Your post about cilantro is interesting because I really LOVE it (you’re right – either you love or hate it. My chinese roommate, like you, hates it). I think its a perfect topper to many Indian dishes. BTW, I hope you realize that Mexicans also use cilantro leaves liberally in their cooking. But, I understand your perspective. I felt the same thing about the dreaded prezzemolo in the beginning. I thought – really, parsley tastes a bit grassy and tough and makes the whole dish taste raw and uncooked. I thought, “No wonder the Italian Christopher Colombus tried to go to India in search of spices!” I got so desperate one day that I told my mother to send me a box of spices from the US directly to Lamezia Terme. After receiving the package, I made some Indian food for lunch the next day and one coworker remarked, “Non so che schifezza stai mangiando ma buon appetito!” I was horrified, but felt that ultimately it was his loss. And in the end, when I made a chicken curry (sans cilantro) for my coworkers, they heartily enjoyed it.

Little by little, I became accustomed to eating and really enjoying the flavors (not just what I perceived as the lack thereof) of Italian cuisine. I found myself ordering “un panino di mortadella con il pane piu morbido” everyday for lunch. And parsley – now I love parsley – to the extent that I just planted it a few weeks ago on my balcony! Now, I would very happy to have a nice slice of mortadella and some fresh mozzarella. I learned that real Italian food can deliver complicated flavor combinations with the right interplay of a few ingredients.

I think the lesson here is to allow your mind and tastebuds to be receptive to new flavors. You are not always going to enjoy everything, but when you start acquiring new tastes for world cuisine (Italian, Indian, Ethopian, etc)it can be a veritable treat. I despised parsley, now I love it. I despised sushi, now I love it too (almost bartered my first born child when I was last in India trying to find a good sushi joint).

I wish you luck in your culinary and other adventures. Keep up the interesting blog. BTW, I came across it when looking up information on the politics of Sonia Gandhi.

Sejal

P.S. I am assuming you read English since you are in India ma ti posso scrivere in italiano se preferisci. Non l’ho fatto qui perche non sono piu abituata a communicare nella tua bella lingua e ci vuole un po’ di sforzo.