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it's the domino's observation in further detail. Delivery pizza places in DC can figure our which side is working into the night on an issue by what kinds of pizzas are ordered.

it sounds as if the problem is as much how his pickiness presents itself Vs the actual fact of the pickiness.
you need to negotiate how he goes about tasting and reacting. instead of filling his plate hiding the uneaten, he should take a bite only, then only take more of what he will actually eat. He also must accept that if he rejects what's for dinner, he makes his own substitute.

You, OTOH, have to deal with adjusting your daily cooking to reflect some of his opinions. Cooking can be fun, but the day in day out feeding of your partner & family isn't so much about the fun for you as about the fact that people need to eat. Plus, if he rejects your food in favor or cornflakes or PBJ for days on end, you can't be hurt.

if you someday are having kids, he needs to have learned to reject in a low-key fashion so as not to 'teach' his pickiness to them. I won't go so far as to expect him to sometimes noticeable eat something he is known to dislike, to model polite behaviour. But it would be handy.

PS I was in a relationship in which we had very different food cultures. our inability to appreciate each others standards was but one of many problems. But 3 times a day one or both of of us being annoyed or mad or disappointed sure didn't help. If you cant fine some way to enjoy meals together, some compromises, then hang it up now.

Bourbon. When I make the roux, i initially deglaze with some good bourbon, and finely minced herbs and then put it the stock. Yum.

I have made delicious gravy all my life and my mother and grandmother before me and my daughters and granddaughters too! We don't sweat the small stuff. We use a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet to darken it. I always make a cream gravy rather than the gravy from stock or broth. We add the giblets to the gravy and the neck meat to the dressing.

My first wife hated eggs, bananas, mustard, my watermelon fruit salad, my top secret recipe 6 grain pancakes, didn't like breakfast in general. Of course, I'm more of a breakfast cook, but her idea of cooking is heating up canned soup (mac and cheese was a highlight of her cooking skills). In fact, when we first got together, the only thing she ate was McDonald's cheeseburgers and fries. (I did get her to eat fresh cut up strawberries.) So when we split, I vowed that I would avoid dating picky eaters.

So of course, my last (I'm planning it that way, anyhow) wife is a great cook - an amateur chef IMHO, but she's vegan (and I'm allergic to the entire legume family). We have great fun trying to create dishes that we can both eat (the entree is always veggies, the protein ends up a side dish for each of us), and she has decided that fried rice with eggs is ok (she is having trouble getting enough protein in her diet). And as a bonus, she loves my pancakes (which I modify by substituting coconut or almond milk for sour milk and/or yogurt), and never complains about my potatoes.

So, as to your problem, drag the bum into the kitchen now and again and make cooking a shared activity - fun-shared, not chore-shared. If he is a good kitchen companion (maybe not entirely his cup-o-tea, but as a special activity), then it will lessen the anti-everything you seem to interpret from him right now, and some of his ideas might end up being useful in figuring out how to feed him when you are cooking without him. If you two can't get along in the kitchen, I'd have to vote for a quick exit strategy.

Well, I must say @maryannm (and echoers) and @betteirene gave some great answers.

Me, I have so much pre-cooking going on, I usually don't get to the stock beforehand. Plus, I like the way the aroma of gravy fills the house as you make it on T-day.

So, I just throw the neck and gizzards in a sauce pot on the stove first thing in the a.m., with all the celery and onion end bits from making the stuffing, a half carrot, and some peppercorns, bay leaf and a pinch of sea salt. (Note: DO NOT include the liver, as it will make the stock bitter.) I let that simmer gently all day, and add more water as necessary.

If you go this route, the key is scoring numerous cross-hatch slices into the neck and gizzards to extract as much flavor as possible. In the last hour of cooking, I scoop pan drippings with a ladle (and strain for fat), and add that to the stock - a little at a time - stirring and tasting as I go. Once the gravy is rich enough, I add white white wine (or sometimes, vodka) to add depth of flavor and cut through the fat.

Then I add fresh herbs to the pot (like sage and thyme - you can add other herbs or spices to your liking, of course)). From there I simmer and let the fat and alcohol mingle and cook off together for another 20-30 minutes. Stirring and tasting, and adding more drippings, herbs, seasoning or booze, as necessary for balance.

When the flavor is perfect, thicken with a golden roux of butter and flour, that has been diluted with gravy until smooth. Simmer and stir for 5-10 minutes longer, adding more roux, if necessary.

Important Tip: I always have at least 32 oz. of boxed or canned chicken stock on hand (turkey would be better of course), in the event that the gravy is to rich and needs diluting, or when more liquid is needed. This has saved me more than once. Also, it can make extra gravy in a pinch for leftovers, in the event some crazy fool tossed the extra gravy down the drain while doing dishes, which happens more often than you would imagine. Just add saved drippings, a turkey wing and/or bones and some skin from the carcass, and aromatics (onion, garlic, celery, carrot, herbs, spices). Simmer 20-30 minutes (or more, if you have time), thicken w/ roux, season to taste, and you're all set.

Hope this helps. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey Gastronomeg, you must be in Columbus. Me too!! Heard about Anthony on NPR. Wish I could go, but have to work. Have fun!!!

Every person you meet and get along with very well isn't necessarily your mate. Food is something you will be sharing with this person for life, 3 times a day plus snacks. Not to mention favorite holiday treats... that adds up to a lot of things you won't be sharing, possibly even arguing about. You love to cook, and may see food as love. His constant rejection of your offerings and likes may over time wear like water dripping on stone and erode love and respect. A very long list of verboten foods is a whole different thing than not caring for a few things. Stay friends if possible but think long and hard about developing more intimacy.
BUT- utimately it's your life, your choice.

I think if you were really crazy about this person, his food habits wouldn't bother you as much.

It would eventually chip away at her patience, no matter how much she cares for him. You can only overlook something for so long before it ends up being part of an argument that goes, "Yeah, and another thing..."

I think if you were really crazy about this person, his food habits wouldn't bother you as much. And, vice-versa, he would make an attempt to be more adventurous.

My husband was a picky eater when we first started dating. Over time, he's broadened his horizons food-wise, and I save the things he really won't eat to savor when I'm having a meal without him. A good compromise, I think.

You're welcome a thousand times.

My sister Denise is the best gravy stirrer ever, by the way. She gets the spoon all the way into the corners and does the figure-eight thing so that the gravy doesn't catch on to the bottom of the pot.

betterirene: A thousand thank you's. This is exactly what I was looking for.

The short answer is you don't. Homeowner's insurance won't cover you if you're running a business (especially an unlicensed business of questionable legality). Even if you did obtain insurance coverage, failure to maintain the proper licenses and inspections is going to invalidate the coverage.

Setting up an LLC is also not much protection. That's a corporate veil that would be pretty easy to pierce. The bottom line is you either decide the risk is to great and go legit or you accept the risk and continue with the underground restaurant.