Things you're supposed to like, but hate.

A calling to all you culinarians out there. What is or are food or drink items that come with a fairly hefty price tag or are supposed to be the creme de la creme that you just don't like or can't stand?

I'll start, all the white truffle oil I've had has reminded me of drizzling B.O. on food. I love black truffles and can't say I've eaten the white, but have had the white infused in oil and I just can't get used to it on or in anything. I've tried it drizzled on pizza, in mashed potatoes, in egg dishes, ect... It's just not doing it for me.

Oh Baby, white truffle oil does it for me in a really BIG way. Sorry you don't enjoy the funk.

For me, it would be sea urchin. It tastes like sea garbage to me. Strange, because I love oysters and I have gained notoriety at work by grossing out the Mexican workers by eating the brains and roe they are cleaning out of the lobsters (they're throwing away the best part!).

for me it's oysters. I tried them every way possible and still no go. Maybe the first was bad and my stomach and brain remember. Who knows. I don't even like shucking the things.

Bad experience one time with enoki mushrooms. I can't even look at 'em!

Also scallops-they taste like lumps of fat!

Anything with white pepper on it, I'll pass.

I'll ditto the white pepper comment! I only like black or red.

Although it's not expensive, I don't get calimari, I like more flavor in my rubber bands.

I can't do cavier at all. The crunch turns me OFF!

Momoreg, What about oysters? :)

I'll have to second sea urchin, I rather eat raw eggs
:lips: :eek:
cc

Ditto on calimari. Just can't stand them!

and tinned foie gras! Gross :(

CC, you KNOW I just loooovvve oysters!!

I'll third sea urchins. They are grotesque!

When I was given sea urchin from the Japanese chef I worked for to run a special with I was kind of lost, looked at the texture, thought about it after having a taste and came up with a paste to be used in sauces. If you hate it and have to use some, this may work for you!

* Exported from MasterCook II *

Uni Paste (Sea Urchin)

Recipe By : John Paul Khoury, CCC
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:20
Categories : Appareil-Basic Preperations

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup sea urchin (uni)
1 tablespoon shallots -- minced
1 teaspoon garlic -- minced
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup white wine -- dry
kosher salt -- to taste
white pepper -- to taste
lemon juice -- to taste
1 teaspoon parsley -- minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Saute' sea urchin, shallots, & garlic in vegetable oil. Flambe' with
brandy, add white wine and reduce to a paste. Put in blender with
herbs, puree'. Reserve for further use in sauces.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


* Exported from MasterCook II *

Uni (Sea Urchin) Remoulade

Recipe By : John Paul Khoury, CCC
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:10
Categories : Cold Sauces & Vinaigrettes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tobiko (flying fish roe)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon uni paste -- See Recipe
1 teaspoon shallot -- minced
1 tablespoon capers -- chopped
1 tablespoon cornichons -- chopped
kosher salt -- to taste
cayenne -- to taste
lemon juice -- to taste
1 tablespoon chervil or parsley -- minced
clam broth -- to thin

Mix all ingrediants together, season and thin to desired consistancy
with clam broth. Excellent with grilled assertive seafood such as Ahi,
swordfish,shrimp,ect...

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Gee, so far you've all named things I :lips: love! Well, maybe not the tinned foie gras. But in a slightly lower class, I cannot, just cannot stand tequila. I think that's what gasoline must taste like. Making it into a Margarita seems a waste of good lime juice. :(

not really pricey, but..........

I can't eat seafood. I know it's soooo good for you with all of that Omega 3 , but I can't eat it. I've never liked it but I keep trying every once in a while to see if my tastes have changed-I want to like it-really I do.;)

Morbidly afraid of anything liver....know that is just a food prejudice [can I mention completely different forum's here?] but I can't even bring myself to try fois gras.

I always had the same fear of foie gras, but I finally tried it last month, and the only reason I tried it was because Capechef had made it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was actually quite good!!

That's quite a feather in his "Cape" !! :D

Me too for the urchin. I'll try anything twice though...

Ok, this is going to sound really weird, but I can't eat fresh mango. To me, it has a kerosene smell/aftertaste. I don't mind some mango salsas, sorbets, etc. It has to be prepared.

I’m with Quenelle on the coffee. I can not even set foot in a coffee store. The smell is enough to make me sick.


Oysters? No thanks. It's one of the few sea creature I will not touch.


Liver, brain and anything like it I will not eat.


I refuse to eat animals I have known when they were alive.


I will not eat horse because I've known too many personally.


Brussels sprout and cooked carrot are out of the question.


And this is only a beginning….

