Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

you're a snob !!!!!....lol....you DID say to call you a snob !!!!...
1. cream of anything soup (i totally agree there)
2.I agree on miracle whip too
3. also boullion cubes
4. mushrooms
5.dull knives
6.plastic/glass/poly cutting boards
7. non-stick pans
8.limburger cheese
9.american slices wrapped in plastic
10.any produce that comes already chopped/sliced/diced in a bag

Dang, Matt ... I'm disappointed in you ... do you really mean to imply you'll use meat from a chain grocer??? ... the nerve!!! :-D

1. Mayo or Miracle Whip
2. Meat
3. Preshredded cheese
4. Canned soup
5. Canned tomato sauce
6. Mac 'n' cheese boxes (of any kind!)
7. White bread or pasta (I still love arborio rice. Sigh).
8. Dragonfruit
9. Wax apples
10. Grapefruit

and I'll add an 11th ...

Pancake syrup.

1. I have to go with the crowd - Miracle Whip. Bleh!
2. Anything containing Splenda.
3. Potted meat product.
4. In fact, any meat in a can.
5. Hamburger premade in patties or stuffed in a tube (unless they come direct from the farmer that way).
6. Margarine sticks.
7. Any food product whose brand name contains the acronym "EVOO" (just on general principle, mind you).
8. Preseasoned chicken, beef, or pork in those plastic pouches.
9. Anything "fat-free" that nature didn't make that way.
10. Zucchini.

@Luna- What are fake oreos? Cause i LOOOOVE my JoJos... hmmm

@chlamers, those would be Oreo knock-offs ... and yes, I mean JoJos! ;-)

1. pre-packaged lunch meat
2. canned green beans
3. fish (period.)
4. Velveeta
5. Cool Whip
6. Miracle Whip (SO icky)
7. supermarket white bread (Mrs. Baird's, etc)
8. fake sweeteners (Splenda, Equal, etc)
9. okra
10. mushrooms

There are a lot of things I hate that might end up in my kitchen--blue cheese, for example, which I like to make cornmeal crackers with, or fish paste in curries, etc....And I gotta say that sometimes I get a reallllly strong craving for a grilled cheese made with pre-packed 'cheese' slices. And Kraft mac 'n cheese (even though neither of these were -ever- present in my childhood. Strange nostalgia for the 80s (?), I guess).

@fuuchaan - I will give them another chance should I ever travel Asia. The trip to the U.S. seems to do them no favors - mine tasted like sour cucumber and had mold growing around the core.

Longon berries, though. Mmmm. Like custard with a peel.

Wow! I used to do absolutely everything from scratch when I was young and trying to impress my in-laws. Now I use absolutely anything available in the arsenal of the modern grocery store. We are so blessed to HAVE such things as are so cavalierly panned in this article. Sometimes the time saved really does trump the need to say " I did it myself".
I personally can do without almost all the stuff in the middle of the store but Cool Whip is a miracle, as is mayo, blue cheese dressing, ketchup ( how do you feed grandkids without it??)

1. beets
2. beets
3. beets
4. beets
5. beets
6. beets
7. beets
8. beets
9. beets
10. beets

Oh fun...
Foods I won't have in the house....mostly for health reasons...some snobbery though I am sure...sorry!

1. Ah gawd..Miracle Whip..that off-white jar of chunky gobbets..ew.
2. Onion or garlic powder--just hate the taste.
3. Cream soups--grew up on them, too salty now.
4. Powdered gravy, creamer, sauce base, spice blends...again the salt.
5. Anything with high fructose corn syrup--personal choice for health
6. "Cheese" snacks, i.e. cheetos, beddar cheddar, doritos, cheese nips
7. Fake sweeteners...why bother (for me, better 2 bites of the good stuff than loads of the fake...though it is often more than 2 bites...*sigh*)
8. Canned corn--the smell kills me. Reminds me of grade school and other horrors...can't even LOOK at it.
9. Pie filling or icing in a can...as a pastry chef I just can't like it..too sweet...but I don't hate people who use it! :-)
10. Butter subs--(see # 7) just dislike the taste--though I use shortening for certain baking items.

For me, most of the items are for health or my own tastes.....(aside from Miracle Whip...or canned corn/creamed corn...just EW) and I am fine with hopping on the fast/convenient track if I need to...but sadly since I do work in food I often feel the pressure to make from scratch/use "fancier" ingredients because it is expected of me now.
And while I may not be willing to use these in my own cooking, I would not refuse if any of you had me for supper and fed me most anything! (I do have some limits!) Hey...then *I* would not have to cook for a change!!!

GREAT question!!!

