Tedious, Complicated, and Particular: Erika Shupe, Part 8

[lauraloralara]

17 minutes ago, refugee said:

Is that a thing? One of my kids never liked different kinds of food touching on their plate. Food items had to be in carefully isolated piles. The exception was gravy at Thanksgiving, which got ladled over several different otherwise not-touching food items.

It is a definite thing, especially among picky eaters. We have a number of these people in my family. I am not one - I actually love for my food to mix, in general. Even something like spaghetti (and its sauce) with salad dressing. (Don't judge me!)

[Antimony]

26 minutes ago, refugee said:

Is that a thing? One of my kids never liked different kinds of food touching on their plate. Food items had to be in carefully isolated piles. The exception was gravy at Thanksgiving, which got ladled over several different otherwise not-touching food items.

As a child, I did not want to let my foods touch. I also ate them in order of least favorite food to favorite food every time. I never ate some corn and then ate potatoes and went back to corn.

I am not as dramatic about this as adult. Still a preference but not as predictable.

[mango_fandango]

Actually, what was I talking about? She has recipes up for pasta dishes and bread rolls.

I was more surprised by the lonely looking steak. It's off to the side on the plate, I'd've expected something else to be there. Just looks a little odd.

I am also speaking as a carbaholic. I've loved pasta since forever. Potatoes? Rice? Omnomnom.

[Lillymuffin]

3 hours ago, refugee said:

Is that a thing? One of my kids never liked different kinds of food touching on their plate. Food items had to be in carefully isolated piles. The exception was gravy at Thanksgiving, which got ladled over several different otherwise not-touching food items.

It's definitely a thing. I'm a grown woman and I don't like my food to touch. I do the eat-one-thing-at-time from least-liked to favorite, too. My family thinks I'm nuts. 

[Antimony]

3 minutes ago, Lillymuffin said:

It's definitely a thing. I'm a grown woman and I don't like my food to touch. I do the eat-one-thing-at-time from least-liked to favorite, too. My family thinks I'm nuts. 

Why do they think that! It's the best! Then the most recent memory and/or aftertaste is your favorite thing!

It's like mini-dessert in every meal.

[Lillymuffin]

Just now, Antimony said:

Why do they think that! It's the best! Then the most recent memory and/or aftertaste is your favorite thing!

It's like mini-dessert in every meal.

Well, if I'm honest, it's because I am a little squirrelly when I eat. If I have some crackers or chips, I separate out the broken ones and eat them first, then eat the whole ones, and I sort M&M's and Skittles by color (or flavor for Skittles) and then save my favorite (red M&M's and grape Skittles) for last.

I probably bring it on myself. 

[OldFadedStar]

4 hours ago, refugee said:

Is that a thing? One of my kids never liked different kinds of food touching on their plate. Food items had to be in carefully isolated piles. The exception was gravy at Thanksgiving, which got ladled over several different otherwise not-touching food items.

I'm like this. I have a friend who is like this too. 

I used to be worse when I was a kid about it. If it would pair well I can do it... but for somethings if it touched something else I would eat everything but the part that touched. Desserts have to be on their own plate. Everything has to have space between it. I tend to eat alot of things plain or basic because of the above.... one flavor per food. Cant stand certain things mixing. 

Like Cheeseburgers.. I eat plain because I cant stand all the extra flavors from condiments. And why would anyone EVER mix Cheese and Ketchup? Sooo gross. Nope nope nope. 

 

And I'm not that picky either.. I've eaten Whale, Emu, Kangaroo, tried local cuisine in 7 different countries... but food touching/mixing? No thank you.

4 hours ago, Antimony said:

As a child, I did not want to let my foods touch. I also ate them in order of least favorite food to favorite food every time. I never ate some corn and then ate potatoes and went back to corn.

I am not as dramatic about this as adult. Still a preference but not as predictable.

I do the whole eating food in order thing too. Or MAYBE I will eat half of one food then half of the other and then go back to the original. But there is definitely time frames for eating both.

[Audrey2]

2 hours ago, Lillymuffin said:

It's definitely a thing. I'm a grown woman and I don't like my food to touch. I do the eat-one-thing-at-time from least-liked to favorite, too. My family thinks I'm nuts. 

Are you my sister? She doesn't like her food to touch either, and really dislikes casseroles. I used to tease her that she was built like a cow , with multiple stomachs, so the food always stays divided by its components.

[Rubaiyat]

7 hours ago, lauraloralara said:

It is a definite thing, especially among picky eaters. We have a number of these people in my family. I am not one - I actually love for my food to mix, in general. Even something like spaghetti (and its sauce) with salad dressing. (Don't judge me!)

Mom?  Is that you?  

I'm fine with food touching, but my mom is on a whole 'nother level.  She does what we affectionately call "grazing."  She gets a tortilla, and will go through the fridge, just putting whatever into the tortilla until she deems it good, wrap it up and eat it.  I've seen her do salad-topped spaghetti.  She also eats lasagna while watching the surgery channel.  (she's an RN)  Moms are weird.  

