God, I love so many of the things here! Many mushrooms make meals marvelous…onions, leeks, shellfish, broccoli…
I’m convinced some of the hatred is because these things are so often cooked badly. Broccoli either needs to be cooked quickly at high heat, or very slowly over low heat (cauliflower especially benefits from this approach - both of 'em get a flavor that’s almost nutty, and that sulfrous, cabbagy odor and flavor disappear). Mushrooms need to be cooked, but just through - not 'til limp. Undercooked they’re bland and watery, overcooked they’re nothing, but in between - what flavor! It’s like aged beef!
Green peppers and strongly flavored onions should be cooked the same slow, low way, to bring out the sweetness. Red peppers, and especially orange and yellow peppers, are naturally much sweeter anyway, but it doesn’t hurt them.
I’m almost ready to give brussels sprouts another chance. Maybe even lima/butter beans (they’re limas on steroids), although I don’t like the mushiness.
Liver is a problem. But I like heart, kidney and sweetbreads. Never had entrails, but I’d try them.
Raw beef? Yes! Go to an Ethiopian restaurant and try the marinated steak cubes (I can’t remember their name, I think it’s something wot). Rabbit, goat, venison, elk.
Crab is the most wonderful, I think it’s better than most lobster. (But I had a bad incident with soft-shells when I was little, so I haven’t dared since.) Squid, octopus, eel (oh, grilled eel sushi…yum). Clams, mussels in broth, scallops (sea scallops, creamy, just broiled). And raw of everything, especially good squid - really clean flavor. Seaweed, pickled kelp (really, it’s great).
Cheese! The stronger the better! (I’ve never had limburger, but I’ve had plenty strong ones.) Yogurt, sourcream, mmmm.
Ok, my dislikes: oysters, natto (this really vile Japanese fermented soybeans), lutefisk (cod that’s been dried and preserved in, honest-to-god, LYE, which is then soaked and boiled), urchin, live food (during my Japan days I was once served, at a formal banquet, teeny tiny goldfish swimming in a little finger-bowl). Probably won’t try trotters or haggis. Will try rocky mountain oysters, if I don’t have to go out of my way, or roasted waterbugs (friends travelling in Thailand said they smelled wonderful, but wouldn’t try them - what’s the difference between a big waterbug and a langostino, anyway?).
I loved that!