Red. Delicious?
The apple of my eye is bound to be unlike yours. Even among apples, the almost bewildering array of would-be favorites almost catches up with the endless variations in personal character; together, these have the exponential potential to create such a multiplicity of possible tastes that it’s amazing if any small group of people have predictably identical loves.
On top of that, our own tastes are bound to change over time. I’ve lived long enough to have had several ‘favorite’ apple varieties, never mind had enough life experience to know that what I prefer for one use or recipe is not the universal solution for all of my cooking and eating wishes. Even the longtime favorites can be supplanted, eventually.
So while I currently favor Fuji apples for eating plain, a mixture of bright, crisp Granny Smiths with soft and über-sweet Golden Delicious and an in-between variety like Jazz or Braeburn for pies and sauces, and something with interesting color, shape or texture on its peel like a heritage variety to ‘pose’ for my artworks—any of those could change at any given moment. Why, I’ve even been known to draw Red Delicious (a variety that while I’ll grant its being among the reddest of apples I think hybridized to the point of being utterly insipid and flavorless rather than actually delicious) simply because it’s bright and shiny and stereotypically apple-y.
For the most part, life is more interesting to most of us because it offers so much variety and the possibilities inherent in change excite and intrigue our senses. But sometimes it’s perfectly okay to be predictable, too. The comfort of the familiar is also a gift. And once in a while, there’s the amazing possibility that we can surprise and shock others—even our own selves—precisely by choosing the safe and predictable thing when we have all of the options in the world right before us.
Maybe what I relish most of all is simply that I can’t guarantee from one moment to the next, let alone one day to the next, that my own tastes will remain the same, my choices the utterly expected ones. How do you like them apples?
Art-Colored Glasses 
I loveyour artwork! As for variety and choices etc “they” say ” variety is the spice of life”! Well Ive never used much spice, I am quite predictable all round really. But I have had to change my way of thinking and delve into that great big apple basket foodwise as my MS friendly diet has had to be followed. This has introduced me to so many different tastes Ive never sampled before and Im pleasedto report I am doing quite well!
As for pies (apple), I always, always cook with Bramleys! 😊
We never see Bramleys around here, sad to say, but with so many other varieties available nowadays, including many more ‘heritage’ (read: not hybridized to death) varieties, it isn’t difficult to find a few favorites. And who knows but that Bramleys will find their way into the local market, too, given the increased hunger for new types. The current era of better educated and diversified cooks and eaters is definitely a boon to better shopping, in the long run. And while it’s unfortunate any time that change is motivated by illness, on the other hand, it impresses me that you (and others) choose to treat it as a challenge and grow with and through it—and teach the rest of us in the process—rather than surrender and wither before your time. I will cheer you on every millimeter of the way! And whether “and apple a day keeps the doctor away” is entirely true or not, it’s a delicious option worth the trying!! 😉
I love apples too! I’m into Gala’s right now perhaps because the name seems so happy. Honeycrisps are my favorites but can only be found in the fall around here. Then Fuji’s. I love making stewed apples, thinly sliced in butter and brown sugar. Yum! An apple a day…… oh and beautiful artwork….keeps the doctor away. 🙂
😀 Yes, Gala’s great! My parents had an incredibly productive Gala tree in their back yard for many years—so productive that they had to cull a ton of apple starts in the spring to avoid the tree being pulled to bits by the weight later, and even then they had to invite families over to help them use up all of the fruit. So yummy! Too bad you didn’t live next door to them! 🙂
No surprise that I wholly approve of your recipe when it’s made with apples, butter and brown sugar (three of the most important food groups!!!). 😉
wow i would love being near that apple tree! Our new home has a lemon tree which is kinda nice. I’ll be making lemon everything!
Wow! That sounds fabulous, too!!
Awesome post! I totally agree. To each his own Apple. .. ha! 🍏🍎
Especially if it’s a computer.
Ha! Good one!
😉
Yes, Sir! [She typed on her trusty old MacBook Pro]
I’m glad to see you’re an Apple aficionado to the core.
Especially if we can also still enjoy our pears, pomegranates, peaches, raspberries, blackberries……….! 😀
As someone with a math background (and foreground), I like your phrase “exponential potential.”
I’m delighted you approve! Trust you to spot that one. 😀
I love ’em all! I choose a combination of sweet for apple sauce and tart for pies. For snacking, I’ll grab whatever is in season, with Golden Delicious during the Winter months. Even though they did get us kicked out of Eden, the World would be a miserable place without apples. 🙂
I’ll nitpick enough to say that I don’t blame the *apple* for our naughtiness in Eden (!), but I totally agree with you on the rest. 😉 After all, if the ol’ Serpent *hadn’t* chosen an apple as its device-for-vice, how would we have learned it was so YUMMY!
I’ll gladly eat anything *you* concoct with *any* sorts of apples. 😀
xo
We have some wonderful apples in New York state! Put a bit of pastry around anything apple and I’m in heaven! XO
You’ve got Richard’s number right there: pastry + apples = perfection! Yes, NY is certainly home to some fabulous orchard goodness. The northern corners of our country definitely have amiable climates for tree-grown loveliness!
xo