SC - "personal recipies"

[Allison Hewett]

(For the record, folks, I'm usually on the other side of this argument. 
 But it's a slow week at work; and the List's position on this is pretty 
black-and-white.  Sometimes it's fun to argue about which shades of gray 
are harmless--as I feel this one is.)


Micaylah writes:

- - -----Original Message-----
From: kat <kat at kagan.com>

>> Sometimes, however, it *is* necessary to tell little white fibs about 
such
>> things in order to spare hurt feelings.

> This is inherantly wrong. You are lying no matter whose feelings are
> going to be hurt and perpetuating the intolerance in Cooks (myself
> included) for whiney people who have false allergies (inevitably it
> will come out) and then endangers people who have real allergies.

How so?  As we have pointed out many times on this list, Joe Public is 
responsible for *his own* allergies.  Joe Cook is only responsible for 
deciding whether to provide a few dishes in the menu that don't contain the 
allergen *IF* Joe Public calls him far enough in advance.  How on Earth 
will JC ever know if JP is lying about the allergy or not?  No one has ever 
seen him eat the alleged allergen.  No one ever will.

And JP's action or inaction in handling his own 'allergy' should have no 
effect whatever on Joe Lactose Intolerant--who is also responsible for his 
own allergies.  If Joe Cook gets exasperated at all the different allergy 
sufferers and suspects some of them are being whiny liars, the most he can 
do is say, "Fine, I've had it, bring your own food."  A cook shouldn't 
deliberately endanger an allergy sufferer, no matter for what reason.


>> So really, it's all in how you handle it.  I think that it's acceptable 
for
>> Royalty, or anyone else in an "on-stage" position, to claim allergy in
>> order to avoid the appearance of rejecting the cook's offerings in full
>> public view.  I also think that handling it with grace and good humor is 
a
>> necessary element.

> How you handle it? Yes I agree. But I think you have the angle wrong.
> It shouldn't be how you handle your food preferences. Shouldn't it
> read, how COOKS handle being told a person doesn't like (whether it be
> a mild dislike or projectile dislike) a food. I still can't figure out
> why one would take it personally.

You wouldn't take it personally if the King refused to eat your Signature 
Dish of X simply by saying "I don't like it," without trying it?  Then you 
must be an unusually forgiving and understanding person.  My personal 
reaction would be, "That stuck-up SOB!"  :-)  I've been cooking for a lot 
of years, so I doubt my reputation as a cook would be harmed by the King 
refusing to eat my food... but a newer cook might not be that lucky.

> Now, if there are
> preferences/dislikes/allergies present in the reigning Royals then I
> feel it is up to the Cook to find these things out BEFORE compiling
> her/his menu from the chamberlain/royal liasion/whatever. Its not like
> Tin Hats pop up at events unannounced.

True; but it's also true that not all Cooks are able to find out the 
Royals' information with enough advance notice.  Case in point:  I was 
recently asked to cook a banquet for the victors of a Crown Tourney... *at* 
the Crown Tourney.  *If* all went well, I would have exactly one hour's 
notice whether the guests of honor were vegetarian, vegan, allergic to 
anything...   (One of the finalists' consorts, btw, *was* a vegetarian... 
talk about being on tenterhooks till the last minute!)

I would rather hear, "Milady, I am a vegetarian," or "Milady, I have an 
'adverse reaction' to lamb," than "Eeuwww, I can't eat this, it has lamb in 
it!"  (Got the lamb on sale, though--$1.99 a pound.  Can't argue with 
that...)


Micaylah, thanks for arguing this out with me.  Please know that I hold you 
and your opinions in very high regard.

	- kat


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