~ Took a sip of Irish coffee on the porch of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge and rejected it because it tasted poisonous (I thought it would have Irish cream, not Irish whiskey)

~ Ordered jasmine rice at Legal Sea Foods in Boston and wondered aloud why it didn’t have a jasmine scent

~ Ate a scallop (a food I do not like), thinking it was a piece of potato, at Ambrosia on Huntington in Boston … while chef/owner Anthony Ambrose was standing next to me

On all of these occasions, I was sitting with various work bosses. Luckily, each of these supervisors had a good sense of humor, and they all still speak to me today. I like to think I have become more knowledgeable about food since the mid-’90s, but I will never forget these moments!