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Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Since you are asking a bunch of strangers for marital advice, you obviously already have doubts about the relationship. And, since everyone here loves food, we all think your boyfriend is a jerk.
Seriously, people that have aversions to many different common foods have deeper neurosis and insecurities that make them difficult to live with. Get out now.
Homemade Soups and Stocks ...
I have a large repertoire of homemade soups, but my favorite is based on a recipe that was published in the NY Times, and said to be over 100 years old. There are no meat products in it. It makes a spectacular, soufflé–like presentation, and tastes amazing.
Onion Soup Gratinée
6–8 servings Prep plus cooking time: 2 hours
1 bagette (stale is OK)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 lb. Emmental cheese
5 large onions
1–1/4 cups tomato puree
3 tbsp. Diamond Crystal® kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
Equipment:
5.5–7.25 qt. round dutch oven
large saucepan
food processor w/shredding disk or box grater
rimmed sheet pan
Position oven rack to upper middle position, and preheat to 350°F. Slice the bagette into 1/2” thick slices. Place bread rounds directly on oven rack and toast until lightly golden (10–15 min). Transfer to the cookie sheet to cool.
Grate the cheese and reserve.
Peel and slice the onions. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in the pot over medium–high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with the pepper and 1 tbsp. DCK salt. Sauté the onion until well caramelized (15–20 min), stirring frequently. If they stick, just deglaze the pot with a little water. Remove onions from pot and hold aside.
Butter the bread toasts on one side with the remaining butter, and arrange closely together on the sheet pan. Sprinkle all but 1 cup of the cheese on the buttered bread rounds and press down to adhere.
Arrange 1/3 of the bread rounds in a layer on the bottom of the pot. Cover with 1/3 of the onions, then 1/3 of the tomato. Repeat same layers two more times. Finish top with the remaining grated cheese.
Keep the oven at 350°F. and move rack to lower–middle position.
In the saucepan, dissolve 2 tbsp. DCK salt in 2 qts. boiling water. Stir in the sherry. Carefully pour the liquid into the dutch oven near the edge., trying not to disturb the top layer of cheese. Simmer on the stovetop for 20 min., uncovered, then transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour @ 350°F., uncovered.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Brussels Sprouts
Your mother did not serve them to you as a kid because brussel sprouts do not come in a can. I have been buying brussel sprouts still on the stalk at the local farmers market every week lately.
Good food is good food, so there are numerous delicious ways to prepare them. The most basic method is to toss with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, and roast for 25-30 min. @ 350°F.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Since you are asking a bunch of strangers for marital advice, you obviously already have doubts about the relationship. And, since everyone here loves food, we all think your boyfriend is a jerk.
Seriously, people that have aversions to many different common foods have deeper neurosis and insecurities that make them difficult to live with. Get out now.
Homemade Soups and Stocks ...
I have a large repertoire of homemade soups, but my favorite is based on a recipe that was published in the NY Times, and said to be over 100 years old. There are no meat products in it. It makes a spectacular, soufflé–like presentation, and tastes amazing.
Onion Soup Gratinée
6–8 servings Prep plus cooking time: 2 hours
1 bagette (stale is OK)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 lb. Emmental cheese
5 large onions
1–1/4 cups tomato puree
3 tbsp. Diamond Crystal® kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
Equipment:
5.5–7.25 qt. round dutch oven
large saucepan
food processor w/shredding disk or box grater
rimmed sheet pan
Position oven rack to upper middle position, and preheat to 350°F. Slice the bagette into 1/2” thick slices. Place bread rounds directly on oven rack and toast until lightly golden (10–15 min). Transfer to the cookie sheet to cool.
Grate the cheese and reserve.
Peel and slice the onions. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in the pot over medium–high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with the pepper and 1 tbsp. DCK salt. Sauté the onion until well caramelized (15–20 min), stirring frequently. If they stick, just deglaze the pot with a little water. Remove onions from pot and hold aside.
