What's the culinary equivalent of tone-deaf?

[lame username]

My husband invited a specialist karate instructor of his that had moved out of town and is returning for a seminar to stay at our house for the weekend. Last night we served grilled, prime ribeyes with roasted cauliflower and beurre noisette. This morning I served beautiful, creamy, organic, free-range scrambled eggs with home-grown thyme and Modernist Cuisine house bacon. My husband informed me this evening that our guest would prefer to have breakfast at McDonald's tomorrow before his flight home, so I don't need to fix breakfast tomorrow morning. Am I allowed to let off a discrete raspberry after I close the door behind them tomorrow morning?

[Lisa Shock]

They're junkies, best to simply pity them, they aren't really in control of their behavior.

[Mikels]

In answer to the question posted as the subject of this thread, I think the correct term is "tasteless."

[dcarch]

In answer to the question posted as the subject of this thread, I think the correct term is "tasteless."

Actually, tasteless and without the ability to taste are not the same.

dcarch

[heidih]

I think that someone who responds as the first post experienced is not responding from taste but from habit. When you are used to a monotone, even a sweet minuet can be too much? A full on concerto would overwhelm.

[nibor]

Do you know WHY the person didn't like your breakfast? You don't tell us that.

I would never ask to be taken to McDonalds, but can imagine asking to stop at (gasp!) Starbucks on the way to the airport if faced with "creamy" eggs at breakfast. My stomach is queasy first thing in the morning, and even looking at wet eggs could make me want to puke. Really. Later in the day, fine, but not at breakfast.

[ScoopKW]

Am I allowed to let off a discrete raspberry after I close the door behind them tomorrow morning?

No. I don't think you are. You invited them into your house. Now you know better not to extend the invitation again.

If for instance we invited a friend over for a few days, and we didn't know he/she had become a militant vegan since we last met, would we be right or wrong to try to attempt our normal menu? An over the top example, but you get the idea. I think the kind of food prepared falls on the host -- because it's the host's kitchen and the host's pantry.

If your guests' idea of "cuisine" begins and ends at a Happy Meal, just buy them a damned happy meal. It's a lot cheaper than USDA prime ribeye and good bacon, anyway. You don't even have to eat the stuff. If they pry, just tell them you saw "Supersize Me" and refuse to put that into your body. Then make a salad.

[Mjx]

The sort of reaction you described is often due to habit or comfort zone, so that might be the underlying problem as much as any missing sensory perceptiveness (but if it's the latter, my take on it would be 'taste/flavour blind').

My first thought though, was 'He may not like eggs.' Personally I can't stand them, never could, and the most wonderful and thoughtful presentation can't change that fundamental fact. When faced with a bunch of eggs on my plate, and the realization that I have to eat them, I can literally feel the blood drain from my face, and my stomach bunch convulsively, as a warning of what may happen should I attempt to force them in.

In answer to the question posted as the subject of this thread, I think the correct term is "tasteless."

'Tasteless', indicating a lack of flavour, would actually mean that he would need to be well-browned, and would probably require assertive and careful seasoning to be worth eating

[nickrey]

I think I'd use the continuum ranging from simple through to sophisticated. In this case the person had simple tastes and could not appreciate your efforts. How can you realistically criticize someone who has no taste for not appreciating your food? I'd save your indignation for someone who spurns your food who has a supposedly educated palate.

Although disappointing, why waste effort on complex dishes when you are dealing with people who cannot appreciate them? Some of my friends get a twenty year old wine when they visit because I know they will appreciate it: others don't. For the latter, I choose something more appropriate that I can still stomach. That way I know both will go away pleased while I have not wasted precious resources unnecessarily.

If this person comes back, bring out the grilled cheese sandwiches and go to your own room to enjoy the foie gras.

Edited October 30, 2011 by nickrey (log)

[Jenni]

He may not like eggs done that way, or maybe McDonalds is a pre-flight ritual? Or just something he hardly ever gets to have so it's a "treat" for him or something? Or he just happens to really like it (even many "foodies" still like certain fast foods).

Anyway, I think it's rude to get all judgemental about people's food preferences. Eat what you like and let others do the same. If someone is particularly difficult or rude about their choices, and is very vocal about it, then I can understand why you might want to be rude in return. But on just the facts you put in your post it doesn't seem like this guest was like that. So why mock him?

Edited October 30, 2011 by Jenni (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

Everything that Jenni said and more. I mean, as someone who can't eat much in the morning, the idea of starting with creamy anything makes me feel pretty shit. Save that for lunch.

At the end of the day, whatever the case was--whether he really craved McD's, whether he wanted to get off early out of paranoia he was going to miss his flight, whether he hated your scrambled eggs--it doesn't matter. By the sounds of things you were a good host. You took someone in. You prepared nice food. If a guest doesn't appreciate some aspect of that then, really, what can you do? You're not in the restaurant or hotel business, where the whole reason you get paid is to cater to their whims and desires. You served food that wouldn't offend too many people--steak, eggs, etc (I mean, hardline vegans and all would be offended, but it's not like they're real people anyway). Without knowing someone and their tastes well, that sort of fare is generally a safe bet. I wouldn't stress--about your cooking or about this guy. It's not worth getting upset over.

