Foods you may have been told are popular, but that you hate (or love!)

[Apple fanboy]

This combination of sweets and salty presses my gustatory buttons.

As a child, one for the very few sweets (candies to Our Transatlantic Cousins) that I liked was butterscotch, and I love shortbread.

Indeed, this is the main - not quite sole (as I also love good artisan sausages) reason that I am not vegetarian.

I get the arguments, understand them and even agree with some of them. And, when I eat meat, I ensure that it is ethically sourced and has been properly reared - I usually buy it from the individuals who reared it.

However, do I wish to live in a world where I will never again taste that exquisite sweet and salty hit of Iberico Bellota ham - which comes from rummaging pigs that roamed, hunting acorns? No, I don't.

Shortbread. Now your talking!
As kids we would eat a mousse made with raspberries (picked from the garden), evaporated milk and sugar served with shortbread.
Devine, but terribly bad for you!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Shortbread. Now your talking!
As kids we would eat a mousse made with raspberries (picked from the garden), evaporated milk and sugar served with shortbread.
Devine, but terribly bad for you!

My brother loves shortbread, too.

And yes, I could eat lots of it (but I dislike most other biscuits).

Breton galettes have the same flavour profile as shortbread, but they are 'crisper'.

 

[Clix Pix]

That mousse sounds really good! One of the most delicious desserts I ever had in my life was many years ago when I was working at the public library and one of my coworkers, who was from the UK, brought in freshly-made Raspberry Trifle for us to enjoy. That was simply out of this world!!!

I, too, like a sweet - salty combination, and I also really am fond of Shortbread, too.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Not everyone would agree, but for those who do... this is roughly how chole chaat goes from that book and about how I usually make it. But like any dish that doesn’t involve baking something leavened, I tend to approximate measurements and be guided by personal preferences on the amounts of spices (and types of chilis). I don’t live near an Asian or Indian market so I settle for what I’ve rounded up last time I found some chilis worth bringing home, or resort to using dried ones as I see fit. Worst case... green jalapeño sauce has been pressed into service for this dish once in awhile lol. Don’t tell anyone. Anyway in real life the dish has migrated to street food variants, so I’m giving it a leg up in that direction from my kitchen, probably, i.e., variety is the spice of life.

Ingredients:

about 2 cups of cooked chickpeas - they should be about as soft as you like them as they will not cook much more during prep of this dish (can use a can of them, but i prefer to cook up dried ones in advance and keep them in fridge as I use them often).​

2 teaspoons oil for cooking
-- i use canola, can use coconut oil or ghee as desired

1 onion, peeled and chopped
garlic, peeled and minced, amount as desired, I use 2 cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
an inch or so knob of fresh ginger, either grated or fine julienne
2 red or green chilies, heat of your choosing, finely chopped
part of a 14oz can of petit diced tomatoes or a fat fresh one, chopped
about a cup and a half of water or vegetable stock more or less as you see fit

steamed Basmati rice to serve it with (but i sometimes use fine couscous instead)
chopped fresh cilantro for garnishing​

Preparation:

Sauté the onion until translucent.
Raise heat a bit to medium high, add dry spices, cook for a minute or so until fragrant.
Reduce heat to medium, add the chilies, ginger, garlic, cook watchfully for a couple minutes.
Raise heat, add tomatoes, chickpeas, water or broth, stir to marry up the flavors.
Bring just to boil, reduce heat, simmer for about 20 minutes.​

Serve with the Basmati rice or couscous, garnish w/ the cilantro.

The dish needs something green to make it nice, I think. So if I don’t happen to have cilantro around to garnish it with, then I incorporate some chopped “herb salad mix” greens or something like that --dandelion greens, spinach etc-- into the dish in the last ten minutes of simmering. The spices are such that it's not going to matter what the greens are really, but the coriander leaves (cilantro) are a traditional garnish.

Decent recipe. We typically use fresh cilantro instead of ground coriander, and one always stirs in the garam masala at the very end of the cooking process. Personally, I like to add a pinch of roasted and freshly ground fennel seeds to the mix as well (not everyone in the family likes this...). Chole should be served with a side of julienned or minced red onion, a wedge of lime, some raw diced green chilies and a dusting of kala namak (“black salt”). Add and mix to taste.

 

[Lioness~]

Coconut - it's the dandruff off of the devils anus.

Quite the opposite.
I absolutely love Coconut in everything I have tasted. Very healthy too.

