table for two: Be Bold.

Last week, Whitney attended a bridal luncheon with her friend Mirna, who is getting married this spring. We were seated with a group of other bubbly women chatting about their much anticipated wedding day. Soon, the first course arrived. It was a salad with candied walnuts, tomatoes, and blue cheese. One of the engaged ladies gasped as she exclaimed, "Eww! Blue cheese! I've never tried blue cheese! It looks so weird." She took a small bite and mumbled how it wasn't that bad. By the end of the meal she said that she never thought she would like blue cheese, but ended up loving it. Next they served a chicken dish which was rolled in a crepe. Again, this woman exclaimed, "Ahh! It's so weird, I don't think our guests would enjoy eating this at our wedding," yet, everyone at the table cleared their plates.

People are often timid when it comes to trying new foods. If it's something that wasn't served on their plate as a child, reservations about the dish arise. We say get over it! Try new things. Get out of the rut and cook something bold. Exposing your family to less common foods and new flavors may help them understand other cultures and traditions, and chances are, they'll be less picky eaters when they're adults. After trying the dish, if your taste buds truly disagree with the food, that's another story, but at least you'll have tried it.

So we challenge you to think outside your pantry. Explore. Cultivate. Have fun. Be bold.