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 Post subject: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:17 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:48 am
Posts: 818
Location: Near Ithaca, NY
Here's what happened: let me know honestly what you think, please. My friend passed away this week. It was not unexpected, she had been in poor health for awhile. I used to be friends with her daughter, who lives in the neighborhood, and I know the siblings, and their families. The service was in another town, and because of the weather, I declined to go. They said they were having a cocktail type thing instead of lunch, (you had to know my friend - she would have liked it.)

The discussion of offal, and the freezer inventory made me realize that I had a beef tongue down there, and I should use it. Now, I grew up on basque food, and pickled tongue is considered a delicacy - a real treat. But it's not a snap to make, and took two days, with the cooking, cleaning, slicing and marinating. I sent that, along with some other little apps (filled wontons, and a cheese plate.)

So when they returned, they all wanted to know what that delicious meat was - they had loved it and wanted the recipe - until I told them what it was!!! They acted as though I had poisoned them! "Ewwww how could you do that to us???" I should mention that they eat venison. (I think that's disgusting.)

Was I wrong? Would you be freaked out at eating something that someone had taken a great deal of time and effort to make, and you liked until you found out what it was? My FIL sprung haggis on me once, but I didn't like it.

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A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch. - James Beard


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:34 am 
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:18 pm
Posts: 1244
KSyrahSyrah wrote:
Here's what happened: let me know honestly what you think, please. My friend passed away this week. It was not unexpected, she had been in poor health for awhile. I used to be friends with her daughter, who lives in the neighborhood, and I know the siblings, and their families. The service was in another town, and because of the weather, I declined to go. They said they were having a cocktail type thing instead of lunch, (you had to know my friend - she would have liked it.)

The discussion of offal, and the freezer inventory made me realize that I had a beef tongue down there, and I should use it. Now, I grew up on basque food, and pickled tongue is considered a delicacy - a real treat. But it's not a snap to make, and took two days, with the cooking, cleaning, slicing and marinating. I sent that, along with some other little apps (filled wontons, and a cheese plate.)

So when they returned, they all wanted to know what that delicious meat was - they had loved it and wanted the recipe - until I told them what it was!!! They acted as though I had poisoned them! "Ewwww how could you do that to us???" I should mention that they eat venison. (I think that's disgusting.)

Was I wrong? Would you be freaked out at eating something that someone had taken a great deal of time and effort to make, and you liked until you found out what it was? My FIL sprung haggis on me once, but I didn't like it.

Since I am an adventurous eater, I wouldn't be put off. Besides, it's not like you served balut. However, I know a lot of people who get green around the gills when you spring something on them. Once an avid fisherman brought me some fresh lake trout. The trout had beautiful roe, so I made some kind of cracker spread and used lightly poached roe on top (can't remember exactly what I made). He wouldn't even try it...got positively sick just thinking about it. Yet I'm sure he had eaten caviar before.

If you had told them what it was, they probably wouldn't have tried it. And they liked it, so I think they are just being silly at this point... ;)


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:14 am 
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Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:50 pm
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This post is going to be a bit schizo. First, I'm sorry to hear about your friend, K.

It's all a sort of state of mind thing. I had a friend who converted from Islam, but it was years before he wasn't totally disgusted by the thought of eating pork. However, he kept eating the baked beans I would make from canned pork and beans. When he finally noticed the label, he did turn a little green around the gills, but it still kept disappearing from the fridge.

But the tongue thing reminds me of an old joke -- A man goes into a restaurant, sits down, and asks the waiter what is is good tonight.
"The tongue is particularly good, sir"
"Tongue?! I could never eat something that came out of a cow's mouth! I'll have an omelet."


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:43 am 
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:29 am
Posts: 454
Location: York PA
:lol: :lol: :lol:


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:04 am 
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Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:34 pm
Posts: 2011
I wrote something and it vanished...

First off, I am sorry for your loss. Anyone who wanted a cocktail party for a wake will surely be missed.

Next, they were very rude. You never ewwww anyone's food, ever. Even my rude children know that. They should say thank you and make their ralphing noises in private.

My advice to you is to know your audience, it is no use going through all sorts of effort to please someone with something they either won't like or won't appreciate. I also tell people what they are eating (how would you feel if you found out you had eaten venison after the fact). Amendment needed: sometimes I don't tell my husband what he is eating because he often does not know what he likes (confirmed by long years of study).

I don't eat tongue. I have had it and it is OK but the tongue shape and taste bud thing does weird me out a little. I would gladly try your tongue though (and I do like pickled meats).

Mary


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:25 am 
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Posts: 536
marygott wrote:
First off, I am sorry for your loss. Anyone who wanted a cocktail party for a wake will surely be missed. Mary


Well put Mary!!

Honestly if I did make a good tongue dish, I would bring it somewhere only if I knew they (someone there) really liked it, or if the theme was adventure food/unusual food/not everyday food, etc. Mostly for the reason that if it took a lot of work I want to be sure it will be appreciated.

And yes, again, sorry for the loss of your friend.


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:33 am 
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:52 am
Posts: 1140
Location: Kansas City
Sorry about your friend. The very idea of eating tongue makes my knees buckle. However, if you had prepared it and I had eaten and liked it, I'd try my very best to wait until you were out of range before I collapsed.

The last time (perhaps only time) I ate tongue I didn't realize what it was. When told, as soon as the hostess turned her head I spit it out in my napkin. Then I had to steal the napkin, launder it and sneak it back into her house. Fortunately she was a neighbor so the sneaking part wasn't too hard.

I agree with Mary, they were rude.

Fitzie


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:37 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:48 am
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Location: Near Ithaca, NY
Thank you for your condolences. She will be missed. They buried her with a small bottle of Chivas. She liked good booze, and a party.

You're probably right, I should have told them, but it just didn't occur to me that they would be offended. I don't eat venison because I don't like the look, smell or taste. It's just icky to me. If they just didn't like it, I would have been OK. But they raved about it until......probably don't like calamari, escargot, or caviar. Oh, well.

Thanks for your comments.

_________________
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch. - James Beard


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:45 pm 
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Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:12 pm
Posts: 23
So sorry for your loss, but I would love to have that recipe for tongue! I made tongue a couple of weeks ago and didn't love it, but I have access to tons of it..


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 Post subject: Re: Delicacy or disgusting?
PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:35 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:33 pm
Posts: 954
Location: Northern California
Hi K,
I am also sorry for the loss of your friend. It does seem silly to me that your friends loved the food until they discovered what it was. It's a real opportunity to change your mind set, i.e., "oh I didn't know I loved tongue when prepared well." I once went to a very fancy restaurant in Vegas that served a wonderful prix fixe small plates type meal. One plate turned out to be sweetbreads or tripe (something I discovered after the fact). It was fabulous made by this very talented chef. I typically avoid certain offal (or awful sounding) body parts.
Nancy


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