# Are you truthful about food



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

When a family members shares a dish with you do you offer suggestions or smile and say thank you?

May depend on who its from, right?

Daughter gave me delicious bean soup with sausage, potatoes, kale and carrots.

The potatoes weren’t peeled. I said, “ohh, that’s interesting.” She said she had a rustic soup in a restaurant that had unpeeled potatoes.

That would have been ok but the potatoes were crunchy. Haha I aways say If I don’t tell her who will? But I didn’t say anything this time.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Startingover said:


> When a family members shares a dish with you do you offer suggestions or smile and say thank you?
> 
> May depend on who its from, right?
> 
> ...


The true gentleman.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Maybe ask her what she wants you to do, at another time? I know you think she makes some wonderful dishes. She sounds very creative and intelligent. Yes, many cooks leave peels on. Why wouldn't she know they were under done? Maybe she wanted them crunchy. . .

Mothers are different. I'd hate to have my mother lie to me, but, if you gave me 10 compliments and one negative, I'd remember the negative. . . 

But, on the other hand, it is a good feeling to just let things go. You can't fix everything. 😊

(I realize all that wasn't an answer. Just ask her another time)


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

It's better to be kind than it is to be right.

BTW, I like the peeling left on my potatoes.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Mike Milam said:


> It's better to be kind than it is to be right.
> 
> BTW, I like the peeling left on my potatoes.


Not that I ever expect to cook for you, but, I wouldn't be able to believe you.
I once had a boyfriend tell me I had never made anything he didn't like. At the time I thought it was an insult, but, now I realize it was actually a plain-spoken compliment.


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## CodeMatters (Aug 16, 2017)

Every meal I don't have to make myself is perfect! 
Also, I don't peel potatoes, beets, carrots..........


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> Maybe ask her what she wants you to do, at another time? I know you think she makes some wonderful dishes. She sounds very creative and intelligent. Yes, many cooks leave peels on. Why wouldn't she know they were under done? Maybe she wanted them crunchy. . .
> 
> Mothers are different. I'd hate to have my mother lie to me, but, if you gave me 10 compliments and one negative, I'd remember the negative. . .
> 
> ...


I believe in tasting as you cook. I use a tiny bowl to sample. Plus I stick a fork in things. Ill try not to comment as I do appreciate her sharing dishes.

I’ll try not to say next time......”oh the potatoes aren’t raw this time.” Lol


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

I try to avoid food from other people‘s kitchens. I don’t know how clean their kitchen is or how sanitary their practices are or if they have animals in the kitchen. We clean everything and wear gloves when preparing food.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I've noticed a lot of regional cooking on this forum. Ohio is very different than California. I consider canned food, not cooking, but, then we have a lot of fresh food. That's an understatement.

So, your daughter has a mix of foods to draw from and she's a different generation.😊
Different isn't wrong.
Now, go buy a Thousand Year-Old Egg!

Only kidding.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I wouldn’t say anything. I critique my own cooking, if she said the potato’s were a little to crunchy ( like I would) then you could agree. If she says nothing, then follow her lead.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

I keep my opinions to myself unless asked usually. The dish was made for someone else's taste not mine. Personally I like the skin on potatoes and it is claimed there are a lot of vitamins in and under the skin that are lost when peeling.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Crunchy potatoes has nothing to do with them being peeled or not though.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Had something similar not too long ago... My GF made a nice dinner that included some big baked potatoes and she hadn't really planned the timing thoroughly. This is usually not a problem for me when I plan to cook something like fish or chicken in the toaster oven that won't take as long as a potato... I just nuke the potato for a period of time to get it cooked enough so that the oven will finish it along with the chicken. It's kind of a feel thing as to how long to nuke them. She did that but didn't pre-cook them near long enough, which was obvious to me, especially since the potatoes were so big. I know better than to go in there and offer my opinion, which can sometimes be taken as being bossy, I suppose. So I just nuked my potato some more after everything was served "to get it how I like them".


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

I used to like potato skins but read once, long ago, they may absorb pesticides in the field. Altho I love loaded potato skins in restaurants.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Sometimes over cooking potatoes will cause them to be crunchy. 
I made beef stew last week and added the veggies 1.5 hours before it was done. Everything was falling apart but the potatoes. In fact the pearl onions disappeared.
So how long is not always the end all result. Testing them would have been much smarter on my part.
I used tiny red potatos. The ones you leave whole and do not peel. 
However a russet potato in the same pot would have been peeled.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Old Thomas said:


> I try to avoid food from other people‘s kitchens. I don’t know how clean their kitchen is or how sanitary their practices are or if they have animals in the kitchen. We clean everything and wear gloves when preparing food.


Worked with a lady who would leave the bathroom stall an waltz out NOT stopping to wash her hands! I never ate anything she brought in to share.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Maybe I should have described her potatoes as hard not crunchy.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yup... crunchy browned potatoes=good! Hard undercooked potataoes=bad.



Startingover said:


> Maybe I should have described her potatoes as hard not crunchy.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Startingover said:


> Maybe I should have described her potatoes as hard not crunchy.


There are some dried out, no longer living, potatoes, but it seems to be rare nowadays. They are a root/tuber after all.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Startingover said:


> Worked with a lady who would leave the bathroom stall an waltz out NOT stopping to wash her hands! I never ate anything she brought in to share.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I too will not eat anything unless I see the persons kitchen...sloppy kitchen, sloppy cook.

My neice said a coworker often would bring in homemade goodies. One time she went to her house and was horrified, the woman’s house was dirty, and she had cats walking all
over the counters. Yuck!


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> Worked with a lady who would leave the bathroom stall an waltz out NOT stopping to wash her hands! I never ate anything she brought in to share.


Apologies for hi-jacking this topic temporarily.

As an observer of many things, I have seen otherwise decent clean men leave the public restroom, without washing their hands. Too often.

I make it a point to not ever again shake hands with them, or even touch anything after they have handled it. 

As for peeling spuds, I have peeled a few tons of them in my lifetime, and also eaten many unpeeled ones too. 

Even ate a few raw ones, but I prefer them cooked fully to a tender bite.

And I would have asked about the recipe and how long the taters were cooked. 

In my opinion, it is being nice to help someone out with their cooking skills, than to let them keep on making unappetizing dishes. 

ED


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Ed,
Here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m making vegetable beef soup soon which I’ll give her half. Then I’ll make a point to say “are my potatoes cooked enough? Are they TENDER?”


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## ObserverX2930 (Jan 19, 2021)

My sister once served us mashed potatoes with the skins left on.

Called them "Dirty" potatoes? Then she giggled about the dirty connotation.

I am not a fan of reinventing recipes. I like food cooked the way "Mom" used to make it, for the most part.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

ObserverX2930 said:


> My sister once served us mashed potatoes with the skins left on.
> 
> Called them "Dirty" potatoes? Then she giggled about the dirty connotation.
> 
> I am not a fan of reinventing recipes. I like food cooked the way "Mom" used to make it, for the most part.


 My Grandmother was a professional Chef, in the local Cattleman's Club, and cooked very well.

My Mother was not so inclined, She could get by, but I prefer my Grandmother's recipes, which, I have in a cupboard, and use often.

Yeah " dirty Potatoes" sounds odd, and just a sign of laziness.

ED


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Depends what you're shooting for. Some skin adds a little texture, and a little flavor. Definitely no skin if you want real creamy mashed taters though.


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