Can't stand meat anymore. Was a long time ago I stopped eating it though.
Dead beings

 

[Foggydog]

please send all the donuts and food you dislike my way

Welcome back. I have missed your posts.

 

[LizKat]

Decent recipe. We typically use fresh cilantro instead of ground coriander, and one always stirs in the garam masala at the very end of the cooking process. Personally, I like to add a pinch of roasted and freshly ground fennel seeds to the mix as well (not everyone in the family likes this...). Chole should be served with a side of julienned or minced red onion, a wedge of lime, some raw diced green chilies and a dusting of kala namak (“black salt”). Add and mix to taste.

I didn't realize garam masala is considered more a finishing spice but it does make sense to use it that way, would put more lift in it especially if the chilis I used were pretty mild.

Kala namak I do usually have around, I use it on scrambled tofu dishes when I'm aiming for egg taste, I guess it's the sulfur in it that does that. Thanks for your improvements to this dish and the sides, I'm going to try them out next time.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Ice-cream.

This is something I do not like but is very popular. Likewise, milk chocolate.

 

[Clix Pix]

I like ice cream, but really don't eat it all that often, and very seldom purchase it. I have lactose intolerance so need to be bit cautious about how many dairy products I consume during a given day or time period. Milk chocolate is OK, but I much prefer dark chocolate and bitter chocolate.....

 

[Alphazoid]

Sushi, Bacon, Mushrooms, Hot Dogs

...i don't get it. Not for me.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Sushi, Bacon, Mushrooms, Hot Dogs

...i don't get it. Not for me.

Bacon? The smell is enough to make you want to have some whatever the cost! Can't say I've had any in a while though

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sushi, Bacon, Mushrooms, Hot Dogs

...i don't get it. Not for me.

I think that it may be the texture that you dislike, but that is a texture that quite appeals to m.

Bacon? The smell is enough to make you want to have some whatever the cost! Can't say I've had any in a while though

Oh, yes, wholeheartedly agreed; the aroma of sautéing bacon and sausages gives rise to serious salivation.

 

[decafjava]

This is more for Canadians, but I can't figure out why Tim Horton's is still so popular. Last two times I was in Canada I found the pastries (donuts and the like) tasting pretty industrial and sometimes stale. The bagels are ok, soups come from a can - well huge plastic bags - and the only thing going for it is price. The coffee is mediocre I find, perhaps the method of preparation, as I recall @SandboxGeneral liked buying their coffee blends so most likely the preparation.

I found much better coffee and donuts and the like elsewhere in the greater Vancouver area.

 

[S.B.G]

he coffee is mediocre I find, perhaps the method of preparation, as I recall @SandboxGeneral liked buying their coffee blends so most likely the preparation.

Yeah I used to like their coffee for a short time. That is until I learned more about finding higher quality beans, the freshness factor and trying beans from many different regions to find the ones I liked the best.

I don't care for TH coffee anymore and you're spot on when you describe their mediocre coffee and industrial, stale pastries.

But to each their own and I like to say that if you like it, then that is all that matters.

Just this morning I placed a new order for coffee from my favorite roaster, Atomic Coffee Roasters.

I ordered my typical every other week of their French Roast which I use for espresso. They're a Sumatran bean and a region of which I find that I enjoy the taste above all others I've tried through the years.

I also ordered for the first time a new blend they call the Rocketeer Blend which is from Honduras. The description sounds interesting and I want to try it. This will be used with my Chemex.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

...the aroma of sautéing bacon and sausages gives rise to serious salivation.

And that is what gives rise to serious salivation in my case.

 

[LizKat]

Ice-cream.

This is something I do not like but is very popular. Likewise, milk chocolate.

I won't buy ice cream for my house because I fear it would not last or else would go stale, since my attitude towards it varies. I can be talked into chocolate chip mint ice cream at a sibling's house though, and then I have all to do in not being so rude as to suggest another round.

@Ulenspiegel regarding îles flottantes: lethally delicious, yes.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And that is what gives rise to serious salivation in my case.

I won't buy ice cream for my house because I fear it would not last or else would go stale, since my attitude towards it varies. I can be talked into chocolate chip mint ice cream at a sibling's house though, and then I have all to do in not being so rude as to suggest another round.

Yum.

@Ulenspiegel regarding îles flottantes: lethally delicious, yes.

Agreed.

Then, there are the foods that you do like, but which don't like you.

