About a different meal to the one that's been slaved over?

[breakthepattern]

Person A thinks that's what's been served for dinner (2 adults, 2 DC under 7) is what we're eating. End of. If you don't like it, you don't eat it, that's your choice. It's delicious and not "out there" or very unusual.

Person B thinks if you've never had it before, try it a little and then say you don't like it, it's ok for you to be made an alternative just for you, so you don't go hungry.

Who is BU?

For further info it's one of the DC refusing the food.

It's squash risotto with sage and pine nuts so quite "adult" depending on your perspective / diet.

And the replacement alternative was a ham and cheese wrap, no cooking involved.

This is obviously going to be too overpowering for a child to eat let alone enjoy

Frankly this is rubbish.

Squash isn’t tasteless if carefully cooked, Roasted squash has an excellent flavour. Sage is over powering if used in large quantities, it’s a great flavour enhancer if used sparingly. A risotto will also have lots of other flavours going on (onions, butter, garlic, wine, cheese).

I’m beginning to think that the main issue is people’s cooking skills.

Also, small kids often love strong flavours. We limit them without realising it all the time. I remember DS1 gobbling up rhubarb that I’d forgotten to sugar when a small baby. No way would I have eaten it myself, but he loved it.

I think "slaved over" is a bit of an exaggeration. It's a risotto, not a banquet.

Mostly A. I’m surprised to see it’s quite rare.

If they don’t like it, then there will be another meal along soon, and they can fill up on that. Being hungry isn’t the end of the world. In fact, I think it can be helpful to be properly hungry every so often - it helps you to remember the difference between true hunger and nibblish / feeling like snacking for the sake of it.

Having said that, if a DC wanted to to make themselves some toast I wouldn’t object - but I wouldn’t do it for them.

Also, how is it that so many people don’t like pinenuts?

It could be their very high fat content, even relative to other seeds and nuts. In my experience, they sometimes have a slightly rancid taste. And some people find them bitter.

Have no idea what I'd do about the dilemma because DS is too young so we haven't been there yet, but amazed at people acting like these are weird tastes that a child could never eat. DS is 9 months and eats all of that except whole pine nuts - roast butternut squash is one of his favourite foods. Risotto is one of the first meals I gave him. I'm fully expecting him to hit toddler pickiness and stop eating many things that he currently happily wolfs down, but I can't imagine thinking that offering him risotto, sage, squash (which we eat about twice a week in this house!) and pine nuts is somehow extraordinary.

I don't really understand why it would be considered weird to offer a child squash but normal to offer them, say, carrots?

The problem with squash is it’s tasteless, Sage is very strong and pine nuts are quite a delicate taste (for want of a better word) so your meal could very easily become overpowering with little taste other than a big mouthful of sage.

Butternut squash isn’t tasteless, it’s delicious when cooked properly. Sage isn’t particularly strong, and anyway you don’t need a huge amount of it. Basically the meal would only go wrong in the way you describe if you can’t cook.

I’m baffled by all these posters who think squash, sage and pine nuts is an outré combination. It’s fairly standard. Have you never been to Italy? Eaten in Italian restaurants here? Bought Italian from the supermarket? You can buy squash ravioli in Waitrose.

I’m beginning to think that the main issue is people’s cooking skills.

I’ve come to the same conclusion.

Also, while 'slaved over' is perhaps an exaggeration, I agree that this meal could be significant work - if you roasted the squash first and fried the sage leaves then it could easily take an hour, start to finish.

Pine nuts do need to be fresh. And aren’t they one of those things like coriander that taste unpleasant to some people? Baffled a butternut squash being tasteless, though.

I was a fussy eater as a child in that I just didn't eat much, regardless of what was offered. I just didn't have an appetite.

However, there wasn't even the option of an alternative, you ate what was made and it never occurred to me to ask for anything else. I grew out of the lack of appetite and now don't have any issues with any meals. Except squash and cold aubergine.

The risotto sounds lovely. But slaved over? Who slaves over a risotto?
Ha! That made me laugh. Risotto is our " cant be assed making much' tea!

I’m beginning to think that the main issue is people’s cooking skills.

I agree with this when I hear people describe okra as slimey. I've never had slimey okra in my life, I suspect the people who thinks it slimey are not cooking it properly. Washed and dried thoroughly, then chopped and stir fried with some onion and tomatoes or both, it's food fit for the queen.

