Love you, hate your food

[Joanbunting Profile]

I listened to this programme on Thursday on the World Service.

I'm not at all sure I could cope with living with someone whose eating habits were so vastly different from my own. Could you?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-47468193

[Sakkarin Profile]

Not that I'm looking, but if I were, an admission of veganism on a dating site would pretty much mean instant dismissal from my list of candidates, as would any reference to them owning a dog...

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Hmmm - I've often wondered about that - I can't imagine having to cook food I disliked or found boring - a huge part of the enjoyment of cooking for me is liking/enjoying what I eat otherwise it would be a chore & drudgery.


Good thing I'm not a professional chef then...…………..

[Alexandria Profile]

As stated in The Introduction of the Article, " Our choice of food is deeply personal " ..

Yes, it is quite subjective and culturally profound too.

I could never live with a Vegan .. or someone who was an excessive carnivore.

Both my dear and I were raised on the Mediterranean Coast, just one hour away, and so we both have very similar regional gastronomic dietary regimes.


Very interesting Thread Joan, and Thank you for posting. Have a lovely weekend.

[Alexandria Profile]

Sakkarin,

I adore animals, however, not in my flat.

Have a lovely weekend.

[Amyw Profile]

I’d struggle a lot with anyone who didn’t love food as I do . One of my friends partners frequently moans about all this herb and spice ***** they put on food to ruin it , though he’ll happily eat a curry!! She’s a pretty basic cook , so she’s not fussed , but I can’t imagine cooking for someone with such a bland palate.

I think anyone with a fairly rigid diet would be hard to live with , such as veganism. I respect anyone’s food choices and would quite happily eat vegan meals , but would still want to eat food I liked as well , not necessarily plant based

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

The article sounds like food is more of a weapon, rather than a lifestyle choice.
The example of having your mother in law come in to feed her boy, is not really about the food. The MIL is not respecting the boundaries of course and undermining the relationship.
Not very funny.

[Mrs Vee Profile Website]

It’s not an issue, unless you allow it to be; it just needs a bit of give and take.

After I went veggie nearly 25 years ago, my husband was still an omnivore; I cook and he doesn’t, so almost every day for about 15 years I cooked two different dishes or two versions of the same dish.

About 10 years ago he stopped eating meat regularly and eventually joined me in being veggie. I never put any pressure on him – scouts’ honour! It was my choice to go veggie, I never expected or encouraged him to do the same.

At the end of the day, it’s just food. No point in making a big deal of it.

(Hope it's OK for me to stick my head round the door occasionally I'm more of a lurker these days)

[Alexandria Profile]

Gil, The Painter,

You had made a very good point !

In my viewpoint this too is a cultural issue.

Have a nice day.

[Joanbunting Profile]

i found it fascinating that it was the women who were the most inflexible, especially the 2 American ones who, presumably had travelled less than thier male partners

The programme is part of a BBC season called Crossing Divides = which maybe explains a lot!

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Crossing Divides definitely tells a viewer, quite a bit !


Enjoyed the video quite a bit !

Thanks for posting.

[WWordsworth Profile]

I could never have a relationship with someone who disliked dogs, or good food.

My pal cooks but doesn't enjoy the process.
Her husband refuses to cook and regards food as fuel
When she is working away she leaves (home cooked) microwave meals for him, or he eats at the pub.
They eat out pretty regularly.

She says she would enjoy cooking much more if he noticed what he was eating.

I should probably add that they are very happy together.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Actually they are very suitable for each other then

My s-i-l's first husband was a shepherd and she was at that time vegetarian. The marriage only lasted a couple of years but she still won't eat lamb!!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I have had vegetarian friends, flat mates and dates in the past

I just cook mainly veggie when feeding them, veggie food is after all still food, and not that difficult to cook. Might find vegan more challenging. Wouldn’t bother to cook 2 meals for just 2 people, though might for a group but I suppose it might be more difficult if I were giving up meat or fish and the other person expected it.

