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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To read the Waitrose magazine for comedy relief?

181 replies

LexL · 20/02/2024 17:00

AIBU to get the Waitrose magazine just to have a good laugh at some of the pretentious recipes? DH and I sit down and go through the recipes/articles for 10 minutes while we have a cuppa and end up in mad chuckles every time! It never disappoints. I mentioned it to a colleague at lunch and whilst I was sharing it she looked at me very sternly and said -"you shouldn't get the magazine just to laugh at it, some people really appreciate those recipes. I love their recipes". I felt a bit bad and apologised if I offended her. I asked if she had ever made one of the recipes and she admitted she had never (ironically, I have made a couple of the easier ones). Am I the only one that finds some of the recipes pretentious and therefore, hilarious? I seriously hope not! Maybe I have a weird sense of humour?!

I will caveat this by saying that Waitrose is the only shop walking distance from my home, so I treat it as my corner shop. So I do shop there but only for a few top up items/special offers.

OP posts:
ohdamnitjanet · 20/02/2024 20:16

Dogdo · 20/02/2024 18:38

Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with people tonight.

The witches are out in force.

Aren’t they just. So boringly, predictably, superior.

NotLactoseFree · 20/02/2024 20:22

I honestly don't understand what's funny about the recipes, but fair enough if it's fun for you.

I'm not wild about laughing at people for things they like and enjoy though, as on this thread.

Updownleftandright · 20/02/2024 20:27

I'm working class and don't mind a bit of mild food wankery but I have to admit there are some weird combinations out there that just would go in a million years. The Co op mag they used to do was awful for this too and the food quality in that shop is awful for what you pay for it too.

I have seen recipes I like which have had some obscure ingredients that I couldn't get anywhere locally, and I'm not one for ordering food from random online stores as i don't have time to fanny about with that, so I would just find that annoying too.

Never read the Waitrose mag, but if they went for both obscure ingredients with bizarre combinations I would laugh too. I much prefer down to earth wankery - the sort you would find in a National Trust magazine or a Nigel Slater recipe.

I have an allotment too, so I guess that automatically makes me a a bit wanky for growing my own. I should grow my own Jerusalem artitichokes and then at least the resulting rampant farting would at be of the middle class farting variety.

settingschangeagain · 20/02/2024 20:32

Yeh, the magazine and the free newspaper both have ridiculous recipes quite often. I've never tried to cook one. That Martha off GBBO is always featured baking a cake made with 15 eggs and 2 packs of butter!

MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly · 20/02/2024 20:42

@ShakeNvacStevens the irony of calling out inverted snobbery while making an incredibly snobby comment is clearly lost on you.

MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly · 20/02/2024 20:45

NotLactoseFree · 20/02/2024 20:22

I honestly don't understand what's funny about the recipes, but fair enough if it's fun for you.

I'm not wild about laughing at people for things they like and enjoy though, as on this thread.

For goodness sake, who is being laughed at??? Does anyone really feel personally attacked by people laughing at pretentious recipes?

Floopani · 20/02/2024 20:46

ShakeNvacStevens · 20/02/2024 19:09

My dad grew up in a council house in Peckham if you want to play working class background top trumps. I just can't get on board with "cuppa" (or inverted snobbery).

I grew up in a council flat in Peckham reading my mum's pile of Take a Breaks whilst munching from a bag of broken biscuits from the market. Do I win working class top trumps?

I have also made Waitrose recipes (still don't fancy that black bean and orange one though) and gave birth in a maternity hospital that was later knocked down in favour of building a Waitrose. DC was born approximately where the sushi counter now stands. I'm going to need therapy for the identity crisis caused by this thread.

Prawncow · 20/02/2024 20:46

Now I’ve had to read the damn thing.

Mash 3 ways - recipe for cheesy mash, soy sweet potato mash and cauliflower turmeric mash. Unfunny.

Cabbage and blue cheese pikelets- I thought pikelets were those thin crumpets? Not my thing but very standard ingredients with no funny descriptions- none of your Nigella language, it’s all ‘stir’, ‘line’, if liked’ functional language. No fun.

More cabbage (in season) roasted with ‘anchoiade’. Sounds promising but turns out to be a tin of anchovies with garlic, parsley, mustard and oil.

The aforementioned black bean and orange stew. Some more active instructions, with a ‘drizzle’, ‘splash’ and ‘whizz’. Quite Jamie Oliver. Store cupboard herbs and spices, honey and tamari. Maybe mildly diverting in a ‘fruit in your dinner?!?’ way if you have strong views on sweet and savory together?

Salmon, orange and fennel salad. It’s an orange and fennel salad (wheeled out every year) with a salmon fillet on it. I guess those oranges are in season. It does say to use a mandolin if you have one for slicing the fennel so there is an element of jeopardy.

Upside down cake. Has alcohol in - bonus. Common baking ingredients. The best I can get here is the description of the cake as ‘squidgy’ in the tag line. A satisfying word but you’d need to try it in some accents to hit amusing.

Greens, Leeks and eggs. Greens, leeks and eggs. Even ‘wobble’ can’t spark anything.