Butter the bread toasts on one side with the remaining butter, and arrange closely together on the sheet pan. Sprinkle all but 1 cup of the cheese on the buttered bread rounds and press down to adhere.
Arrange 1/3 of the bread rounds in a layer on the bottom of the pot. Cover with 1/3 of the onions, then 1/3 of the tomato. Repeat same layers two more times. Finish top with the remaining grated cheese.
Keep the oven at 350°F. and move rack to lower–middle position.
In the saucepan, dissolve 2 tbsp. DCK salt in 2 qts. boiling water. Stir in the sherry. Carefully pour the liquid into the dutch oven near the edge., trying not to disturb the top layer of cheese. Simmer on the stovetop for 20 min., uncovered, then transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour @ 350°F., uncovered.
Fried potato question
Add some fried sliced garlic and Pimentón de La Vera Dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika) and you're there.
What would you eat for 30 days?
Fresh-baked, chewy Russian rye bread, slathered with good salted butter, and egg creams made with U-Bet chocolate syrup.
The Milk in Pumpkin Pie Debate
I use 3/4 cup light cream and four eggs. Plus fresh ginger, cardomom, and dark rum.
The pie in the photo looks like wedge of shortbread with orange icing.
It's Over - What candy is left, and what will you do with it?
@lemons-
Thanks for your comment about the Oreo pie crust. I've never actually made one. I usually use graham cracker crumbs or crushed animal crackers mixed with one tablespoon of sugar for my coconut custard or key lime pie crusts.
I was concerned that the crushed Oreos would be too sweet unless I remove the icing. What do you think?
It's Over - What candy is left, and what will you do with it?
I had bought 180 single-serving packages of Oreos. We had a rush of 150 kids between 3:00 and 6:00 pm, but then it started pouring rain, and that was the end of it. What I don't eat myself, I will scrape off the icing, and use the cookies to make a chocolate crust for a coconut custard pie.
New Jersey Dispatch: Asian Food Center
I shop at the Asian Food Center on Route 22 in Plainfield. The selection of packaged potstickers and noodles, rice, and Asian condiments is amazing. The produce is cheap, but much of it is past its prime in terms of freshness.
I would not buy meat or fish here ever again. The one time I purchased scallops, they were terrible, chemically plumped, milky, and tasteless. The meat and fish area is really not very clean. There are dead fish floating in the tanks with the live ones. Yuck.
Pumpkin Pie Ideas Needed
Caribbean Pumpkin Pie
8 servings Prep plus cooking time: 1–1/2 hrs. Cooling time: 2+ hrs.
1 pie crust
1–15 oz. can Libby's® pumpkin filling
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup light cream
7 oz. granulated sugar (7/8 cup)
1/2 tsp. table salt
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
4 tbsp. Myer's® dark rum
Equipment
pie weights or 1 lb. dried beans
10” pie plate
10” pie edge shield
Position oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375°F.
Roll out the dough to 12” round. Line the pie plate with the pastry round, flute the edge with your fingers. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake the crust for 8 min. Remove weights and foil, pierce the bottom of the crust several times with a fork, and continue baking 5 min. or until pastry is set and dry. Cool on a wire rack.
Mix remaining ingredients to make filling. Place pastry–lined pie plate on oven rack. Carefully pour filling into crust. Cover edge of pastry with pie shield. Bake @ 375°F. for 50 min., or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool pie on a wire rack for 2 hours before serving.
To serve, garnish with whipped cream.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Will keep 2–3 days in the refrigerator.
Kiss the Cook!! What's for dinner Thursday Oct. 29th?
I made a caramelized Vidalia onion soup with Emmenthal cheese, and a Granny Smith walnut streusel deep-dish apple pie.
What do you use maple syrup for?
It not something that I would want to eat everyday, but real maple syrup is one of my favorite food aromas/tastes. Unless you have just landed from another solar system, you know that this is the ultimate topping for pancakes or waffles. As others have suggested, brush some on while cooking breakfast sausage or bacon. I sometimes drizzle about a tablespoon into a batch of braised collard greens, to give it a very subtle sweetness.
