7 Foods I Didn't Think I'd like but do ...

Fried squid? Really? I actually got this for my birthday last year, at a mad incredible seafood restaurant in Salem, Mass. It was an accident, I didn't notice it in the description of what I ordered. Then there it came, little circles of lightly breaded, lightly fried deliciousness. I popped one in my mouth before really realizing what it was, and promptly fell in love.

Before trying these, I'd been hearing a lot about them. For one thing, the Better Half's brother has a strange tendency to ask if we've ever tried them every. Single. Time. We see him. For another, well, I'm a closet Jersey Shore freak, and if you know about Snooki, you know about fried pickles. I finally tried them at the Beer Works also located in Salem, and again, fell in love. Warning, however: they're high on spice, thanks to prepared horseradish. Oooh, I love that stuff!

Don't get me wrong, I've had sushi – kind of. Once I tried a raw bit of tuna – and hated it. After that I stuck to cucumber rolls and the like. Recently, however, I ordered Naruto sushi from our delicious local go-to. The description got to me, by describing salmon, crab meat, avocado, and tobiko, all rolled up in thinly sliced cucumber. I was in sushi heaven. Funny thing: salmon is on here twice, as you shall see. However, I cannot stand it cooked.

Strangely enough, I first had this at Gaucho's, an amazing Brazilian steakhouse that basically puts you into a meat coma. All that steak and beef and chicken and lamb, and I end up falling for a sliver of smoked salmon I got from the salad bar. Who would've thought?

I have a love/hate relationship with eggs – and their yolks. I love scrambled eggs. Sometimes I get in the mood for sunny side up eggs, so I can dip my toast. I love the white part of boiled eggs. But I won't eat the yolk then, and if my fried egg gets too hard, forget about it. Then again, sometimes I can't be around any yolks – and poached eggs are mostly yolks. I never thought I'd want a mouthful of that – until I tried it. Oh my lovely cholesterol.

I like everything about bruschetta, technically. I happen to have a love/hate relationship with tomatoes too, though. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood. However, the Better Half recently put an original spin on this dish, and what did I discover? That I loved it, of course!

Thanks to Top Chef, I've been hearing about this forever. However, in spite of my passionate love for Italian food, I'd never actually tried it. Once at a local Italian place, the BH got some and let me steal a taste – I really enjoyed it … but then forgot about then. Then, however, we bought some fresh gnocchi from the fresh open-air market just down the street, and oh man. I never thought pasta made from potatoes could taste so good!

The BH is also a picky eater – but, I'm happy to say, is also getting more adventurous. I think it's important to try new things. I don't know, I kind of want to be a Julia Child style gourmand some day. Are there any foods you never thought you would actually like?

Top Photo Credit: gLiTTeRb☺i®