Miso and wasabi leeks. Leeks are in season. If you cook Japanese food and have some stuff knocking round your store cupboard, this is for you. If you have leeks. Also, they chucked in a big ball of mozzarella with a tub of crème fraiche. Reminds me of Richard Ayoade’s comment about not fusion but fission cooking. It’s funny but in a funny peculiar sense.

Leek risotto. Eat seasonal. After the miso mozzarella anything sounds sane.

Indonesian - Chinese food that looks lovely

Old-school British puddings including Bakewell tart and Queen of Puddings

What chefs/foodies cook for their Sunday lunch

Bored now.

VimtoEverywhere · 20/02/2024 20:46

I don't get the magazine but I did end up on their "quick and easy recipes for kids" page while looking for stuff to do in half term. One of the suggestions is "Sherry-braised salad onions with 'nduja butter sauce". That did make me giggle.

cauliflowerqueen · 20/02/2024 20:53

Your colleague is very thin-skinned to be offended by that. It wasn't a personal insult!

I would just keep doing what I wanted to do, but perhaps not mention it to anyone else unless they say something to indicate that they're a kindred spirit.

We all have a different sense of humour, and I often find myself laughing at things that weren't intended to be funny. If the person responsible isn't in the room, what's the problem?

Lavenderandbrown · 20/02/2024 21:04

Like bon appetite and Martha Stewart magazine. Complicated hard to source and not actually that great. Used to read them out loud to my sister and laugh. It’s fun

Newchapterbeckons · 20/02/2024 21:07

I don’t agree. I like the recipes. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Tetsuo · 20/02/2024 21:07

I presume the black-bean and orange stew is inspired by feijoada, which is Brazilian stew of beans and various meats, traditionally served with sliced oranges.

I like a bit of food wankery.

I don't take it personally!

penjil · 20/02/2024 21:08

SushiMayo · 20/02/2024 17:29

Also how would you like someone to come along and laugh and sneer at your work?

Oh, lighten up FFS. 🙄

SushiMayo · 20/02/2024 21:09

penjil · 20/02/2024 21:08

Oh, lighten up FFS. 🙄

Why? Ffs.

Prawncow · 20/02/2024 21:10

Lavenderandbrown · 20/02/2024 21:04

Like bon appetite and Martha Stewart magazine. Complicated hard to source and not actually that great. Used to read them out loud to my sister and laugh. It’s fun

If it’s in the Waitrose magazine it’s not hard to source because Waitrose sell it or it wouldn’t be in the magazine.

xSideshowAuntSallyx · 20/02/2024 21:13

I actually quite like it, sometimes their cocktail recipes really grab my attention.

I also pick up their recipe cards when I'm in store and see something I like the look of.

Also Dare i say it but Pippa Middleton's Friday Night Feasts were actually pretty good when Waitrose magazine had her do them. I know she gets mocked a lot.

Newsenmum · 20/02/2024 21:14

Are they really that weird?

Futb0l · 20/02/2024 21:20

the various flavours of oil - walnut oil for example - who has a kitchen big enough for half a dozen different types of oil ?

This thread is making me recalibrate my opinion of myself.

I have various oils in as standard. Olive, sunflower, sesame, chili, truffle, almond.

I know what gnocchi are & i have double o pasta grade flour in the cupboard.

Am i....middle class? I don't even shop at waitrose!!

CaravaggiosCat · 20/02/2024 21:25

Hmm I didn't find anything particularly wild but it depends what your cooking style is. I have lots of 'weird' ingredients but my parents for example wouldn't. Gnocchi.. meh my 8yr old eats it, quick and easy and I buy it in Lidl . I sold it to her as potato pasta 😊. And DP wouldn't have any of those ingredients if we weren't together.

Futb0l · 20/02/2024 21:26

Caravaggio exactly! I wouldn't have classed gnocchi as unusual but people on here think pretty generic food is pretentious

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 20/02/2024 21:29

good on you for finding a source of entertainment and laughter!

I don’t quite understand your reasons but I really don’t have to. YANBU, go forth and chuckle! 😉

but you probably shouldn’t mention it to any other colleagues!

Dabralor · 20/02/2024 21:30

There are lots of very posh triggered Waitrose mums here- that in itself is quite funny 🤣

NotLactoseFree · 20/02/2024 21:31

Dabralor · 20/02/2024 21:30

There are lots of very posh triggered Waitrose mums here- that in itself is quite funny 🤣

@MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly like this.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 20/02/2024 21:33

Futb0l · 20/02/2024 21:20

the various flavours of oil - walnut oil for example - who has a kitchen big enough for half a dozen different types of oil ?

This thread is making me recalibrate my opinion of myself.

I have various oils in as standard. Olive, sunflower, sesame, chili, truffle, almond.

I know what gnocchi are & i have double o pasta grade flour in the cupboard.

Am i....middle class? I don't even shop at waitrose!!

Do you cook or bake with your almond oil? I’ve never really used it for cooking, tbh 🤔

I mostly use it for my dry hands and nails, tbh 😅