It’s rude to take one look at the dinner I have cooked then get lots of condiments for it.

[Wasail]

I spend time preparing a meal that is tasty and balanced, H takes one look at it, doesn’t taste it or anything, just gets his collection of condiments from the fridge and smothers his dinner.
We are talking things like truffle mayo ( he is a bit wanky with his condiment collection) so things that will fundamentally change the flavour of the meal. And no, I didn’t make fish and chips. ketchup or mayo, not both, would be acceptable in that case.
I think it’s unbelievably rude of him, he thinks it’s perfectly fine.

I'm not saying he definitely is, and there is probably a good chance he isn't, but you need to keep an open mind on these things. If it were me in this situation, I would just be careful. Each to their own though.

OMFG @Mitel1 that has got to be the biggest stretch I have ever read on here. “Check your husband’s condiment usage to see if he’s shagging” Are you for real??

This whole thread is bizarre, imagine your OH using salt or mayo on his dinner being an actual issue for you? Bloody hell, get a grip

I'm not saying he definitely is, and there is probably a good chance he isn't, but you need to keep an open mind on these things. If it were me in this situation, I would just be careful. Each to their own though.

This is hilarious

@ClientQueen try pizza with American mustard or salad cream 👌

Well this will sound blunt - but how's his weight?

I notice that people that like lots of condiments are often on the larger side.

Prepare for flaming AR, you about to be flamed. Dons hard-hat.

I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule but people who smother everything in ketchup, mayonnaise, chilli sauce etc have forgotten what it's like to TASTE food. All they want is the sugar, fat or hot spice rush.

And they tend to be overeaters because they don't have any self-control, hence the smothering.

There's a teaspoon of sugar in every tablespoon of ketchup. Would you go around sprinkling sugar on your dinner? No you wouldn't.

Would you tip olive oil all over your fries? Super-greasy right? And yet in mayonnaise it's fine?

I think people who chuck condiments over EVERYTHING at each meal have forgotten how to eat and how to taste food and essentially erased their tastebuds and fallen into bad habits. They are just looking for a quick hit.

Don't get me wrong, a bit of mustard in a ham sandwich, a bit of ketchup on fries can be nice. I like curry. But you'll never find me blanketing my food in any sauce because I want to taste the taste of it.

Blathering everything in various sauces on a regular basis shows a lack of taste and self-control. It's a bad habit.

it's the same as if you went to an art gallery, and suggested after you bought a fine piece of art, that the artist splash some more blue paint over it, and draw a smiley face on the sun, or whatever.

You'd sort of have a point if we were talking about a Michelin star restaurant, but this is a bloke eating his tea at home. It's not a one-off piece of valuable art, it's a bit of fish.

If the wife is so bothered then she needs to tell the husband that he needs to eat his meal in a way that SHE desires. She needs to communicate this to her partner, though I imagine it'd cause whole new issues. Which is probably why she's whinging about him online.

That's fine, OP! My DP and myself have totally different palates. He hasn't got sensitive taste buds, I do. I dislike sauces and whatnot on my food as I appreciate delicate flavours - he simply can't taste them. We joke about his 'one taste bud', lol. He also uses a wide variety of condiments on every meal. I never thought to be offended by it, though! Life's too short. People are different. At least he is eating the food!

I think Mitel1 has it....if he's using a lot of condiments there's probably an OW

Even by the standards of this site, that’s fucking hilarious.

Beware excessive mayo, good wives of mumsnet.

I know right? Wanting your husband to enjoy his food makes you a "surrendered wife" wtaf?

That’s not what was posted. It was “surely their happiness is your happiness?”.

The OP isn’t happy that her DH covers the food she’s cooked him with several different sauces before he’s even tasted it to see if it needs anything adding. But apparently her happiness should depend on his, regardless of how it makes her feel.

I notice that people that like lots of condiments are often on the larger side.

ah stop, this thread is hilarious. Husband likes ketchup? Is he a fat bastard? Is he having an affair? LTB!!

I can't stand it. I don't mind if someone tastes it and wants to add more seasoning - fine, I do like things mild and I appreciate that not everyone does. But two of my family just put extra hot chilli sauce on nearly every meal, mostly without tasting it first. It doesn't matter what we've cooked, everything gets covered in chilli sauce. They get through about a bottle a fortnight each.

The thing with tomato ketchup is that is has ALL the flavours - sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami. So if you routinely have it, it makes 'normal' foods seem incomplete because they don't have everything. So you keep putting it on everything. It's a bit of a cycle.

I know someone (whose wife is a fabulous cook) who once sat down with his family to a roast dinner. No ketchup on the table; none in the house, they'd run out. So he said "don't worry kids" and left his plate of hot food on the table while he went to the shop.

