Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

1 - its a combo of both i am sure. younger kids have a much more unrefined palette, they taste primarily salt sugar and fat, aha ... why kfc was probably so amazing. but i am sure quality of the food has gone down too

2 - i looooved cheetos and those generic grocery store pastries .. i wouldnt touch that stuff anymore.

@chiff, I thought I was the only one who scooped out Italian bread innards and squished it into a marble! Except not only did I do that as a kid, but I still do that now. The difference is now I love the innards AND the crust.

Sadly, all the fast food I loved when I was a kid has changed. Popeye's isn't spicy anymore and they don't even call the dirty rice dirty rice. The BK broiler isn't what it used to be. Hardee's might still have the Most Incredible Fried Chicken Sandwich in the world, but now I don't live anywhere near a Hardee's. I used to snarf those things up after ballet. Highlight of my week in the third grade.

Sigh.

@chiffy - I have to agree with db here. I've always loved my sweets tart (but not Sweet Tarts:-)), so there was such a thing as "too sweet" for me even when I was little. I also loved pretty much all kinds of veg, except beetroot and aubergines (I've learnt to love aubergines - it was a texture issue and apparently, I got over it as I grew older. Beetroot, however, will never happen), and they were never smothered in cheese in our house - broccoli, for instance, was just lightly sauteed with garlic in olive oil, and I loved it that way (still do).

Maybe I just was a very odd child. I loved tongue and chopped liver, or liver & onions, among other things. Maybe I was fortunate to be exposed to different foods when I was little, and to me, it was normal. I don't know. But like I said before, there aren't really any foods I liked as a child that I find disgusting now, I was never fond of that stuff to begin with.

@therealchiffonade, do you think your first point about kids not liking foods like broccoli is due to taste preferences that actually change as we mature or acquiring the taste due to actually giving the foods another chance and going in with a more open mind?

As a kid, I couldn't get broccoli to go all the way down my throat. It was bitter and nasty and worth being sent to bed just to escape eating it. Yes, I firmly believe our taste preferences change from childhood to adulthood. I don't think it has anything to do with having an open mind. I couldn't eat broccoli, cauliflower or scallops. As an adult, I love all three. I have no doubt my taste preferences changed. My love of broccoli rabe pretty much proves this. Talk about having your mouth turned inside out! Couldn't touch the stuff as a kid and now I can't live without it.

The first time I re-tried broccoli and actually enjoyed it, it was smothered in sugary mayo-ish dressing, raisins, and nuts in a broccoli salad, and for a while after that, I drowned it in either cheese, tomato sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Took a while before I began to enjoy it for its own taste. On the other hand, there have been other foods that grossed me out as a kid that I loved immediately upon giving them another chance as an adult, like beets.

Ah! Here's the difference. When I learned to eat broccoli and enjoy it - I was served plain steamed broccoli with a drizzle of olive oil, S&P. That's it. Pretty much pure broccoli vs. your salad with all kinds of distractions going on. This makes me sure tastes change as we grow.

I absolutely agree with what you're saying, but am curious as to why you think that is.

When you were a kid, did you like cotton candy? Right now I'd consider being forced to eat cotton candy right up there with waterboarding. When I was a kid, I'd eat the center of the Italian bread ripped out by my mother and dad - only after squishing it into a marble. Now, I'm strictly a crust girl. When I was a kid, the phrase "too sweet" was an oxymoron - an impossibility! Now, the idea of eating a Hostess Sno-Ball is repulsive. Too sweet is possible - just as too bitter (broccoli rabe!) was the perception back then.

The only difference = Time.

@therealchiffonade, do you think your first point about kids not liking foods like broccoli is due to taste preferences that actually change as we mature or acquiring the taste due to actually giving the foods another chance and going in with a more open mind? The first time I re-tried broccoli and actually enjoyed it, it was smothered in sugary mayo-ish dressing, raisins, and nuts in a broccoli salad, and for a while after that, I drowned it in either cheese, tomato sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Took a while before I began to enjoy it for its own taste. On the other hand, there have been other foods that grossed me out as a kid that I loved immediately upon giving them another chance as an adult, like beets. I absolutely agree with what you're saying, but am curious as to why you think that is.

thanks @josh! i answered my own questions last night and it was DELICIOUS! Great recipe!

Is it possible to replace the pork with chicken breast? (only because I have chicken in my fridge right now)

When traveling thru towns around the U.S. it's so hard to pick a great place to eat or even where to look in the town side streets etc. is this BZ Grill in Astoria Oregon ? I make notes now and will write this place as a good bet for good food. This site does yield added benefits besides friendly banter. and all the other places mentioned as good in these dialogues. I try to plan my trip routes by places to eat . boy am I getting off topic , sorry.

@mongoose: I actually soaked the tobacco and then wrung it out in paper towels. I put the threads directly in the vacuum bag with the rabbit, added salt and pepper, a bit of oil, and then immersed the bag in a constant temperature water bath (sous-vide). The rabbit I used was very young so really didn't need a marinade. Very easy. Your idea using the tea ball is a good one...

@mongoose: Finally prepared my rabbit loins with tobacco and they turned out great. Flavor was suble and if you didn't know what the ingredient was you would not guess it to be tobacco. Kind of a "je ne sais pas"??? I used American Spirit - US grown/organic, just a few threads...

kazoinker: Are they smoked? Any smoked fish will do nicely, really. The flavor will vary but the result should still be delicious.