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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To knock on neighbours door and ask for dinner?

244 replies

listsandbudgets · 08/06/2023 18:04

(Light hearted!)

I'm so hungry, really tired, kids and dp are out, no idea what I'm eating and whatever it is they are cooking smells absolutely blooming fantastic. The smell is wafting through all the windows... It's tangy and savoury and has some kind of wonderful spice hanging around the edges.

AIBU if I pop round with a plate and ask them to fill it with whatever they're having...or should I settle for a fish finger sandwich?

OP posts:
TroysMammy · 08/06/2023 19:50

If you knock on your neighbour's door and they don't answer it then you'll know that they are Mumsnetters.

OfficerPastiche · 08/06/2023 19:50

caun · 08/06/2023 18:49

When I worked in A&E as a newly graduated nurse, the Mom of one of our doctors used bring in a few trays of freshly cooked onion bhajis and samosas at midnight. I asked her for the recipe and she invited me to dinner on my day off. Her son and I are now happily married with 2 teenagers😀

Awwww so 🧁

007DoubleOSeven · 08/06/2023 19:51

worraliberty · 08/06/2023 18:45

OMG that was me and I was literally just thinking of that when I read the OP! 🙈🤣🤣

I asked her what she cooks every Tuesday because it smells delicious. She looked at me like I was mad and said, "Errm I boil my husband's work overalls!"

The did smell lovely and oniony but then again, he is a chef 😳

Show quote history

That's hilarious !

@listsandbudgets go round tomorrow and ask for the recipe

007DoubleOSeven · 08/06/2023 19:51

Just seen your update, really quite jealous

TheCreamTeaWasFromMe · 08/06/2023 19:51

I live in a really diverse area and one of the things I really love about it, is walking back from work and smelling the most amazing cooking wafting from people's houses. Anything curry-related normally gets my vote, but a neighbour a few doors down from me is Romanian and makes the most fantastic smelling goulash.

fourquenelles · 08/06/2023 19:52

I live next door to a multi generational Nepalese family and the smells every evening make me salivate. I caught the young father/son a couple of days ago and told him how wonderful the food smelt. He was worried that I was complaining about the smell. Quite the opposite. He said he'd ask his wife to talk to me. I am waiting not so patiently. I do feel very tempted to pass a plate over the back fence.

mixedrecycling · 08/06/2023 19:52

Our lovely NDNs are Pakistani, and whenever they have a get together (happily quite often 😁) they bring us round some of the food. Yesterday the wife brought round some zarda because my Mum had said how much she liked it last time. It always makes my day!

DoeRayMe · 08/06/2023 19:52

My neighbours of 20 years do this to me all the time. She's a total whizz with aromatics and I often walk to my door breathing in the most amazing smells.

Original poster
listsandbudgets · 08/06/2023 19:53

@3dogsandarabbit I had an old tree stump that I was trying to get out and thought bashing it about with an axe may make my life easier - which it did

OP posts:
ChrisPPancake · 08/06/2023 19:53

listsandbudgets · 08/06/2023 19:50

OMG... they must have read this thread. Doorbell went about 15 minutes ago and their oldest son was there with a couple of plastic containers saying they'd got lots of curry and roti over tonight and would I like some.. and his mum was just on the way with rice and halwa (an amazing carrot based pudding for those that have never had it)

It's amazing, I'm so happy.. and it tastes even better than it smells..

Fish fingers back in freezer Grin

I'm drooling! That sounds lush. I want your neighbours 😍

Computer125 · 08/06/2023 19:53

I agree , it's making me smile 😊

TheCreamTeaWasFromMe · 08/06/2023 19:53

HurdyGurdy19 · 08/06/2023 19:41

Now that we all work from home, the one thing I miss about going into the office is our legendary "bring and share" lunches.

We had a very diverse team and everyone brought in something from their home country. We had food from Bangladesh, from South Africa, from Jamaica, from Poland from the UK - from all over. Those lunches were amazing and enough was brought in for everyone to have at least a spoonful taster of each dish.