I buy amazing maple syrup, as well as wonderful boiled apple cider reduction, by mail from this family-run farm in Vermont:
www.woodscidermill.com
Apple Pie Experiment
I make a lot of apple pies this time of year. I like a tart pie, so I pretty much stick with Granny Smiths. A two-crust pie is usual, but I also make streusel-topped pies with chopped walnuts. I don't precook the filling, I use powdered tapioca as a thickener (see note).
Apple Walnut Streusel Pie
8 servings Prep plus cooking time: 1–1/2 hours
1 disk pie pastry
4 lbs. Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
7 tsp. powdered Minute® tapioca*
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. table salt
1/3 cup Wood’s® Boiled Cider**
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick (2 oz.) cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 425°F, set oven rack to bottom position and place sheet pan on rack to catch drips.
Grease the pie plate liberally with butter. Line plate with the disk of rolled dough. Refrigerate crust for 15 min. while you prepare the filling.
Peel and core the apples. Half lengthwise, and slice 1/4" thick.
Mix the tapioca, granulated sugar, cloves, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and salt, in a small bowl. Place the fruit in a large bowl. Drizzle the cider reduction over the apples and toss. Dust with the dry ingredients, and toss again until evenly coated. Shingle the fruit into the crust, minimizing voids. Mound it up as high as necessary.
In a food processor, mix the flour, brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold butter in chunks, and pulse just a few times until it resembles wet sand. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, and pinch it together with your fingers to form a streusel. Gently mix in the chopped walnuts, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the pie.
Set pie on preheated sheet pan. Bake 30 min. @ 425°F. Reduce to 350°F. and bake another 20–30 min., or until juices begin to bubble out. Cover top of pie with foil if it browns too quickly.
Cool on wire rack a few hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
* Grind the tapioca granules in a clean coffee grinder until powderized.
** Wood’s Boiled Cider is available from: www.woodscidermill.com
Split Pea Soup!
I make pea soup on a regular basis. It's a matter of taste what meat product you use to flavor it.
I have made it with chorizo, but now find that a bit too overpowering. Ham hocks are nice, but stripping and dicing the meat is extra work. My current recipe uses homemade pancetta, which I buy from my local butcher.
Pea Soup
8 servings Cooking time: 1 hour
1 lb. dried yellow or green split peas
8 oz. pancetta
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2–1/2 qts. chicken broth
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
3 dried bay leaves
salt & pepper
toasted bread croutons (optional, for garnish)
Equipment:
colander
6–8 qt. stockpot
hand–held immersion blender
Rinse and pick over the peas in a colander or large mesh strainer.
In the stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Dice the pancetta, add to the pot, and sauté until the fat is rendered out. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, plus 1 tsp. table salt and 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened, 8 min. Add the chicken broth, peas, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 50–60 min, or until peas are tender. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with toasted croutons.
Favorite chili recipes?
I make a variation on Tyler's recipe as well. There are many ingredients, but it is simple to execute:
Beef Chili w/Chocolate
6–8 servings Cooking time: 3 hrs.
2–1/2 lbs. boneless chuck steak, cut into large cubes
1 quart beef stock
2 medium onions, diced
4 shallots, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium bell peppers, roasted, skinned, and roughly chopped
1–28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2–15.5 oz. cans pink beans
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp. ancho chili powder
2 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. smoked sweet Spanish paprika
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
salt & pepper
Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the ancho chili powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and cinnamon to make a seasoning mixture.
Place the beef cubes in the pot and add the stock. Add additional water, if necessary, to cover meat by 1”. Bring to a boil over medium–high heat, and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Add in the onions, shallots, roasted peppers, and garlic. Stir in the seasoning mixture. Crush the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl with your hands. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pot. Simmer until the meat comes apart with no resistance, about 2 hrs. As it cooks down, add a small amount of water, if necessary.
