PrintAnnoying food habits...
I have a repertoire of habits that deeply annoy my family at meal times
I 'dissect' food (eat it in parts and not as a whole, even sammiches)
I slurp my soup
I take hours to finish as i 'savor it too much' (which apparently is 'taunting them')
Anyone else with the same problems?
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39 Comments:
Don't inhale food I've cooked! If I serve my oldest his plate first, by the time I've given my other three kids their plates he's putting his empty plate in the flippin' sink. ARRRRGHHH!! "Kid, did ya' taste it at all??"
My former FIL is the same way, but slurps everything ... steaks, potatoes, cake, doesn't matter ... it's all slurrrrppppped ... and he breaks my oldest son's record for how long it takes. "WayL, thayt's hahww wei et 'n th' Ahrmy!" Dad ... you were in, what, WWOne?? That one's over already!
I sometimes eat each cooked item on my plate separately so I can actually taste those individual items. I have no clue why that annoys some people but it does.
It annoys me that my mom's side of the family always ... and I mean always ... drops food on their shirt while eating. My mom's worst at it, but what's annoying is that I do it, too. Even worse, my wife of almost three years never did this before, until she met us. Now she does it, like, all the time! She now refers to it as "Saegerizing". For Christmas this year, all the Saeger side of the family will be receiving an adult bib and a Tide-To-Go pen.
Including me ...
LunaPierCook at 7:46AM on 07/31/07
I tend to always leave a bite or two of food on my plate. I don't know why, I must have some sort of issues! My daughter dissects her food to pick out even the most sub-atomic particles of onion. Drives me insane. My dear husband lavishes praise on all of my cooking. That is not a bad thing except he makes no distinctions between the elaborate home made meals and the spaghetti dinner made of frozen meatballs, jarred sauce, and bagged salad. Makes me wonder if he has any taste buds!
Library Lady at 9:54AM on 07/31/07
I dunno, sounds to me like rather poor manners. No matter how one eats at home, there are social mores for a reason, and that is the comfort of the majority. If I prefer to eat pasta with my hands--or feet--it would be fine to do so at home, but not in public.
I have a friend who eats food in parts, so now I no longer serve her things that are separable.
BaHa at 10:02AM on 07/31/07
My husband and son pour on hot sauce or ketchup all over their food before they even taste it. It drives me insane!!
KItkat at 10:18AM on 07/31/07
Dated a guy once who had a number of highly annoying eating habits that in the aggregate drove me away. He took the childish no-foods-touching habit to an extreme: in an Indian restaurant, for example, he would serve himself each curry or rice dish by itself on the plate, and eat it, before moving on to the next one (of course, not doing the culturally appropriate thing of curry ON rice). Then he ate nan - again by itself - with a knife and fork! The sad part is that he himself called my attention to these quirks, and laughed about them; once I noticed them myself, they drove me crazy.
emily20008 at 10:51AM on 07/31/07
My darling husband salts food before he even tastes it. It makes me CRAZY and is bordering on an insult.
My boss typically eats all of one item before eating anything else. Like he'll eat his whole burger THEN his fries, or vice versa.
A dear, sweet girl I work with at my part time job in a camp kitchen eats ketchup on ALL meats. Won't eat any other sauces, like if we have chicken marsala she'll snag a plain one before they're sauced so she can dunk it in ketchup. Roast beef, roast pork (both of which are extremely good where we work and can be enjoyed naked or with horseradish or BBQ sauce) any form of chicken- doesn't matter. Ketchup. BLEH.
She's getting married this fall. She's getting ketchup from me as a wedding gift.
AuntJone at 11:17AM on 07/31/07
People who salt food at the table. I don't care if they've tasted it or not. A superficial application of salt at the table does not make underflavored food taste more flavorful. To these people, the American 1950s called and wants its table customs back. Salting at the table looks almost as bad as smoking in a huddle outside a Manhattan office building, or being a young woman who perpetually clutches and refers to her cell phone to stave off the appearance of not having anything going on at all times.
Sandro at 11:24AM on 07/31/07
People who chew with their mouths open. Ugh! Loud eaters.
hereandthe at 12:04PM on 07/31/07
I am senstive to food temperature. Depending on whatever the food/bev is---it has got to be "just right" temperature-wise or forget it!
JEP at 12:10PM on 07/31/07
People who insult what's on my plate before or during eating it.
sawyerriley at 1:52PM on 07/31/07
Dragging metal flatware across the teeth ...