Oh...I don't personally use/like Cool Whip...but do you now how many people asking for my services give me the Cool Whip Icing recipe to use on the product they want? Or say "skip the real cream, we'll just use Cool Whip"?? Give the people what they want I guess! :D

1. Offal of any kind... make that ANY meat, fish, or poultry since I only get ten!

2. White bread

3. Canned vegetables (except for tomatoes, which are technically fruit, anyway...)

4. Frozen, canned, or instant convenience meals (actually, "instant" anything...)

5. Canned fruit (except for tomatoes)

6. Cheetos, Doritos -- junk foody stuff (w/ the emphasis on "junk")

7. Snack cakes (Little Debbie's, Hostess, Drakes, Entemann's, Sara Lee, etc.... nada!)

8. Cool Whip or Whipped Cream in a can

9. Crisco

10. Lime Jello (Would you eat anything that could be described as "cold, green, and slimy"? Nuff said.)

canned vegetables of any kind, except tomatoes
cheese product (as in kraft "cheese")
canned cream of * soup
baking mix
whips (reddi, cool, miracle)
frozen convenience food
"lite" foods
fake butter
artificial sweeteners
canned pie filling

Basically, most convenience foods, fake anything, and foods that are highly processed or unnecessarily high in sugar. Except canned tomato soup. Call me a hypocrite (not really :) ).

1. Canned vegetables
2. American cheese
3. Fish (I just really hate it.)
4. Canned meat or cubed ham
5. Crisco
6. Cabbage
7. Kraft mac n cheese
8. Fake eggs of any kind
9. Hamburger or Tuna Helper
10. Suet

1. canned meat
2. canned mushrooms, asparagus, or spinach
3. imitation food (butter, egg, crab, cheese, vanilla, etc)
4. jello
5. pickled pigs' feet (my dad always kept a jar around - gross!)
6. Hamburger or Tuna Helper
7. bottled lemon or lime juice
8. most lunch meats (I do usually have black forest ham from the deli though, but everything else just kind of turns my stomach)
9. canned pasta (e.g. Chef BoyRDee, all my roommates in college loved it)
10. licorice

I have enough favorite recipes from my childhood that I can't rule out things like cream of * soups. I also have had good enough luck with canned vegetables to not dump on those either. And while I haven't actually bought Velveeta in years, I have fond memories from my childhood love of it to not add it here.

1.CILANTRO a/k/a THE EVIL WEED
2. rolls (cans)of semi-prepared biscuits or chocolate chip cookies
3.pork, shrimp or any kind of shellfish.
4. canned or boxed stocks (veg, beef, or chicken)
5. cake mixes
6. Swiss Miss or other powdered beverages
7. Bottled lemon or lime juice
8. junk food other than pretzels or popcorn
9. margarine
10. Uncle Ben's converted rice (I've always wondered what he converted to and from)

Funny how tastes change as you become a grownup-I'm 51 so it has been some time since I ate Velveeta on a regular basis. My dad loved the stuff melted on white bread or just eaten out of hand. In '06 I decided to see if it might be a guilty pleasure for me so I bought a little bar. One bite and I threw it out. It was somewhere beyond YECH!!! I know I should have known better but turning 50 made me feel nostalgic. I got over it.

@joannabar
I can't believe I forgot converted rice! EVIL STUFF.

@KarynMC
Wax apples are scarce in the U.S., and what little comes out way is usually palid, tasteless, sour and nasty. Ify ou get good ones, they are sweet, crisp-crunchy and very refreshing.

Longans are summer's best produce, IMO, above even sweet corn. I eagerly await logan season every year...

I'd be very curious to see people's responses if we set aside all the "because it's too processed" category.

There are very few things I'd shun from my kitchen forever (including holidays), but I'm virtually certain you wouldn't find
1. canned pie filling (I bought it recently and was devastated by how very little fruit there was)
2. Marmite (but only because we're loyal to Vegemite)
3. fresh ginger (tried many times and just don't like it)
4. water chestnuts
5. Boca burgers, soyrizo, and their ilk (tofu is ok, though)
6. canned potatoes
7. Hot Pockets
8. cheap dog or cat food
9. non-dairy creamer
10. knives that "never need sharpening!"

I'm a never say never kind of person.

Cube steak
Spam
Cool Whip
Carp
Canned potatoes (ick)
Canned spinach
Minestrone
Pumpernickel bread
Almond butter
Chitterlings

Geez, this is tough. I'm with wellred on the "never say never" idea. I never expected to have instant potatoes in my kitchen, but did you ever try to "frost" a meat cake with real mashies?

Also, I detest orange juice. But I have a boyfriend. And I don't want him drinking all my diet coke.

So yeah. I'm more likely than I once expected to have those "never" items in my kitchen.

Never say never. That tempts the balance of the universe into forcing "never" to happen.

