Calamari Convert

People are strange. Some won't taste anything new, even if everyone around is raving about it. Others are so adventuresome you wonder if they're really that open-minded or lost a bet. I find it reassuring when I meet someone who's willing to try something, but is sensible about how they go about it -- especially when that someone is seven years old.

At a gathering the other day, I found myself seated beside a young girl named Emily. We were both hungry and trying to decide what to order off a very limited pub menu (read "deep fried"). My husband, knowing my love of seafood, suggested I order the calamari. "What's that?" Emily asked.

I didn't want to turn her off with the truth, so I told her the story of the first time I ever ate calamari. I was in Greece and had taken a boat trip to a tiny, out of the way island where few tourists went. There was only one restaurant and no menu. You simply got what the kitchen was cooking that day. The waiter knew enough English to tell us we were getting "Mixed Grill", but beyond that, we didn't have any idea what was on our plates. I now know we were sampling dalmades, souvlaki and other classic dishes, but this was 20 years ago, and I was totally clueless. While I found the stuffed grape leaves too bitter, I loved the lightly fried... chewy things. I asked the waiter what they were and he said, "Kalamari" (I'm sure he said it with a "K" and not a "C".) So, every time we went to a restaurant, I'd order kalamari. And every time I'd ask what it was in English. Waiter after waiter would just shrug and say, "Kalamari is kalamari."

When my travelling companion and I finally worked our way back to the more touristy parts of Greece, we found a restaurant with the menu in Greek, French, German and English. That was when I discovered what I'd been eating encornet --tintenfisch --- squid. Baby squid judging from the size of the rings.

Emily seemed impressed by my story and decided she might like to try kalamari after all, but wasn't sure she'd want a whole serving. I suggested I order the squid and she could sample mine. She thought about it for a few seconds and agree this would be the best way to approach this new food. Despite the mediocrity of the pub version, Emily liked it.

Having bonded over squid, it was Emily's turn to introduced me to something new - her Tomagoochi pet. Her tiny fingers jumped over the buttons, racing through screens of jumping characters. She explained the life-cycle of this electronic creature, which she conveniently put on pause as we enjoyed our meal. Although I can credit myself with creatign a new calamari convert, the expanded horizons went only one way. I won't be embracing Tomagoochis. They're are all Greek to me.