4 hours ago, Lillymuffin said:

Well, if I'm honest, it's because I am a little squirrelly when I eat. If I have some crackers or chips, I separate out the broken ones and eat them first, then eat the whole ones, and I sort M&M's and Skittles by color (or flavor for Skittles) and then save my favorite (red M&M's and grape Skittles) for last.

I probably bring it on myself. 

Wait, wait, wait...you mean other people DON'T do this?    You can't just go eating crackers or m&ms out of order!  That's right up there with dogs and cats living together!  Sheesh!

[Lillymuffin]

20 minutes ago, Rubaiyat said:

Wait, wait, wait...you mean other people DON'T do this?    You can't just go eating crackers or m&ms out of order!  That's right up there with dogs and cats living together!  Sheesh!

If you're mocking me, well, . Otherwise, yay! Someone gets me! 

[PopRox]

5 minutes ago, Lillymuffin said:

If you're mocking me, well, . Otherwise, yay! Someone gets me! 

Off topic: I literally opened this thread JUST so i could get a better look at your magnificent, magnificent avatar.

[Chocolatedefrauded]

Part of the fun of M&Ms & Skittles us the sorting the colors & eating them in the right sequence! I do this & don't consider myself odd at all. My little brother, on the other hand, eats spaghetti with no sauce. That's odd.

so apparently we all have different food things.

[Lillymuffin]

31 minutes ago, PopRox said:

Off topic: I literally opened this thread JUST so i could get a better look at your magnificent, magnificent avatar.

Why, thank you! It's a fancy ferret. If I recall correctly, she came from a Jill Ridrigues thread. Someone floated the idea of ferrets with Jill-esque makeup and several were posted. I just thought she was funny. 

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

We need to start a "segregated-food" support group.    
I've been that way since childhood (am in my 50's now).  Nothing can touch.  I use tons of plates and bowls and am a nightmare at buffets.    
I've actually considered trying to find and buy those divided plates that they have in hospitals.

ETA:  I was diagnosed with OCD over 30 years ago.  

[desertvixen]

Count me in on (most) food not touching.  There are some things where mingling is all right.

My grandfather used to mix everything together, which grossed me out to no end.  His argument was that it all gets mixed in the end.

Re: foot pictures - only if I'm taking a closeup for a yelp review of a salon, or to show someone the color.

[Lillymuffin]

6 minutes ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

We need to start a "segregated-food" support group.    
I've been that way since childhood (am in my 50's now).  Nothing can touch.  I use tons of plates and bowls and am a nightmare at buffets.    
I've actually considered trying to find and buy those divided plates that they have in hospitals.

ETA:  I was diagnosed with OCD over 30 years ago.  

I had one of those! My grandma used to keep it just for me at her house. I wonder what ever happened to it? 

I'm not OCD, just a little squirrelly. In my defense, it runs in the family. My brother measures his bedsheets. 

[Rubaiyat]

2 hours ago, Lillymuffin said:

If you're mocking me, well, . Otherwise, yay! Someone gets me! 

Totally not mocking!  Pinky swear!  I've done this my whole life.  I got into YUUUGE trouble in catechism class  in 8th grade because someone brought in a two pound bag of m&ms and I ignored the Pastor for 20 minutes while I sorted.  Pretty sure we're soul mates.  Properly sorted snack foods are a thing of beauty and a joy forever.  

31 minutes ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

We need to start a "segregated-food" support group.    
I've been that way since childhood (am in my 50's now).  Nothing can touch.  I use tons of plates and bowls and am a nightmare at buffets.    
I've actually considered trying to find and buy those divided plates that they have in hospitals.

ETA:  I was diagnosed with OCD over 30 years ago.  

I understand, as much as I can, about the negative effects of compulsions that prevent people from living the full life they would like.  However, there is absolutely a certain amount of "quirk" that everyone should be allowed to have if it makes them feel better!  With the amount of dishes we go through chez us, you could be here for two weeks, using a different dish for every mouthful, before we'd notice.  Door's open, make yourself at home!  

[Season of life...]

This conversation about food touching is timely for me. I can't stand it, and in restaurants I always wait anxiously for my plate to arrive and hope that everything is neatly in its own quadrant.

This past weekend I made vegetable soup as a last hurrah before buckling down into the summer heat. Soup doesn't bother me, but I guess the fact that everything eventually mixes doesn't translate to my brain while preparing it.

I had nine bowls and plates to wash because I just could not put the veggies into one large bowl after chopping them. 

I can laugh at myself, and I did. 

[princessmahina]

7 hours ago, Lillymuffin said:

Well, if I'm honest, it's because I am a little squirrelly when I eat. If I have some crackers or chips, I separate out the broken ones and eat them first, then eat the whole ones, and I sort M&M's and Skittles by color (or flavor for Skittles) and then save my favorite (red M&M's and grape Skittles) for last.

