jubileejubilee's Profile

This is simply stunning. I'm adding to the echo chamber here, but I can't help it-- it's warm, elegant, and above all totally sexy. And how great is Hell's Kitchen? It was the first place I lived when I moved to the city, and will always be one of my favorite neighborhoods.

Thanks for sharing, fellas. When do we get to see the rest?!

I agree with Rachiti-- the best response to this situation depends a great deal on the way your mother in law does/does not interfere or "helpfully comment" on other aspects of your life, and also what her relationship with her son is like. Maybe she's having a hard time letting go or dealing with the idea that another women has top billing in his life-- in that case, be firm (yet polite, of course!) about boundaries... it might also be helpful to enlist the help of your husband.

On the other hand, if your relationship with your MIL is mostly all peaches and sunshine, you can take a less delicate approach. I love my MIL, and we get along great, but she has a very limited scope of food she finds acceptable. She likes everything either bland or super salty, meat overcooked, etc and is highly suspicious of anything she deems "fancy" or "funny" (which encompasses anything outside of very a basic meat-and-potatoes situation). I can be kind of sensitive about this sort of stuff, so in the beginning I would be hurt if she would make some kind of negative comment about what I was making or refuse to try something I cooked because it was outside of her past food experience. I've learned since not to take it personally, but also not to let it completely limit what I cook for family affairs. I'll always be sure to include dishes that I know she won't find objectionable, but also the kinds of dishes that I love to cook and that my partner and I love to eat. If she makes some kind of comment or looks askance at the "funny" food, I either gently encourage her to try it (or her son does it for me-- a united front is important), or I let it go and content myself with the knowledge that there will be more leftovers for us. That way I can know I at least met her halfway, but I also don't feel like I'm capitulating too much or letting her walk all over me.

It's funny how even in good relationships this kind of thing can become a battle ground, but its also a nice opportunity to define the kind of boundaries that can keep relations peaceful for years to come.

Well, that's it. All of my Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler fantasies just switched museums!

Butter, butter, all the way! Especially pasture fed.

@ilovebutter-- thanks so much for your informed (and passionate) comments. I don't think I've ever seen this explained so clearly and convincingly. I also appreciate the love for bacon fat. If I mention cooking with it, people get the most horrified looks on their faces. But if you start with good bacon from happy, responsibly raised pigs, they're really isn't anything like it. I do have a question: what about duck fat? Is it along the same lines? I've read that it's not such a bad fat as people tend to think (in moderation, of course.) After all, it is natural. What are your thoughts?

The prevalence of the electric kettle is a Canadian thing too-- it was one of the little unexpected differences that surprised me when I moved from the US to Toronto.