When people meet my family and hear that I write about food, nine times out of 10 they will turn to my kids and say something like, "Lucky you! You must eat well at your house." My boys, generally polite, usually agree. But the truth is it's not always easy.

I'm not one of those food writers who tests recipes during the day, only to give that food away and make another meal for my family for dinner. No, the rule has always been we eat whatever I'm testing.

If I'm writing a soup cookbook, they can count on seeing a lot of bowls and spoons. If I'm working on an article on holiday entertaining, there probably will be several versions of roasted turkey and cranberry sauce making their way to the dinner table — which is not what you're craving on a hot August night. If they don't like it, they don't have to clean their plates. But they have to try two bites.

Enforcing that policy — which was born from a desire to keep my food costs low and my dirty dishes to a minimum — ended up being great for my kids. I inadvertently turned them into adventurous eaters who not only enjoy a good a meal, but also are willing to help prepare it.

Over the years, they have eaten all kinds of dishes you might ordinarily not think of as "kid-friendly." All manner of fish and fowl, fruits and vegetables have passed through my kitchen, and my family is almost always willing to at least give it a try. Sometimes they're surprised at what they like.

Of course, once in a while, a dish comes to the table that they simply can't wrap their heads around. One memorable evening comes to mind when I was testing a soft-shell crab sandwich for a seafood cookbook I was collaborating on. It's not always easy to find live soft-shell crabs in Minnesota, but I did my research and found a local seafood seller across town that carried them. They weren't cheap and they weren't close, but if we were going to eat soft-shell crab, I wanted it to be good.

After cleaning, breading and pan-frying these little beauties, I carefully laid them on toasted buns, slathered with homemade tartar sauce, and set one in front of each of my boys. I was sure they'd love them. What kid doesn't love anything breaded and pan-fried?

Imagine my surprise to find a long, awkward silence as they stared at their plates, then at each other, then at me. Finally the tension was broken by my oldest son who, rather matter-of-factly, stated, "These look like big bugs." Well, that was it for the soft-shell crab. Even I couldn't eat it after that comment.

Luckily, the next night I made it up to them by making Tuna Burgers with Wasa­bi Aioli and Asian Coleslaw, which they happily devoured. The fresh ground tuna is mixed with ginger, garlic and lemon, formed into cakes and pan-fried to crispy perfection. They're then topped with crunchy coleslaw and served on buns with a dollop of wasa­bi- laced mayo — and no bugs.

Meredith Deeds of Edina is the author of "Everyday to Entertaining" and "The Big Book of Appetizers." Reach her at meredith@meredithdeeds.com. Follow her on Twitter @meredithdeeds.