Worst cooking/kitchen crimes

[Lost In Xanadu]

I play it simple. I don't go to "those" kinds of places... besides, they wouldn't let me in with my hip boots on.

 

Sounds like where you live... you don't even have a choice to go to one of "those" places And I wouldn't pay for a flight or the cost of fuel to drive to one. I avoid them!

[AnalyticalEngine]

Whenever somebody abstains from using salt, I friend was cooking some beef, and I asked if he seasoned it, and of course he said no. So I went to salt it, and he smacked to shaker out of my hand and freaked out, he started yelling about ruining his food.

 

There's a well- known diva chef here with that attitude. There is no salt or pepper on the tables; should a patron ask, they are told that all the food is perfectly seasoned during preparation and does not need additional. People who argue get asked to leave. For some reason the place is popular (I have heard the food is very good).

 

A guest [customer] is a guest and should be treated well (unless, of course, they're totally out of line, rude barbarians). "...asked to leave"?!!...sounds like an elitist diva bitch to me

 

Well in that particular case, if she thinks it's perfectly seasoned, than whatever, fine dining places do that. What I was talking about was not using salt period, which is completely ridiculous.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Whenever somebody abstains from using salt, I friend was cooking some beef, and I asked if he seasoned it, and of course he said no. So I went to salt it, and he smacked to shaker out of my hand and freaked out, he started yelling about ruining his food.

 

There's a well- known diva chef here with that attitude. There is no salt or pepper on the tables; should a patron ask, they are told that all the food is perfectly seasoned during preparation and does not need additional. People who argue get asked to leave. For some reason the place is popular (I have heard the food is very good).

 

A guest [customer] is a guest and should be treated well (unless, of course, they're totally out of line, rude barbarians). "...asked to leave"?!!...sounds like an elitist diva bitch to me

 

Well in that particular case, if she thinks it's perfectly seasoned, than whatever, fine dining places do that. What I was talking about was not using salt period, which is completely ridiculous.

 

I hear what you're saying. But I'm not really talking about salt or seasoning. What I'm saying is that service and manners are important no matter how great the food at the restaurant is...soup Nazi and all that. In fact, service is included when many people think about their eating experience...it's not just about a piece of meat

[peter_heijnen]

Oh man, I recommend that you do a little research on Cinque Terre because it's definitely worth a couple of nights stay [maybe an hour or 2 train ride from Pisa I think]. Go hike along the coast for one of the greatest views on the planet. Plus, the local cuisine is simply insane...I don't care how good the Italian restaurants are in your area (or mine of course), they simply can't compare

Thx again Johnny!

 

We are renting a house some 4 hrs drive away, so i think we will go there, at least for a meal or two ;), on our way home.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Oh man, I recommend that you do a little research on Cinque Terre because it's definitely worth a couple of nights stay [maybe an hour or 2 train ride from Pisa I think]. Go hike along the coast for one of the greatest views on the planet. Plus, the local cuisine is simply insane...I don't care how good the Italian restaurants are in your area (or mine of course), they simply can't compare

Thx again Johnny!

 

We are renting a house some 4 hrs drive away, so i think we will go there, at least for a meal or two ;), on our way home.

 

 

Excellent! To me it just sounds so weak when I try to explain the food or the sights in the area. But I think it simply shows how awesome it all is. The local anchovies are a must...and believe me, I never really liked anchovies before that trip. When (not "if") I make my way back to the country I'm definitely hitting up the Cinque Terre again. Have an awesome time! I envy you big time!

[peter_heijnen]

Anchovies (love it!), check! ;)

[Thunder Bay Rush]

What about " worst table manners crime?" Ever see someone lick their knife at the table? Makes me sick... especially, when they lick their knife, then stick it in the butter... or the jelly... or the peanut butter... or... or.. or... That's almost as bad as someone picking their nose and flicking a booger at the guy across the table... (A polite person would simply wipe that big nasty booger under the table..) :D

[thesweetscience]

What about " worst table manners crime?" Ever see someone lick their knife at the table? Makes me sick... especially, when they lick their knife, then stick it in the butter... or the jelly... or the peanut butter... or... or.. or... That's almost as bad as someone picking their nose and flicking a booger at the guy across the table... (A polite person would simply wipe that big nasty booger under the table..) :D

 

Double dipping of any kind is a terrible thing.

 

Don't people know that saliva is a breeding ground for cooties?