Talking with food in the mouth ...
Continuous stirring of the coffee with a metal implement in a ceramic mug ...
Man-oh-man, this list can get long!
(Still not understanding whatsoever why it's not alright to eat things separately, outside of, "It all end up together anyway". Seems a ridiculous pet peeve to me, nothing more.)
LunaPierCook at 2:11PM on 07/31/07
LunaPierCook, when one works hard on a meal that presents contrasting and complementary textures and flavors, it's a bit frustrating to watch someone, say, eat the peppers, then the chicken, THEN the rice, and perhaps then the snow peas. I am simplifying, but that's the idea. And it feels to me like a denigration of what I put on the table.
BaHa at 2:19PM on 07/31/07
Second for loud eaters! My gag reflex acts up if I hear someone smack or worse...swallow their food! Ugh! You should NOT be able to hear someone swallow - that is just plain gross.
ceforrester at 2:21PM on 07/31/07
BaHa, I think I need to clarify ... If they're laid out as mom used to do it for the blind folks she grew up with, most diner food, semi-casual, etc., "Around your plate, the meat's at 12 o'clock, the beans are at 5 o'clock, and the mashed taters are at 8 o'clock.", laid out like this separately I'll eat them separately.
Arrange it as a single dish ... bed of rice, pork tenderloin slices in a fan on the rice, etc. vertically ... I'll eat them together as that's how it's placed in front of me.
LunaPierCook at 2:34PM on 07/31/07
I refuse to mix things that weren't prepared together (unless its a sauce). ie: I can put gravy on mashed potatoes, but I refuse to allow said gravy or potatoes to touch any other vegetables that are on the plate. I also must eat each seperately cooked dish one at a time.
I'm a lot better after eating in my university cafeteria for a year way back in the day where I had no choice about how my food was laid on my plate, but I can still be pretty funny about keeping things seperate.
B
Hand to Mouth
Making Stock of the Situation
A blog for the penniless gourmet
handtomouth at 5:28PM on 07/31/07
Re Sandro:
How is salting your food at the table comparable to smoking? Sometimes food does taste better with a bit of salt, although, of course, you should taste it first...
pbisNOTmyname at 7:21PM on 07/31/07
Great Thread.....I had a friend who would always insist on going to really good restaurants, he'd order a variety of items, appetizers with various individual taste treats, etc. Then he'd take it all and mix it up in the center of his dish and lean over close to the table and shovel it in. Grossed me out big time.
I am not buggy about such things, but do tend to keep separate tastes and foods separate to enjoy them, premixed foods do not get separated.
Hubby will dig through and remove all traces of onions if he realizes they are in there, but if he cannot tell they are there, he eats them normally with the rest of the dish. WTHeck.
dmzapp at 10:13PM on 07/31/07
well i have the opposite take...what really annoys me is other people picking on me about my food, how im eating, etc. pay attention to your own food! commenting when other people have bad manners is one thing...commenting when other people decline seconds, prefer vegetarianism, mix or not mix food, etc. is totally uncalled for. if you like your food a certain way, eat it that way, but mind your own business! enjoy your eating and allow other people to enjoy theirs.
i also get annoyed when people take food so personally. it's a meal, not an evaluation of your character (whether youre the chef or diner). manners are essential but don't assign your meal any deeper meanings (ie. when someone isn't eating it the exact same way you would eat it or plan for them to eat it...it's really ok!!!).
stumbler02 at 12:23PM on 08/01/07
My annoying food habit would be a 'beverage' one. My hubby always laughs at me every time I take a drink of a carbonated beverage because I love to go "ahhh" afterwards. I can't help it though! :))
cheffy at 1:40PM on 08/01/07
My hubby's annoying food habit would be him staring like a drooling wolf at whatever I'm eating... I go to grab a bag of chips or a cookie and he's got to stare me down to see what I'm munching on...drives me absolutely BONKERS!
cheffy at 1:44PM on 08/01/07
This one should be filed under bad manners as well: People who start eating before everyone is sitting down, or in a restaurant before everyone's been served. I want to scream at them: "Who brought you up?"
One Thanksgiving, a relative's girlfriend's rather gauche mother was invited to our dinner. We're trying to get the last minute dishes from kitchen to table and my 5-year-old asks, from the table, "Mommy, can I eat yet?" "No, please wait until we all sit down." "But Mommy, Mary's mommy is eating!" (To her credit, the girlfriend was mortified by her mother's behavior.)
