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Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
It's like a healthy gummy bear!
Serious Heat: Mustards to Spice Up Labor Day Cookouts
OMG, why isn't Maille on here? It's the original dijon!
They have a version with green peppercorns that has a delightfully clean and sharp spicyness.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
I live in Asia, so almost all meals are family style. And I am Chinese myself, so I grew up eating that way.
BUT...I still cannot CANNOT stand it when I go to a "Western" style restaurant in China and the people I'm with insist on going family style with individualized dishes.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants: Great Deal, Or Bad Policy?
Usually I hate buffets, but no one seems to be mentioning the awesomeness that is a well-done BREAKFAST buffet.
I love spending 1-2 hours on a weekend at a nice hotel breakfast buffet, chatting, reading the paper etc. There's not as much stuff to over-gorge yourself on, and it's difficult to get most of the foods horrifically wrong.
Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
It's like a healthy gummy bear!
Serious Heat: Mustards to Spice Up Labor Day Cookouts
OMG, why isn't Maille on here? It's the original dijon!
They have a version with green peppercorns that has a delightfully clean and sharp spicyness.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
I live in Asia, so almost all meals are family style. And I am Chinese myself, so I grew up eating that way.
BUT...I still cannot CANNOT stand it when I go to a "Western" style restaurant in China and the people I'm with insist on going family style with individualized dishes.
In Season: Basil
One of my favorite basil recipes is a basil broccoli soup:
Boil lots of basil leaves with some cut up broccoli until tender. Puree in a blender. Add some butter. Salt to taste.
So simple, so tasty!
Dinner Tonight: Spring Tagine of Chicken with Potatoes and Peas
Is this at all possible in a dutch oven on a stove?
I unfortunately do not have an oven in my apartment, but this looks so good!
Grilling: Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobellos
You know, I've never understood the whole portobello = steak thing. Don't get me wrong, I love portobellos, but umm...it's still a mushroom! Different texture, different taste...just not meat.
The Original Muffin Top Tin
I've never understood this fascination with muffin tops. They are, hands down, my least favorite part of the muffin. They're all dry and hard on top, not like the moist softness of the rest of the muffin. If I could, I would throw away the muffin top and only eat the bottoms!
Grocery Ninja: Yujacha, Korean Yuzu Tea
I love all these jammy tea mixes! In addtion to the Yuzu one, I also always have a jujube (date) one in the fridge. It's like my white wine and red wine.
Exotic Eggs Available at Whole Foods
Ditto on the Asian markets for quail and duck eggs. Whole Foods is way, way more expensive. You can usually get a dozen quail eggs at an Asian market for under 3 bucks.
Dinner Tonight: Bibimbap
NYTimes had a rice cooker bibimap recipe that creates a pretty good crust on the bottom: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/dining/01rice.html?scp=1&sq=rice%20cooker&st=cse
You can definitely adapt this recipe for the rice cooker, just do the last bit of assembly and egg cooking in the cooker. When I cooked it, I had to push the "cook" button down a couple of times as it would pop back up, but definitely not something you need to be holding the button down for.
All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants: Great Deal, Or Bad Policy?
The last time I was in Israel I stayed at a hotel that offered a breakfast buffet. The food was nothing less than amazing. They had cheeses and spreads from all over the middle east, a large assortment of fresh baked bread, familiar and exotic fresh fruit, and the most delicious yogurts I can remember having. It was very different from the breakfast buffets I have been to here in the US (less animal fat, less protein, less fried potatoes, less sweetened simple starches). In any case, most of us at that hotel ate smaller portions and seemed to be just as satisfied since the food was so fresh and tasty.
All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants: Great Deal, Or Bad Policy?
Regardless of right or wrong, the market rules and people choose mass quantities of bad food with their dollars.
I can't disagree with it, but I feel bad when I see obese people going into junk buffet's. Part of me thinks the restaurant is feeding their disease. We don't have all you can drink bars for a reason. Maybe we shouldn't have all you can eat restaurants either.
Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
nifty sacrilege!
Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
Too cool, except the first one looks like he's got the measles or something.
I'm so going to get some of those molds the next time I have a garden.
Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
that is too cute to eat.
Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
And now YOU can have your very own Buddha Pear!... more spiritual than the potato head AND tasty too. @bwdstudio
Photo of the Day: Buddha-Shaped Pears
I love how the one still in the mold looks like he's squinting.
If you missed this on the watermelon thread, here's a link where you can buy forms for veggies in your own garden. I've used one of the face ones on summer squash. I think a heart shaped cuke would be neat.
Serious Heat: Mustards to Spice Up Labor Day Cookouts
Oh my. That Maille mustard is sooo good. I bought a jar in Paris because I loved it so much. And of course I see it sitting on the shelf at Safeway when I get home. I thought I was special. Any mustard with horseradish in it is wonderful.
Serious Heat: Mustards to Spice Up Labor Day Cookouts
I had some Heinz French Mustard in london a few years ago and it was the most amazing thing ever...and I have yet to find a similar product--or even the actual thing, save for in packets to buy from the UK (its in orange packets, not yellow like the normal english mustard).
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
I'm a sharer. With family and some friends I will share any of mine and try any of theirs, often finishing the left over bits or cleaning up other peoples plates. Sometimes I steal food from others without asking, but knowing that those people won't mind. Sharing goes beyond food, and extends to utensils in my family, I know its not for everyone, but it works out great for us.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
If I'm eating with friends or my boyfriend (which is almost always who I'm eating with when I'm out), then I'll offer a taste of whatever I'm eating, ESPECIALLY if I like it. Share the wealth! I have like-minded friends, so they usually offer back - if they don't, I don't even usually notice. I may ask for a small taste if it's something I really want to try, but I'm not militantly pro- or anti-sharing.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
sharing does not bother me at all...just DON"T eat from my personal dish in front of me...or try to feed me off your fork/chopsticks..I will leave !!!
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
One of my favorite "shared" meals was at NOPA in SF. All three of us agreed upon three dishes...we would eat and then say switch and we would move the plate to the next person...probably not for everyone but so good for us!!! I love eating with good friends.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
It seems unnatural for me not to share, but then I grew up in a family where sharing food was the norm. It was very weird one time when I went out with a group of friends to a place I knew had mediocre big portions (I was outvoted on where to go) and asked if anyone wanted to split a dish with me and they all looked at me like I was insane. I shut-up and at the end no one finished their meal.
There are some unspoken rules to polite sharing though. If you ask, make sure you have something to give back. My mom is the queen of breaking this rule, she'll always be like I'm not that hungry I'll just have a bite of yours and of course half the time she's paying so it's not like anyone can say no. It was especially obnoxious when we were in Italy where you're trying to taste as much of everything in the short amount of time you have. I think this stems from when my sister and I were kids and would never finish our meals, but we're not kids anymore.
Another is don't force anyone to order what you want just to share. My littlest sister is famous for doing this and she gets away with it because stepmom wants her to eat. I was amazed at how she dictated what my stepmom and dad would eat and when she turned to me I was just like uh uh I know what I'm getting.
Ask ask ask is the third. There are certain occasions where you don't have to (my sister and I never do when we go out to eat together, but we've been doing that a long time) but always err on the side of asking. It's just good to be polite.
Different occasions call for different types of sharing. Now that I've moved I've got to find new dining companions who like to share.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
@janaatwg , you or someone close to her should really take your friend aside and tell her that her behavior is alienating her friends. Maybe she is not fully aware.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
First of all I think one should never 'steal' off another's plate. Silverware incl chopsticks were originally weapons to defend one's food, so permission should be asked before reaching over, unless permission was firmly previously established.
