Gastronomic sins

[jsolomon]

Non

Dairy

Creamer

[Radio7]

Putting ketchup on macaroni and cheese. Way to kill the yummy cheesey flavour!

[Fresser]

I was at Target today, and I saw a guy in their food court putting mayonnaise on a hot dog.

I know, I know...I've got to start frequenting better restaurants.

[Lilija]

My bagel joint, which up till last Sunday had a great reputation, with me, for great bagels, dense, chewy, crunchy, no nonsense BAGELS. Their 'everything' bagel is to die for.

My husband came home with a NEW FLAVOR (cue echo) Called "Super Cinnamon". They took a perfectly innocent bagel, mixed raisins in it, then ROLLED THE DAMN THING IN CINNAMON SUGAR.

It was like eating a very dense doughnut. Yes, I tried it. I'm slightly ashamed, but it was like a trainwreck. It wasn't even good toasted, and it got my hands all sticky

[MarketStEl]

I was at Target today, and I saw a guy in their food court putting mayonnaise on a hot dog. 

I know, I know...I've got to start frequenting better restaurants.

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Why does Target even have mayonnaise anywhere near hot dogs?

Frankly, it took me some time to get used to the Eastern habit of putting mayonnaise where ketchup should go. (Although one of these misplacements of mayonnaise--as a dip for French fries--is actually a Belgian practice, or so I have been made to understand, and not bad at all.)

But I guess that someone who mixes mustard and ketchup together, then dips French fries in the resulting amalgam, shouldn't protest too loudly about this.

[Philanthrophobe]

I was at Target today, and I saw a guy in their food court putting mayonnaise on a hot dog. 

I know, I know...I've got to start frequenting better restaurants.

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Why does Target even have mayonnaise anywhere near hot dogs?

Frankly, it took me some time to get used to the Eastern habit of putting mayonnaise where ketchup should go.

←

Eastern? Eastern? Listen, I grew up on the east coast, and I also worked at a hot dog stand in high school (impressive, yes?); I never saw anyone put mayo on hot dogs until I moved to Detroit and hosted visitors from Ohio. I just figured it was part of the whole white gravy phenomenon.

And I think I remember reading somewhere that people in Utah are excessively fond of mayonnaise. (-- and Jello.)

Oh, and I add Claussen's sweet pickle relish to the mustard/ketchup mix!

[prasantrin]

I was at Target today, and I saw a guy in their food court putting mayonnaise on a hot dog. 

I know, I know...I've got to start frequenting better restaurants.

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I like mayonnaise with my hot dogs! But only if the bun has been toasted and buttered. I like ketchup with that, too. (Am I digging my grave even deeper with each admission?)

One of the worst things for me is serving samosas with ketchup. Tamarind or cilantro chutney, sure! But ketchup????

[Milagai]

One of the worst things for me is serving samosas with ketchup.  Tamarind or cilantro chutney, sure!  But ketchup???? 

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Well: if it's hot chili and garlic ketchup (e.g. Maggi)

http://www.maggime.com/english/products-ke....asp?prodtype=3

then it's great......

Otherwise plain ketchup only because it's better than nothing....

Milagai

[MarketStEl]

One of the worst things for me is serving samosas with ketchup.  Tamarind or cilantro chutney, sure!  But ketchup???? 

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Well: if it's hot chili and garlic ketchup (e.g. Maggi)

http://www.maggime.com/english/products-ke....asp?prodtype=3

then it's great......

Otherwise plain ketchup only because it's better than nothing....

Milagai

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I guess I'll have to see if one of the Asian supermarkets on Washington Avenue carries this line, as it's not part of Maggi's US product line (which is pretty much limited to boullion cubes and concentrate).

Heinz--which is synonymous with ketchup to many Americans--now produces a hot ketchup, but it's made with Tabasco, IIRC.

I could probably mimic this product by mixing in a little Huy Fong hot chili garlic sauce with regular ketchup, though.

[MarketStEl]

Why does Target even have mayonnaise anywhere near hot dogs?