Dee at 4:47PM on 08/01/07
I am one of those who eats too fast, so fast I annoy others. It's not that I don't savor my food; I just savor it quickly! I do try to slow down, but what really annoys me is dinner companions who eat ever so v-e-r-y, v-e-r-y slowly. The temptation to reload my plate while a companion is still nibbling at his or her skimpy first helping is often overwhelming. And then there's the point where there's no food left on the table but the oh-so-slowly disappeaing portion on companion's plate. The sometimes irresistible temptation then is to reach across the table with my fork and help out. I am careful about doing that, though, ever since witnessing a friend (one who frequents this site) try the same stunt with his wife and get forked in the back of the hand!
kqrbob at 6:05PM on 08/01/07
My husband will eat just about anything cold, i.e. cold pizza for breakfast.
And I annoy him by always telling him "put it in the toaster oven!".
My mom will take a bite from my plate without asking. It's funny how the asking permission makes all the difference.
I once had a roommate who attacked his fork as if he were a starving animal and the fork was the prey. He didn't put his fork in his mouth; he lurched forward and bit the food off the fork. It was so weird.
I have to say, I don't understand the waiting until everyone sits down thing. I mean, I comply with it, but it seems so unnecessarily formal. What difference does it make?
eatzealot at 12:10AM on 08/02/07
God, I have several pet peeves. I don't really like people SNIFFING at their food when it's uncalled for. No, I don't mean inhaling the aroma with slightly orgasmic look, but sniffing.. like dogs. Especially if they made a face before or during (if afterwards, I'd be worried for the food). I felt insulted if people do that to food i cooked.
I also hate hate hate stubborn refusal to TRY food, like saying "No, I don't like it" when they don't even know what it is, or they have never tried them. This refusal is usually accompanied by slightly disgusted face, which doubles my annoyance.
winny at 7:53AM on 08/02/07
I refuse to go out to eat with my husband anymore, he obviously never learned how to hold an eating utensil, he grasps it like a shovel and proceeds to push large "bites" in his mouth and barely chew. I admit i may be a bit to picky, but this drives me crazy! I used to drive him crazy by eating to slow and trying to figure out the spices used. Of course it works out well because now we go out seperately and I get to try something besides resteraunts that specialize in "american meat and potatoes"
huney_bumper at 11:22AM on 08/02/07
You all are terrifying me about getting married. Husbands are apparently really annoying eaters.
LizNYC at 3:49PM on 08/02/07
I served rigatoni with a bolognese sauce that took hours to make. (the real thing) to a woman I knew when I was in college in Texas. She took a bite, went into the kitchen and returned with tabasco sauce. "ain't got enuf flavur".
bang zoom.
rockhopper at 5:20PM on 08/02/07
Hey Library Lady. My boyfriend always, always leaves one bit of food on his plate.
Doesn't matter what he's eating -- a sandwich, pasta, a candy bar -- one bite gets wasted.
I ask him time and time again why he does this and he says the same thing you did "I guess I just have issues"!!!
It isn't exactly annoying; it is just . . . weird!
trabo at 5:37PM on 08/02/07
THE SWISH!
When someone takes a sip of water (or any other beverage) and SWISHES it as if they're at the dentist. (Thankfully, there's no spitting involved, just the swish through the teeth.) That's a family bad habit, and we've all been caught at it. It's almost unconscious, and fortunately we all try to call each other out if we see it happening.
mamamonkey at 5:50PM on 08/02/07
To echo a couple of other complaints:
1. My late mother took forever to finish a meal; she would talk and fiddle with her food (pushing it around, but seldom actually getting it on the utensil and into her mouth). Long after everyone else was finished, she would still have more than half a plate to go.
And ironically . . .
2. I have a friend who inhales his food with incredible speed, and I am physically incapable of eating that fast, so I am always lagging behind during every course. Invariably, the server picks up his plate the moment he is done, leaving me feeling like a naughty child sitting alone with my food, inconveniencing those who now have nothing else to do but watch me eat.
Among more normal-paced eaters, I keep a general eye on how they are progressing with their meals, and if I need to and can catch up, I let them talk while I focus on my meal. Contrariwise, if I am the one who has eaten quickly, I take smaller and smaller bites of what is left until the slower person has caught up with me. Seems like good manners.
Likeswords at 6:38PM on 08/02/07
More husbandly bad habits...
