I'm a bad foodie . . .

Apparently, because I don't appreciate purees and also don't really care for soufflés. Here's the deal. A soufflé is fussy to make, something I don't mind. I don't mind having to work to make something amazing. I don't mind when making something takes a while either, or goes in stages, or whatnot. It's just that every soufflé I've had doesn't live up to the hard work I've put into it. That's my issue with purees too. You work had for a long time, you do several stages of work, and then you finally put it into your mouth an it's just not comparable to the time and effort. It doesn't taste that great, it's not that interesting to be able to compensate for not tasting totally delicious, and in reality, you've spent a lot of time on nothing.

I've made a lot of soufflés, I've eaten a lot of soufflés, I've read a lot of soufflé recipes. They always sound so amazing too but it's all a lie. It's always some sort of disappointment to me. My mother loves to make them too. According to everyone and anyone who's ever eaten any soufflé she's ever made- it's the best they've ever had. So maybe I'm being a bad daughter, but I just don't think it's that great either. It's both a textural thing and a flavor thing. I don't enjoy the texture of a soufflé and I always feel they are under-seasoned or overwhelming.

I recently saw recipes for two different soufflés that sounded particularly spectacular. As I was pondering them I called my mom, to discuss the recipes, and she gets all huffy and says, "If you don't even like mine, why bother to make it on your own now? You've made several and never liked them." This is true. I have made several. Apparently I am as good at making them as my mom but I never enjoy eating it. I was emailing back and forth with another fellow foodie (though she is more established in the world than I am) and mentioned my disdain for purees and soufflés and got an email back so acid in tone that I thought for sure that I offended her immortal soul.

I was annoyed by this because it's not like I was preaching the joys of velveeta, hard boiled egg, and tomato soup casserole (a favorite of my grandmother who is currently in an insane asylum). There are so many other delicacies that I enjoy! Is this some sort of prereq of being into food that you have to like everything you put into your mouth that takes time and effort? Because if that's the case, then I' rather be a food enjoyer than a foodie. I'd rather be a cook than a chef then. I almost wanted to email her back and say, "well I like canned sardines on triscuits too so boo to you."

Anyways, one soufflé had black truffles and white cheddar in it, the other was smoked salmon and gruyere. I'm so annoyed right now by both my mother and my fellow foodie friends responses to my disdain of souffle that I am almost tempted to try to make one of the stupid things. But I wonder, would my reaction to it be tainted by annoyance?