Frankly, it took me some time to get used to the Eastern habit of putting mayonnaise where ketchup should go. 

←

Eastern? Eastern? Listen, I grew up on the east coast, and I also worked at a hot dog stand in high school (impressive, yes?); I never saw anyone put mayo on hot dogs until I moved to Detroit and hosted visitors from Ohio. I just figured it was part of the whole white gravy phenomenon.

Actually, I had hamburgers in mind when I first wrote of this "Eastern" habit--although I was exposed to mayo on a burger when I ate my first Whopper at a Burger King in Overland Park, Kan., at about age 13, no other burger joint within a 150-mile radius served burgers topped with mayo.

I didn't think anyone, anywhere put mayo on hot dogs.

And I think I remember reading somewhere that people in Utah are excessively fond of mayonnaise. (-- and Jello.)

They gotta keep up those clean-scrubbed Mormon habits, I guess.

Oh, and I add Claussen's sweet pickle relish to the mustard/ketchup mix!

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That sounds like a very appropriate add-in. I'll have to try it with my next order of fries.

[tryska]

[Pastrami on anything but rye.  No lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, or fancy mustard allowed.  Just some good old-fashioned deli mustard and a pickle on the side.

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i only eat pastrami on pumpernickel. I can't do the seeds in rye bread. Am i a sinner?

[Pan]

i only eat pastrami on pumpernickel.  I can't do the seeds in rye bread.  Am i a sinner?

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I wouldn't think so. Pumpernickel seems appropriate to the general area of Europe that pastrami originates from, I think. Then again, I'm no expert on Romanian food, and I'm pretty sure that's where pastrami comes from.

[Diann]

Gah! I'm obviously a freak. And by even posting this, I bet I'll invite scorn.

But I do like a good blueberry bagel. With cream cheese. And lox. And hard-boiled egg, and thin-sliced cucumber, and tomato... It's a sweet and salty thing.

Fine, they're not real bagels, but sometimes they can be good. Send your blueberry and cinnamon raisin bagels my way, I'll eat 'em! (Not the Lenders' ones, though...I do have at least a modicum of taste. Oh, and obviously, I wouldn't ever bother ordering a fruit bagel in Montreal or New York--only poppyseed or sesame seed will do. But when in San Francisco or Philadelphia, not exactly bagel capitals of the world... I WILL be one of those people eating the scorned bagels!)

[Katie Nell]

Why does Target even have mayonnaise anywhere near hot dogs?

Frankly, it took me some time to get used to the Eastern habit of putting mayonnaise where ketchup should go. 

←

Eastern? Eastern? Listen, I grew up on the east coast, and I also worked at a hot dog stand in high school (impressive, yes?); I never saw anyone put mayo on hot dogs until I moved to Detroit and hosted visitors from Ohio. I just figured it was part of the whole white gravy phenomenon.

Actually, I had hamburgers in mind when I first wrote of this "Eastern" habit--although I was exposed to mayo on a burger when I ate my first Whopper at a Burger King in Overland Park, Kan., at about age 13, no other burger joint within a 150-mile radius served burgers topped with mayo.

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I beg to differ... Bo Bo's Drive-In in Topeka has been doing it for years and years and years! (see my pick for best onion rings in the Best of KC) Personally, can't stand the stuff on my hamburgers though... it's just not right!

[I_call_the_duck]

Frankly, it took me some time to get used to the Eastern habit of putting mayonnaise where ketchup should go.  (Although one of these misplacements of mayonnaise--as a dip for French fries--is actually a Belgian practice, or so I have been made to understand, and not bad at all.)

←

Somewhere down the line, I got into the habit of dipping my fries in mayonnaise. And somewhere along a different line, I got into the habit of putting mustard AND ketchup on my hot dog. Completely goes against the New Yorker in me, but I blame that on my Central Massachusetts college days. But never mayo.

[Pastrami on anything but rye.  No lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, or fancy mustard allowed.  Just some good old-fashioned deli mustard and a pickle on the side.

