FabulousFoodBabe

Brings something to mind -- an Asian restaurant, back when I was reviewing for a city magazine. We pulled into the parking lot and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. The inside vibe was just as weird. Friendly, but weird. Every dish we ordered had lots of onions and the same sort of 'meat' -- gray, stringy, and strong-tasting (though not rotten, to be fair.) My husband and I had horrible stomachaches and headaches all night long; I called my editor the next day (she was Asian) and told her. She said, "dog." I'm shuddering. Anyway, sometime the best way to know you're in the wrong place is to trust the hairs on the back of your neck.

Teri, what a cool story! When I read your first line, I'm thinking, "say what?" Love it. One of the most amazing meals I ever had, was at a gas station on the Natchez Trace (I think we were still in Mississippi). Gumbo, biscuits, and pecan pie with a crust so golden and tender I knew it had to be lard. This was a long, looong time ago, and I can still taste it.

What other bread can be completely compressed and rolled, slice by slice (or the whole loaf), into twigs or balls? What other bread can be the base of the truly addictive, nasty,"Bacon Rolls" that a Greek grandma (not mine) used to make for her hoards of grandchildren, and hangers-on? Yeah, squishy is sometimes good.

Mr. Gallo was a tough businessman, yes, and a very kind person. Loved his family, loved his wine, loved his land, and cared about the families of his employees. (Plus, he gave a great party, big or little!) My husband worked for him for a while, and Mr. Gallo never failed to ask after my sons, and to tell me how terrific he thought Mr. FFB was and how pleased they were to have us in their community. I can't believe he was 97 -- I wonder if he was still driving to work in that old Cadillac? A favorite story of mine explained the lack of signs directing people to the winery in Modesto. When asked, he said, "Why should I put up a sign? I know where it is." R.I.P., Mr. Gallo.

What makes you think I don't have really sharp knives? Nuts. Now I can't go back and fix it 'else we'll mess up the thread.

My hubby hates tripe and fermented shrimp paste, but I decided to overlook that. Last month. Mr. Duck: "Is it OK to go out to M's birthday party next week?" Me: "You mean I can have stinky shrimp for dinner!? Woohoo!" ← Too funny, i_c_t_d! As a newlywed, whenever I'd go out of town on business, Mr. FB would go to Po'Folks for dinner. He lived for those days! Yuck!

I'm still not getting the picture... how would you have eaten a banana? ← Animus meminisse horret. ← Fresser, baby, speak English! (I had to google this, dammit. You remember I went to public school, don't you?) *** When I saw this thread had been bumped from so long ago, I had hoped to see more "I dumped someone because he peeled grapes and not for me" types of things, NOT to be asked to describe my own banana-eating. Anyway: here's how I eat bananas and no one has broken up with me yet over it: Make husband peel banana. Cut banana lengthwise into two halves with one smooth, practiced and precise motion. Slice banana on the bias with not more than 5 or less than 6 cuts. Transfer banana slices to mouth using the point of the knife (if no impressionable children are near), or a fork. OR -- flambeeing, caramelizing, or sauces and creams may be introduced at this point. Caution: Removing one's attention from said banana may cause husband to filch parts of it.

K8, I'm going to introduce to you a couple of MILs I know (mine and my husband's). And an Italian grandmother or two.

A surprising number of replies were personal and downright insulting. I wonder why so few people assumed good intentions, or at least non-bad intentions, out of Margy? I do think we tend to filter things through our experiences. And I'm beginning to understand my gastronomy professor, who was adamant that no one insult or mock anyone else's food preferences or desires.

So, who's going to be the first to apologize for calling Margy a food snob, rude, nasty, controlling, bitchy, and (worst of all), mean to a member of The Greatest Generation?

Exactly! Believe me, if not ordering causes that much of a fuss, imagine the fuss around ordering and not eating! Suck it up is good, but I never apply it to food. MIL makes some nasty stuff and if she feels like my sons have to eat it in order to prove their love for grandma, well, grandma is going to have to suck it up, herself.

Whoa! When I say, "no thank you, nothing appeals to me today," I mean it! If someone feels low-rent, ridiculous, stupid, my ordering food won't change that.

All this time I've been wondering why Match.com isn't setting me up with any eGers. Seriously: Please read my thread-starter! I wasn't saying anything about people who eat or won't eat fresh fruit, I was saying that eating a banana in that way was, to me, at that time, skeevy beyond belief. I also ditched someone for affecting a continental way of eating when the guy was from Indiana, for Chrissakes, and spent his junior semester in Spain or something like that. Yeah, I'm crazy. I'm also not perfect! No, really. And my husband hates cabbage but I married him anyway.

This is sympathetic laughter, Margy. Geez, you described a situation with my in-laws, so very well. They eat at chain restaurants for lots of ridiculous reasons and no, I don't tell them they're ridiculous. They also get very offended and take it personally when I don't eat anything, even if I have a plate in front of me. The attitude is theirs, and it won't change. You can't win. To me, insisting that someone eat something they don't want to, is the same as insisting a teetotaler have a beer, or vegetarian a meatball, or a diabetic eat a cookie. Isn't being together the important part?

Well, now you know why I said it would never work out between us

Geez, could I be any more of a dork? thank you-- So far, all we've got booked is Ice Bar on Sunday afternoon. No Spamalot tix to be found, but I'll keep pushing.

First, thank you all so much for these suggestions. We nearly had to cancel this trip and only decided a week or so ago to carry on with our plans; it's been pretty hectic and very exciting. Having such a network to call on has made this planning fun, instead of stressful! Stonehenge's inner circle may not happen (I've got the AmEx people working on it but so far, nothing), but hiring a car sounds like a plan. As do(does?) the Globe, and the Eye. I'm assuming that's like a GrayLine tour?

I told the kid this, and he said, "oh, is this an example of that dry Brit humor we hear so much about?" Smartass (him, not you. Well, maybe you.)

Sounds like my kind of guys! Too funny. (I'm assuming there is decent bar food to be found? I've got a small window of time where the kid will actually go someplace with me, and am trying to maximize it)

Thank you! He would enjoy seeing some bar-party-girls, I think, but his day would be made with John Cleese or celebs of that sort. algy, this sounds like my kind of place, too: We'll check out the Novello, thank you.At one point, Mason (my kid) thought it might be fun to try and stay on US time, and eat the majority of our meals in all-night pubs. Yeah, it's weird, and he knows it. But if we get food-lag at 3 a.m., it could work!

Yeah -- that's the issue the kid has with it, plus this: "Why would I want to see naked men?" He does make sense. We're trying for Spamalot. Obviously, we won't have enough time. What were we thinking, three days???

My 16 year old son and I are doing a quick trip to London -- Sunday to Wednesday. We're staying at Le Meridien Piccadilly, and will see Stonehenge (yes, Stonehenge, and we know it'll eat up a whole day), some Shakespeare (bummer; the Old Vic seems to have nothing for the time we're there), and some other theater. He's already given two thumbs down to Naked Harry Potter, because the idea of Equus upsets him. His only food requirement is "authentic" fish & chips! What do you-all recommend? We also want to visit IceBar for just a bit (Absolut is one of Mr. FBs clients), and would rather not do a lot of fancy dining. Which has nothing to do with fish & chips, I realize.

Miss Megan -- Honey, you know how to live! I thought nothing could top your last blog, but this one is just as wonderful. Thank you for yet another peep into your life, and for the vicarious thrills. What color are the Uggs?

You are correct, sir!

French fries and gravy.