Foreign food

Living in rural France there is not much haute cuisine around but an interesting mix of local dishes with the inevitable pizza. Burgers are now featured largely on restaurant menus. I know someone who has lived here for 20 years and never been to a french restaurant as they don't like French food - unbelievable.

I remember the first time I had curry (made by my mother at home). For some reason I burst into tears! I can't remember how old I was but probably pre-teen. Funnily enough I love curry now.

Aged 14 I cooked my dear dad spaghetti bolognaise from the Stork cookery book. He ate one mouthful and decided on a boiled egg instead. His tastes changed in the sixties when we started going to Spain with Clarksons travel company, anyone remember their pink and yellow planes?

The most common for me in France (1970s) were Italian, Moroccan and Vietnamese.

I am a grand fan of a wide variety of "foreign" cuisines. And my my favourites are Basque, Chinese, Greek, Iranian, Italiane, Japanese, Mediterranean in general, Moroccan & Turkish.

Veeraswamy's (Regent Street) for Indian, Le On for Chinese, Hellenique for Greek (both in Soho), all back in the 50's and before I was a teenager.

As teenage schoolgirls my friends and I ate out when we could afford it at a Greek restaurant and we prized bowls of Tahini sauce served with the meals.
Mother never served foreign food at home but served the normal British food of the time. I knew no different other than the "special" meals out so ate and enjoyed her cooking.
When I moved to London to work, living initially in hostels, Vesta curries were served at the hostel I stayed at and I loved them.
I later graduated to proper takeaway curries from Indian restaurants and Schezuan Chinese food at an excellent restaurant in Watford (then) where initially I lived.
Also I had Greek Cypriot friends and ate Greek food at the local restaurant and in their home.
It was my friends' father who first encouraged me to try Taramasalata which I had encountered but not fancied much. He called it "white caviar". 50 years later I love Taramasalata but have it as a treat only because it is so fattening !!!
Incidentally what little black caviar I have had I didn't like and don't understand the fuss.
My OH is Anglo-Indian and an excellent cook and I eat authentic curries now.
Only thing with the OH is he is difficult to eat out with because very critical of restaurant standards. A fair percentage of the time, frankly, even though we now live in France, he's justified.