But some things that dare not show their face unless the time for never has come:

1. Ostrich eggs
2. Ayran
3. Purple cauliflower
4. Canned soup from the health-food section of the grocery store
5. Sea slugs
6. Ventworm nuts
7. Lizard-fish
8. Bali-Hai
9. Lucky Charms cereal
10. Pig's liver

@LunaPierCook: *GASP* No Gordon Ramsay??? Man, I'd be happy with JUST him in my kitchen..:) heheBut I do agree with you on the Fake Oreos. They should not be allowed. Hydrox. Bleh.

Here's my lovely list:

1.) Miracle Whip-if so many hate this, why is it still sold?? It's awful
2.) American "cheese" wrapped in plastic
3.) Asparagus
4.) Spam-never had, don't plan on it
5.) Scrapple - EWWWW
6.) Roasted Red Peppers
7.) Anything Coconut
8.) Fake Eggs
9.) Canned Pasta- "Chef" Whatever, never had it don't plan on it
10.a) Frozen Meatballs
10.b) 90 minute rice

I had 10, sort of...I just couldn't leave them out. 10 is just not enough. Great thread!!

You guys are so lucky! I've lived half my life outside the US, and sometimes Cool Whip is as close to whipped cream as I can get. Also, it doesn't melt as fast in tropical heat. And Vegans will eat it. The Splenda stuff is the only sweetener my diabetic kid can use. And canned peas and beans were the only way to find those veggies in some places I lived. I do draw the line on canned berries, though, even when they are they only kind I can find!

Wellred-I agree. Especially after two kids. The stuff may get dusty or just take up space, but it's been there.

And if you don't have Miracle Whip, how do you make Mom's potato salad either?

Ugh this thread is like a list of the things in my boyfriend's mom's kitchen. I don't think she makes anything without using her crockpot and some kind of "cream of" soup, or buys anything that's not fat or sugar free. You'd be surprised what you can buy that's sugar-free! "Maple" syrup, for example. Once I was attempting to cook in her kitchen, and I couldn't find salt anywhere, and she actually told me they didn't have any. NO SALT. I did find some dusty pre-ground pepper and some Splenda though. Shudder.

@embolini9, so you're the one who took up with my ex? Lucky you. Dinner at mom's is gonna be the best part of it. :)

Teasing of course. But, yeah... Miracle Whip, Cool Whip, Sugar-Free Syrup Approxi-mate, Spam, Velveeta, and absolutely no salt (course when you have all that other stuff there's plenty of sodium). Going to his mom's house was dreadful. The worst was being really thirsty and finding out they refill the bottles of water with tap water... I don't mind the tap water (and it was nicely cold having been put in the fridge for chilling) but I was a bit squeemish about not knowing who'd been chugging on it before it was given to me.

Here's some tips. Cook food and then bring it with you as a "treat for her" and host all the holidays so you can control what gets made (and when). Oh, and eat before you get there while also making sure to have a purse full of snacks. Great ideas for gifts? Cooking classes and food of the month clubs. :)

The good news is she wasn't hip to cilantro yet so, as bland as everything was, at least it didn't taste like she forgotten to rinse off the dishes before serving on them. Always have to look on the bright side.

====

I know after reading through all these I want to add to my original list.

Spam
Margarine
Kool-Aid
Canned vegetables (except corn and tomatoes)
Tofurkey (but I like tofu, so go figure)
Frozen food involving eggs (frozen eggs are a disturbing thought)

This makes me wonder - if so many of us hate Miracle Whip, including myself - who IS consuming this gloppy, crappy concoction?

May I add:

2. boiled peanuts
3. fake butter
4. potatoes in a box
5. fake vanilla
6. fish in a jar
7. cake mix
8. frosting in a can
9. gravy in a pouch, jar, can, or powdered
10. cheap chocolate

LOL

I told my friend who lives in Nottingham and sent me a bottle of marmite, "This stuff is vile! You eat this every day?" He did, on crackers. My friend from London only ate it on fresh baked warm bread, and she thought he was a savage for eating it on crackers. lawl

@Butrflygirly, I don't even allow Gordon Ramsay to be on my TV except for commercials. IMHO he's like a canker sore on the industry's lip. ;-)

@butterscotchsq, my mom would be the one buying all the Miracle Whip. Her and dad use it on everything. I end up taking Hellman's over there when we visit and taking it home later!

Is anyone else finding this difficult--I am, for example, a Cool Whip loather, but I feel funny listing it because I have bought it once (Fat Free of course) and thinking, 'ooh, so low in calories,' eating a bit and then retching. So lots of stuff I've tried--once. Also some things I don't eat I have for pets/parents/visitors, and so forth, so I can't say an honest 'total never.' I guess mine would be:

1. Weird pig products like pig's feet or Spam.
2. Gravy. Of any kind.
3. Animal fats like chicken fat or lard.
4. Reduced fat peanut butter--it's the same calories as 'regular' peanut butter, what's the point.
5.cocaonut--unless you count some chocolates with the stuff that come in a box. Not the raw stuff or milk, ever.
6. Sweet and sour sauce.
7. Ranch dressing.
8. Soda. Diet, regular, of any kind.
9. Juices, especially orange juice.
10. Jell-O.