Did find myself heading for the steak frites when out though

I find it interesting to extend my repertoire by cooking dishes from other cultures

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Although Mr Strictly does like my cooking 99% of the time, we do differ with our likes and dislikes. IIRC one of the first things i asked him was whether he was fussy with his food. At the time spicy food was a no-no, as was hot cheddar and most pulses except for baked beans. These days he will eat a mild chilli if I make it with taco seasoning and without red kidney beans. Since his colitis diagnosis, high fibre veg such as cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage is off limits. Luckily for me, because of his shiftwork, I can indulge in 'Home Alone' food when he works every other weekend. This should have happened the weekend just gone. When we went to the supermarket last week, I bought a head of broccoli because I was craving it. Unfortunately, his colitis was flaring up this weekend so he couldn't go to work. I decided to cook/make different dinners for us so the broccoli didn't go to waste (no room in the freezer for blanched portions ). All I can say is that it's a good job I don't need to do this very often - blimey, what a palaver!

[jeral Profile]

I'm perplexed. I agree it can be a togetherness comfort(?) to sit down and eat nice food together, although in restaurants couples rarely choose the same main for example and at home it's usually going along with what either one fancies eating or making.

I've always cooked different meals, first when I went veggie (subsequently pesce) and then accommodating kids' likes and dislikes. I hated having to eat food I didn't like so never went down the take it or leave it route.

It strikes me that if food is put forward as a divisive issue (outside influences aside), there are probably underlying things at play, whoever does the cooking.

[smitch Profile]

My husband is omni and hates cooking. I’m veggie, vegan probably 90% of the time, and do most of the cooking. He’s happy with the food I make and has been much more adventurous than he was when we first met. We eat out once or twice a week and take it in turns to choose and pay.

I grew up in a house where my mum cooked several meals to suit the family as my dad and sister are extremely fussy. Our food was always plain and not very exciting so I couldn’t wait to start cooking for myself. We decide on meals together and go through recipe books to find some new ideas. We’re both happy with our arrangements.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Sounds like we grew up in similar households, Smitch. My dad would eat anything; he cooked Sunday lunch with roast beef. Chicken for us. Chicken for mum - she´s never eaten meat. my sis would eat fried tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes, but not if they were cooked in a sauce. I first ate real pasta on a school trip to St Tropez - and loved it. Sis still thinks of it as "worms".
Bro left for Culinary School at 17, and will eat anything except turkey. That comes from cooking 20 turkeys a day from November through December, for 20 years.
I ate real fish ( not Bird´s Eye Fish Fingers) for the first time when I was 27. Love it now.
My vegetable repertoire, before I went to Uni, was potatoes, carrots, French beans, cabbage, onions, sweetcorn and beetroot.Oh, and cauliflower. These days, there is not a single vegetable I will NOT eat.
When I came to Venezuela ( where 98% of the population eat meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner), adapting was pretty tricky. However, my wife is pretty adventurous.
These days I do most of the cooking, but we get along fine. Highly spiced food is mostly for me, but we all have our differences.
I think I´d find it tough to live with someone who has extreme food preferences. I cook beef, lamb,, pork, chicken, turkey, - although I rarely eat them - and piles of veg. I´d have a hard time with a total carnivore, or a total vegan.
Or my sis!

[Joanbunting Profile]

Thinking about it we often do choose the same main course from a restaurant menu. Last Sunday was a bit of am exception we tend to vary on the dessert but that's because M loves chocolate and coconut but I prefer fruity things.

We tend to go for the same main so we can have a specific wine. I really don't do several different dishes at one meal. For example when veggie daughter comes I do something we can and will all eat. I have never ever insisted that everyone clears their plate. I don't. I was told by my GP in the UK to stop eating as soon as I felt satisfied and never to feel I must clear the plate. If I'm eating out I ask for small portions but some folk seem to think that unless your plate is piled to overflowing they are bad hosts On the contrary they are poor hosts if they insist on giving you too much food and then acting all hurt when you leave some.

[Wic Profile]

As we have got older our tastes seem to have diverged. He likes things hotter and hotter and all things curry. I have never got further along those lines than a Chicken Tikka Masala type of heat. He also loves fish and, whilst I don’t mind it at all, on the whole I prefer other things, so we often eat differently, but with the same vegetable accompaniments. It’s not a big deal as far as we are concerned, it has just developed that way, and when we are guests we eat what we are given!