If you’re going to make a good risotto, in needs reasonably constant attention for 45 minutes. While most of that is just adding stock and stirring, you still need to pay attention to it.

I don’t see it as an ‘easy’ meal by any means, though ‘slaving’ may be overstating it.

A, if I’ve paid for it, cooked it and I’m cleaning up afterwards, you eat it or go hungry.

I’m amazed some people think a plain risotto is outlandish, what do people eat?

Pine nuts do need to be fresh. And aren’t they one of those things like coriander that taste unpleasant to some people? Baffled a butternut squash being tasteless, though
There is a type of pine nut that is very bitter. I went off them years ago until I read an article about it. I had a bad taste in my mouth for ages. It hasn't happened since.
I live coriander and put it on salads, currys and in wraps but it tastes like soap to the rest of the family! It really does seem to be a live it or hate it food!!
I love butternut squash but find it bland unless it has been roasted to bring out the sweetness.

Ha! That made me laugh. Risotto is our " cant be assed making much' tea!

I genuinely don't get this - risotto might only take 30 minutes but it's half an hour where you can't step away from the pan. I don't make anything else that requires that (even a full roast with fairly effortful sides such as cauliflower cheese) - other things might take much longer, but they don't take as much focused effort.

Sorry, Laurie, cross post - as you can see I very much agree with you!

I do make a one pot rice, chicken and mushroom thing in the oven which is very nice. It’s not risotto, though. Maybe that’s what people are talking about?

Or maybe most of their cooking is incredibly complicated and time consuming, so 10 minutes of preparation then at least 30 minutes of standing by the cooker gradually adding stock, then another 5/10 minutes finishing sounds like a “can’t be arsed” dinner?

I think it depends when and how the declaration of “I don’t like it” came. If they’d already decided they didn’t like it prior to even trying it then clearly even once they’ve tried it they’re likely to say they don’t like it in order to get something else. Tough luck, it’s what I made for us and is hardly poached fish eyes and kangaroo testicles with a side of pickled walnuts. If they tried a little bit and were rude about it, also no. If they tried some and genuinely said “I’m really sorry but I don’t like it very much” then sure, you can have something else. It’s perfectly ok not to like something, but even children should understand that you need to a) try it first to find out if you do like it and b) not be rude about food someone else has cooked for you.

I'm an A, though I would leave out the pine nuts and limit the sage for under 7s. A quick squash or mushroom risotto minus parmesan and wine is practically toddler food is it not?

Toast or an apple as an alternative so nobody is going hungry.

Ha! That made me laugh. Risotto is our " cant be assed making much' tea!

I genuinely don't get this - risotto might only take 30 minutes but it's half an hour where you can't step away from the pan

I find it easy when we get in and hadn't prepared snything As I will stick my podcast on, use frozen chopped onions and once the rice, stock and wine are in I'll be setting the table and doing any other kitchen jobs while stiring.

I'll usually do double or triple what we need so I can make arancini the next day.

Or maybe most of their cooking is incredibly complicated and time consuming, so 10 minutes of preparation then at least 30 minutes of standing by the cooker gradually adding stock, then another 5/10 minutes finishing sounds like a “can’t be arsed” dinner? grin*
No, I dont often 'do' complicated. It doesn't take 10 mins prep.to get some frozen onions out of a freezer, weigh some rice in a measuring jug and put oil in a pan! It's hardly difficult or time consuming to stir stock in!!
Its quicker than making a bolognese or a stew and not as much faff as a soup or a roast where you are watching timings on everything.

risotto might only take 30 minutes but it's half an hour where you can't step away from the pan

This is why I get the kids to do it!

So many people on this thread sound ridiculous. Taking exception to the OPs choice of words and seemingly completely unaware that her reference to the flavours not being “out there” clearly refer to the fact that a) butternut squash and sage is a pretty standard flavour pairing; b) she knows her kids and what they’ll eat. Maybe their favourite meal is butternut squash traybake!

And to @Fatted - yes I get what you’re saying. It was your assertion that people that serve this meal to kids under 7 were ‘idiots’ that I was responding to. Clearly your kids don’t eat it

notacooldad

I think we just have different versions of effort - I think risotto is quicker but more effort than a stew which you set going and then leave. That might be about children's ages, etc - I find making risotto while making sure the baby doesn't kick off hard work, and a bolognese much easier.

Without being mean, I think I also make 'fancier' risotto than you, possibly because it's less of a 'go to' meal for us