"I was FLOORED!"

[Mabelline]

Awesome in the sense that NATIONS HAVE CRUMBLED OVER LESS???? I got ya.

[saskanuck]

They really did think it was a wonderful meal. I hate to think of what they eat on a daily basis if this was wonderful.

Luckily, we only visit them every couple of years or so. I needed to lose some weight anyway.

[Mabelline]

That is what floors me---how can somebody eat stuff I wouldn't put in a feedtrough and think it's good? Do tastebuds get acclimitized or somethin'?

[Toliver]

That is what floors me---how can somebody eat stuff I wouldn't put in a feedtrough and think it's good? Do tastebuds get acclimitized or somethin'?

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To quote from the film "Thelma & Louise":

"You get what you settle for."

Perhaps they don't think it's worth the trouble to make good food for themselves so they settle for what's in front of them. Or maybe they really haven't had good food in their lives so they just make what they know how to make which is not-so-good. Or they think it's easier to defrost & nuke some processed package than to make something from scratch.

They're certainly cut of a different cloth, eh?

[mike_r]

wow. sascanuck you are a hero for not stuffing MIL into her own oven...but seriously, my girlfriend's aunt is at least a step up...she KNOWS she can't cook, and gets xmas dinner, etc. at the cash-n-carry; i offered to cook but was told frostily "no, the grocery store will be JUST fine." huh? i mean, thomas keller i'm not, but i can put two and two together to equal roast bird...what can ya do?

[emilymarie]

Or maybe they really haven't had good food in their lives so they just make what they know how to make which is not-so-good. 

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I wouldn't say floored as much as extremely FRUSTRATED! I have a friend whose mother is a horrible cook--flank steak cooked to the point where one slice could be used as a paddle to discipline small children when they get out of order, painfully overcooked, grey string beans, and the worst offense--NO SALT IN ANYTHING! Any rate, rant over, they all love her food and gobble it up with smiles on their faces. They are used to it. It's what they grew up on. It's how, apparently, they think food should be done, how it should taste. But, on the other hand, this friend turns his nose up at my very Italian grandmother's homemade caponata and eggplant parmaggiano as to oily. Well, she does season her food, so I guess that's what he means. Oh, dear!

[saskanuck]

MIL would be a tough old bird to roast, methinks, and would be well smoked with all the cigarettes she's smoked over the years.

I don't know what they are thinking. It's not only the food, but we were given bedding to sleep on that I would use to cover my vegetable garden in case of frost.

I was brought up to treat my guests like they were royalty, no matter whether they were family or not. In fact, your family members are supposedly the most precious to you.

My mother would have died a thousand deaths before she would have served leftovers like that to anyone.

It's funny, too, because they don't make packaged, prepared foods, and everything is from scratch. It would actually be better if they did use prepared foods, because it might then be edible. Maybe.

I will be cooking my little head off this weekend, making good food for us to eat, so that we can recover from this. I'm starting with homemade pizza on Friday evening, and we'll see what else I can come up with.

[mark918]

Whipped cream?? really? what do they use instead??

Isn't it obvious...partially hydrogenated oils in a tub, or the cream in a can that tastes like propellants and is too fluffy. We always used to do fresh whipped cream for Thanksgiving pies, or St. Pat's Irish coffee, and as ridiculousy simple as that is, that kind of spoils you for the other options.

I'm a whipped-cream evangelist. It's fun to see the look on people's faces when they taste a dollop of something that looks like CoolWhip, but tastes incredible. Yes, it's freaky.

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OK - This "Whipped Cream" sounds really good. Do you have a recipe?

[winesonoma]

Whipped cream?? really? what do they use instead??

Isn't it obvious...partially hydrogenated oils in a tub, or the cream in a can that tastes like propellants and is too fluffy. We always used to do fresh whipped cream for Thanksgiving pies, or St. Pat's Irish coffee, and as ridiculousy simple as that is, that kind of spoils you for the other options.

I'm a whipped-cream evangelist. It's fun to see the look on people's faces when they taste a dollop of something that looks like CoolWhip, but tastes incredible. Yes, it's freaky.

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OK - This "Whipped Cream" sounds really good. Do you have a recipe?

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Buy whipping cream, whip

[Mabelline]

You are doin' something right when "Takeout" becomes your guests' requests for some of your food to carry home with them.

[lesfen]

I am floored by some people's food phobias. I had an obnoxious ex (who hasn't) that I made the mistake of telling how some (SOME!) mushrooms are cultivated. I'll be damned if he didn't ban mushrooms from our home. He would literally gag when he saw them after that, no matter that he'd been happily eating them for 25+ years. I had to get my fungi fixes out of his sight!