[Mara]

What about " worst table manners crime?" Ever see someone lick their knife at the table? Makes me sick... especially, when they lick their knife, then stick it in the butter... or the jelly... or the peanut butter... or... or.. or... That's almost as bad as someone picking their nose and flicking a booger at the guy across the table... (A polite person would simply wipe that big nasty booger under the table..) :D

 

I hate it when people hover their faces about two inches above their plates as they eat, as if they're afraid the food will get up and leave if they don't vacuum it up quickly enough. I admit that when I'm by myself I tend to let the manners fall by the wayside - I'll eat directly from the pot and take huge bites if I feel like it. But if someone has to watch you eat, then at least try to act as though you aren't at a communal feeding trough.

 

I also hate people who reach over and eat off my plate without asking first if they can have a bite. It's a good way to get a fork in the hand. I do not mind sharing a taste or two, but ASK. And be reasonable - don't take it as an invitation to eat half my dinner. If you're hungry then get your own.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Bad table manners?------> Making absurd amounts of chomping/smacking noises when eating is pretty annoying...that and those pigs that talk with their mouths full and end up spitting out little morsels of their meal somewhere on the table.

[Thunder Bay Rush]

What about " worst table manners crime?" Ever see someone lick their knife at the table? Makes me sick... especially, when they lick their knife, then stick it in the butter... or the jelly... or the peanut butter... or... or.. or... That's almost as bad as someone picking their nose and flicking a booger at the guy across the table... (A polite person would simply wipe that big nasty booger under the table..) :D

 

I hate it when people hover their faces about two inches above their plates as they eat, as if they're afraid the food will get up and leave if they don't vacuum it up quickly enough. I admit that when I'm by myself I tend to let the manners fall by the wayside - I'll eat directly from the pot and take huge bites if I feel like it. But if someone has to watch you eat, then at least try to act as though you aren't at a communal feeding trough.

 

I also hate people who reach over and eat off my plate without asking first if they can have a bite. It's a good way to get a fork in the hand. I do not mind sharing a taste or two, but ASK. And be reasonable - don't take it as an invitation to eat half my dinner. If you're hungry then get your own.

Once again, Mara comes up with a killer post. Funny too... I remember once, about 35 years ago, I was eating dinner at my friend's house. We were eating pork chops with his family... his dad reached over to steal a pork chop from his wife's plate and she stabbed his hand (and made it bleed) with her fork. That was the last time he tried to steal her food!

[JohnnyBlaze]

What about " worst table manners crime?" Ever see someone lick their knife at the table? Makes me sick... especially, when they lick their knife, then stick it in the butter... or the jelly... or the peanut butter... or... or.. or... That's almost as bad as someone picking their nose and flicking a booger at the guy across the table... (A polite person would simply wipe that big nasty booger under the table..) :D

 

I hate it when people hover their faces about two inches above their plates as they eat, as if they're afraid the food will get up and leave if they don't vacuum it up quickly enough. I admit that when I'm by myself I tend to let the manners fall by the wayside - I'll eat directly from the pot and take huge bites if I feel like it. But if someone has to watch you eat, then at least try to act as though you aren't at a communal feeding trough.

 

I also hate people who reach over and eat off my plate without asking first if they can have a bite. It's a good way to get a fork in the hand. I do not mind sharing a taste or two, but ASK. And be reasonable - don't take it as an invitation to eat half my dinner. If you're hungry then get your own.

Once again, Mara comes up with a killer post. Funny too... I remember once, about 35 years ago, I was eating dinner at my friend's house. We were eating pork chops with his family... his dad reached over to steal a pork chop from his wife's plate and she stabbed his hand (and made it bleed) with her fork. That was the last time he tried to steal her food!

 

I'm going to have to say that stabbing someone with cutlery is worse than greedily going for someone else's food without asking. Couldn't she have just used profanity or threatened him like a normal person at a dinner table? :D

[Digital Man]

Bad table manners?------> Making absurd amounts of chomping/smacking noises when eating is pretty annoying...that and those pigs that talk with their mouths full and end up spitting out little morsels of their meal somewhere on the table.

 

I do have a terrilbe habit of talkijng with food in my mouth, not when It's full maybe half a swallow left. Sunny busts me on it all the time, right in front of the kids at the dinner table too.

