Things People Inexplicably Love

[NulloModo]

Pickles in tuna salad.

I thought that we had settled this and were going to bury this obvious fault of yours under the rug and never talk about it again. I am extremely dissappointed in you.

Port. I have had some of the supposedly best port (read most expensive/oldest) that can be had any number of times-served properly and all of that other ritualistic crap and I have to admit that I don't get it. Yuck. Tastes like it's gone bad even when it's good. I feel that I am doing a service to all port lovers by not drinking it. You can send your thanks and money to me.

And you can send any bottles of Port you may be gifted with to me.

You know I don't get the fact that Cilantro and Corriander are the same thing. At least so my hubby says

Why can't they just call it one or the other?

Cilantro is the leaf and coriander is the seed

But you also see 'coriander leaf' in recipes. However, I have never seen 'cilantro seed'

[Mooshmouse]

Root beer and Dr. Pepper are completely deplorable.  A mere whiff of root beer is enough to set my gag reflex in motion.

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is.

Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer.

Get BABY ones!

Leetle!

Now. As for this suggestion to get teeny weeny brussels sprouts instead of bigger ones. Isn't this tantamount to asking someone "Would you prefer to have 3 highball glasses of arsenic-laced wine or just 1 large pint?" They're disgusting no matter how leetle they are!! In discussing this with my cousin, he suggests that brussels sprouts are probably what stinky feet would taste like...

[Behemoth]

Now.  As for this suggestion to get teeny weeny brussels sprouts instead of bigger ones.      Isn't this tantamount to asking someone "Would you prefer to have 3 highball glasses of arsenic-laced wine or just 1 large pint?"  They're disgusting no matter how leetle they are!!  In discussing this with my cousin, he suggests that brussels sprouts are probably what stinky feet would taste like...

Brussels Sprouts are only stinky when overcooked. Now I realize you probably refuse to go near the things, but for anyone slightly curious, here's how I've made many sprout converts:

I split the bottoms and blanch for about 8 minutes -- until just tender, slightly undercooked. Cut 'em in half and let them dry on kitchen towels. (Basically, this is the julia child version of preparing sprouts that will be re-cooked).

When nearly time to serve, I heat up a big pan with veg oil. Toss in about a tbsp of black mustard seeds, until they start to pop. Then some garlic, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes, and throw in the sprouts and toss around for a few minutes -- there should be enough oil and it should be hot enough that they caramelize slightly around the edges. Generously salt and (fresh ground, natch) black pepper.

Edited June 11, 2004 by Behemoth (log)

[Jinmyo]

Aged goats cheese, Blech 

*ALL* goat cheese, BLECH. Soapy goat.

[Jinmyo]

I.

Don't.

Care.

For.

Chocolate.

In fact, I would say I dislike it pretty intensely.

[Jinmyo]

You know I don't get the fact that Cilantro and Corriander are the same thing. At least so my hubby says

Why can't they just call it one or the other?

Cilantro is the leaf and coriander is the seed

But you also see 'coriander leaf' in recipes. However, I have never seen 'cilantro seed'

[ingridsf]

Root beer and Dr. Pepper are completely deplorable.  A mere whiff of root beer is enough to set my gag reflex in motion.

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is.

Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer.

Care to make your union polygamous? Or just let me squish into the chair with y'all? Cause I don't like root beer, never have. Makes my tongue numb. Dr. Pepper is just a big vanilla-y yawn.

[Jason Perlow]

Ok, let me repeat, the expulsions will begin shortly.

[ingridsf]

might as well eat trix.

Trix, my friend, are for kids.

Silly rabbit.

Ah, but BooBerry, now...where are the blue foods of yesteryear?

[Jason Perlow]

might as well eat trix.

Trix, my friend, are for kids.

Silly rabbit.

Ah, but BooBerry, now...where are the blue foods of yesteryear?

Booberry is again being manufactured, but in limited quantities. It was brought back by General Mills in 2001, and increased production with more widespread availiability in 2003. I was able to buy some at Target last year.

http://www.generalmills.com/Corporate/prod...es/BooBerry.jpg

Your favorite cereals are back (eG thread link)

[Mooshmouse]

Root beer and Dr. Pepper are completely deplorable.  A mere whiff of root beer is enough to set my gag reflex in motion.