I'm a vegetarian but as a kid when I ate meat I liked liverwurst. And I lived for Hostess, on the few occasions I was permitted to get them.

Ten things I would not have in my kitchen:
1. Miracle Whip
2. Jar pasta sauce
3. Any form of parmesan or romano cheese in a shaker jar or can
4. margarine
5. Cool Whip
6. FAKE CHOCOLATE
7. processed garlic in a jar
8. left over sushi
9. tomatoes in the refrigerator
10. people who think "all good things" come out of a box and only require an egg, some oil and 35 minutes in the oven.

hehe this is a fun one :-) First of all in France we have no such thing as Miracle Whip or Cool Whip...and even if we did I would blacklist both items!

1. Any tube-y stuff: cheese, mayonnaise, fish paste etc.
2. Ready made pasta sauce
3. Ready cake, cookie, whatever mix.
4. Bottled salad dressing
5. Margarine
6. Frozen meals
7. Minute rice/pasta preparations, you know the ones that come in a plastic kind of pouch
8. SPAM! (ok this one should had been way up there)
9. Patés & Rillettes (French speciality thing)
10. "Diet" cookies and chocolate. Biggest joke in the world, it's like eating cardboard for not all that much less calories at the end of the day. Just buy real full fat & sugar pastries but eat less of it!

jello
spam
margarine
cool-whip
wonder bread
miracle whip
frog legs
minute rice
tarragon
watercress

Jello for nosebleeds????????

Jello for nosebleeds????????

Ha! Too Funny. I thought the same thing when I first read that and then promptly went on about my business thinking, "well, what better use for the stuff?"

1. Most supermarket fruit or even most any market fruit. Fruit is raised and harvested mainly for appearance and resistance to bruising and blemishing during shipping, never for taste and flavor. Has anyone ever bought a cantaloupe that smelled and tasted aromatically fruity, was soft and succulent, juicy and truly edible only with a spoon and not a chainsaw? No. Except in some private small sellers in Japan. All melons in the States are suitable only for bowling.

2. Any tomato in the States. Tough perfectly shiny plastic skins requiring a spit-out; tasteless woody/fibrous flesh, no aroma.

3. Meat in supermarkets that swims in transparent red to pink fluid in the styrofoam container, that when opened the underside revealing something that resembles a used woman's sanitary napkin.

4. Ground beef that has a brown surface and a pink interior, usually marketed as 75% off with an expiration date of tomorrow, sometimes today.

5. King Crab, always frozen, that usually possesses spotty repulsive off-flavors, musty sometimes almost rotten aromas near the cut ends. Has anyone ever eaten a fresh one?

6. Tofu. But I do use it as patching material.

7. Bing Cherries. I am eating through a box right now and every one lacks a distinctive taste. I suspect they are raised for appearance only. [I wonder who dreamed up the "cherry" flavor found in candies and lollipops?]

8. One vote FOR monosodium glutamate. This is just a harmless tangy/salty amino acid. About 40 years ago a letter was published in the New England Journal of Medicine claiming it caused flushing, sweating and other symptoms, subsequently dubbed the "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." This was never confirmed, and to my knowledge it causes no harm. I specify it be added to my meals in asian restaurants.

9. Frozen Crab cakes. No matter what the box says, these are inedible hockey pucks composed of shredded leg meat and bread filler.

10. Instant Chocolate Pudding. Pasty to granular off-putting milky flavor with not the slightest resemblance to any true cocoa product ever marketed.

1. cilantro
2. margarine
3. Jell-o
4. artificial vanilla "flavoring"
5. that cheese from Sardinia with the live maggots in it
6. instant rice
7. ranch dressing
8. canned pumpkin
9. cheap soy sauce
10. cole slaw that's been in my fridge longer than 1 day

I don't care what you say. I like Miracle Whip!

1. margarine
2. fat free anything
3. eggs from any grocery store in the 5 boroughs ( only place to get eggs is at greenmarket. flying pigs, millport dairy or knoll krest)
4. processed cheese
5. canned fruit
6. pickles (i'm a chef who hates pickles i can't help it, i will never change)
7. oreos, just hate them always have.
8. jelly. my pb&j sandwiches have always just been pbS
9. anything containing aspartame.
10. white bread. it tastes like nothing. give me a good whole wheat sourdough or whole grain anyday.

1. Okra
2. Miracle Whip
3. Whole milk
4. Spam
5. Olive loaf
6. any ketchup but Heinz
7. Plain yellow mustard
8. mango
9. hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat)
10. kale