"picky eaters" news and stories

Most of us will chow on anything without a hazard sign, but, for some, our abundant foodshed is a minefield. Even the most adventurous eaters have their Kryptonite -- Julia Child had a habit of tossing cilantro; Ruth Reichl refuses to eat honey.

Odd eating habits have plagued every walk of life, perfectly rational people, and confused scientists and indulgent omnivores for years. For some, it's sensitivity to texture that gets in the way of a good piece of fish. Perhaps it's something in our past (or another life) that makes us squirm at the mush of a banana or the tree-like tops of broccoli. The BBC recently interviewed a woman who can't eat pasta because it feels like tiny worms; a bite of tomato, like maggots. Some people's lists of don't eats are longer than their dos. So what causes this seemingly childish aversion to perfectly good food?

Thanks to the minds at Duke University, we may soon have our answer.

• When you think of Maine, you think of...tofu? Well, why not?
• Parenting picky eaters is no picnic.
• Speaking of picnics, who brought the wine?
• These apple dumplings are on a diet.
• Maine may not be known for its cities, but it's got urban farming down to a science.

Farmer's market stand. Photo: NatalieMaynor, Flickr

• Farmers' Markets, excess produce and the thrills and regulations of selling prepared foods.
• After winning a recipe contest, two home cooks get a turn on the line in the restaurant kitchens of Portland chefs Sam Hayward and Jeff Landry.
• The French may have rejected Malbec, but it's doing good business in Argentina.
• The joys of picky young eaters and standing your ground at the dinner table.
• A rundown of the "Perfect Scent Dinner," where foodies get sniffy and try to name the foods they're smelling.
• HP Hood is sponsoring an inaugural New England Dairy Cook-Off in Portland this Nov. 1.
• Recipes: Pancetta & Red Pepper Penne, Broccoli, Ricotta Salata with Fusilli, Braised Fennel, Onions, Goat Cheese with Farfalle, Creamy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe with Fettuccine, Fusilli with Mexican Corn-and-Tomato Sauce, Zucchini Custard.

I know that it's impossible to please everyone, especially at a wedding, but you can try, right? Maybe, maybe not. I've recently run into some issues with picky eaters and new vegan friends and family members in terms of what they will or will not be able to eat at our wedding. Luckily, I can count the fussy eaters on one hand and there are only two vegans attending, so with the small number, should I cater to them?

I've gotten some mixed advice. Since we're doing a cocktail reception, it's not as easy as having a different dish available for their dinner, such as chicken fingers and fries. Adding an extra reception station would cost too much money. While the picky eaters have several munching options, including roast chicken, salad and risotto, there's not a ton. We're also a little worried: are summer vegetable rolls and a salad station filling enough for a vegan?

Please vote below, share your thoughts with me in the comments section and follow me on Twitter!

• Hmm... Is the secret to curing picky eating having family dinners 5 or more times a week?
• What's more appropriate for a St. Patty's Day dinner than a recipe from an Irish grandmother, born in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day? The meal: Swiss Chard and Potato Soup, Lamb Pot Pie and Irish Cream Cheesecake.
• Forte Bistro at Richmond and York in Toronto: Inconsistent cooking for the Bay Street types and ballet and opera lovers.
• Beppi Crosariol shares the rising world of Irish whisky love and how it might be connected to hard times and The Wire, as well as a talk with Jeff Arnett, master distiller of Jack Daniel's.
  
• Chef David Lee talks about the joys of teaching kids the world of food.
• Parsimony: How to make the most of your chicken, shrimp, eggs, stale bread, cakes and brownies, rice, cheese, vegetables and wine, as shared by Canadian chefs.