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is.

Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer.

Care to make your union polygamous? Or just let me squish into the chair with y'all? Cause I don't like root beer, never have. Makes my tongue numb. Dr. Pepper is just a big vanilla-y yawn.

:::moves over to make space:::

But of course... there's always room for one more root beer hater! Perhaps we could be the first three charter members of The Anti Root Beer and Dr. Pepper League. Bear in mind that there's strength in numbers and, given that our numbers are few, we must unite!

Man, I'm starting to sound like a suffragette. And why is it that all the Dr. Pepper and root beer haters who have responded so far are women? Is there something inherently masculine about these drinks that we don't know about?

Does it really make your tongue go numb?!

[zilla369]

Root beer and Dr. Pepper are completely deplorable.  A mere whiff of root beer is enough to set my gag reflex in motion.

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is.

Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer.

Care to make your union polygamous? Or just let me squish into the chair with y'all? Cause I don't like root beer, never have. Makes my tongue numb. Dr. Pepper is just a big vanilla-y yawn.

:::moves over to make space:::

I'm in. No root beer, ever. The closest i can bear is a sassafrass anglaise i made as a dessert sauce at my last job, and that in only very limited quantities. ( i should admit here, i made a traditional anglaise and then spiked it with a "root beer extract" originally intended for home root beer-making).

*snuggles up to the root beer haters*

[Jaymes]

Hmm... I guess #1 would be cilantro. It's one of those things that people eat because it's trendyand they don't want to look unhip. It's detergent. And it's not like Bobby Flay is gonna kick down your door and backhand you if you omit it from a recipe.

Turkey Burgers... one of those foods that lil ladies like to live on and brag about how healthy and allegedly delicious they are. That's ground turkey meat, dark, light, whatever. If it's dark, you're getting scummy runoff and would be better off with good beef in the end. If it's breast meat, the burger is nearly inedible.  Get over yourselves and have some real food.

I guess the pet peeve for me is foods that people like, and think you should too, because they're told they should like them, and if you don't, you're unhip, unsophisticated, unhealthy, etc. Get a life, folks, it's just a burger. 

Strange post.

Sounds as though you don't believe anyone ever possibly could like a thing that you don't like just because they...well...like it. They have to be following a trend, or trying to prove some sort of something to some sort of someone.

I first discovered cilantro/coriander some 35 years ago while living in Hong Kong. They called it Chinese parsley. Loved it then. Also lived in Panama where it grew wild and was called cilantro and it flavored deliciously-aromatic beans. Loved it then. Don't think that 'trendy' crowd had ever even heard of it.

Sometimes, folks like stuff just because they like it.

Strange post.

Edited June 11, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[mongo_jones]

milk chocolate (to be fair this only after i had a nasty stomach flu 5 years ago and threw up copious amounts of milk chocolate--the last thing i'd eaten before i caught the bug)

white chocolate (but not jason williams)

herbal teas (quite apart from the sucky taste of most herbal teas i demand that if something doesn't contain any tea it not be called tea--herb water?)

earl grey--the english are crazy

jackfruit

[mongo_jones]

But of course... there's always room for one more root beer hater! Perhaps we could be the first three charter members of The Anti Root Beer and Dr. Pepper League. Bear in mind that there's strength in numbers and, given that our numbers are few, we must unite!

Man, I'm starting to sound like a suffragette. And why is it that all the Dr. Pepper and root beer haters who have responded so far are women? Is there something inherently masculine about these drinks that we don't know about?

Does it really make your tongue go numb?!

no, no--see http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...60entry629376

[...tm...]

Call me unamerican, but I have to say:

milk

ketchup

[fresco]

Hmm... I guess #1 would be cilantro. It's one of those things that people eat because it's trendyand they don't want to look unhip.

Yes, I've noticed myself that millions of Indians and Mexicans have this need to be trendy.

[andiesenji]

Hmm... I guess #1 would be cilantro. It's one of those things that people eat because it's trendyand they don't want to look unhip. It's detergent. And it's not like Bobby Flay is gonna kick down your door and backhand you if you omit it from a recipe.

