Horrified watching my aunt prepare today's lunch...

[user1477282676]

Just checking that I'm not being super sensitive! Was at MIL's today for lunch...Aunt was in charge of potatoes which were to be boiled and covered in garlic, butter and herbs.

Lovely.

Except...not.

I had to watch her as she put the butter etc in and using a selection of utensils, repeatedly lick them after she'd stirred the potatoes...and then plunge them into the potatoes again....good stir....back into the butter dish...more licking...back into the potatoes...then back into the butter...another good lick.

Boak.

She then, coughed into the pot for good measure.

This is a bit lighthearted by the way....she's not in her dotage or anything...60 years old and perfectly together...she knew I was sititng there watching.

I had been looking forward to a nice spud! I had to refuse them and eat meat and salad!

What gets INTO some people?

This sort of 'I'm so clean, I am' is a class indicator, as much as anything. And not necessarily in the way you might assume.

food being prepared to be cooked to a high temperature will not do you any harm at all if it has been handled before hand by human hands- think about how fish is skinned, how veg and salad is cut, how dough and pastry is mixed and handled. Stop being so crazy about germs- we are covered in germs! They do not harm us, Chefs (I have worked in a professional kitchen) handle food all of the time. It does us no harm at all as long as we use clean hands.

OMG, that's gross!!!

You mean like in a Hyacinth Bouquet. Sort of way? :)

pughpughbarneymcgrue
so true

I couldn't read the whole article, felt sick just reading it :( x

Urgh.
As an aside I used to work in a restaurant with brilliant hygiene practices. They're not all bad :)

think about how fish is skinned, how veg and salad is cut, how dough and pastry is mixed and handled

With clean hands that are washed in between raw fish being skinned and pastry being kneaded, I would hope - if it's a half-decent kitchen, that is.

SirChenin yes of course but then it's hot n sweaty in the kitchen. :)

I wouldn't go out if I were you. It's too dangerous

I wouldn't go out if I were you. It's too dangerous
How true

Hot and sweaty doesn't stop you washing your hands after you've handled raw meat.

No-one is saying don't go out - don't be silly. Just follow basic hygiene practices and you'll be fine (as will everyone else you spare from your manky habits)

That sounds like I'm talking about something that isn't good

Food!! FFS.

"Like he was turning the page of a book...which I am also disgusted by."

Why? Nobody else is going to eat the book. The saliva on the page will dry pretty quickly.

"You wouldnt eat a piece of cake that someone had just licked the icing from right in front of you, would you?"

No, but if you're out for a walk and have no drink with you, you might drink from someone else's bottle.

I taste my cookin,with a spoon, but spoon goes straight to sink or dishwasher then, and use another spoon each time i taste something.. I cannot believe people accept its ok to do otherwise..Like letting people kiss your children on the lips???, A huge NO!.. but prob me?!..

I grew up with a DM who was neurotic about anything to do with food. I wasn't alliwed to eat birthday cake, share crisps from a bag, have a drink from someone elses can or eat party or buffet food. I also wasn't allowed to eat meat if I was not with her, because if the choking risk. Looking back, I am pretty sure that DM had OCD, but in the 70's this wasn't talked about. (neither was BPD, which she was later diagnosed with). I find it hard to know what is "normal" now I have my own DC. I let him eat at buffets and share food but I am still dodgy about birthday cake.

You'll be fine eating all their germs, will boost your immune system. My kids grew into healthy six footers on my slightly loose hygiene standards

I must just be a really odd one, this wouldn't bother me, as long as the person that was doing it had good hygiene overall such as brushing teeth, keeping body clean, washing hands etc!
limitedperiodonly I am just like you, I scrape leftovers into a big bowl ready to make something scrumptious with it the next day, also have used my dressing gown in emergencies
is this how people get when they get into a relationship and have to exchange saliva and bodily fluids through kissing and sex?? lol maybe it's just how I was raised my mum always said a little bit of dirt never hurt.

I would be a bit less upset if the food was due to go into a hot oven but these potatoes were just lukewarm. Already cooked. Perfect environment for her germs. She's also a smoker which made it even more disgusting really.

There's hygiene and there is obsession.
I'm reasonably hygienic, (I am forever washing my hands during food preparation )but, as a family we will eat things that others have had a bite of , or maybe taste things...Unless the person whose food you're eating has a dreadful cold or something! They're 'family' germs!
I would be more careful, if I had guests.
How do some of you cope with cooking for the family if you have a cold? Do you just not bother or something???
Seriously, we are a pretty healthy family, hardly ever ill, all without being fastidiously clean.
To be fair, the only thing that makes me cross is if the kids have a swig of cola or lemonade straight from the bottle in the fridge - and then put it back! I shout then!

Marigold I'm with you. Hardly worry at all about germs and am almost never ill. Only time I get stressy about hand washing is when school start talking about threadworm incidences. Now that's gross. Someone's saliva in food? Meh.

Its not that I worry about illness! I've said so multiple times! It's that it's just frigging disgusting!

Yuk! It's about basic hygiene and shit manners. Inconsideration basically. Taste the pot by all means but don't dip spoon back in, give it a rinse. Licking knives and spoon...why? As far as germs are everywhere we need bacteria justifications of slobby unnecessary behaviour brigade.Yes, germs are everywhere, yes we need and have bacteria all around us, yes, I believe its important to maintain a balance by observing decent hygiene. I'm sure I'm an unwitting victim of some places I may have eaten out at, but that isn't a justification then for me to be inconsiderate and unhygenic to my guests and others.