Using 2 forks, pull the meat chunks apart into shreds. Drain and rinse the beans. Stir in the beans and the cornmeal. Simmer for another 45 min. uncovered. Stir in the cocoa powder and simmer another 5 min. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides
I love brussel sprouts and broccoli rabe, but 8 of my 24 guests this year will be young children, so that would never fly.
I do green peas au gratin, a crunchy, homemade apple cole slaw, and a cold wild rice salad tossed with macerated sultanas (golden raisins), toasted almonds, and fresh mint.
Where can I find quince?
I believe that I have seen quince at Whole Foods, too.
If you can't find fresh, membrillo is a thick jelly or paste made from quince. it is readily available in Spanish/Portuguese, and some Middle Eastern, ethnic markets and grocery stores. You can also buy it mail order. Here's a link for more info:
www.gourmetsleuth.com/quincepastemembrillo.htm
What strange things are in the door of your fridge?
Nothing in my fridge is strange, because I put it there. I do have a lot of condiments on the door including at least half a dozen mustards, several kinds of hot sauce, different flavored vinegars, various fruit preserves, U-Bet chocolate syrup (for making egg creams), numerous Asian condiments, Lebanese rose water, and orange flower water for cooking.
Where do you put condiment sauce on your burger.
I like to pan fry my favorite burger in a little melted butter, so it stays juicy, then I sop up some of the melted butter and drippings from the pan with the bottom half of a lightly-toased bun. I add a little ketchup or BBQ sauce spiked with hot sauce onto the bottom bun, so that it hits my tongue first whin I bite into it. Then, on goes the cooked patty seasoned with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, a thin slice of Virginia ham and American cheese (inspired by Roy Rodger's Double-R Bar burger), then, thinly sliced onion, sliced sour pickles, and a thick slice of ripe tomato. I generally don't put mayo on top of the tomato, but would not be opposed to it. I love mustard, but never on hamburgers, and lettuce seves no purpose.
Would You Eat This Lobster?
A bottom-feeding sea creature that has lived in the wild that long has probably accumulated enough pollutants in its body to be toxic if eaten.
Pricey cloves
I buy premium-quality spices by mail from The Spice House, Chicago.
2 oz. ground cloves, $3.99
If you are not familiar with this site, it is worth a look:
www.thespicehouse.com
Do You Check Out Other Peoples' Fridges?
I remember looking into a friend's refrigerator years ago, and saw 15 or more different, strange, and unfamiliar types of mustard on the door. He explained to me that his older brother was "into mustard". This was intriguing, my having been raised on the bland, yellow stuff. This thread reminded me of that experience, which helped spark my interest in gourmet foods.
I now order from the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin, which sells 500 different mustards from around the world. Gotta love the internet.
www.mustardmuseum.com
What's your spice aversion?
I am intrigued by everyone's comments. I like all of the aformentioned spices (except for lavender), keeping in mind that a very small amount goes a long way. Too much of anything is off-putting.
I make an "Asian" braised beef brisket, scented with anise seed, that would knock your socks off. It sounds weird, but it is delicious.
Best Halloween Candy?
The single-serve packs of Oreos (6 regular-size cookies) are packed 12 to a box for just $4.25 (on sale at my local supermarket this month). I don't think this is extravagant, even though we get upwards of 150 trick-or-treaters every year.
I can't imagine just giving each child one tiny, bite-sized chocolate bar, and if I were to give out a handful of those to each kid, I would need a truckload, and it would be mayhem.
Brussels Sprouts
Among certain colleagues, I'm known as the brussel sprout man because I brought sprouts to the office Thanksgiving years ago when I first rediscovered this much maligned vegetable. When I'm in a hurry, I'll just roast them (as has been noted numerous times) in a 400 degree oven, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper. One sprout convert had to admit that they ALMOST taste as good as french fries! You can enhance this simple preparation with garlic, chili powder, or my favorite all purpose fennel spice rub. You can also combine them with potatoes or turnips.