[Darienne]

If there is one food that people are 'fussy' about, it's eggs. I can eat a lot of foods which I don't particularly like cooked in some fashion, but not eggs. I had a horrible experience as a child with a woman who insisted I eat a soft-boiled egg and since then after years of not eating 'eggs', as such, I can eat them again...but only cooked the way I want them. I cook my own scrambled eggs, thank you, and my husband cooks his. The breakfast hour makes it only more critical.

So like some others post above, I wonder if 'creamy' eggs were difficult for your visitor to get down.

Nope. Be a gracious hostess and let the man eat his McDonald's meal...and their eggs are truly awful.

[SylviaLovegren]

We had a friend who stayed with us for a while and I knew he didn't like sophisticated cooking, so I made him hamburgers which he said he liked. They were delicious, fresh beef, thick, grilled to juicy perfection. He looked at his burger and nibbled around a bit but didn't eat much. Then later he went out and I found out he'd been to McDonalds. That's what he thought I meant by hamburgers and that's what he liked. He ate McDonalds for every meal in the 2 weeks he was with us -- hamburgers, fries and a coke with sometimes a McMuffin for breakfast. 3 meals a day. I made our normal food for us and he ate rancid faux food and was happy.

It was appalling, but what are you gonna do?

[Country]

My husband invited a specialist karate instructor of his that had moved out of town and is returning for a seminar to stay at our house for the weekend.

If he has a special practice in karate, he may have a preferred (or special) diet and simply chose not to say so.

[paulpegg]

Your dinner and breakfast sound fantastic, and "rich". I am not into karate but have been working out at the local gym for the last 25 years and know that the heavy lifters in this crowd would not be too thrilled to be served such food, especially three meals in a row. Most of them are on low fat diets with protein supplements. They will eat a huge salad and then slug down a protein drink. I would guess that a karate instructor might be equally fat averse. Perhaps he did not want you to go to the work you enjoyed so much if he was not going to eat much of it. McD's does serve simple salads.

Did you ask him if he had any food preferences?

[&roid]

Maybe he really liked your cooking AND wanted a McDonalds breakfast... Personally I can't stand their breakfast stuff, but every now and again I do fancy one of their burgers. Enjoying crap food from time to time doesn't stop me liking "proper" stuff.

Edited October 30, 2011 by &roid (log)

[Baylee Chocolate Lady]

Is it possible that he saw how much effort you put into meals and didn't want you to bother once again?

[Porthos]

I cook my own scrambled eggs, thank you, and my husband cooks his

Ditto in our household. My wife likes her eggs "wet" by my thinking, and I like my eggs "almost burnt" by her way of thinking.

As to the OP, I feel your frustration at working to provide really good food and then have the intended recipient not appreciate it. My best suggestion is to let go of it with the clear understanding that you put your best culinary foot forward and it just wasn't for him. His loss.

By the way, I at McD's for breakfast (drive thru) once or twice a week because it works for the schedule I keep, not because I think it's fine dining.

[BeeZee]

Is it possible that he saw how much effort you put into meals and didn't want you to bother once again?

That was a thought that came to mind, as well. You made the assumption that he didn't like your cooking, he may have felt he was being "fussed over" too much and McD's was his escape. You may be taking offense where none was intended, he may have thought he was being a courteous guest by taking the burden of food prep away from you.

Unless, of course, he didn't eat any of the food you previously served. In which case, he's a guy with fast food tastes.

[ruthcooks]

What BeeZee said.

[butterscotch]

Am I allowed to let off a discrete raspberry after I close the door behind them tomorrow morning?

No. It's just eggs, and most people ask if you want eggs, or how you like them. A lot of people squirm at wet eggs.

Try not to take it personally, guests are never 100% what you want them to be!

[kayb]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't do "creamy" eggs. I want those babies scrambled hard. Dry. Now, if they're over easy, I want the white barely done and the yolk runny. I do not try to make sense of what certainly seems to be a conflict. "It just be dat way."

[KatieLoeb]

I think a lot of excellent points have been made here. It's entirely possible he appreciated your cooking and just didn't want you to fuss over another meal, especially when there was a flight to catch, the possibility of morning rush hour traffic, etc. It's also possible that he is on a special diet for his training and didn't want to burden you with it and thus, politely picked at the lovely but very rich food you served and bit his tongue. It's also possible that he's a Philistine that loves McDonald's. There's plenty of those.

Don't create offense where none was likely intended. We all have enough stress without piling on ourselves.

[IndyRob]

Am I allowed to let off a discrete raspberry after I close the door behind them tomorrow morning?

Absolutely. But, IMHO, there are reasons we do these things discretely.

Without the other side of the story we don't know the whole story. Perhaps he was waiting for an opportunity to brag to your husband about his conquest of a lithesome young karate-ette. Perhaps he wanted to ask your husband for a loan. Maybe he just isn't a morning person. Or, perhaps he feels uncomfortable being catered to.

Here's a link to a seminar speaker who prefers to stay in peoples houses (rather than a hotel), but comes with a particularly long set of care instructions (scroll down to the end to get to the food stuff).

[janeer]

This could get into a different discussion but over the years I've noticed that there are people who seem to have no palate--and I think it partly genetic/natural, not just developed or a factor of exposure. Some people have wonderful palates, others none. I used to have neighbors who had no palate whatsoever. All food was the same to them--eat to live, not live to eat. I learned not to bother for them, because they COULD NOT taste the difference. Really.