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i only eat pastrami on pumpernickel. I can't do the seeds in rye bread. Am i a sinner?

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I’m actually not an expert, but I think pumpernickel is fine. Edited May 30, 2006 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[Gigi4808]

Life is far too short to eat cheap ice cream. IMHO one of the worst things you can try to force upon me is ice cream filled with tons of mystery ingrediants. Yes, I realize you can get 5 gallons of chemically frozen "goodness" for $2.99 but if I am going to suffer through the intestional discomfort dairy brings it had better be for the best.

[tryska]

i only eat pastrami on pumpernickel.  I can't do the seeds in rye bread.  Am i a sinner?

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I wouldn't think so. Pumpernickel seems appropriate to the general area of Europe that pastrami originates from, I think. Then again, I'm no expert on Romanian food, and I'm pretty sure that's where pastrami comes from.

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thanks Pan AND I_call_the_duck - i think i'm alright too - at least i haven't gotten any pitiful looks when ordering.

(unlike my friend who ordered a calzone filled with potatoes, onions cheese and sauce when we were at the pizzeria)

re: New Yorkers and condiments - I grew up Upstate, but when I came to the City for school, I was surprised not by mayo (never saw it) but by the sheer amounts of ketchup used by New York kids. You could always tell the city kids by how much ketchup they required for fries, shrimp, chicken nuggets...even plantains (green, not sweet)

As for hot dogs - my idea of a properly dressed hot dog is a strip of ketchup on one side, a strip of mustard on the other - and relish down the middle.

Edited May 30, 2006 by tryska (log)

[Fresser]

Life is far too short to eat cheap ice cream. IMHO one of the worst things you can try to force upon me is ice cream filled with tons of mystery ingrediants. Yes, I realize you can get 5 gallons of chemically frozen "goodness" for $2.99 but if I am going to suffer through the intestional discomfort dairy brings it had better be for the best.

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What, you have something against locust bean gum and carageenan? Hmphh.

[Gigi4808]

What, you have something against locust bean gum and carageenan?  Hmphh.

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I KNOW! I try not to be such an ingrediant bitch but I can't help myself...

[Shannon_Elise]

Another bagel sin:

The Passion Fruit Bagel

I was at Panera Bread and this was bought by my grandmother for me - thinking I might like it, I did not choose it. Well, I have a feeling that the person who came up with it doesn't have any idea what either a bagel or a passion fruit are supposed to taste like. It was a solid mass (no hole in the center) and had some sort of sweet, sticky mass exploding from the top.

Shannon

[Shalmanese]

Soy Sauce on Meat Pies

nuff said.

[Daniel Rogov]

Earlier on this thread, someone commented that non-dairy creamers fall into the category of "sin". Wrong......non-dairy creamers are what our ancestors were thinking of when they came up with the word "abomination".

Equally abominable in my eyes - "kosher shrimp" (made by extruding and recombining North Sea Pollack". I remember reviewing this product when it made its appearance in Israel and, knowing that at least some of my readers might have a problem understanding what I wanted to say, closed my article with:

"And to those of you my readers who keep kashrut, I turn to you on bended knee and plead with you to believe me.....these things do not look like real shrimp, they do smell like real shrimp, they do not taste like real shrimp and real shrimp are far, far, better"

[Philanthrophobe]

Unsalted fries are just wrong, and I don't care that one serving has 1378% of my daily allotment of sodium. If I wanted healthful food, I wouldn't have asked for fries in the first place.

[Gigi4808]

In the same vain as Shannons post about Panera-

I think they make a killer cinnamon roll -they call it a bagel but they don't seem to know bagels from a hole in the ground. Please don't tease me with the word "bagel" if you are really just goign to give me a large roll.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Gigi4808 (log)

[ludja]

Cannolis freshly filled with beautiful lightly sweetened ricotta and the ends dusted with dyed green peanuts instead of pistachios. This was truly a gastronomic abomination.