My husband likes to "tease" me by stealing bites off of my plate, but I have a "delayed gratification" thing, where I leave my favourite bite for last and if he steals my last bite item, before I finish everything else, I get so mad I want to throttle him!
Also, he enjoys making what we (somewhat) lovingly refer to as "slurry". He will take soup and mash up enough crackers in there to make it a paste, or if we have mashed potatoes and gravy, he will put his peas/corn/other veg into the potatoes and gravy and mash it up until it looks disgusting.. I can't even look at it, it's so vile!
psychsarah at 9:46AM on 08/03/07
Nothing irks me more than going to a new restaurant with people who have not eaten there before and regardless of my raving about the food and regardless of the fact that the people are not even close-to-penniless, they order the smallest cheapest thing on the menu from fear that they won't like anything.
When the tiny plate arrives before them, their fork oh-so-timidly approaches the miniscule portion of food as if the fork itself were frowning with trepidation, creakingly moving toward the food that is supposed to be a celebration (at least in my mind it is)(and I'm guessing that in the restaurant's mind it is too) to prod at it as if it were going to jump up and bite them with a loud scary noise like the boogeyman.
Live a little for god's sake.
Karen Resta at 11:42AM on 08/04/07
I hate when:
people season before tasting
sliver food to death (up to two or three pieces worth) instead of taking a whole portion. By this I meand they will sliver cake off of a platter over a period of time till 2 or 3 servings are gone...even thought they have been politely asked to take a piece and they refuse.
and those people that can eat anywhere from ounces to pounds of food but can never eat the last bite of anything!
tyronebcookin at 1:13PM on 08/04/07
I am so annoyed by people who are totally close-minded about food and refuse to even try anything new. I once dated a guy who refused to eat anything except fast food hamburgers (meat and bread only) and fries. He wouldn't even eat a homemade one. Oh yeah, he did eat one other thing- his mom's "famous" spaghetti which consisted of spaghetti, the fattiest and cheapest ground beef you could buy, cooked and un-drained, a can of mushrooms and a jar of cheez-whiz. Mixed all together and never served with salt or pepper, for that would make it too spicy. I can honestly admit that was the most revolting thing I have ever eaten. I love to cook and eat and experiment, so obviously this relationship didn't last very long. Thankfully I found a guy who shares my love for food and we are now happily married.
eparker at 4:03PM on 08/05/07
What immediately comes to mind: ex-boyfriend put a truckload of salt on anything I cooked before tasting, even if it had salt in it. Now that's an insult and a half. Once I made a casserole and he asked for butter to put on it. I was like "whatttt???" and a shouting match ensued. Bad memories to put behind me immediately after this comment!
harriet at 11:38AM on 08/06/07
Wost food habit is not coming to dinner when you're called. My mom used to have a fit about my brother and dad lollygagging now I know & understand her frustration. Its so irritating to spend hours making a really nice meal only to have it grow cold in front of you while for whoever to just finish up an e-mail or whatever that can so clearly wait.
I also ate breakfast with a guy once that cut everything up into bite sized species (two fried eggs, sausage, hash browns) mixed it all together with ketchup and hot sauce until it was a homogenized slop and then shoveled it all in. It was the grossest.
mia_pia at 4:39PM on 08/06/07
Oh yeah:
1. I hate it when people put ketchup on everything, particularly eggs. This is extremely nasty.
2. people who refuse to try new things. Flat out refuse. Or refuse to re-visit foods they hated as a child. Taste buds change! I hated mushrooms, brussel sprouts and artichokes as a kid (who didn't?) but now I'll eat them gladly (although I'm slow in the mushroom department...can't get too exotic with them).
3. Most importantly: Get. Your fork. OFF. My plate! If I want you to try something I have, I'll offer it!
missbhavens at 7:07PM on 08/06/07
I really hate it when I've spent hours preparing a meal and my husband and other family members eat it so quickly that you have to wonder.....did they really even taste it?
I also hate it when people mix their food. Ok.....when I was a child I mixed my food, but it really is annoying when you have spent a lot of time preparing a meal with great flavor and someone mixes each bite! My suggestion.....make things easier for them and just put it in a blender before serving :)
KristinL at 7:06PM on 11/14/07
My boyfriend drives me INSANE when he eats! He holds his silverware like a freakin shovel! I'm dying to say something to him about it, but don't want to his feelings. It's actually embarrising whe we go out to a nice resturant, all dressed up and here comes the shoveling...agggghhhh
annoyedinca at 1:33AM on 02/06/08