmers and producers who bring us wonderful foods are heroic.   Whatever they grow, I want to eat: they inspire me to crave variety.  Yet I have found that too many Americans have narrow taste horizons when it comes to trying new foods.

Most of us have expanded our taste horizons at least somewhat over the course of a life.  But too many people reach a point, eventually, where they settle into a sensory routine: they like a few things, and they don't feel the need to acquire new tastes.  This, to me, is a recipe for an unrewarding culinary life, or at least one that is less rewarding than it could be.  And from a societal standpoint, it also guarantees boring restaurants that exhibit an alarming degree of sameness.

It is my hope, however, that by learning more about the origins of food we will all open our minds a bit more and look to broader culinary horizons.  Try a taste of something you don't know or think you don't like, then try it again."

- Steven A. Shaw, Turning the Tables: The Insider's Guide to Eating Out

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Catie Baumer Schwalb is a chef, food writer and photographer, who splits her life between the city and the country. Not too long ago Catie was a New York City based actress and playwright for more than a decade. She has her Master of Fine Arts from the National Theater Conservatory, and her Grand Diplôme in classic culinary arts from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. ... Read More ≫

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