dealing with food-related comments

[Thipu1]

When my children were toddlers, I taught them the phrase, "De gustibus non est disputandum".  There's no arguing with tastes.

(Though now I wiki'ed the spelling, I may have to go correct their pronunciation.)

A little Latin tends to shock the system of people like that.

Or, as Mark Twain is supposed to have said, 'It is a difference of opinion that makes horse races'.

[White Lotus]

Degustibus non est desputandum!  Why didn't I think of that!  Latin is so useful.  What a great idea.

[Shea]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.

He always tells me "Don't cook wired stuff".  About the fifth time, I asked him what weird stuff I cooked.

His answer - lamb stew, cheesy garlic biscuts, waffles, bruschetta, steamed veggies, ya know, weird stuff. 

And yes, I have had his family turn up their nose at the cheese garlic biscuts.

If lamb stew, cheesy biscuits and steamed vegetables are "weird", what the heck is "normal?" Those seem like good, solid, regular-type dishes to me!

[nayberry]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.

He always tells me "Don't cook wired stuff".  About the fifth time, I asked him what weird stuff I cooked.

His answer - lamb stew, cheesy garlic biscuts, waffles, bruschetta, steamed veggies, ya know, weird stuff. 

And yes, I have had his family turn up their nose at the cheese garlic biscuts.

If lamb stew, cheesy biscuits and steamed vegetables are "weird", what the heck is "normal?" Those seem like good, solid, regular-type dishes to me!

agree and +1 to requesting recipes

[Itza]

"It's not your job to eat this food; it's mine. You've been spared."

[Luci]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.

He always tells me "Don't cook wired stuff".  About the fifth time, I asked him what weird stuff I cooked.

His answer - lamb stew, cheesy garlic biscuts, waffles, bruschetta, steamed veggies, ya know, weird stuff. 

And yes, I have had his family turn up their nose at the cheese garlic biscuts.

If lamb stew, cheesy biscuits and steamed vegetables are "weird", what the heck is "normal?" Those seem like good, solid, regular-type dishes to me!

Don't mix foods!

I grew up in a meat and potoatoes home. A little stew made from leftovers was fine, but other than that, forget it. Cheese was only for sandwiches, and the only condiments were salt, pepper, butter, catsup, mustard, and Miracle Whip (PLEASE don't start the MW vs mayo again!). We had beef, chicken and pork, and wild meats that most people consider weird.

Even garlic (which grows wild on area farms!) was shunned. And vegies had to have the life cooked out of them and only salt and butter on them.

Recently at one of our parties hummus was served. "What's that?" "Ground chickpeas and garlic,"  and the answer I got was a funny look and the guy walked away.

Of course, pies and cakes and cookies were always present, and homemade ice cream. Those were the only desserts.

After my stepmother passed away, my dad said that he hoped to never see another pizza, because that was what they had for dinner every Sunday evening and he hated it. He was over 40 before it became popular, and it was still a few years before he tried it.

I'm good now and sometimes get comments. I don't bother with more than a quick cool glance and ignoring them.

[CluelessBride]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.

He always tells me "Don't cook wired stuff".  About the fifth time, I asked him what weird stuff I cooked.

His answer - lamb stew, cheesy garlic biscuts, waffles, bruschetta, steamed veggies, ya know, weird stuff. 

And yes, I have had his family turn up their nose at the cheese garlic biscuts.

If lamb stew, cheesy biscuits and steamed vegetables are "weird", what the heck is "normal?" Those seem like good, solid, regular-type dishes to me!

I imagine a lot depends on where you grew up and more specifically what types of food your were raised on.

I don't know about weird, but I've always thought of lamb as sort of exotic.  Probably because chicken, beef and pork were pretty much the staple meats in my family when I was growing up.

I've now had lamb and I enjoy it, but it still not something I would consider "regular".  More like tasty treat.

On the other hand, where I live now many people consider Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors exotic. But I grew up with those flavors, so they seem pretty standard to me.

That's why not commenting negatively on food is so important. There can be a lot of emotional, cultural and family ties to it. So an "ewww, that looks weird" can cut pretty deep.

[Free Range Hippy Chick]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.

He always tells me "Don't cook wired stuff".  About the fifth time, I asked him what weird stuff I cooked.

His answer - lamb stew, cheesy garlic biscuts, waffles, bruschetta, steamed veggies, ya know, weird stuff. 

And yes, I have had his family turn up their nose at the cheese garlic biscuts.

I didn't know that I posted on here in the name of Phoebelion as well as Free Range Hippy Chick. I had to wash the lamb chops once because 'oh, is there garlic in the marinade? we don't like garlic. Yes, we eat garlic bread, but we don't like garlic.' I still have nightmares about the cranberry and pistachio shortbread - because shortbread, you see, doesn't have red and green bits in it. Their reaction to 'I don't recognise it' is automatically 'so I don't like it.' Even if it's an ingredient they know and eat in another dish, they won't eat it in this one. Apricot tart, yes. Apricots with lamb, no.

The WickedChick gets out occasionally - I assured them that I was cooking sausages, mash and baked beans. That's non-weird enough even for them. But WickedChick bought venison sausages and made the baked beans from  scratch with belly pork and molasses, and the mash was half and half potato and celeriac.

[Ida]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.


The WickedChick gets out occasionally - I assured them that I was cooking sausages, mash and baked beans. That's non-weird enough even for them. But WickedChick bought venison sausages and made the baked beans from  scratch with belly pork and molasses, and the mash was half and half potato and celeriac.

Will you marry us?

[Free Range Hippy Chick]

When DH's close and extended family visit, it's usually for the weekend.  They are from rural areas.

The WickedChick gets out occasionally - I assured them that I was cooking sausages, mash and baked beans. That's non-weird enough even for them. But WickedChick bought venison sausages and made the baked beans from  scratch with belly pork and molasses, and the mash was half and half potato and celeriac.

Will you marry us?

Only if we get to cater our own reception.