[Mabelline]

I would love to round up all those folks, place them in a well-stocked preserve, and make them eat like our forbearers. After 1/2 a year, doncha reckon they'd have a different set of bitchs? For there are people who I firmly believe JUST HAVE to gripe. I'll bet cash money that when them Plymouth Rock newcomers were starvin' there were people in the bunch whinin', "CORN, I'm not eatin' CORN, you grew it next to a dead, smelly fish!"

[ladyyoung98]

Mabelline...sound like u met my baby sister........

[NulloModo]

I am floored by some people's food phobias.  I had an obnoxious ex (who hasn't) that I made the mistake of telling how some (SOME!) mushrooms are cultivated.  I'll be damned if he didn't ban mushrooms from our home.  He would literally gag when he saw them after that, no matter that he'd been happily eating them for 25+ years.  I had to get my fungi fixes out of his sight! 

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My roomate swears he hates mushrooms. He refuses to eat anything which contains whole mushrooms, or identifiable bits.

However, he loves my gravey, my red sauce, and certain other dishes I make, one of the main components of which is pureed mushrooms. When telling him what is in it I always just conveniently lump the mushrooms in with 'and a bunch of herbs' ;).

[Mabelline]

Just walk around humming there's a fungus among us!!!

[Pan]

I am floored by some people's food phobias.  I had an obnoxious ex (who hasn't) that I made the mistake of telling how some (SOME!) mushrooms are cultivated.

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Please elaborate. It can't be the dead tree stumps that do it.

[lesfen]

I am floored by some people's food phobias.  I had an obnoxious ex (who hasn't) that I made the mistake of telling how some (SOME!) mushrooms are cultivated.

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Please elaborate. It can't be the dead tree stumps that do it.

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[/q

"Magic" mushrooms, I've been told, are grown in manure and straw.

[Pan]

Oh.

And if everyone refused to eat anything grown in or fertilized with manure, I wonder if they'd all starve to death.

[ScorchedPalate]

I had an experience yesterday that immediately made me think of this thread:

My big-boss scheduled a group-wide cookie exchange for today's lunch; the invitation went out weeks ago. Then yesterday (after I had spent all day Sunday baking) she told everyone "If you don't have time to bake, don't worry: There will be plenty of cookies for everyone."

Holy crap! It's a cookie exchange. Make an effort, will ya?? It's bad enough that (many) people will bring store-bought cookies, but at least they're trying, in their own lame little way, to participate. I have half a mind to drop my lovingly crafted cookies at a shelter on the way to work.

Feeling merry enough to run over a reindeer,

~Anita

[Kevin72]

My wife had the same issue where she spent all Saturday and half of Sunday baking for a cookie exchange and went and half of them were the no-bake kind or the saw-off-of-a-log and bake kind. She came back and got on a good rant about it.

[Luckylies]

my family knows I just got into cooking school. I cooked dinner the other day and my mom said "I give you an A minus on the latkes and a b plus on the roast etc" I almost cut out her eyes with my carving knife.

I HATE (and am flabberghasted) when my family critiques my cooking after I have made them a lovely meal. I dont mind if I ask them what they think and they tell me..but grading dinner while at the table! grrrrrr..shocks the shit out of me every time...

also rude people who think the world is out to get them... "um I ordered this well done, and it needs to be fixed now"

mean people

people who show up to dinner early then expect me to chat.

people who show up to dinner more than 15 min late and expect me to serve them.

people who dont help clear the table after an intimate dinner party (4 or less)

people who have eaten before dinner. At a dinner party

people who bring other people unannounced.

people who leave the table to smoke cigs, in the middle of a course.

okay enough bitching for me. for today.

[winegeek]

As a server, I have ALOT of beefs , but the one that really gets me is how people do not know which cutlery to use, which side plate, ect. Do people actually think that the reson I gave them that great steak knife was to cut their caesar salad with?? Or is it really for their next coarse, which would be steak. Why would we use this little knife on this butter plate when I have 2 of these big knives?? I think I'll use this large plate that you've placed in front of me for my bread. You mean it's actually for my Cobb salad?? I could go on and on but hey, it's Christmas!!

[pam claughton]

I will never forget this, my mother and I were completely floored when my sister, a freshman in college decided she needed to learn to cook, and in all seriousness, grabbed a pencil and paper, turned to us, and asked,

"Ok, what is the recipe for a B.L.T."

Pam

[ladyyoung98]

As a server, I have ALOT of beefs  , but the one that really gets me is how people do not know which cutlery to use, which side plate, ect.  Do people actually think that the reson I gave them that great steak knife was to cut their caesar salad with?? Or is it really for their next coarse, which would be steak.  Why would we use this little knife on this butter plate when I have 2 of these big knives?? I think I'll use this large plate that you've placed in front of me for my bread.  You mean it's actually for my Cobb salad?? I could go on and on but hey, it's Christmas!!  