Cilantro is an interesting herb. You are part of the population to whom it tastes like soap.

To others, it doesn't taste at all like soap. It has a sort of minty/parsley flavor.

There have been a number of studies done on different types of flavors and how people perceived them.

To me, and to many others, Rau Ram tastes exactly like cilantro. To the people who sense cilantro as tasting soapy, Rau Ram tastes just fine, nothing like cilantro.

I like cilantro, carnitas isn't authentic without it.

However I can't stand radicchio, or the bitter lettuces. They leave a very bitter, metallic taste in my mouth that is difficult to eradicate.

I also do not care for raw spinach, cooked is fine. Again, I get a metallic taste that is unpleasant.

[petite tête de chou]

Sports drinks are obnoxious! The commercials are idiotic (neon-blue sweat?!) and they taste like old, watered-down Kool-aid stirred with a sweaty sock! At least that is how I imagine it...

[mongo_jones]

Yes, I've noticed myself that millions of Indians and Mexicans have this need to be trendy.

hey i can't speak for the mexicans but we indians are highly aware that we are the trendsetters for the saarc region. well, the pakistanis, bangladeshis and sri lankans don't care, but what would the bhutanese, the nepalis and the maldivians do if we relaxed our vigil?

[tryska]

take over and make yak-milk goods the next cool thing obviously.

[laurenmilan]

Yes, I've noticed myself that millions of Indians and Mexicans have this need to be trendy.

OK... You got me there, my apologies!

I'm not referring to cilantro's proper place in the cuisines of regional Mexico and India. I can dig that, after all, those cuisines use the stuff in moderation, and often cooked to some degree of mellowness.

But unfortunately, there's just way too much "cilantro abuse" in American restaurant cooking. "A little cilantro is good.... so a 1/4 - 1/2 cup, raw and coarsely chopped, must be better! " Throwing big handfuls of the raw stuff can get overpowering, like raw onions can. And this is why it gets joked about in cooking magazines and web sites... it just gets to be a cliche, like mango-habanero mojo.

[aliwaks]

I also hate raisins. God, I hate them. I don't even like to reach into the box.

while I do not hate raisins per se..the unexpected raisin can cause me to expectorate...with a screeeh...I hate not knowing there is raisins in something..even worse when you think there is olive bread in the basket and its raisin bread...ugh why why why is there ever raisin bread in a bread basket...oh on that note I can't stand sweetened sugary butter. sneaky raisins suck.

[jgarner53]

I hate not knowing there is raisins in something

Exactly. What's worse than expecting chocolate chips and getting raisins? (assuming, for the sake of this argument, that you like chocolate and enjoy chocolate chip cookies)

Most of my top "icks" have been covered: gin, green peppers, brussels sprouts, organ meats, canned tuna, coffee. Additionally,

german chocolate cake - something about the coconut in the icing just makes me gag. I remember as a kid being excited (probably at a birthday party) because of the last two words: chocolate cake, and then being bitterly disappointed because not only was there gaggy coconut on top, but the chocolate cake wasn't very good either. Haven't been able to face it since.

I didn't used to like coconut, mostly because all I'd ever experienced was sweetened, dried flakes. Then I discovered coconut milk.

mustard - It's OK if it's in something, but as a sandwich spread, forget it. I don't know if it's the bitterness or heat or what, but I have to scrape it off it inadvertently gets on my sandwich (or toss that piece of bread and eat open-faced)

Campari -- too bitter

Artificial cherry flavor - ugh, cough medicine!

But pass the beer (microbrew, please), port, chocolate, cauliflower, beets. I'll eat what you don't.

[Mooshmouse]

Root beer and Dr. Pepper are completely deplorable.  A mere whiff of root beer is enough to set my gag reflex in motion.

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is.

Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer.

Care to make your union polygamous? Or just let me squish into the chair with y'all? Cause I don't like root beer, never have. Makes my tongue numb. Dr. Pepper is just a big vanilla-y yawn.

:::moves over to make space:::

I'm in. No root beer, ever. [snip]

*snuggles up to the root beer haters*

:::checks the membership log and updates accordingly:::

zilla, you're in. And you too mongo. Everyone's laminated membership cards will be in the mail shortly.