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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I'm married to ketchup man

223 replies

ketchupman · 04/07/2021 21:09

Semi light-hearted, first world problem and have name changed 🙄

I married a man who was a self declared 'foodie'. This was great, I like cooking and eating a lot.

Quite a few years in now, it transpires I'm married to ketchup man who slathers it over his food whenever he can. Steak, fancy burgers, anything with potato, nothing is safe from ketchup man. It turns out he didn't do this in the first few years of our relationship as he knew it was a bit odd.

He doesn't understand why I'm irritated by making an effort to cook a nice meal for him only for it to be covered in ketchup (roast potatoes with rosemary got ketchupped tonight).

YABU - it's okay to do this, let the man ketchup a fillet steak without rolling eyes
YANBU - cook him toddler food and don't waste flavour on him

OP posts:
Happylittlethoughts · 04/07/2021 22:01

On a side note ... turns out I hate the word "slathers" .
Shudder

Oysterbabe · 04/07/2021 22:01

Honestly if my husband tried to control what I ate I'd tell him to go fuck himself.

Penville · 04/07/2021 22:02

I’m another one with a chilli sauce husband! We made a deal - anything I put real effort into cooking stays chilli-free but everyday cooking or leftovers he can go nuts with Smile

DeRigueurMortis · 04/07/2021 22:03

@Jent13c

I married a ketchup man. And he helped me make 2 ketchup boys. I budget 2 costco sized ketchup bottles a month. I also spend a good portion of my time wiping sauce off said ketchup boys faces.

You know it's really unhealthy right?

It's full of sugar and salt.

That's why it's addictive and it's terrible for children's teeth.

ExhaustedFlamingo · 04/07/2021 22:03

I love ketchup on my food. And I honestly don't get this snotty "well, I'm not cooking proper food for this person then" type attitude.....

I like sauce, gravy or some other condiment with almost every meal. Pizza is one exception - but I don't eat the crusts because they're hard, tasteless and bland. Shoot me. My DP is delighted, he loves crusts so gets to pinch them from my plate.

I'm the cook in our house and I can cook from scratch bloody well. My taste buds definitely aren't ruined by years of ketchup abuse. But I will absolutely put a dollop on my plate with any meal that doesn't have a sauce or a gravy. I don't care whether you insist "it doesn't need it" - I like it and tbh, without some kind of sauce/gravy/condiment I find meals a bit bland and dry. Sometimes I might have another sauce, but rarely.

And I'm with you @MarkRuffaloCrumble, always on the side, never on top.

It's perfectly possible to be a foodie and also enjoy ketchup. I would never described myself as a foodie but liking a certain sauce doesn't preclude you.

You carry on over there with your ketchup less -joyless- life and I'll be sat here with the toddlers being very happy with my plate of food, gourmet or otherwise.

Original poster
ketchupman · 04/07/2021 22:08

@SupermanInk oh it's definitely light-hearted and there were quite a few things that he helpfully points out that I kept to myself in the early days that I am now pretty fast and loose with... the auto-condimenting aside, I definitely wouldn't be without him Smile

OP posts:
Classica · 04/07/2021 22:08

A babyish need to have tomato sauce with every dinner would irritate the fuck out of me quite frankly.

Harriedgymmum · 04/07/2021 22:08

Mine uses ketchup, mayonnaise, chilli sauce and salt all on the same meal without tasting it first. Literally disgusting!

DocsOddSocks · 04/07/2021 22:09

My Husband must think he's married to ketchup woman. It was slopped on my chicken dinner tonight Grin

DeRigueurMortis · 04/07/2021 22:09

@warmfluffytowels

I really don't understand why people get so worked up about this.

If he wants to add ketchup to his food, let him. It really has zero impact on you or anyone else!

I disagree.

One it's really unhealthy (same with Mayo but that's far rather than salt/sugar).

It knackers your tastebuds, teeth and is addictive, robbing you of the opportunity to taste the flavours of what you're eating.