The aromas that wafted around from about 8am were tortuous and lunch was always early on those days lol.

On one shameful occasion, one Bangladeshi woman brought in some amazing samosas. She arrived at the office at 9.10am. The samosas were all gone by 9.30am so only our immediate team got to taste them!

I used to work with a colleague who was from India and made absolutely the best samosas ever. People in the office would literally be queuing to ask for one every time she brought a platter in!

YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 08/06/2023 19:53

I'm a rep and have to visit stores. I was in a corner shop adjoined to a house. The door at the back of the shop was open into the kitchen and the most fabulous smell was coming out. I commented to the man that I didn't know what they were cooking, but it smelled amazing! He invited me to stay for dinner with them. Sadly I had other work to do but I would have loved to have stayed if I'd had the time.

I've found the Asian shopkeepers are really hospitable. I often get offered something like a can of pop or a chocolate bar to take with me when I've finished my work. They check I have water in hot weather and offer hot drinks in cold weather too.

45387pob · 08/06/2023 19:54

Bonjovispjs · 08/06/2023 18:19

Love a fish finger sandwich, had one for lunch today 😁

Me too!

Florissant · 08/06/2023 19:55

This thread has made me smile.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 08/06/2023 19:55

caun · 08/06/2023 18:49

When I worked in A&E as a newly graduated nurse, the Mom of one of our doctors used bring in a few trays of freshly cooked onion bhajis and samosas at midnight. I asked her for the recipe and she invited me to dinner on my day off. Her son and I are now happily married with 2 teenagers😀

Stop it, I'm crying now.

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 08/06/2023 19:58

listsandbudgets · 08/06/2023 19:50

OMG... they must have read this thread. Doorbell went about 15 minutes ago and their oldest son was there with a couple of plastic containers saying they'd got lots of curry and roti over tonight and would I like some.. and his mum was just on the way with rice and halwa (an amazing carrot based pudding for those that have never had it)

It's amazing, I'm so happy.. and it tastes even better than it smells..

Fish fingers back in freezer Grin

Aw love this ❤️

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 08/06/2023 20:00

This is so much nicer than the bitchy bbq thread going on at the moment.

Original poster
listsandbudgets · 08/06/2023 20:02

Just read all your replies. How lovely - and yes this is what the papers should be publishing instead of all the hatered that seems to run through the media these days

@worraliberty I have a feeling I remember the overall thread Grin

OP posts:
Whatkatyforgottodo · 08/06/2023 20:02

My Indian next door neighbour also cooks the most amazing smelling food. This thread has made me think the next time I smell it, I might text her and ask for the recipe…

FiloPasty · 08/06/2023 20:02

HoldingTheDoor · 08/06/2023 18:39

There was a Mumsnetter who did this and it turned out that her neighbour was actually boiling her husband's overalls.

This has just cracked me up.

Loving this thread though, I’d totally be at their door.

EachandEveryone · 08/06/2023 20:02

I live in a flat and share a hall with my neighbour. She is a pensioner and now a widow. She cooks for me every Thursday without fail. Tonight its a proper old school salad with prawn cocktail and a sliced boiled egg 😃. Next week she will be back to her curries from scratch. I dont feel too guilty as shes a blooming technophobe which drives me bonkers so I have to do all her meter readings, online shopping etc for her. I am lucky though.

Ivecomeoutoflurking · 08/06/2023 20:03

This thread ❤️❤️

midsomermurderess · 08/06/2023 20:03

To borrow an ax, as you do😃

HurdyGurdy19 · 08/06/2023 20:03

listsandbudgets · 08/06/2023 19:50

OMG... they must have read this thread. Doorbell went about 15 minutes ago and their oldest son was there with a couple of plastic containers saying they'd got lots of curry and roti over tonight and would I like some.. and his mum was just on the way with rice and halwa (an amazing carrot based pudding for those that have never had it)

It's amazing, I'm so happy.. and it tastes even better than it smells..

Fish fingers back in freezer Grin

Any houses for sale in your street by any chance? 😂