I adore scampi, but find, to my sorrow, that I have to limit my consumption of this delight; likewise, with creme brulée. An adored delight, but not consumed without consequence.

 

[LizKat]

What about soups?


soups I don’t care for:

cream soups unless made from scratch (cream of leek, yum)

commercial soups I like: low sodium tomato soup (I add tabasco and lemon/lime juice and have that either hot or cold)​

soups I love in winter, but don’t make from scratch very often:

split pea soup w/ ham hocks

US Senate navy bean soup (2 recipes, on their website)​

soups I make pretty often and always from scratch:

lentil soup, sometimes w/ carmelized onion in it

chicken broth w/ some still crunchy diamond-cut carrots and minced celery, and sometimes egg noodles or rice or white beans, sometimes tofu, but always some parsley or scallions for garnish.. and wait for it... a little soy sauce, a slosh of rice vinegar and a dash of white pepper.​

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Hot and Sour soup (no, never make it myself, but love it in a good Asian restaurant).

A good chowder (and yes, time-consuming, but worth it, in the past decade, I have cracked this one; I have two recipes - one Scandinavian, one Irish - I use both, or better, an inspired fusion of both); I love this - or a good - fish soup.

A good vegetable broth;

Serious tomato soup (yum), tart, intense and delicious.

Likewise, some serious mushroom soup.

Noodle soup (Asians really get this);

In Germany, the former eastern Europe, and places such as Poland and Lithuania: Amazing Goulash soup. To die for.

In central Asia, stunning dumpling soups.

 

[shinji]

French onion soup is my favorite. Not many soups I don't like, though I will say I much prefer Manhattan Clam Chowder to New England.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I had a stunning lettuce soup in a pub over twenty years ago that I still dream about.

 

[Clix Pix]

I second the comments on Hot & Sour Soup; in fact, just had some this evening (earlier in the day got carryout from one of the really good Chinese restaurants in my area). Wonderfully rich, flavorful, redolent with delightful scents hinting at a wonderful balance of ingredients......

Tomato Soup or Tomato Bisque is another special favorite, lightly accented with Basil and the more tart and intense, the better!

Navy Bean Soup is yet another favorite, although I don't make it myself.

Ah, mais oui, French Onion Soup -- c'est bon!!!

Not a big fan of chowders, but I do like Manhattan-style Clam Chowder as opposed to the more milk-infused stuff. I also like fish soups and stews such as Cioppino....

Occasionally in summertime on a really hot day Gazpacho is a treat, a chilled surprise for the taste buds, but seasons don't matter; I'll eat soup all year round, regardless of the temperatures outdoors or indoors.

 

[Lioness~]

Lord, don’t know how many cans of Campbell’s soup’s I’ve been enjoying since I was a small kid.
Tomato och Mushroom soup in particular.
Still like them, But not as nutty about them anymore.

More fun to do own soups now. Goes in periods though.
Now it’s summer, so nothing I make now really.
Potato and leek soup is a fav, together with the own made versions of Mushrooms and Tomatos.

Have to perfect some experiments I have been going to the winter, and of course they contain coconutmilk.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I won't buy ice cream for my house because I fear it would not last or else would go stale, since my attitude towards it varies. I can be talked into chocolate chip mint ice cream at a sibling's house though, and then I have all to do in not being so rude as to suggest another round.

@Ulenspiegel regarding îles flottantes: lethally delicious, yes.

I have a curious relationship with ice cream. I can go months or years without bothering to eat any, then maybe I buy a pint of pistachio mascarpone gelato, on a whim. I’ll then vacillate between wanting to eat it all in one go and allowing it to last for a few months for the sake of savoring it. I love a good ice cream/gelato/sorbetto, and I don’t frequently eat it. But once in a while I’ll just go mad.....

 

[LizKat]

Hmm... on my do not like list: rabbits. Not as food. As lettuce eaters god blast' em.

I had a stunning lettuce soup in a pub over twenty years ago that I still dream about.

Love lettuce soups, great way to use up even regular ol' iceberg lettuce when it gets ahead of you and there are all different ways to make it too!

In Germany, the former eastern Europe, and places such as Poland and Lithuania: Amazing Goulash soup. To die for.

In central Asia, stunning dumpling soups.

Now I can see briefly having your kind of job...

Ah, mais oui, French Onion Soup -- c'est bon!!!

Agreed. Winter fare for me, with crusty bread and a salad.