Yet Another Way I'm Weird

Inspired by Scribbit's post on how to make lime meringue pie.

There are certain things in life that all children should believe when they are young.

I think that all kids should believe that their Daddys are the strongest men in the world and could beat up ANYBODY.

I think that all kids should believe that their Mothers are the best cooks in the world.

Now, these things may or may not fall to the wayside as the kid becomes a sulky teen, but I firmly believe that little kids need to be able to look up to their parents. I think it's important to their mental development in ways not totally understood.

But, for me, there came a day when I realized that my own Dad was a fallible human who made mistakes, and probably couldn't have beat up John Wayne. I was old enough by then, and thankfully wise enough, that these realizations made me love him even more. Instead of being disillusioned or crushed, I was relieved, and truly loved him more and more from that day on.

Mom's cooking on the other hand, tends to be something approaching myth. Not every mother is a great cook, but mine was and still is, though she so rarely cooks for more than herself that cooking for a brood can be challenging for her.

When I was growing up, whenever any part of the family visited any other part of the family, a great feast is served.

It never mattered that everyone was broke, money was spent on good meat, gardens plucked of the ripest vegetables and after that magical kitchen work was finished, a meal truly fit for a king was the result.

Every time. Meals were ALWAYS good.

A bit about me. I love lemon. I like lemons, lemon pie, lemon cookies, lemonade (both regular and pink), Lemonheads. I just plain like lemon flavored food, whether natural or imitation flavored, I don't really care.

And Sainted Mother being the cook she was, had a special touch when it came to lemon meringue pie.

She loved her own lemon meringue pie, as did Don C. (my dad), and all the grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.

Everyone raved about how good her lemon pie was, and that the meringue was the perfect touch to take the pie from tasty to dessert perfection.

My problem with all of this was that although I love and still love lemon pie, I hated and still hate meringue.

I know. I know. I'll pause while you catch your breath.


Who knows why some things taste bad to us? Something about the taste and the consistency of the meringue just completely ruined the pie for me. Any pie with meringue for that matter.

And my mother was an acknowledged expert on making a meringue that had everyone slowly closing their eyes with the first bite of pie and coffee after the meal.

And there was ol' John, carefully scraping off the meringue onto Don C.'s saucer, so that I could eat the luscious lemon pie.

This misunderstood hatred of mine for meringue was always the subject of conversation; how could it not be, with everyone sitting around the table with their slice of pie and I'm right there with them, scraping off my meringue to give to Don C.?

"What? What are you DOING? You don't like the MERINGUE?" Blah, blah, blah. I had to hear it every time we had lemon meringue pie.

I also got the treatment when Sainted Mother made pork roast, which, to misquote that great philosopher The Grinch, "Pork roast is a feast I can't stand in the least."

There I would be, eating everything but the pork roast, and the comments would start.

Thing is, my tastes in food have changed a lot over the years, and I might just love meringue on my pie or a big slab of Sainted Mother's pork roast.

I just don't know if I have the courage to try them.

Plus, my inexplicable dislike for meringue and pork roast still are points about which the members of my family can pick on me about.

I'd hate to upset years of being an easy target of good natured derision by all of a sudden LIKING meringue and pork roast.