[Tony R]

People licking their fingers at the dinner table is a definite no-no for me. The odd fool who makes it obvious the cooking isn't great by talking about they would prepare the dish, or say "you have to try my Chilli, people say it's the best" when sitting down to eat someone else's chilli.

 

I don't cook so I never criticise what my wife prepares for me. I guess that is rule #1

Edited April 11, 2013 by Tony R

[HomesickAlien]

Bad table manners?------> Making absurd amounts of chomping/smacking noises when eating is pretty annoying...that and those pigs that talk with their mouths full and end up spitting out little morsels of their meal somewhere on the table.

 

That's not quite as offensive as smoking while eating. Before smoking was verboten in restaurants in my area, I once saw an elderly lady taking drags from a cigarette between bites of food; smoke billowing from her nose as she chewed. :|

[Thunder Bay Rush]

Bad table manners?------> Making absurd amounts of chomping/smacking noises when eating is pretty annoying...that and those pigs that talk with their mouths full and end up spitting out little morsels of their meal somewhere on the table.

 

That's not quite as offensive as smoking while eating. Before smoking was verboten in restaurants in my area, I once saw an elderly lady taking drags from a cigarette between bites of food; smoke billowing from her nose as she chewed. :|

Jesus effing Christ, that would make me throw up on the floor. And, that reminds me, last summer, I saw this dude at the local baseball diamond, eating a hot dog and smoking at the same time. "A little touch of class every now and then."

[JohnnyBlaze]

Bad table manners?------> Making absurd amounts of chomping/smacking noises when eating is pretty annoying...that and those pigs that talk with their mouths full and end up spitting out little morsels of their meal somewhere on the table.

 

That's not quite as offensive as smoking while eating. Before smoking was verboten in restaurants in my area, I once saw an elderly lady taking drags from a cigarette between bites of food; smoke billowing from her nose as she chewed. :|

Jesus effing Christ, that would make me throw up on the floor. And, that reminds me, last summer, I saw this dude at the local baseball diamond, eating a hot dog and smoking at the same time. "A little touch of class every now and then."

Yeah, that's pretty bad. How the hell could he even taste that dog when he was smoking?! Even when I was a smoker I wouldn't do that not only due to manners but also because there'd be no way you could even taste what you were eating.

[Thunder Bay Rush]

On a side note - speaking of "a touch of class" every now and then... one of my old high school buddies has a picture of me back in grade 10 when we were at our hunting camp. The picture is a classic: I was "sitting down" in the outhouse and eating a hotdog at the same time. Nice.

[Babycat]

(Rightly so), I'm guessing burping at the table is somewhat gross...

[Lost In Xanadu]

Bad table manners?------> Making absurd amounts of chomping/smacking noises when eating is pretty annoying...that and those pigs that talk with their mouths full and end up spitting out little morsels of their meal somewhere on the table.

 

That's not quite as offensive as smoking while eating. Before smoking was verboten in restaurants in my area, I once saw an elderly lady taking drags from a cigarette between bites of food; smoke billowing from her nose as she chewed. :|

Jesus effing Christ, that would make me throw up on the floor. And, that reminds me, last summer, I saw this dude at the local baseball diamond, eating a hot dog and smoking at the same time. "A little touch of class every now and then."

Yeah, that's pretty bad. How the hell could he even taste that dog when he was smoking?! Even when I was a smoker I wouldn't do that not only due to manners but also because there'd be no way you could even taste what you were eating.

 

What's funny - if you've ever watched Hell's Kitchen, nearly all of the contestants on every episode I have ever watched have been smokers. They get done with service, they all go smoke smoke smoke... They are competing to be a premier chef at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants. I always wondered how they can do so well in the blind taste challenges being heavy smokers like they are.

[John V]

I am very happy to have found this sub forum. I also love to cook and consider myself well rounded in the kitchen and market.

I married a girl from SC and she is one of the "well done" crowd.

 

It is a pain in the ass to make sure hers is "done" as she calls it, and to make mine rare.

 

I also employ a decent arsenal of cooking and cutting apparatus.

 

I really do not rely on recipes. I do however remember the basics of most dishes and prepare them from memory. Now for finishing sauces and baking I do use a formula.

We all know good cooking is not from a recipe, but from a process of learning the basics of the dish and repeating these basic tasks.

A pinch of this and a pinch of that carries much weight.

 

Baking requires a formula or a recipe. For a cake to rise, the ingredients must be combined in a certain order and they must be measured. This requirement is not important in everyday cooking and preparing tasty meals.

