Mike Morin

What do moon drop, gum drop and cotton candy all have in common? Don’t bother Googling them. They are all types of grapes. I am not a big grape eater but in the past year, I have discovered cotton candy grapes, which I love. And that surprised me. Turns out I am a contradictory connoisseur. I’ll be you are one, too.

I dislike cotton candy. You know, the beehive hairdo form of pink on a stick. Ick. But, after stuffing the fruit breeder’s cotton candy grapes in my pie hole, I was hooked. How can this be? I am a contradictory connoisseur and I am not alone. Here are members of my support group:

Social media friend Maureen says, “Love cracking open a coconut and eating it, hate shredded coconut in or on anything. I do like coconut rum,” she smirks. Another imbiber, Lisa, says, “Hate mango but can do the flavor in drinks.” Is this what doctors are now calling long haul COVID cocktail syndrome?

From Cindy, “Hate coconut but love coconut shrimp.” Cindy, do you want to tell me about pina coladas that often pair with coconut shrimp?

I have a few more oxymoron food juxtapositions to confess. I will spit out a hazelnut but gobble down Nutella on a piece of bread. This makes no sense. Nor does my aversion to olives, yet a good vinegar and olive oil mix is perfect on my salad. But enough about me.

The biggest third rail of dining discussion is tomatoes. Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop owner, Steve, confesses, “Love every form of tomatoes on the planet. Loathe tomato juice.” On the flip of that, Billy, says “not into tomatoes but loves ketchup, sauces and tomato juice.” If we can’t agree on tomatoes, how can we find world peace?

Right behind tomatoes for divisive dining (apologize for all the alliterations today), is peanuts. From Debbie, “I hate peanut butter but I love Reese’s Cups.” An even more militant opinion is rendered by well-known New Hampshire humorist Ken Sheldon. “I would not have survived quarantine without peanut butter, which belongs on English muffins, bagels and other toasted items. Putting peanut butter in things like cookies or ice cream is a criminal offense and should be treated as such.”

Kindred spirit and resident New Hampshire Magazine humorist Rebecca Rule offers, “Love the smell of coffee but hate all things coffee-the drink, the ice cream, anything with even a hint of coffee flavor.”

Reading all these makes me feel better about hating on anchovies but enjoying Caesar salad dressing where those salty fishies are an ingredient. I gag on maraschino cherries unless it garnishes my Woodford Reserve Bourbon Manhattan whipped up by Nashua’s Gary Vincent.

Terri likes banana bread but dislikes bananas. Annette loves fish but can’t stomach sushi and Deb enjoys onion dip while hating its namesake, raw onions. Can’t we all just get along with our food? When it comes to taste, feel free to refer to me as Oxy Morin.

Contact Mike Morin at mike morinmedia@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @MikeMorinMedia. His column runs the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month.