How they are still married is an absolute mystery.

I find it rude if someone adds salt/pepper/somekindofsauce before tasting . My brother and mum both do this. I cook from scratch and season my food well but it wouldn't occur to them to taste the food first 👀 ketchup's also a strange one. I know quite a few kids who won't entertain food without ketchup no matter what the food is. I'd love to know when that habit changes 🤷‍♂️ its not offensive to me for someone to add whatever they wish, as long as they taste it first 🤷‍♂️

DH went through a stage of putting sriracha on everything which I found v annoying. Like OP I was cooking from scratch and following recipes. Why add SE Asian hot vinegary sauce to something Italian? Add something appropriate if you are going to tweak.

But you are not eating it for him.

"I notice that people that like lots of condiments are often on the larger side."

I fully admit to my love of hot sauce and my BMI is 19 (a crude measure of course but I'm a long way from being large).

Of course there's the possibility that the food prepared is actually bland (my MIL who is lovely, is also a terrible cook and cannot abide the taste of any herbs or garlic and definitely not spices.) I once had to make a simple bolognese dinner when she was visiting and I could not add any onion, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper, mushrooms etc. you get the picture. The highly unappetising ground beef in tomatoes was the most depressing dish I've ever struggled through in my life, but MIL liked it very much You'd better believe I unloaded a ton of hot sauce onto my plate!

If you're that precious about your perfectly crafted meal being compromised by sauces and condiments, why not make less effort? If you knew it didn't taste that special wouldn't you feel less hurt by the condiments?

Because, as I've said, the alternative is to tell your husband you're only happy with him eating his meal in the manner YOU dictate. Which is absolutely mental when you see it written down.

DHs who are on the larger side and like their condiments are probably a bit worried about going home tonight !!

It doesn't annoy me with condiments, but what does annoy me is when DSS covers his whole dish in salt and pepper, without tasting it first. How do you know it needs to be seasoned if you haven't tasted it? I made a dish the other day that was already quite salty, and he put salt o it, and I said he wouldn't need it.. in the end he left loads, as it was "too salty". No shit.

And then made himself something later, out of ingredients I meant for dinner the day after, without telling me he'd used them, so when I went to the fridge to grab them the day after they'd gone. But that's another story haha..

I'd be more offended if he tasted it then added condiments! That would be a direct implication that the food was tasteless!

Some people just like condiments. Would you prefer if he didn't enjoy his meals to the full just to appease you?

I love Mumsnet. Someone likes to use lots of different sauces and it's a sign they're fucking another woman You do realise we are talking about condiments not condoms don't you?

And as for not letting your DC eat your roast dinner because they want ketchup with it - I bet Sundays are happy days in your house

I can't believe only one pp has mentioned the scene from the Lenny Henry sitcom "Chef" in this thread.

Here it is again - "Gareth" is the chef (Lenny Henry) of his 2 Michelin starred restaurant and the customer has asked for salt...

"Gareth: Nothing else you wanted, was there?

Customer: What?

Gareth: A splash of Lea & Perrins? A dollop of Daddies to stir into the artichoke and Hollandaise coulis? It really is no trouble, we could send someone into town.

I can get you any thing you like to enhance the flavour of your food. Salad Cream, Newman's Own, Branston Pickle. You only have to ask. A little Tabasco perhaps, or barbecue sauce, a spoonful of sandwich spread maybe. A nice packet of cheese and onion flavour crisps to sprinkle over your monkfish and salmon gratin.

We could even get you a prawn vindaloo, or family sized pack of chicken drumsticks or menu Beef for two persons with special fried rice and extra sweet and sour pork balls if you like, I mean we don't mind going to a bit of trouble to please the customers here, really.

SALT!!! I'm going back to my kitchen now although GOD KNOWS WHY! I mean, do you have any idea of number of highly-skilled man hours over a three-day period have gone into producing this dish?!

Which is brought to your table at the zenith of its powers? Its taste, flavors, texture and temperature at the peak of perfection, and WITHOUT TASTING IT YOU CALL FOR SALT?

I hate you with a passion you can only dream of.... bon appétit."

I have always found this scene funny because I saw a [milder] version of it happen in a restaurant once; although the Chef in this case was holding a meat cleaver which made it less funny

Why add SE Asian hot vinegary sauce to something Italian? Add something appropriate if you are going to tweak.

hhhmmm let me think.....because he wants to? That's a pretty good reason

Personally I don't mind. One DS seems to cover everything in chilli, but if they eat everything I count it as a win!

He must be consuming a lot of extra calories and sugar with all those extra sauces. His choice though I guess. I don't get it personally but each to their own.