Olives have been a food that I neither praise nor criticize. They are fine, enjoy them on pizzas and at parties, but mostly love them for their oil and not much more.
Lately, olives have been calling out and my stomach and taste buds have enthusiastically responded.
Black olives, green olives, kalamata olives … all are on my palate. And no, I'm not pregnant.
I've been mixing olives with my spaghetti and mushrooms. The spaghetti hosts a number of occasional ingredients depending on my mood, including green peppers, sausage, pancetta, and shallots.
Cravings are also about the basic elements of taste: sweet, sour, salt, etc. In craving olives, I'm likely craving salt. As much as I don't salt foods, I do like using salty foods (anchovies, olives).
Who knows how long this olive phase will last. Until then, I am going with the flow.
If you find a craving suddenly coming into your life, enjoy the moment. Embrace the "new" food in your life. Find fun ways to get that food more involved in your world.
The balance of food usually focuses on the extremes; the really healthy food and poutine. The reality of food involves the in-between foods, ones that will not cure us or kill us. Those foods that add color, flavor, and fun are as valuable to the food eating process as the more prominent choices and avoidances.
Cravings don't usually last forever. They give us a chance to rediscover a potentially lost food item. We have so many foods to choose from that jewels get lost in the food shuffle, especially when the hype over some foods cries louder than the rest.
Embrace the cravings, even if they are of the extreme. Got a hunkering for kale? Go for it? Suddenly has a taste for corn chips? The party is yours. Olive your cravings.
I love olives, and my cravings for them seem to never end. Have you ever tried stuff olives? I love putting them on salads. The garlic and the olive ones are the best.
Posted by: stuffed olives | January 29, 2013 at 11:00 AM