Foods that shouldn't be messed around with

[Ginfordinner]

I love cooking, I love eating, and am an adventurous cook. I mix and match and am happy to replace an ingredient I dislike, but there are some things I think just don't need to be elaborated on and are just lovely as they are.

Coffee - I don't like my coffee to taste of anything other than coffee. I don't like all the syrups and flavourings that people put in it

Gin - just no to flavoured gin. Flavoured gin is for people who don't like gin

Fruit crumble - the crumble mix just needs flour, sugar and butter and nothing else

Shortbread - again just flour, butter and sugar. The king of biscuits IMO

I like pineapple in sweet and sour sauce, and apricots in tagines.
For sponge cakes I just weigh the eggs then use the same weight in SR flour, sugar and butter/Stork.

My late MIL was a fantastic baker, and I remember her telling me that shortbread ratios are 3:2:1 (6 oz flour, 4 oz butter, 2 oz sugar)

Agree about coffee - I don't even like sugar in it but I like mild coffees like yirgacheffe that have their flavour brought out by milk (though mostly settle for Ethiopian sidamo which is much, much less expensive!)

I do get pissed off with finding cheese sprinkled where it has no business being. I can't eat very much of it which is a pain when we're busy or I'm having problems holding a knife so want to stock up on ready meals.

Disagree on crumble, though. I like nuts and/or oats in mine, and maybe some cinnamon or ginger.

Oh, I love Ethipian Yirgacheffe coffee.

I also don't care for nuts and raisins/sultanas in carrot cake.

I'm the same with coffee, a few yrs ago I thought I would try a gingerbread latte, love coffee love gingerbread, 2 sips in it went straight in the bin.
Deconstructed anything, tastes the same so why!!!

Not food, but I can't stand it when the way it's served is messed with - what's with the slates/ mini colanders for chips/ cones/ floating bowl/ multiple bowls on a plate? Just give me a plate/ bowl with proper cutlery!

Chocolate bread and butter pudding gives me the rage. Bread and butter pudding is delicious. Chocolate is delicious. Together, they are an abomination. Why ruin two delicious things by combining them?

Jumpleads, the genius John Finnemore has a song called 'Put it on a plate' - worth a listen!

Oh, and another
I love nuts, and like chocolate, but I really don't like nuts and chocolate together.

In fact, here it is

Whoever said no chocolate flavoured things should be shot. Chocolate cake is an essential food! Chocolate biscuits are also pretty essential.

@Ginfordinner I sort of agree with you on the shortbread, but try substituting a small amount of the flour with rice flour. Makes for really crumbly shortbread.

I loved all flavours of houmous when we lived in the middle east. I cant eat any of the supermarket stuff here in the UK.

Strawberry flavoured anything ( except proper strawberry ice cream made with strawberries) most stuff just tastes chemical not strawberry

Flavoured gin is for people who don't like gin 😂

I want this on a t-shirt!

The exception being Aber Falls Orange Marmalade gin which is perfect in a negroni...

Caesar salads that are NOT Caesar salads get on my wick...

@AlCalavicci yes can't bear insipid overly sweetened rhubarb, coarse and tart is how it should be

I've not eaten out for years (agoraphobic) and reading about the slates etc really makes me dread doing so in the future sounds very unhygienic (also ocd - dx it's caused the agoraphobia) proper plates and cutlery that can be properly cleaned please!

Nuts do not belong in a cake.

Chilli- should never have carrots in it.

Likewise chocolate should not have chilli in it.

Mayo should be plain, not full of odd flavourings.

Gin tastes horrible to me anyway.

Crumble mix has to have oats in it, and I've taken to flinging in a few flaked almonds, finely chopped - mainly as I found some leftover ones in the cupboard one day and it turned out nice.
Ground ginger is nice in the crumble topping if you are doing a plum crumble.
Bit of grated nugmeg on the top too.

On the whole though OP, I agree with you. If you have quality basic ingredients you don't have to mess around with them. Just enjoy them as they are.

Nothing puts me off a recipe more than a list of poncy ingredients as long as your arm.

People who put oats in their crumble topping should be ostracised from society.

Same with people/restaurants who say fish and chips and it turns out to be pan fried plaice and sweet potato chips. Horrifying.

Don't mess with the accepted definition of fish and chips.

The crustless quiche. The whole point of quiche is that it is supposed to have pastry. That's what makes it a quiche.

Without pastry it's just a thick omelette.

My mother used to put the scrappy end bits of the bag of cornflakes in her crumble topping.

my pet hate is cinnamon in apple crumble or pie I couldn't agree with you more @EventuallyDeleted - talk about how to ruin it.

OK. I have a confession to make.....
I added ground almonds to my crumble last night, and I coudn't tell the difference.

I agree that cinnamon has no place in apple crumble or pie. We had a holiday in New Englad many years ago, and they put cinnamon in just about everything. The last straw was when we stayed in a posh bed and breakfast place in Vermont, and even the slices of apple were covered in cinnamon.

Nuts do not belong in a cake.

They do in a coffee and walnut cake

DON'T MESS WITH THE CHOCOLATE!

peanuts = savoury
Chilli = savoury
Salt = savoury

Chocolate = sweet

Do not mix savoury and sweet. It should be banned by law. I like my chocolate unsullied.

Chicken with pasta or on a pizza is very, very wrong. Sweet corn in a sandwich is wrong too, or with a roast dinner. Tomato ketchup with stew or a meaty meal is wrong......actually I think it's just wrong except on fish finger sandwiches. Watermelon and feta salad with steak is wrong, they don't go together, yes, I'm talking to you Sarah. Baked beans in anything is wrong, they should be served alone not shoved in a chilli or shepherds pie etc. And finally bolognese sauce does not have mushrooms, peppers or mixed veg in it.

@reprehensibleme
I heard that song a few years ago , it still makes me laugh
for god sake put it on a plate