Ice-Cream Comments

[Free Rider]

I was upset about some comments I got recently even though I don't think they were meant in a hurtful manner.

I make as much of my food as possible from scratch. I make my own ice-cream. I use for the chocolate ice-cream, for instance, Valrhona cocoa powder, eggs from free-range chickens, the whole Whole Foods shebang. I think my ice-cream is pretty tasty.

Anyway, I chatted with a friend of mine and my mother in the last week. Both of them live far away. Neither of them has ever had the pleasure of tasting my tasty ice-cream. They both happened to call while I was eating said tasty ice-cream. They both happened to ask what I was up to. "Eating my tasty home-made chocolate ice-cream," I said, willing to hand over the recipe.

Both of them came up with the comment -- "Oh, we have Blue Bunny ice-cream here. You must try it." Like it would be better than what I made myself. I told them they should taste mine and they would never go back to Blue Bunny or whatever, but I still felt rather hurt.

Have any of you had similar comments made by people who haven't even tasted your food?

[Mezzaluna]

Oh boy, have I. Personally, I don't think I feel hurt so much as I feel embarassed for someone who says they can make my homemade recipe with processed foods (a la "Semi-Homemade").

Just a different set of culinary values, I guess.

[kuan]

Hey I feel for you.

[deltadoc]

Yeah! I spent 3 1/2 hours making Julia's Poullet d'melon whatever at my mom's house. Deboning a whole chicken, peeling pistachio nuts, cutting up some ham cubes, processing the chicken with heavy cream, tarragon, etc into a pate mixture. Marinating the cubed ham, pistacios, scallions in Cognac. Blending in the marinaded stuff into the pate. Sewing up the chicken skin like a drawstring bag. Inserting the previous ingredient mixture. Tying it up in cheesecloth, then with string to make it "look" like a melon.

Baking in an oven that was supposed to be 220 VAC, but my mother had it re-wired to 120 VAC "to save money"?!?!? (This is the same mother that made us always toast 2 slices of bread because she was convinced that the toaster used the same amount of electricity for 1 slice as for 2 slices).

Anyway, made potato salad and French Green beans for the dinner, and she took 1/4 of a teaspoon full and said she couldn't tell if she liked it because she'd never tasted anything like it before.

Then she put 2 slices of bread in the toaster, opened a small can of Muscleman's Apple Sauce, and proceeded to eat that instead of my meal.

Same thing when she came up to visit us in Minnesota. She brought her own bread, and several cans of apple sauce and refused to eat anything I made.

Speaking of which, it is the reason I cook starting at about age 8-9. A matter of survival. Couldn't stomach her food either!

doc

[kuan]

Originally Posted by deltadoc

Then she put 2 slices of bread in the toaster, opened a small can of Muscleman's Apple Sauce, and proceeded to eat that instead of my meal.

Same thing when she came up to visit us in Minnesota. She brought her own bread, and several cans of apple sauce and refused to eat anything I made.

You should have served it with coulis de pomme.

[shroomgirl]

It used to amaze me how people would rave over the apricot jam, mustard, soy dip and not say anything about the scratch made potstickers/dumplings/wontons etc.....that took hours instead of seconds to prepare.

I work at a very blue collar Catholic church once a week and several of the parishioners love the masticcoli and "sweet bread" with margarine from the local cheap eats pasta place. They cater events for $3pp.....masticcholi &/or meat ravs, garlic bread, subs with 2 meats/cheese/tomato/lettuce.....
Now it hurt my feelings when they opted to use the pasta place for the 300 person reception a few weeks ago. The person making the decision is one I have cooked lunch for 1.5 years....making special crab/shrimp salad or eggplant dishes.......not the incoming new priest but the office assitant.
Aw well they got what they paid for.......

[allie]

That would upset me as well. I don't know anyone close to me who cooks like I do. Most people do take the easy way out and it seems they are afraid to venture out and try something new. Fortunately, my kids and SO are willing to try new things! If they weren't, I'd probably stop cooking because that's the fun of being in the kitchen!

[chrose]

Free Rider I understand how you feel and like the others I have had my share of fools.... But don't take it personally just be glad you're not wasting the Tasty stuff on people who won't appreciate it. More for you!

[bluedogz]

Spent a day bashing a ball of dough around to make an oregano-cheese bread plus fresh gnocchi- was greeted by guests at dinner saying, "Oh, wow- we're low carb. But it looks wonderful."

[Mezzaluna]

Julia's Poullet d'melon

Doc, I bought the cookbook this is in just to try this recipe. I haven't had the inclination to do so yet, but you can be sure I'll choose my diners carefully.

FreeRider, I also feel for you. Now that I think of it, my husband doesn't see any nuances in the dishes I cook for him. As long as it's not fish (or the fat-free while lasagne I tried in the first week of our marriage ), he'll eat it. When I ask him how he likes what I made (and I make stuff like veal marsala, scratch chicken pot pie, and restaurant-caliber steak), his highest praise is "It's good". At first I was hurt by this but I realized, as you mentioned, it wasn't out of lack of caring. He just doesn't see the nuances in flavor nor recognize what goes into making a decent meal. Nicko has dined with us, so he can attest to this!

He has many other redeeming qualities.

[deltadoc]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

Doc, I bought the cookbook this is in just to try this recipe. I haven't had the inclination to do so yet, but you can be sure I'll choose my diners carefully.

The hardest part is finding a chicken that you can get the skin off intact. So many chickenskins just kind of fall apart when you stick your hand in to separate the skin from the breasts, for instance.

We also tried just making the stuffing and frying it in a large skillet with a cover to help keep it moist. My wife actually likes it better that way than to bother tying it up in the chicken skin draw string bag.

doc

[Nicko]

I can't tell you how many times I have made roasted chicken for my father and everyone else at the table (including myself) things it is wonderful. Some how for my Dad (whom I love dearly) it is never quite right, a little to under cooked, or over cooked or whatever. After a while I have learned that I am the most satisfied when I taste my creation and I am happy.

I would love to try your ice cream, I make my own ice cream to and really enjoy it.

[foodnfoto]

Too bad that when people become so hyper aware of their dietary needs, they seem to forget the overriding need for good interpersonal skills---ie, good manners.

[castironchef]

"Pearls before swine."

It frustrates lots of us! Especially, when we find out one or more of our loved ones are "swine."

[siduri]

Originally Posted by bluedogz

Spent a day bashing a ball of dough around to make an oregano-cheese bread plus fresh gnocchi- was greeted by guests at dinner saying, "Oh, wow- we're low carb. But it looks wonderful."

oh please! what kind of person can willingly eschew carbohydrates unless they have a serious illness like diabetes. I say, they deserve what they get (or don;t get!)