Food Idiots (and also: are the Brits bad at cooking?)

[Reason]

After watching videos of British people do things to food that should get them hanged in any just world I actually started to form a connection in my head between them and what I'd call 'food idiots' here in the states.

For clarification sake: food idiots are people who can take even luxury ingredients and make food that is utterly bland and unappetizing. This obviously differs from food that is less appetizing because of extreme poverty related scarcity or extreme health/ weight loss dieting or some other similar reason.

What are your thoughts on food idiots? Also do you believe the British really have more of them on average than the rest of the world?

 

[aeon]

In the USA, part of food idiocy resulted from the confluence of domestic gender role expectations related to the post-WW2 development of the middle class, widespread “mod cons” space-age culture, mass industrialization of processed and packaged foods, the arrival of first-gen sedatives, and a publishing and marketing industry which reinforced all of the above.

The “tricks,” and clever recipes which promised novelty, great results (in terms of familial acceptance and validation, not taste), and less work and time continue to this day, and remain culinary abominations.

I cannot comment on the British preponderence of said idiots, save that I know they exist, and an essential foundational element was post-WW2 making do with less, whilst striving to uphold traditions and meet expectations.

God Bless the French for largely forgoing such tomfoolery and gastronomic devilry.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Asa]

I immediately thought of the "everybody so creative" women on TikTok. She features people who are definitely food idiots.

I've never been to England, so I can't weigh in on British food. I've heard jokes about it, but I've also heard it is actually really good. I think a certain demographic in America needs to be singled out for this, too, though.

 

[Reason]

In the USA, part of food idiocy resulted from the confluence of domestic gender role expectations related to the post-WW2 development of the middle class, widespread “mod cons” space-age culture, mass industrialization of processed and packaged foods, the arrival of first-gen sedatives, and a publishing and marketing industry which reinforced all of the above.

The “tricks,” and clever recipes which promised novelty, great results (in terms of familial acceptance and validation, not taste), and less work and time continue to this day, and remain culinary abominations.

I cannot comment on the British preponderence of said idiots, save that I know they exist, and an essential foundational element was post-WW2 making do with less, whilst striving to uphold traditions and meet expectations.

God Bless the French for largely forgoing such tomfoolery and gastronomic devilry.

Cheers,
Ian

I think cheap processed foods, despite being unhealthy can at least be made to taste good if you know how to cook with them properly. However it takes a special kind of person to mess up a fresh ribeye steak.

And again, I'm not including food that is lackluster because of poverty. Just food that is bland and awful because of how it was prepared.

 

[aeon]

I immediately thought of the "everybody so creative" women on TikTok.

Dear God, no. I have trauma from seeing a couple of those. Looks nice on video I guess, and offers hope is easily monetized.

Ugh,
Ian

 

[Reason]

I immediately thought of the "everybody so creative" women on TikTok. She features people who are definitely food idiots.

I've never been to England, so I can't weigh in on British food. I've heard jokes about it, but I've also heard it is actually really good. I think a certain demographic in America needs to be singled out for this, too, though.

Oh yeah I definitely felt some genuine revulsion in learning about the people who wash their chicken with dish soap before cooking

 

[Wyote]

There are idiots everywhere, and some of them even attempt to cook.

That said, I think when your base foods are already bland, putting an idiot at the helm isn't gonna necessarily improve the situation.

 

[John K]

British people do things to food that should get them hanged

You are talking about the nation that invented fish and chips, eaten out of a newspaper wrapper on a cold windswept seafront in July. Every seagull in the world will tell you there's no better gastronomic experience

 

[Reason]

You are talking about the nation that invented fish and chips, eaten out of a newspaper wrapper on a cold windswept seafront in July. Every seagull in the world will tell you there's no better gastronomic experience

I'm pretty sure those flying rats will eat anything John

 

[aeon]

You are talking about the nation that invented fish and chips, eaten out of a newspaper wrapper on a cold windswept seafront in July. Every seagull in the world will tell you there's no better gastronomic experience

At the bottom of the (cone) newspaper wrapper, are there a nip of mushy peas?

Wondering,
Ian

 

[John K]

At the bottom of the (cone) newspaper wrapper, are there a nip of mushy peas?

Wondering,
Ian

Oh no … the bottom would fall out. The shop guys’ll stick em on the top if you don’t watch them like a hawk. Best in a separate carton.

 

[John K]

I'm pretty sure those flying rats will eat anything John

They’ll even eat the Scottish variant - haggis deep fried in batter! The Scots are known to deep fry Mars Bars in batter!

But joking aside there’s nothing to beat a good hot English fish and chips eaten outside on a cold day. Plenty of salt and vinegar to go with.

 

[aeon]

I thought of North Atlantic cod with proper brown ale batter, with salt and loads of malt vinegar, and it brought a tear to my eye.

Melancholy,
Ian

 

[Asa]

@John K and @aeon -- "Fish and chips" is popular over here, too. From all accounts, fantastic contribution.

 

[John K]

@John K and @aeon -- "Fish and chips" is popular over here, too. From all accounts, fantastic contribution.

It’s really important to eat it with your fingers though. It’s not British otherwise and doesn’t taste as good. And you get to suck your fingers when you’ve finished ….

 

[aeon]

It’s really important to eat it with your fingers though. It’s not British otherwise and doesn’t taste as good. And you get to suck your fingers when you’ve finished ….

My God, to eat fish and chips with cutlery like a heathen. Nay. Part of the joy is finishing up by slicking back your quiff, after all.

Preen and Strut,
Ian

 

[Asa]

And you get to suck your fingers when you’ve finished ….

Is this like slurping in Japan?

 

[John K]

Is this like slurping in Japan?

A bit - it’s a child of necessity in the same way lol.

 

[Asa]

A bit - it’s a child of necessity in the same way lol.

In the US, it is rude to slurp or lick one's fingers, but in Japan certain slurping is polite. It's rude not to.

Why does British cooking include so many jellied meat recipes? Is there an origin story for this?
In the US, aspic migrated into 1950s savory Jello abominations of every type. I remember some of these from my early childhood (this style of cooking survived until the mid 80s), as well as an attempt to normalize serving canned fruit (usually pears) with mayo on a bed of lettuce as an elegant salad. This is all out of fashion now, though. Thankfully.

 

[aeon]

Iceberg lettuce at that. And there were marshmallows. Gelatinous moulds, glistening, with mushy fruit. Poor pears. Made fancy with Cool Whip. Early Gen-X horrors.

Shudder,
Ian