For those who find the sprouts bitter, take note that combining them (roasted or sauted) with dried cranberries, carrots, sweet potatoes, or balsamic vinegar complements them beautifully. They also pair with nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, pecans) for a bit of crunch. You can of course make anything taste great with butter and bacon/pancetta, but I keep away from the cheese sauce although this recipe with cream sauce that my sister-in-law made one Thanksgiving will make anyone love sprouts!
She also made this phenomenal frisee salad at Christmas last year, which I still have yet to recreate, but it was a revelation. I'm tempted to add dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds to it to even out the bitter/sweet proportion, but it's excellent as is.
A friend who was tired of me prosletyzing about the virtues of brussel sprouts on the spot at her house coaxed me to prepare something similar to this recipe from Martha, except I used pine nuts and didn't blanch them at all. Instead I followed my usual technique of brown them in butter/olive oil, deglaze with wine and reduce, simmer in chicken stock and reduce.
The recipe I would most likely prepare for first timers is from Amanda Hesser's The Cook and the Gardener and opened up a whole world of sprout exploration (as you can see from this excessively long post). Her recipe is a saute with apple, red wine and spices. Everyone raved when I took these to my aunt's as a side one Thanksgiving, and I happen to have them waiting in my lunch today from last night's dinner with pork and spaetzle. Amanda's is the perfect fall preparation as the sprouts are sauted with "pumpkin pie spices:" pinches of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, and I've thrown in allspice too. First you saute a diced golden delicious apple (I used kohlrabi recently and it works well too) and set aside. Next, saute the sprouts until lightly browned, mixing once. Deglaze with red wine (I used port last night because my pork sauce called for it) and reduce. Simmer with chicken stock and reduce. Add back the apples when the sprouts are done. These smell so good when cooking you just know they're going to be delicious!
Brussels Sprouts
Quartered brussel sprouts, chopped apple, apple cider, olive oil, salt, pepper, roast at 375. Perfection.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Good point @kerosena : worth repeating
"If you feel that your BF is shut off to trying new things in life, that's not going to change.
The food issue may just be a symptom of inflexibility. Only you can answer that one!"
Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel
Agree with one of the above posters that Jumbo on 2nd Ave. (Manhattan) extremely underrated, and that both H&H & Ess-a-Bagel horribly overrated. Tal (a chain) is pretty decent. David on 1st Ave. had a great pumpernickel. And there's actually a good bagel now in North Brooklyn: Baker's Dozen, on Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. But for me, the number-one bagel is "Hot Bagels" on 79th st. & Metropolitan in Middle Village.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
It doesn't have to be a dealbreaker, but I find that a shared love of food and cooking is such an important thing in out relationship. Our likes and dislikes don't line up exactly, but we both enjoy lots of different things, and share a few favorites.
Do I wish there was more seafood in our household? Sure. But as long as we keep trying new things together, I can let that one go.
If you feel that your BF is shut off to trying new things in life, that's not going to change. The food issue may just be a symptom of inflexibility. Only you can answer that one!
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Hi neighbour!
Funny you ask this. I was thinking about it not long ago.
I just started dating someone: I believe that he's picky but I haven't found out the extent yet. He appears to be a "ketchup and KD" kinda guy...so maybe I just need to present some kind of exposure or something.
Maybe this is an opportunity for you to "teach" good food you know?
I really like him...so this won't be an issue for me.
I just left a four-year "foodie" relationship...and I've found that it was too much of a "war in the kitchen" after a while. I enjoyed that he would cook for me ALL THE TIME. but I never got to cook myself!!!!!
Just somethin' else to ponder.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Good point joyy-
Just poach a big bunch of bland chicken, cook up a batch of buttered noodles and rice and pack them into seven containers for reheating.
Then cook what you like.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Next time, it will be.
**sigh**
Now, please excuse me while I take my millionth chicken breast out of the freezer and prepare my millionth pot of white rice.