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your "beef" floors me...apparantly you work in a high end establishment that caters to the more monied patrons..which leads me to wonder what you are doing working there when such snobbery shows a very shallow mentality...

has it never occured to you that the type of people who can afford to eat in such a place didnt get into the postions they are in by being stupid and not being able to read people? Do you think that each and every person who crosses the threshhold to the establishment you work in wasnt born with a silver spoon in their mouhts...let alone really care what fork is for the salad or seafood..or escargot...or which knife is used for what or even which plate is used for what...these same people that you are putting down are not stupid by any means...they could not be stupid and have the kind of money that they do..and most..if not all...are extremely good at picking up what you may be thinking ...perhaps not the words themselves...but facial expression or body language..even the tiniest thing that hints at disdain can be picked up..body language...no matter how much you try to hide it... speaks so much more than you know..and remember these same people are the ones paying you the tips you seemingly dont deserve...bear in mind..its NOT always great service that gets you the best tips....and its not how well you can kiss somebodys butt..... but rather the genuine courtesy and respect you show them....

the next time you have a patron in your establishment ..who doesnt know the difference between what to use for what you might want to remember these people are not as stupid as YOU think they are..also bear in mind...there is also the possibility that there are people here on eg who also eat where you work and airing the views you have aired in such a public forum is not always the best thing...next time try a little tolerance and understanding as im sure that even you at one time in your life didnt know the difference either

Edited December 22, 2004 by ladyyoung98 (log)

[TheFoodTutor]

your  "beef" floors  me...apparantly  you work  in  a high end  establishment that caters  to the  more monied  patrons..which leads  me  to wonder what you are  doing  working there  when such snobbery  shows a  very  shallow  mentality...

has it  never occured  to you  that the  type of people  who can afford to eat in such a place  didnt  get  into  the  postions  they are  in by  being  stupid  and not  being  able to read  people?  Do  you think  that  each and  every  person  who crosses  the threshhold  to  the  establishment you work in wasnt  born with a silver spoon in their mouhts...let  alone really care  what  fork is  for the salad  or  seafood..or  escargot...or  which  knife is  used for  what  or even which plate is  used for  what...these  same  people  that you  are  putting  down are not  stupid  by any means...they  could not be  stupid  and have the  kind of  money that they do..and most..if not all...are  extremely good  at picking up  what you may  be thinking  ...perhaps  not the  words  themselves...but  facial  expression or  body  language..even the  tiniest thing  that hints  at  disdain  can be picked up..body language...no  matter  how  much you try to hide it... speaks  so much more than you know..and  remember  these  same people are the  ones  paying you the  tips  you seemingly  dont  deserve...bear in mind..its  NOT always  great  service  that gets  you the  best tips....and  its not  how well you can kiss somebodys  butt..... but  rather the  genuine  courtesy and  respect  you show them....

the  next time  you have a  patron in your  establishment ..who  doesnt  know  the  difference  between what to use  for  what  you might  want to remember  these people are not  as stupid  as  YOU  think they are..also  bear in mind...there is also the possibility  that  there  are  people  here on eg  who also  eat  where you work and airing the  views  you have  aired in such  a  public  forum is  not always  the  best  thing...next time try a  little tolerance  and understanding  as im  sure  that even you  at one time in your  life  didnt know the  difference  either

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Don't you think this reaction seems a little harsh, ladyyoung? I looked back at winegeek's post, and she didn't imply that she thought these patrons were "stupid" as you assert. Being a regular patron of many types of restaurants and someone who has worked all manner of positions in a wide variety of restaurants, it does seem to be a clear trend that people do not pay attention to hardly any of the social norms around dining. In the city where I live, people routinely engage in behavior that is either mildly annoying to the server (using the wrong silver, necessitating extra trips to replace it) or disruptive to other guests (allowing small children to run through the dining room) while in a fine dining restaurant.

Further, I think that your assumption that "high end establishments" that cater to "the monied set" who "could not be stupid and have the money that they do" is unwarranted. There are many places in my neighborhood that have the sort of service described by winegeek where the prices, particularly at lunchtime, are not prohibitive for virtually anyone to eat there. I can name a number of fine dining establishments that offer salads large enough to split for $7, half portions of pasta (which still turn out to be quite large) for $7 and entrees ranging as low as $10. To assume that the average, everyday worker making even a very modest income could never afford to dine in such a place would be to assume wrong.

The tone of your post suggests to me that you have been snobbed at some point, so it's an issue to which you are sensitive. For that, I am sorry, but two wrongs do not make a right, and telling a server that she "seemingly doesn't deserve" the tips she earns is not any nicer than telling any other professional on these boards that they don't deserve whatever salary they make because they griped about someone who was seemingly clueless when they called a Tech Support line, for instance.