Cath Kerry-Food
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You are what you eat (or don't eat).

25/11/2017

5 Comments

 
Picture
Friday night dinner for the two of us - no effort, no tablecloth, healthy, self celebrating.
Food dislikes, allergies, cultural differences and fads
​It's very important to let people know what you can't or won't eat.  Cooks have a pathological desire to please.  If you're invited, either speak up ("By the way, I can't eat peanuts."  "By the way, I don't eat pork.") or be prepared to eat  what you're given.

Reasons for not eating food (real, fresh and local).
Moral  - vegetarian (pescatarians eat fish) - I will probably become vegetarian eventually, on ethical not health grounds however. ( I'm cautious of vegans.  I've known too many with hang ups that hint at body issues and food phobia.)
Cultural - Often against pork.  Not logical but understandable. I would not eat dog.
Allergies -Seafood allergies are dire and I've seen the ravages from true gluten intolerance and it's not pretty.
Fads - Where do we start? Fake health (like fake news.) Nutritionism, denial, ritual play a large part. 
Just common dislike -   A true gastronome enjoys good food, simple or complex, and can feast on a potato as lusciously as on a white truffle.
​
Common Food Dislikes
  • Oysters – Common dislike. Never got used to them. Perhaps should have started out with tinned smoked oysters on Jatz, moved on to cooked oysters, then fresh.
  • Anchovies – Common.  Introduced to the over-salty, hairy ones full of bones.  Perhaps should try the better quality anchovies (e.g. Ortiz) and see them as a condiment.
  • Offal – Common.  Grew up in Australia that was rich enough in meat to never have to develop an offal culture (e.g. brain & mushroom pithiviers, lamb liver with morels & cream sauce, devilled kidneys, sweetbreads with black butter & capers, English-style faggots with peas pudding, terrine of pork brawn).
  • Mushrooms – Mad. Keep trying, keep looking for their earthy flavour.  You might one day have a truffle.
  • Brussel sprouts – Mad. Didn’t play “house” when a child with these baby cabbages.
  • Peas – Very mad. How can anyone not like peas?
  • Marzipan – Total non-foodie.  Totally mad.
  • Dark chocolate – ditto
  • Your body is a site of pleasure, not denial​.

I don’t eat endangered species or human beings and I’m not wild about mucilaginous things like okra, in case you’re asking.
 
Oysters, just opened, old, French, slightly pearlised oyster plate,  no markings.
Orrefors champagne coupe c. 1960.  Not "politically correct" but I love the way the coupe allows the bubbles to dance on your face.
​Rug on table - half kilim, half pile.


5 Comments
Roger Vincent
25/11/2017 02:14:41 pm

Not to sure about offal, however, I can eat brains as we were given them as children and often in our school lunch - cold brain sandwiches with walnuts and lemon juice. My mother used to eat liver but it is still too strong for me but I have to say that good quality foie gras is my very favourite extravagance.
Learnt to eat kidneys (with mushrooms) and also sweetbreads when I went to live in France at the ripe old age of 39.

Reply
Sandra Mason
25/11/2017 05:51:32 pm

Calves liver ... duck pate ... brains ... yum. Not a tripe person though. But I agree with you so very much: it is incredibly rude and inconsiderate for guests not to tell you what they do or don't eat until they get to your house, or worse, as you serve the food. One very rude guest who said, "Don't you know I am vegetarian?" i ended up serving a single boiled egg to. Don't see her any more.

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Cath link
27/11/2017 10:35:58 am

You wonder how someone can care so little about both what they eat and the treasure of an invitation to join you at table. I don't like to have people singled out so if there's someone who doesn't eat something, I try to make the menu around them. It's easy to have a meal that doesn't involve meat (it's not the last supper) - as long as we're told beforehand. Being together means sharing together. That's where I find vegans difficult.

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Angela Burford
27/11/2017 10:53:11 pm

Yum, devilled kidneys oozing thick sauce into crumpets - my dad's signature dish and one of my fondest food memories.

Reply
Cath link
28/11/2017 06:01:39 pm

Nice, idea - the juices running through the crumpet.

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