People tricking you with cheaper food

[HuntIdeas]

AIBU to get really annoyed with people substituting cheaper alternatives into food and thinking you can’t tell the difference! No dumbass, we’re just too polite to say “your food is a bit crap today” so instead say “that was lovely, thanks”

I went over to a friends yesterday and she served chilli con carne. After the meal she gleefully told us that it was quorn and lentil, as if we didn’t think we could taste the difference! At which point all we said was “I thought it tasted a bit unusual”. I really should have said “no wonder it was almost inedible” but I’m way too British for that!

And am far from being a fussy eater, most people don’t like quorn, surely?

Loopy me too, I eat loads of veg and vegetarian food (though I eat meat too) but quorn is horrible.

Would you use green or red lentils in a chilli? And would that be canned or dry from a packet?

Are invitations solely accepted or rejected on the premise that such and such shall be served? I have never heard such a thing.

I don't accept dinner invites from a particular friend. The last time she hosted I watched her put a jar of curry sauce into a tiny pan. Then squash in some raw chicken. She simmered it (heat had to be low because it was at the brim) for about 10 minutes while she made some rice.

Yum- medium rare chicken and crunchy rice. I appreciate it's not as bad as serving quorn but I still didn't want to eat it.

donquixote I'd be skipping any further invitations to eat there too! Yuck.

ideasofmarch

I use red lentils, dry from a packet not from a tin - when you simmer them they soften and take on the flavours of the rest of the chilli.

I'm a lifelong veggie so I've got used to putting lentils in everything - definitely one of my most used ingredients! Dried red lentils go really well in curries, chilli, pasta sauce, etc.

(Entirely missing point of thread!)

don it’s 1000 times worse than serving quorn.
Quorn can’t kill you,

Depends on what you are substituting and who its for.

MIL is adamant she will only eat branded foods, I know her allergies and she reminds me of them every time I cook for her, she will often get cheaper brands without knowing it, I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

I wouldn't invite a friend round and substitute an ingredient for something totally different though and I'd be really pissed off if someone put quorn in my food as it doesn't agree with me (not a proper allergy, just gives me stomach ache)

YANBU. I usually tell people what I’m cooking for them! I hate Quorn, I’d rather have a five bean chilli if it had to be veggie.

I actively choose to avoid Quorn.

Same here. Quorn is foul. So is tofu. Neither isacgeap option, but both are low fat (and low flavour). The texture is pretty bleeearch, too.

Lentils, chickpeas, beans of any type - yes please - but not meat impersonators.

*is a cheap option, not isacgeap option

That would have made my husband very ill, he is intolerant of mushrooms, and reacts badly to Quorn as it's derived from mushrooms. He would have been really ill (explosive both ends) for a couple of days.

he is intolerant of mushrooms

but then you advise people when you accept a diner invitation, don't you?

I'd be skipping any further invitations to eat there too! Yuck.

This was years ago. We now always eat out. The problem is she spends 10 minutes counting up every single penny of the bill (before anyone asks- loaded and little outgoings) and often forgets to buy rounds of drinks.

It's a good job I love her to bits :-)

don it’s 1000 times worse than serving quorn.

I wouldn't go that far.

Cheaper food would mean food that costs less? I would have no problem with that at all. People often think cheap means lesser quality which isn't always true. I find a lot of 'value' items are actually far less processed with less added sugar so they work well for me.
If she was serving quorn mince she should have checked though as it doesn't always agree with people. Quorn isn't usually cheaper than beef mince.

This thread is batshit. 'Want to come for dinner, it's chilli con carne'. That means meat with chilli, so if you know the host is not vegetarian or vegan, you lot seriously believe you have to tell the host, 'don't make it with Quorn because it gives me the shits?'

People often put both in. I put lentils and mince in mine. Like I said I would always ask potential guests if they had any foods they avoid but I, as someone with multiple food intolerances, would also always mention them if invited out for food since you cannot assume your food will contain none of the ingredients you need to avoid.

I wouldn't mind a dish bulked out with quorn or lentils, but I'd not be able to force myself to eat anything with baked beans in it as I find them disgusting.

“Padding out” meat with veg: fine.

Mixing quorn and meat: grim. Only guests such as Michael Gove deserve that.

Last time I accidentally ingested a fingernail sized piece of Quorn I spent four hours lying shaking on the bathroom floor vomiting horrendously every few minutes. I would not necessarily think of having to say to a non vegetarian host making a chilli con carne 'are you using real meat?' - although I may do from now on!

Slightly off-topic but just to say that, if someone's given you a dish you really don't like, at least don't praise it over much.
I made the mistake of doing this after dinner with my ex s-in-l. She's not interested in food or cooking (which is fine; loads of people aren't) and, once she finds a recipe that seems popular, sticks to it.
One of her offerings was a sort of casserole of chicken in white sauce with water chestnuts and topped with bran flakes. It sounds really odd now I write it down but swear to god it's true.
Knowing that she wouldn't have enjoyed preparing it and appreciating the effort she made (despite it being pretty disgusting) said how nice it was. I know: serves you right, Pinocchio.
We had it practically every other time we went there... Her brother was livid with me.
Maybe that's why she's ex s-in-l...

be47 thanks for the tip

It doesn't matter if it's an allergy or a gut intolerance, if something makes you ill then surely you tell people that when you're asked to dinner?

The OP said chilli con carne was served but we don't know if the host actually called it that. I don't usually pronounce the names of dishes as I serve them.

You mean you got tricked in to a free dinner?

PiebaldHamster
well, yes, of course you tell the host if you suffer from a real food allergy or intolerance! If you did had a real one, you would tell because you don't have a death wish.

Even if it's chili con CARNE with real meat, there might be a starter or another dish with something else in it. You wouldn't take the risk to have meat AND Quorn either.

Most basic manner and common sense is to warn a host in advance when you cannot eat something. A 5 year old would know that.