Brussels Sprouts
I cut up a few slices of good bacon, render them down until the bacon "bits" are good and crispy. I remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, and toss the washed and halved brussel spouts into the bacon fat and saute until they are bright green and have some caramelization on them (just slightly browned edges). If the pan is too dry (sometimes really lean bacon doesn't render enough fat), put a dash of chicken stock in so that a bit of steam is created, but not much...there's nothing good about a mushy brussel sprout. It should only take a couple of minutes to cook them...then I take them off the heat and sprinkle the bacon bits on them. YUM! Just made those this weekend and my daughter ate three helpings!
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
The other option is to unburden yourself from the responsibility of feeding him. Yes, it's not that romantic and it's a little unconventional, but he is a grown man, right? He can feed himself, right? Just because you love to cook doesn't mean that you should shoulder yourself into bearing the responsibility for someone whose tastes are clearly driving you up a wall.
And when you feel like it's time to rotate something from his super limited menu into your more divers menu, it will be a treat that he appreciates more than if you just resigned yourself to cooking a handful of bland boring dinners for the remainder of the relationship. Or make BIG batches of things when you do cook for him that can be frozen and will last much longer if you need to assuage yourself from the guilt of abandoning him food-wise.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Picky eaters are a deal breaker for me in relationships. It would be tough to see myself dating a vegetarian (given my love of steak, chicken wings, sausages). I actually like a lot of vegetarian dishes so if they didn't care if I ate meat we could try to make it work. But it would be impossible to date a picky vegetarian, the kind who actually doesn't like vegetables and really only eats leaf lettuce with dressing, pasta, and potatoes.
Picky eating even strains friendships too. Those people have to know what's at a restaurant before eating. Never want to go someplace new unless it's a new TGI Friday's or Olive Garden.
"Why didn't you tell me you guys were going out to dinner?"
"But you don't want to try Indian food."
"You could pick a place everyone likes so we can all go out."
"But we wanted Indian food at that new place."
Even at the beach, "Hey let's go to that restaurant by the bay!"
"Do they have seafood? I can't go if it smells like fish. Will there be chicken there? I can eat chicken as long as it's not on the bone. Oh wait, there's onions and mushrooms. Is this cheese? I only like American."
Brussels Sprouts
I saw this awesome looking brussels sprout hash on Diners Drive-ins and Dives the other day. If you could get a hold of that recipe that's worth trying.
As for me, I blanch them, saute some shallots, add the sprouts and some pomegranate seeds and some sugar.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
This thread is fascinating! As my sons married and additional people were added to the mix, I found I had to add things to the menus for holidays because the new people had dislikes and I didn't want to not cook the old favorites so we just have a Lot of Food now. For every day though I thank my lucky stars that my beloved husband of 40 years eats everything except liver, a food without which I can certainly survive. He also cheerfully cleans the kitchen every night no matter how many dishes I have used. The more things you have in common to start with the better the chances of longevity of the relationship.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
"Then she told me she didn't like honey. 7 years and I'm now finding out that she doesn't like honey."
WTH! Who doesn't like honey?
Is all this chain of food hate some passive-aggressive form of punishment on the cook?
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Bottom line-
What do YOU want in a relationship?
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
If you're at a crossroads with him anyway, and you're not totally head over heels in love with him, then I say the food issue is a deal breaker. It sounds like you're a creative person, and you're already being limited by his pickiness. You have to eat at least three times a day, so this is just going to keep coming up.
Also, imagine what travel would be like - your honeymoon to some exotic place and he's picking things out of his food... Or worse, keeps wanting to hit up the McDonalds in the train station and then complains that the hamburger is seasoned differently.... Or worse yet, you don't end up traveling at all because he's afraid of the food.
The ability to cook is an asset and as someone else put it above, an expression of love. You should be with someone who appreciates it! I can't believe he refused to eat a sandwich you made him!!
Brussels Sprouts
I second (third? fourth?) the roasted brussels sprouts with garlic, parmesan and red pepper flakes. I'm also a huge fan of Heidi's golden-crusted brussels sprouts recipe.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Cut him loose. In my experience, ( I have a very low tolerance for picky eaters) its usually not the food, its a passive aggressive manuever to control something else. And sorry, didn't anyone teach this guy that its bad manners to pick things out of your plate at the table? Either he doesn't seem to know how this makes you feel, or he does and it doesn't matter. Throw that fish back!
