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Because I love writing lists and love food I have decided to write a list of the different foods I like!  Plus, I get irritated when people think that just because I don’t like cheese that there’s loads of things I can’t eat (which is only true for the most part because cheese is something that’s added to dishes a lot).  I used to be ‘fussy’ but I object to this label, because in the past the reason for this is due to fear of being scared to try new things in case I didn’t like them and therefore it would be a waste and I’d get no food.  I was locked in a classroom and forced to eat fish fingers at primary school though I hated them, and so this probably has something to do with that fear.  I am now not afraid to try new food, though I still know what I like and like to eat those things!  I also hate to waste food, so with often either over-eat or save some for the next day’s lunch.  I still worry I won’t like things but am willing to try new foods, but this worry, combined with my weird little particularities and habits about how I like my food means I’m sometimes still called fussy.  However, I also have been known to have things in my packed lunch that aren’t as traditional as others expect, so I don’t think it’s fair to say that just because I don’t like what YOU like that I don’t have a varied palette.

So, here’s the list, which will probably expand in the future!

-Chicken – in pretty much any form, my consistent and reliable love.

-Satay sauce – the reason why Dexter’s Grill/Tootsies became my favourite restaurant and I nearly cried when they took the dish featuring the sauce off the menu and I switched to the BBQ sauce burger.

-dark chocolate and milk (not full fat) – sometimes I worry I drink so much I’ll become lactose-intolerant

– Tortilla Española – my Gran makes the best.  Basically this food sums up my BIGGEST love for both potatoes and egg which I love in every form possible.  I also have tortilla paisana after having peas in an omlette at The Noshery in Isleworth with friends Ricky and Eamon, and have sadly not been since.

-Olives – you can’t be a Masoliver and not like olives… my favourite are pitted with pimiento.

-Kiwi juice – only ever found some in Sainsbury’s, pricey so it was a rarity, but sooo worth it!

-Seaweed peanuts – another one showing my peanut addiction, also love cashews, pistachios, brazils, walnuts etc. 

-Crab – although I’m not sure of the amount of actual crab in them, I used to have seafood sticks in my packed lunch.

-Raisins – my friends from secondary school once cut out and wrote on an advert for Sunmaid because they thought of me.

-Meatballs – specifically from Ikea with that lovely gravy and chips, yummm!

-Currywurst as made by my housemate Kirstie.

-In terms of meats… beef steaks, pork belly, sausages (proper hotdogs with ketchup and onions or chipolatas), maybe a bit of lamb or turkey but they’re not faves!

-Salmon stir-fry with lots of veg and soy sauce.

-And so in terms of more fish… lobster, cockles, shrimps, prawns, crayfish, squid/calamari – I have been asked by friends how to peel their prawns and also have friends who have been scared to eat squid. Tinned tuna only though. Mussels I’d rather not have but can deal with.

-Fruit – grapes, raspberries, strawberries, mango, oranges, pineapple, apple, pear, melon, grapefruit, cherries, peach, nectarine, blackberries, blueberries, plum, currents, lemon, lychees, avocado, banana, kiwifruit, passionfruit, watermelon, butternut squash.

-Vegetables – peas, broccoli, pepper, carrots, raw mushrooms, sprouts, lettuce (good old iceberg is best), kale, chickpeas, most kinds of bean, cabbage, onion, seaweed, cress, cucumber, lentils, asparagus, garlic, spring onion, bamboo shoot, water chestnut, sweetcorn, babycorn, sugarsnaps, greenbeans.

-Weirdly I don’t like tomatoes or cheese but still like tomato sauce with pasta dishes, and cheesy flavoured snacks such as mini cheddars, cheese twists, Watsits, Quavers, cheese & onion flavoured crisps, and pesto.

-I cook Quorn quite a lot when making spaghetti bolognaise (Ragu sauce best!), cottage pie, chilli (con carne/quorni) and tacos.

-Soup! Covent Garden ones are best.

-baked goods and naughty stuff… cakes, bread, biscuits, waffles, crisps (salt & vinegar McCoys, prawn cocktail Walkers, any Pringles or Hula Hoops, Skips, and so on), pancakes, ice cream (chocolate preferably, such as Ben & Jerry’s brownie, also cookie dough, or sour flavours in summer such as lemon or sobets)

-Obviously a main meal needs some carbs, ones often found in my cupboards are… rice, noodles, fusilli, spaghetti (try to get wholemeal).

-Spreads: marmite, margarine/butter (thinly spread), honey, peanut butter, jams, chocolate spread.

-Breakfast in a bowl: Weetos, Choc Shreddies etc, porridge oats with honey, Frosties, Golden Grahams, Fruit Crisp, Fruit & Fibre.

– Falafel and homemade hummus with chili.

A little list of favourites from different countries and typical things I order when getting a take-away or at a restaurant:

–          Indian: poppadoms, Naan bread, japati, Bombay Aloo, onion bhaji, vegetable samosas, chicken or prawn curry up to about medium

–          Chinese: prawn crackers, vegetable spring rolls, satay dish, Chow Mein.

–          Thai: satay skewers, pad Thai.

–          Italian: risotto. Pizza without cheese haha. Panettone.

–          Greek: chicken souvlaki, baklava, Ouzo.

–          Spanish: paella, chorizo slices, sangria, Pa amb tomàquet/Pa amb oli, churro.

–          American: fajitas, burger and fries, BBQ stuff.

–          English: Cornish pasty, Full English fry ups and tea, Sunday roast, pies, gravy.

–          Portuguese: Nando’s

–          France: French Stick/bagette. Crossiants.