Mumsnet Talk

I rarely ever have sauce with anything - no mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard or even salt etc

And without fail each time I have dinner with my friend she comments saying -

"eurgh don't you want sauce with that?!" ... or ...

"How can you eat that so dry?!"

But to me the food isn't dry or plain, I think it would only be to people who have to have sauce with their food because their taste buds are useless without it?

DP is like this too, he hates any kind of sauce and loves his food horrid and dry, but he probably thinks I'm the one eating a horrible diner because it's covered in sauce and his is lovely and sauce-less. Just ignore your friend.

You could reply with "I like to taste the food, thank you". Or, "did I ask for your opinion?".

Or, "Fuck off".

Not sure I'm helping...

Yanbu.

You eat it how you like,she eats how she likes and neither of you make digs at each other. Sorted.

Not even vinegar!!??

seriously, YANBU. Why not try commenting about how shocking it is that she feels the need to flavour all of her food with condiments. A reflection of her poor cooking possibly?

I get it too!

I don't like gravy and that seems to scare people

YANBU. I don't have sauce very often but dp puts sauce on everything I cook. We have turned it into a joke between us that he has to 'defile' all of his food while the rest of us un the family just eat it as nature intended.

"I like dry, bland things. That's why I hang out with you."

I don't do many condiments so I think you're entirely reasonable. Do like a dab of mustard in a cheese toastie though

"I like dry, bland things. That's why I hang out with you."

LMFAO yes this

Ha I love some of these responses, I think I will snap at some point and say one of them

I don't understand the obsession with having condiments with every meal, if you want a saucy meal cook something in a sauce, don't slather every meal in condiments.

It is the same with people who put salt and/or pepper on food before even tasting it, how the hell do you know that it isn't perfectly seasoned before you bloody taste it!?!
It drives me mad.

The only acceptable food to season before eating and serve with lots of condiments is chips.

I have a friend who's children will not eat a meal, no matter what is served, without tomato ketchup. Every single forkful is dipped it that horid sweet sauce. It makes me really sad.

Weare,

I broke up with my ex because of that. Well not just that but it was the straw that broke me.

why does she care? drives me mad when I spend ages cooking and people cover it in sauce... with out even tasting first!

at dry and bland. I'll use that on my DD. She won't have gravy or sauces or anything on her food <shrug> her choice.
I can't eat dry food, I am not keen on ketchup but do love a dollop of mayo.

I was beginning to think it was just me that doesn't like sauce/condiments. I mean, I don't mind so much if something is cooked in a sauce, but I can't be doing with ketchup/mayo/mustard/relish etc etc. It's been a while since anyone commented on my lack of sauciness but it would piss me off too.

My FIL came for dinner last week and I'd put sauce out because we had steak, chips and salad. He put TOMATO KETCHUP OVER HIS SALAD! I wanted to scream.

I put condiments out for the dc's when we have chips, or if I've stuffed up (a rare occurrence, I'm so perfect!) and the meal is shocking. Otherwise, you eat it as I have cooked it. All seasonings and condiments are already in there.

Just tell her that her cooking must be REALLY bad. ;)

Ignore your friend, each to their own!

I like sauce & got really into the mopping with bread when I lived in France. I do find food dry without it but can usually make do with a drizzle of olive oil.

I used to eat a lot of ketchup, but gave it up completely due to sugar content etc & don't miss it at all.

YA so NU. DH has a mad condiment fetish and it's one of the few things that makes me feel truly murderous.

I'll cook him a lovely prawn and pea risotto, carefully flavoured with white wine and a hint of the finest aged parmesan cheese, served with an artistic drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

DH dumps Worcestershire sauce on it. Worcestershire sauce! And is unable to understand why I suddenly transform into a pink-faced hissing harpy.

YANBU

whats the point in having a lovely meal to cover it up with any sauce.
i have everything plain because i like to taste what I'm eating, i also don't mix food on my fork because of it.

YANBU.

I'm not a big sauce fan either, and think it's kind of yucky to see other people's meals when they've smothered them in sauce of whatever description. I think that meals that are cooked in a sauce, like casseroles or curries, are fine with the sauce they're cooked in, but that's my only exception.

It's a personal preference, and it's very rude to make "eurgh" type comments about other people's sauce preferences.

You are being totally unreasonable.

How can you not want delicious sauce?

DH and I differ on this, but we each tolerate the other's likes. I rarely cook anything that doesn't have some sort of sauce or marinade incorporated or intended to be added to it at the table (eg gravy, mint sauce with lamb, mustard with other meats). I also like a dollop of mayo on the side of some meals, or ketchup for chip meals. DH tends to cook blander, dry food, but adds vinegar or soy sauce to a lot of things which I wouldn't. When I was ill recently he cooked me a dinner of a plain tuna steak with plain pasta and tinned sweetcorn, no way could I eat it like that, luckily we had some sweet chilli sauce in the fridge.

I think your friend IBU to comment and YABU to say her tastebuds must be useless, some people really don't like bland, plain food.

Just turn it round on her -

eurgh why have you put sauce with that?

How can you eat that so wet?!

It's not rude. Or if it is, it's the exact amount of rudeness she's shown to you.

Anyone who comments on anyone else's food is rude IMHO. I used to work with a girl who did that and it drove me bananas. EVERYTHING I ate was commented on, 'urgh, why are you having x with y, that's disgusting?' It would be totally normal things like a jacket potato with cheese on. She had massive eating issues, and would eat things for lunch like just a whole massive plate of carrots, but woe betide you mentioned that she was making curious food choices! It's bad manners.