Finally if I'm cooking a really nice meal it's actually pretty insulting to have expensive ingredients ruined by by having their flavour masked by a £3 condiment.

No it's also not the same as having apple sauce with pork or cranberry with Turkey etc. That's about condiments designed to work with the other flavours on the plate and enhance them, not obliterate them.

It's not about food snobbery it's about ruining nice food with a really unhealthy substance in excess.

SupermanInk · 04/07/2021 22:12

oh it's definitely light-hearted and there were quite a few things that he helpfully points out that I kept to myself in the early days that I am now pretty fast and loose with... the auto-condimenting aside, I definitely wouldn't be without him

Early days isn’t ‘years’ though isn’t it.

ExhaustedFlamingo · 04/07/2021 22:13

The ridiculous comments from the food police on this thread beggar belief.

Eat what you want people. We're only here on this moral coil for a short time and if ketchup, mayo, chilli sauce, gravy etc makes you happy, crack on and enjoy your food how you like it.

Bloody nonsense.

Ugzbugz · 04/07/2021 22:13

I hate ketchup but add mayo to everything

ExhaustedFlamingo · 04/07/2021 22:14

*mortal

Although given the sanctimonious comments from those sneering at others that like ketchup, moral feels almost Freudian.

HundredMilesAnHour · 04/07/2021 22:14

A babyish need to have tomato sauce with every dinner would irritate the fuck out of me quite frankly.

This. To be frank, if someone did this, I doubt we'd get further than a first or second date. I don't have ketchup in my home (nor mayonnaise nor HP sauce) and I've never bought a bottle in my life.

I would, however, welcome the Black Pepper Assassin with open arms. Grin

SupermanInk · 04/07/2021 22:16

I don't have ketchup in my home (nor mayonnaise nor HP sauce) and I've never bought a bottle in my life.

🥇 The superior one has arrived everyone.

wanderedlonelyasacloud · 04/07/2021 22:18

I think it's weird he does that and definitely shouldn't call himself a foodie but I think YABU to get wound up by it

Also if you do the cooking anyway you'd be cutting your nose off to spite your face to start cooking two different meals each day (one for you and one "toddler" one for him as you put it Smile)

WorraLiberty · 04/07/2021 22:18

I can't get fussed about what others choose to eat tbh

However, I get this irrational urge to want to slap anyone using the word 'foodie'.

Fuckitfuckit · 04/07/2021 22:21

Lol I get this 100%!
My husband slathers nandos perinnaise on everything.
It gets slightly galling when I try so hard to make good food, which he doesn't even taste before he bathes it in perinnaise.

Instead of being annoyed I just think, if that's what you'll enjoy. I enjoy the food just as its served.

GreyhoundG1rl · 04/07/2021 22:21

@WorraLiberty

I can't get fussed about what others choose to eat tbh

However, I get this irrational urge to want to slap anyone using the word 'foodie'.

Particularly the knob who is a self declared foodie 🤮 Seriously, most of us can eat decent food without giving ourselves a little brownie badge.
SupermanInk · 04/07/2021 22:23

Also, from extensive research, I’ve observed that anyone who calls themselves a ‘foodie’ is a bit of a nobhead.

WorraLiberty · 04/07/2021 22:25

Seriously, most of us can eat decent food without giving ourselves a little brownie badge.

I agree @GreyhoundG1rl.

It's just a pretentious way of saying they like their grub.

I like wines and beers but I've never declared myself a 'winie' or a 'beerie' or any other stupid name 🙄

SupermanInk · 04/07/2021 22:25

WorraLiberty and GreyhoundG1rl

Sorry, didn’t see your posts about ‘foodies’ before I posted. Totally agree.

RogueMnerHidesUnderABigHat · 04/07/2021 22:27

Aw!

Op, you're married to my dad, who was a caterer.

Shame he died in 2012!

Guiltypleasures001 · 04/07/2021 22:27

To be honest the mashing his food up is the very least of my Dads behaviours
She's had to put up with and me ☹️