Do You Serve Yourself All The Best Bits?

[SmidgenofaPigeon]

I do.

I made a bloody amazing lasagne this evening. When I was dishing it out, I noticed DH’s bit had a particularly nice bit of bubbling mozzarella on it so I took it for myself before I took it through to the table. Since I do most of the cooking because I like it and I’m good at it, I do this quite a lot. I’ll take the juicier bit of chicken breast or the nicest looking roast potatoes for example. I don’t serve myself more than DH, I just take what I consider to be the choicest bits.

Then I started to think about my dear (now sadly dead) gran who would be horrified at this behaviour she would ALWAYS give the best bits of meat to my grandad or my dad, even if it meant everyone else had gristle. I remember on holiday once the women and children got fish fingers and the men a prime bit of cod loin which she fried up in some batter. She’d also buy steak for the men and a cheaper cut for the women.

I was just musing over whether I do it to rally against her strange ways (she always said the men deserved the nice bits more because they worked hard) or do I just think I deserve all the best bits because I’ve cooked it 😂

So do you serve your partner/children the nicest bits first or are you selfish like me and keep them for yourself

Haha I always give myself the best bits if no one is watching. If someone is watching I try and make it less obvious

I don't keep all of the best bits...

Always give my husband the best bits!

I'm a total martyr and give the best bits to dh and the dc. I eat whatever is left

I used to always give the best bits to my partner but now he’s stuck with me I do pinch some of the tastier looking bits 🙈

I think it’s a generational thing, my Nan always served the men first with the best and then the women and then the kids

No I don’t do this, I don’t serve portions normally I let everyone help themselves from serving bowls or the pans they were cooked in. It’s rare I serve anything in a portion but will do for steak etc and I just put it on plate and let folks pick which ever.

The crispy end bits on a roast and a lasagne! Of course! Chefs privilege!

Whaaat!! Gobsmacked at the absolute martyrdom!!
Op I’m with you!! Crispiest chips and roasties, cheesiest slice of pizza 😁 if husband cooks it’s fair enough if he does this too.

I give the best bits to my husband. Cooking food for someone is an act of love for me, so it is all part of that. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you doing it your way! And your gran was weird - giving someone else the good bits isn’t the same as buying worse stuff for the women!

Hahaha love this, I actually give everyone else the best bits and I have whatever is left. It's a pattern I can see across my life when I think about it

@Comedycook

I'm a total martyr and give the best bits to dh and the dc. I eat whatever is left

I do this too, and I'm now thinking I've been playing the game all wrong!

YES I definitely take the cheesiest slices of pizza to be fair if DH is watching he will just let me take them anyway. He knows cheese is very important to me.

Absolutely, it's the cooks prerogative!

That's very funny as I was thinking about this yesterday! I made some cake and I gave myself the end piece with the lovely slightly crisp edge and DS got an inner slice. Like you, totally opposite to how I was brought up (Mum always serving herself last, always letting herself lose out if she'd given too big portions to everyone else) but I definitely feel like I should sometimes get first dibs when I've put the effort in if it's something that DS or DH won't particularly notice care about.

I do this all the time. Many many roast parsnips have been eaten before Sunday dinner, and the tasty bits of beef at the ends. Cooks perk. I do give my son the best roasties though.

The secret of a long and happy marriage I think is in having complementary views on what are the best bits.
I'd take the big stringy bits of mozzarella and give DH the burnt crispy edges - we both think we are getting the best bits.
Skin on a rice pudding is another example. I think it's revolting so take it all off my bit and pile it on to DHs - to him it is heaven.

I don't plate the food, we serve ourselves at the table so it's a no from me.

I give dh a larger portion but in return I have any crispy burnt bits or extra cheesy topping.
We have to share the skin on a rice pudding though because he would notice and complain if he didn't get any.

Yes! I thought I was alone in being so mean but thankfully not. I know I will appreciate those bits. DH wouldn’t understand the benefit as he will just mindlessly eat them .

I think mine is also a reaction to one of my grandmothers who always gave the men the best bits because 'they deserve it'. Fuck that, exactly why do they deserve it over the women? Misogynistic bullshit

I absolutely do take the best bits! But if there's two of something (of equal quality) and ones bigger than the other then I do tend to serve DH the bigger bit... makes me feel a bit more virtuous about it.

I try to share out the "best bits" unless it's something that is my favourite but the others don't care about. I always save some of her favourite bits for dd, but DH gets a bigger portion and I think that's more important to him.

I don’t have a child yet as I’m still pregnant but I wonder if I’ll serve him the best bits instead.

I think possibly not

DH gets a bigger portion and I think that's more important to him. I mean it's important to him to get a good amount of food that will fill him up, not that he wants the bigger portion. He is more for quantity over quality if it's something he likes but he doesn't mind others having a big portion too if they want it.

My DH has a larger portion than me because he's much physically larger and eats more. I then distribute the "best" bits evenly between everyone as per their preferences.

What your Nan did was a common behaviour in that era, to serve men first before women and children and to give them the best parts. Thankfully a sexist behaviour that has mostly died out.