When I was in third or fourth grade, my teacher was talking about nutrition and asked us if anyone could identify the basic food groups. I proudly answered that the three basic food groups were “Jewish, Italian, and Chinese.” In my Brighton Beach childhood that, more or less, was how it was. I thought of my limited but hearty understanding of basic nutrition recently, when my son, now a third-grader himself, made a similar observation
Adam has had a lot more exposure to good and varied food than I did at his age. And last Thursday night was no exception. Following my wife’s suggestion, our nanny made two dishes—two very different ones. One was your basic chicken in red sauce with spaghetti. The other, also a chicken dish, was prepared with all sorts of Asian flavorings and vegetables. Were we really supposed to eat them both at the same meal? I called my wife, who was working late, and she explained that the Asian dish was new to us, so she figured that if the kids hated it then at least we’d have the chicken with spaghetti on standby.
But once they saw both dishes—side by side—the kids decided that the Asian chicken was the standby.
“Come on,” I gently protested. “We know what the spaghetti and red sauce tastes like. Let’s try this other one.”
Elena, who is 12, warmed to idea, but Adam took a hard line.
“USA! USA! USA!” he began to chant, cracking himself up while somehow deciding that the more familiar Italian food was actually American.
Ah, food wars. Do you take a hard line? Do you insist that they at least try everything? Do you express your dismay and frustration when they grumble over meals that they liked two weeks before?
It’s uncanny how a child’s rejection of a meal can pose an instant challenge to your parental composure.
Not last Thursday though.
I passed Adam the chicken and spaghetti, while I started in on the Asian concoction, spooning a portion onto the spaghetti—and essential creating a variation of cold sesame noodles, but with chicken and vegetables.
My satisfaction talked for me. (Or was it the spaghetti?)
Soon enough, they both wanted to try it—and ended up with meals that were partly, and weirdly but deliciously, Chinese and Italian.
I got to relive two thirds of my childhood palate, while hopefully adding another cultural layer to theirs.
Eric Messinger is Editor of New York Family. He can be reached at emessinger@manhattanmedia.com
