Al dente

Hmm.

So I got some pasta from a restaurant the other day, and though the flavor was good, the pasta was soft. Really soft. Soft enough that I didn't enjoy the dish.

This led me to consider the idea that I am spoiled. I am, I suppose. I cook pasta quite often, and it's always al dente. It's also always the same brand. And the parmesean (or romano) cheese I put on top is never powdered; it's grated. I don't eat the powdered stuff out of the slender green can, or from the shaker on the table. Not that I look down on it; I just don't eat it.

And sushi? It's so popular right now, and so many of my coworkers want to go out for it all the time. I daren't tell them that some of the places we go make dishes that seem rather mediocre to me, despite their trendy and mod ambience. Don't get me wrong, I adore sushi; I've just had so many lacklustre pieces lately. (Compared to what? I guess the sushi I had in Japan and Taiwan. Not a fair comparison.)

As I careen into maturity, am I becoming a snob? (Or, as I get long in the tooth, am I a snob for "firm to the tooth"?) Does this make me high-maintenance, and therefore difficult to be around or spend time with/go out to eat with? After all, when I look back on my life and the friends I've had, the friends I've been closest to have been the friends with whom I share meals. The last thing I need to do is become more fussy about my food.