Janelle711's Profile

Every cake is breakfast cake. ;-)

So, not a lot of crunchy peanut butter fans in the crowd? ;-) Jif Crunchy was always my preference as a kid, though I do buy creamy now since my husband prefers it, and I don't eat enough of it to make a difference.

I have to agree on Skippy Natural being not nutty enough. I ended up with a jar of it recently, and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I didn't know it was possibly for peanut butter to taste so little like peanuts.

My own recipe pet peeves would be:
- assuming that I own a stand mixer or a food processor (I don't!)
- really specific amounts of ingredients, when the amount should be very flexible (does it really matter if I use 1/4 cup of chopped parsley? I don't think so. I'm just going to grab a handful off of the bunch and call it good. Ditto on the 2 tbsp of oil to saute some onions. I know how to saute onions, and I am not going to measure out the oil to do it.)
- hiding ingredient prep in the directions (I would rather see "2 apples, peeled and diced" as an ingredient, rather than "2 apples" as an ingredient and then steps 1 and 2 are peel and dice the apples.)
- hiding long resting/holding times in the directions (If something needs to rest overnight before cooking or serving, that needs to be REALLY obvious when I am skimming over a recipe. Not something I only discover when I am doing a careful read-through and find it at the end of step 7.)

Personally, I use recipes as an idea source - I check the ingredients to see if it sounds like something I would like to try, and if so, I skim the directions to get a general idea of the process, and then let my experience take me from there. I don't have a copy of the recipe with me in the kitchen unless it's something really special. While I don't *expect* that recipes would be formatted with that process in mind, it would certainly be nice. :)

@ks sunflower - I appreciate your passionate comment, but like you mentioned toward the end, I think a lot of what you're seeing in the comments here is just venting of frustration, rather than true mean-spiritedness.

I have experienced many sides of this discussion in my personal life. My husband is allergic to many of my favorite foods - all types of squash and gourds - including eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, and yes, winter squashes. I have completely given up cooking and eating them at home, rather than risk accidental contamination. I just order those things when we go out to eat, and I don't share my leftovers. :)

Personally, I don't have any food allergies, but given the option, I would abstain from olives and mustard for the rest of my life. I have choked them down to be polite before, but trust me when I say that they are NOT going unnoticed if you think you have blended them into a dish. I may not mention that I can taste them, and I will politely tell you how delicious the meal is that you have kindly prepared for me, but that doesn't mean you have tricked me into liking olives or mustard. I just don't care for them, no matter how much I wish I could.

And then there are people who, like a relative of mine, are simply afraid to try new foods. I believe this is where most of the venting is coming from. My relative is always polite about it and has never tried to impose his unadventurous palate on anyone - he will simply politely decline any offered food - but it can be frustrating. We see each other frequently, and food is often involved in our family gatherings, and his standard menu of chicken tenders / mashed potatoes / pepperoni pizza can be tiresome week after week, but there is also a certain level of guilt involved in just making something that everyone will enjoy but him, because I do care about him being happy.

Ultimately, it comes down to a level of compromise, politeness, and caring for the people you are feeding, or that are feeding you. If those are present in the right amounts, eventually it all works out.

I also love a clean, open counter. I'm lucky to have a decent amount of counter space in the kitchen. It's actually cabinet space that I wish I had more of.

My counter-top items, all of which are used almost daily (or at least weekly), are:
- french press coffee pot (most important item of all, in my book!)
- knife block
- mortar and pestle
- canister full of utensils (wooden spoons, spatulas, etc.)
- canister full of chopsticks (we use them for everything!)
- salt and pepper grinders
- basket full of bread products
- bowl full of fruit
- basket full of our most-used condiments (oils, vinegars, soy sauce, etc.)
- toaster oven
- rice cooker

I suppose I should probably also include the dirty dishes that always seem to pile up next to the sink... ;-)

The "peculiar marbled orange and white cheese" is probably colby jack, which is also pretty tasty for snacking.

Things I have tried to like, but just can't:
Olives (wish I could learn to like these!)
Kidney beans and Lima beans
Every type of offal I've tasted so far
Cottage cheese
Really pungent cheese

Things I have learned to like ... or at least tolerate:
Sardines
Anchovies
Mustard and Mayonnaise (only if mixed in to something such as a salad dressing)
Custard and similarly textured things (flan, creme brulee, cheesecake)
Yogurt (so long as it does not have artificial sweeteners in it! Which rules out most readily available commercial brands)
Tea
Soda
Black beans

I cannot imagine living without mushrooms, onions, cilantro, seafood of all types, and a bunch of other frequently cited items on this post. More for me, I guess! :)