Do you guys find it hard to get your family to try new types of food?

When I make Sunday supper to have with my father in law I am pretty limited to what I can try on him. He likes your basic country cooking. I have gotten him to try some Italian with good results on more of then then not. He loves baked pasta but hated risotto. Disliking risotto was a shock since he loved the mozzerella stuffed fried risotto balls I made a few weeks ago. He said he liked all of the flavors in the risotto .. just not together :confused: On the other hand he loved every Italian soup/stew I have ever taken him. I had made a yummy risotto with white wine and parm cheese last week I later found out he fed to the dog. That was a very expensive waste of ingredients going into the dogs dish. I had only made it because he saw them making it on the FN and said he wanted to try it.

When I first married Jon he wouldnt try many new foods either and I felt guilty if I tried to sneek anything in on him without telling him. I had this whole your taking advantage of the fact he cant see thing going on. Then I got over it lol. He eats a lot of things now simply because I slipped them in on him and told him after the fact.
For example he would never eat anything with cream cheese in it or touch spinach just to name a few. Both of which he eats now. He is much more open to trying new flavors if he doesnt actually know he is eating them
That boy was missing the heaven that is cheesecake because of some hatred of cream cheese I don't think he had ever even tasted. Now he loves cheesecake.

My brothers idea of heaven is a pot of pinto beans with smoked ham hocks cooked in them with fried potatoes, green onions, cornbread and greens.

This is a very rural area where people are very used to old fashioned country fare. I have been able to get them into some new tastes but it is a challenge every time. Some days I want to make something new but am lost as to where to start. I hate to try something and find out the dog has ended up with wasted expensive ingredients. It doesnt happen often but it still annoying when it does.

Jeanie, I have almost the same thing in our house. I do most of the cooking. Wife does cook most week end and is a good cook.
My wifes Mother has been living with us for almost 2 years now. She is 93 years old. My wife and her both being Syrian. So Syrian food is what my wife's Mother has eaten most of her life. Her food choices have been limited to what she new how to cook. Me being a Southern fellow we just don't cook the same things. Although I do cook some Syrian dishes. I catch hell sometime, like what is all this mixed up stuff. It really used to bother me but not much anymore. She is learning that there is lots of great food out there. CF:)

Most of the new foods are introduced by me. However, my daughter can be somewhat more adventuresome then my wife. My daughter and I have always wanted to try a new Indian restuarant near her house but the wife says "No way". Some just have their basic fare and will not change. Your brothers Pinto beans with ham hocks sound pretty good to me though.

there are some cuisines I won't try anymore of or won't try at all - then there are some that I will try some of their recipes - I think I am getting too fussy in my old age - I love my comfort foods -

Comfort is always good. I go there often. I really enjoy the food that I grew up with. But not afraid to try something new. I enjoy the old memories of food and family. Cooking the foods brings those memories back. CF:)