[Lost In Xanadu]

I am very happy to have found this sub forum. I also love to cook and consider myself well rounded in the kitchen and market.

I married a girl from SC and she is one of the "well done" crowd.

 

It is a pain in the ass to make sure hers is "done" as she calls it, and to make mine rare.

 

I also employ a decent arsenal of cooking and cutting apparatus.

 

I really do not rely on recipes. I do however remember the basics of most dishes and prepare them from memory. Now for finishing sauces and baking I do use a formula.

We all know good cooking is not from a recipe, but from a process of learning the basics of the dish and repeating these basic tasks.

A pinch of this and a pinch of that carries much weight.

 

Baking requires a formula or a recipe. For a cake to rise, the ingredients must be combined in a certain order and they must be measured. This requirement is not important in everyday cooking and preparing tasty meals.

 

You bet. I use my measuring cups and spoons anytime I bake, but never when cooking. I throw stuff together, taste, and re-season as I go. There are some things I make that my wife and kids will not order when we are out to dinner because they don't like it as much as the dish I make. My son didn't want to go away to college because of the food my wife and I make

[John V]

I am very happy to have found this sub forum. I also love to cook and consider myself well rounded in the kitchen and market.

I married a girl from SC and she is one of the "well done" crowd.

 

It is a pain in the ass to make sure hers is "done" as she calls it, and to make mine rare.

 

I also employ a decent arsenal of cooking and cutting apparatus.

 

I really do not rely on recipes. I do however remember the basics of most dishes and prepare them from memory. Now for finishing sauces and baking I do use a formula.

We all know good cooking is not from a recipe, but from a process of learning the basics of the dish and repeating these basic tasks.

A pinch of this and a pinch of that carries much weight.

 

Baking requires a formula or a recipe. For a cake to rise, the ingredients must be combined in a certain order and they must be measured. This requirement is not important in everyday cooking and preparing tasty meals.

 

You bet. I use my measuring cups and spoons anytime I bake, but never when cooking. I throw stuff together, taste, and re-season as I go. There are some things I make that my wife and kids will not order when we are out to dinner because they don't like it as much as the dish I make. My son didn't want to go away to college because of the food my wife and I make

 

We also rarely go out for dinner as what is prepared in this house far surpasses most anything we can go out for.

Being in the deep south does not help matters at all.

 

I also like grilling meats, fish and vegetables and occasionally smoking meats.

I have a tunnel smoker, a Weber kettle grill and a Weber gas fired grill. Oh I do have a Weber Smokey Joe I never use. Next time I make some hot dogs for my grandchildren I will use it.

 

I guess my pet peeve is the folks that do not get the difference between smoking or bbq'ing vs grilling.

 

I had my neighbor ask me if I wanted some London Broil that he cooked on his smoker. He has also suggested that I use my smoker for steaks. Crazy I say. Crazy.

 

I could never ruin a great cut by cooking it for 4 hours. I would rather grill my steaks 2-3 inch for 3 minutes on very high heat each side. Then rest for 10 more minutes. I like beef rare.

 

He does make very good bbq,ed chicken. Very good actually.

[Lost In Xanadu]

I have 3 Weber Kettles (2 22" and a 18") and an electric water smoker. Not the best smoker, but it does a great job for what I need it to do.

 

Home depot just had a sale on charcoal - 2 20lb bags for $9.88. I bought 12 of them I go thru a lot of charcoal, even grilling in the winter. That's a commitment here in WI. I only use my smoker when the temp is 50 degrees or warmer. I love smoking ribs 3-2-1 method. Also do salmon, brisket, pork shoulder and pork loin. I wasn't too sure about the pork loin, seeing it is quite lean, but it was absolutely amazing. For all of my non-fish smoking, I put a rub on the night before, mop every hour, and wrap in foil to finish without smoke. (ribs being the exception, that last hour is out of the foil to firm them up a little.) For the salmon, I do the traditional brine, and then let it sit uncovered to form the pellicle.

 

I completely agree about the steak. When I was growing up, I hated any fat on my steak, and it had to be at least medium-well. Same thing I am going thru with our kids. Luckily a whole tenderloin goes on sale for $4.99 here :) I love a good ribeye or porterhouse, but I only buy those when it's just my wife and I.

[umoveme]

Laying a nice fish fillet in a pan of warmish olive oil. It should be hot hot hot, people!!!