Isa, it's ok: you're not supposed to like Brussel sprouts.. ;)

I've never had sea urchin, but a chef freind had some on pasta recently and said it was way too strong... it was cooked by a sicillian woman ( and great chef), but apparently the urchins that you get in Italy are much milder than the ones in Australia.
Don't like oysters, liver, sweetbreads, blood(sausage, pudding etc), chicken feet or gizzards... but i have eaten all of them in the name of my own education.
I used to think that I wouldn't like foie gras, but I had some the other day on a canape with lentil cream and caramelised onion, and it was Delicious!
I want to find my next unexpected delight. :bounce:

Huge White Wedding Cakes

I have to have myself checked!! :eek:

Everything that is mentioned her is my favourite!! Especially urchins... I mean I go to a place in Athenes that I have to pay them in gold to have them!

You won't believe it but what makes me really sick is huge white wedding cakes, filled with plastic sugar and decorated like Las Vegas.
I mean I never EVER put those things in my mouth :p

That's a relief, I'll stop trying Anneke.



I hate olives too and lemon pie.

I LOOOVE Brussels sprouts - just gently steamed, still GREEN (not grey!) and a bit crunchy, with some garlic and salt, maybe a little balsamic vinegar....

Really, there isn't much I don't like. Haven't eaten red meat in years, and when I did, if there was anything like a reminder of its animal origins - a bit of tendon or vein, a bone, a trace of fat - I couldn't eat it.

And I just read Kuan's post on duck fat. WUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! I hate greasy things. Hate the slithery feeling of duckmeat. Duckfat. Yuck.

Also, I really dislike the "buttercream" on purchased cakes, you know, the stuff that's basically just Crisco and icing sugar. All I can ask myself is "why?" But my husband loves it. He'll eat it and leave the cake (which, since the kind of cake that stuff comes on usually originates in a box, is really not much of a choice).

Wow, Isabelle

That's a much longer list than mine...

Organ meats

Oysters

Okra

Lima beans

and Mangos [they have a weird taste to me]

Cool Nancy! I thought I was the only one! (about the mangoes I mean..)

Buttercream

Oh I hate also this "buttercream " on cakes as Compass Rose, its like grease, like vaseline.

I am surprised because great cooks like you do not like many things.

Hmmm...

I wonder how long or short is Isa's list of food or drink items that come with a fairly hefty price tag or are supposed to be the crème de la crème that she DOES like... :confused:

I've had sea urchin out of season before and that was pure yuck. Reminds me quite a bit of what Theo leaves me on the carpet of my living room when he's been sick. However, I have had very fresh, in-season sea urchin that's terrific -- sweet and creamy. But then I like cooked crab fat on steamed rice.

I don't like blue cheese all that much. There's a weird chemical taste but I haven't tried all blue cheese yet. I think I may still find one I like. I'm determined not to have any food biases. The only thing I really avoid buying is veal.

Does anyone ever like those over-the-top wedding cakes? I was just a bridesmaid recently and there was a very pretty and not overly decorated cake. I thought, "Great! Finally a wedding cake I'm going to enjoy." I was very disappointed to find it was covered with a sickly-sweet fondant and the cake underneath wasn't too good either - dry and tasteless yellow cake. Most of the cake got tossed, especially after I brought a delicious chocolate mousse cake to the groom's family's house the next day.

other than uni (I had it on my second sushi experience...eeew), lobster tomalleys, cheap briney capers, and those big green pimento stuffed olives i can't think of much I've had I dont like. most of the things I didn't like were sushi, l,ike grouper, or squid. Cant understand the white truffle oil problem, or brussel sprouts(unless your mom boiled them to mush when you were a kid) but I guess I'm just lucky to like so much food:D

o Yeah...

I forgot about Asafoetida!
it smells like diapers, and even in curries in the MOST minute doses (that's what it was originally used for as an anti-flatulent...what were they thinking???:eek: ) it overpowers everything. Aww man, I hereby forwarn anybody who has not used it, and ask anyone who has used it successfully to post a recipe just to reclaim its honour!
This is so far the most dreadful spice I have ever come across

Since were baring our soul and (hopefully) not subject to ridicule,
I don't care much for WINE. I will drink it when shoved in front of me, will serve it because people like it, but to me most of it tastes like WINDEX. (have not tasted it, but may have inhaled it during an overspray).

Maybe its because I'm too tight to spend beaucoup d'argent $$ on the "good" stuff. But if I'm spending money on booze, I'm going for some Wild Turkey or Maker's Mark, or my favorite, B&B.

just my opinion.

H.

Kimmie you are right. I love champagne and foie gras but basiclly have a beer and paris pate budget. Unfortunatly I hate beer, and canned pate.


Rose you are right, I hate crisco cream. Should be illegal to call that stuff buttercream.


Yes Nancy my list is long but that's only because I don't use generic terms like organ meats. Frankly if I was to do a list of things I like it would never end. :D