To not like being fed leftovers when I am a guest?

[alfabetty]

Or am I being precious? We went to see some friends for an afternoon, for something to eat while the children play. So not expecting a big meal, just snacks.

What is produced is 'cheese & biscuits'. Which is fine. But every bit of cheese has already been hacked about and partially eaten. So it appears to be leftovers from another meal.

AIBU to expect that if you have guests and are serving them cheese and biscuits, you either cut a chunk off a larger block from your well-stocked pantry (my preferred option... ) or nip out and buy a few new lumps of cheese to serve up?

What kind of biscuits were they? - If they were cornish wafers I can see you'd be miffed, I like the ones with poppy seeds in myself.

If you find yourself faced with flapping edam wax, a good thing to do is to cut it off warm it in your hands and make a little wax model with it.

But how can cheese be 'leftovers'? On that basis, everything in my fridge/cupboard which is not sealed is leftovers then.

But decanting the coleslaw is a must.

DH's aunt, is the queen of the 'cold spread'. If she know's you are 'popping round' - you get the full works regardless. Everything is decanted and arranged to death. Sandwiches are cut into triangles for brown bread and squares for white bread and arranged on platters with parsley garnish.

Bread sticks stand upright in cream china pots with 'French' style writing on them saying 'Le Pan' (I kid you not)

And cold meats are arranged according to colour on a large platter - so darkest meat (salami or parma ham) blending into a row of 'nice ham' blending into white meats like chicken.

Erm what else does she do? Oh she peels the cucumber for the crudities and all pickles are decanted into little crystal bowls with white china spoons.

There is always a 3 tier cake plate in the middle stacked in order

All the cocktail sausages sit side by side in the dish rather than higgledy piggledy

Oh and the smoked salmon is usually arranged in a kind of flower shape (the salmon as the petals) and the wedges of lemon in a flower shape in the centre.

The cheeseboard is always full with all Brie, Stilton and Other triangular cheese fully pointed. And square blocks complete too. Cheese biscuits are removed from tins and packaging and arranged around the edges.

I could go on, but I won't.

But she would faint at OP's plate of cheese of varying shapes, sizes and textures. But then she uses doilies and has fuck all little to do all day.

Also if you are faced with edam wax, do not hand it to a curly-haired child. I happen to know it can lurk there for, oooh weeks.

STOP SAYING ITS LEFTOVERS

ITS NOT FUCKING LEFTOVERS

ITS JUST CHEESE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN OPENED AND USED

I think Trinity is get a bit cheesed off

If you came to my house you would be handed the marg tub.

YUK YUK YUK!!!

I've just posted on a USED thread!!!

hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahah

new cheese my arse
honestly

lol I'm sorry but I've just read the whole thread in one and I got to the last post and op STILL called it leftovers

ITS NOT

I have leftovers with cheese IN THEM if you actually want cheese leftovers

I had a plain naan spread with chilli pesto and then apple and mustard cheese on toop but eyes were biggere than belly so you can have my LEFTOVERS.....as in I've already been chewing it and I have it LEFT OVER!

opened cheese IS NOT LEFTOVERS

IT FRIGGING CHEESE

Slightlyjaded I think that sounds lush.

Am still laughing at the slimming powers of hypothetical butter.

SlightlyJaded - your dh's aunt sounds inspirational.

DH just said it sounds like an English version of the Japanese tea ceremony.

If you ever get the chance, please sneak a photo with your mobile phone, especially of the smoked salmon flower, and stick it on your profile.

Ta.

Like the crackers gag.

But I remain of the view that a cheeseboard for guests as a main dish requires fresh cheese. Not what remains in the fridge from last time you ate cheese (better than 'leftovers' ) alongside the tub of coleslaw that was opened when you last had salad/cold meat etc.

I was wavering in the face of overwhelming opposition, but the support later on in the thread has strengthened my resolve.

I am not alone, just in the minority.

Am I the only one who is wondering why coleslaw was served with cheese & biscuits?

As for the cheese - it's just cheese. Leftovers is what DH when he comes home from work starving and scoffs the remains of the DCs' dinners - half a fishfinger, a couple soggy chips, a teaspoon of baked beans. He only at second-hand ketchup.

Chippy, I had wondered why no-one else had noticed that. Chutney with C&B. Or dried fruit. Not coleslaw.

But it was a minor misdemeanor in the scheme of things. So I let it go.

Actually, I think I'm with you on the issue of presentation - a bit of judicious trimming goes a long way...(and can be secretly scoffed in the kitchen beforehand as a cheesy bonus)

One should trim the cheese, definately. In a uniform and orderly way so it looks like it could conceivably have come straight from the nice Waitrose deli man.

And the coleslaw as an accompaniment to cheese is weird. Having said that, I've heard there are some people who put cheese in coleslaw. Now that's really wrong and bad.

Oh yes even my five year old ds knows the benefit of making the edges of chocolate cake 'neat'.

In ' ' as his version of neat... well

TUC in at the Ritz.
HA HA HA.
Glad op isn't my friend.

If its planned I might make a curry and bhajees. Or minted lamb chops, new potatoes and peas, with a home made trifle.

If its unplanned you get whatever I can russle up in 15 -pasta, scallops in and a french stick.

I'm glad to be offered a cup of tea and a hob nob, wherever I go.

I'm with you alfabetty... If you've invited people over to eat, it's only polite to make it look like you hAve made some effort fgs.
Popping in unannounced is fine for crumby leftovers.
Actual invititation to lunch requires at least one new piece of cheese with it's nose.

I want to go to SlightlyJaded's DH's aunt's house. I do love a cold spread, nicely done. DH's mum has no idea - she throws in a random sausage and tomato pie every time, because BIL once said he liked it 25 years ago.

apparently the key is to make it look like it wasn't a huge effort. But not, you know, pre-eaten.

But not too polished. Crunchy bread crumbs on the table at the end to show one is not overly anal finicky. Crisp water in the jug with icy beads on it. etc etc

apparently

I'm loving this and clearly so are many others. All round my house, provided you have 4WD as I am snowed in.

Under normal catering circumstances I only serve fresh cheese, oh yes, everything is garnished and on doileys. I'd even go so far as to say if my dog was to have a lick of anything then I'd definitely rub it on my dress before it got to you.

I just like food to look appetising. Am I totally out of it (already had a large amount of wine, no cheese) or is that all the OP is saying?