I have a problem with 'plate envy' so I may choose to order the same thing as another, because why order something else, only to then desire the other's plate more than my own. So right on @ksimmy. I usually interview my table mates before I make a choice, unless I had one of those lucky days where I have a craving that the restaurant can fulfill.
I am happy to have you share, and may put the brakes on if you are eating most of mine, and none of yours (which I don't desire either).
I can't stand all that germ phobic behavior of 'you can have that corner, I didn't touch it'. If you are that phobic you are unsuitable for sharing I think.
I love family style because my preference is usually a little taste of everything. Getting Chinese take-out with my mate is a challenge 'cause he just orders and eats his one or two things and doesn't want any of mine. (He is a reluctant sharer-but has been trainable.) So that's makes for less variety. I solve this issue by ordering 3 dishes for me, me, and me and eating the leftovers for lunch over a few days. Problem solved.
Sharing is nice but what is even nicer is respecting people's eating preferences incl wether they share or not (and not incl. someone forbidding for you to order the same as them).
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
Bottom line, there are many factors if you should share or not. They are...
1. The people you are dining with
2. What kind of restaurant you are at
3. how hungry you are
4. how good the dish is that you ordered.
And that rule about ordering the same dish? Order what you want, get what you are craving! Don't deny yourself anything! Especially when you are paying for it!
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
Sharing is the standard for me and my husband. We almost never order the same dish. Usually upon their arrival we each taste both of the dishes. If one of us strongly prefers the other's dish, we switch. If we both really like both dishes, we each eat about half and then switch plates. If we both like the same dish and both really dislike the other (which is infrequent), my husband insists that I eat the better dish. We didn't concoct this rigid-sounding regime - it has simply evolved over many years of wedded bliss. A perfect system (ok, less perfect for him)!
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
I prefer sharing, though I may be a bit neurotic about making sure there is enough for everyone to try everything. After the Mythbusters episode about "double dipping" I'm much less concerned about someone else's fork.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
I like family style meals and usually like sharing. The only exception to this is when I go to a tapas restaurant...I always feel like there is not enough food and everything is so tasty but there is just so little of it!! I get too stressed out-I just want to ask the server to bring me the rest of whatever I ordered that little taste is NOT enough.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
In some ways I agree with @beersnob and@redfish, but I can share when asked politely. No stabbing. If I have been to the establishment before and want to order something that I really love then I may not want to give it all away so please order a serving for yourself.
I have a friend that will drive you to distraction as well as myself. We plan a gals night out and she arrives a bit late and announces that she can't really hang out with us and she'll just have a bite of ours. That is beyond the pale of sharing and it is hard because every other part of her is so great. She gets included less and less and that is sad. The rule is to, at the very least, order something that you can share if you are asking for some of someone elses food.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
Sharing is permissible any time people agree to share.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
I have one friend for whom most of our eating outs (or occasional takeouts) go thusly: order. eat, eat, eat, eat, switch. eat, eat, eat, eat, switch ... we wind up the meal with both of our plates somewhere near the center of the table as we pick over them ... However, she's about the only person I'll do that with. In my family if we go out we usually ask for a bite, and it's always given ... or we proactively offer a bit of our own as a hint that we want some of theirs.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
Sharing food is alright, it promotes being at ease with the person. If you dont like to share, thats alright I really dont want to fight off a person who acts like a dog anyway.
When Is It Socially Acceptable to Share Food?
My boyfriend and I go out to eat often with our two best friends, and we always try to order four different meals, so as to all taste everything. This seems totally normal to me, but at the same time, I would never do it with someone else (even sharing with our families is off limits).
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Usually I hate buffets, but no one seems to be mentioning the awesomeness that is a well-done BREAKFAST buffet.
I love spending 1-2 hours on a weekend at a nice hotel breakfast buffet, chatting, reading the paper etc. There's not as much stuff to over-gorge yourself on, and it's difficult to get most of the foods horrifically wrong.