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
Before we met, my husband disliked certain things -- brussel sprouts, asparagus, and the like. It wasn't until I cooked those things for him that he started enjoying those vegetables... and I thought (rather arrogantly), "Hey, maybe I can change his mind about other foods!"
After we got into a disagreement about anchovy butter in mashed potatoes (me presuming that, a friend very delicately pointed out that no, I don't have the power to flip a switch and change his mind on all foods (much less anything), I just have the power to make some things that he really enjoys.
Compromise is a big thing in a relationship. If you want someone who's willing to meet you halfway, then he has to be able to do that on his own. If he can't, then it'll cross over into non-foody issues, and that's going to be a larger problem down the road. Likewise, if you can't work around the fact that your boyfriend is a picky eater, then it's time to re-evaluate whether you want to stay with this one long-term.
@ocarol -- my sentiments exactly!
Brussels Sprouts
I like them sliced thin and sauteed with hazelnuts (pistachios are great too) and dried cranberries and finished with a bit of orange juice and butter.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
As Liz Lemon would say, "That's a dealbreaker!" My partner does't like eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini and peas--and trust me, it sucks sometimes. Not enough to be a dealbreaker, because at least she's not a five year old about it--she'll eat around it, or give me her mushrooms or whatever. Only time it sucks is when we go out to eat because we generally share our entrees, but that's about it.
I couldn't imagine being with someone who doesn't like half the stuff that I like. Screw that.
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
So true , if something bothers you before marriage, it aint gonna go away after thats for sure...it's gonna get bigger than BEN HUR....you could 1.either cook ONLY for yourself, let him fend for himself
2.keep trying to please him, probably mostly unsuccessfully.
3.cut him loose so he's someone elses problem, unless you can deal with his criticism everyday, for the rest of your time together.
these things don't diminish in time they actually divide you more, if it's something you enjoy and he always spoils it for you...where's the fun in that!!
Brussels Sprouts
I'm not fond of caramelized cabbage family, but love brussels sprouts steamed and then topped with a little basic cheese sauce such as you might make for broccoli or cauliflower (just a basic white sauce with some cheese added).
Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!
You don't like mushrooms? Great. . .I'll gladly eat them. The king of the house also doesn't like cheesecake, corned beef, ribs, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin pie (aka "baby-poop pie"), and the only thing he eats that's green is the lettuce on a Taco Bell taco.
He loves salmon patties, which I don't understand at all. Why would you want to poach a beautifully expensive fillet, mix it with an egg and cheap saltines and fry it in butter? But if that's what he wants for his birthday dinner, that's what he gets. When I grill, roast or pan fry any kind of beef, his serving is cooked an extra 10 or 20 minutes until it's dead and dry. I hate that.
There's a lot of food in the world, though, and we agree on a lot of them: biscuits and gravy, lasagna, pizza, Szechuan chicken, chili, anything Mexican, any form of rice, bouef bourguignon (I get all the mushrooms). He's perfectly happy to have frozen On-Cor Salisbury steaks while the rest of us have ribs; except for the cheesecake and pumpkin pie, he loves everything I bake; and he adores any variation of grilled cheese.
Fifty percent of the sons are normal, but there's the one who's almost 40 and hasn't eaten mashed potatoes since he was three; the one who scrapes the cheese off his lasagna (you should hear what his wife has to say about his food preferences); the one who won't eat cooked carrots. . .I love them all anyway.
And, my oh my, how I love that man o' mine. Madly. There's a lot more to nourishing a relationship than ringing a dinner bell; if he manages to feed your soul, keep him.
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Your mother did not serve them to you as a kid because brussel sprouts do not come in a can. I have been buying brussel sprouts still on the stalk at the local farmers market every week lately.
Good food is good food, so there are numerous delicious ways to prepare them. The most basic method is to toss with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, and roast for 25-30 min. @ 350°F.