I probably bring it on myself. 

Me too! Once they've been sorted, they have to be eaten in alphabetical order by color. 

I'm a weird eater, but I wouldn't necessarily call myself picky. 

[smittykins]

11 hours ago, Lillymuffin said:

I had one of those! My grandma used to keep it just for me at her house. I wonder what ever happened to it? 

 

Maybe check online?

I don't have an issue with food touching, but when I warps spaghetti and meatballs, I eat the spaghetti first; with SpaghettiOs, it's the meatballs first.  Go figure.

And I'd rather not see feet up close.

[nastyhobbitses]

14 hours ago, Chocolatedefrauded said:

Part of the fun of M&Ms & Skittles us the sorting the colors & eating them in the right sequence! I do this & don't consider myself odd at all. My little brother, on the other hand, eats spaghetti with no sauce. That's odd.

so apparently we all have different food things.

I keep bread in the freezer so it stays fresh for longer. Sometimes I just make sandwiches with bread straight out of the freezer because I like how firm and cold it is. I also eat my Starbursts in a specific sequence (yellows first, reds last because reds are the best) and despite my love of cuisines from all over the world and my genuine foodie-ness, I will happily eat hamburger buns with nothing on them except ketchup, sauce-less pasta, bread out of the freezer with nothing else on the bread (crusts eaten first, bready part eaten last), rice with just soy sauce on it, and I also use oatmeal as a starch accompaniment to stir fries/roasted veggies when I'm too lazy to go out and buy couscous. Which I will also cook/fridge until it's kind of congealed and then just eat with my hands.

I also genuinely like chicken feet (they're just like super bony fried chicken), congealed pig blood, crickets on a stick, frog, fish stomachs, haggis (which just tastes like spicy sausage), eels, and beef tongue.

[wotdancer]

I've found my people!! I have to eat colorful things like m&m's, skittles, and smarties in sets of 2 (the same color, of course) - one for each side of my mouth. And when we go to our local Hibachi place (I loveeeee that place), I always clear a spot on my plate for them to put the next part of the meal, and I get bent out of shape if they put it on top of the already-there food...then I have to separate it before I can keep eating.

[JillyO]

14 hours ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

We need to start a "segregated-food" support group.    
I've been that way since childhood (am in my 50's now).  Nothing can touch.  I use tons of plates and bowls and am a nightmare at buffets.    
I've actually considered trying to find and buy those divided plates that they have in hospitals.

ETA:  I was diagnosed with OCD over 30 years ago.  

May I introduce you to the concept of the fondue plate? https://www.amazon.com/Trudeau-Stoneware-Square-Fondue-Plates/dp/B0000CF69Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1465919762&sr=1-1&keywords=fondue+plates

Might be a little nicer than eating off of a hospital tray while serving the same purpose!

[refugee]

20 hours ago, Lillymuffin said:

Well, if I'm honest, it's because I am a little squirrelly when I eat. If I have some crackers or chips, I separate out the broken ones and eat them first, then eat the whole ones, and I sort M&M's and Skittles by color (or flavor for Skittles) and then save my favorite (red M&M's and grape Skittles) for last.

I probably bring it on myself. 

OMG, my kid does this! Sometimes the M&Ms don't get separated into physically separate piles (though quite often they do), but still get eaten in a certain order. And I always thought it was... interesting, not worth commenting about, or anything, until one day the kid drew my attention to the spouse's bowl of M&Ms, by taking a picture of the kid's bowl next to the dad's bowl. They were identical. All green and blue. They had, independently, in different rooms, eaten all the other colors first, leaving the green and blue ones. And then kid had come into the kitchen for a glass of water, or something, and noticed the dad's M&Ms.

So maybe it's genetic? I don't think, in this case, it was a learned behavior.

I don't eat my M&Ms in any particular color order, but I *do* have to eat two or three at a time, and don't like mixing the colors, so I pick out two or three of the same color for each bite.

And I do find that the different color dyes have a different flavor. So I do save the brown ones for last, because they seem to have the least amount of dye-flavor to them, at least to my senses.

1 hour ago, nastyhobbitses said:

Sometimes I just make sandwiches with bread straight out of the freezer because I like how firm and cold it is.

Maybe a corollary? Frozen brownies always taste better to me than unfrozen ones. My mom used to put brownies in the freezer to keep her from eating half a pan of brownies, just picking and snacking -- but that wouldn't work for me. I'd find the brownies in the freezer much harder to resist than those sitting covered at room temperature, or even still warm from the oven.

[Lillymuffin]

20 minutes ago, refugee said:

And I do find that the different color dyes have a different flavor. So I do save the brown ones for last, because they seem to have the least amount of dye-flavor to them, at least to my senses.

Yes, this! I've always said this, but my mom doesn't believe me. Funnily enough, I think the green, blue, and red (my favorites in ascending order) have the most dye flavor, but I like the colors. Needless to say, I eat them last.