Strange catering habits you have experienced when eating at friends/family houses?

[Chicchicchicchiclana]

The grazing table thread inspired me! I know one should always be grateful when people invite you to eat with them (and I am!!) but I find it interesting the great variety of ways people do the hosting. Have any memorable dining experiences in other people's houses really stuck with you? Without being mean of course.

@Flufferty

What's wrong with eating a Pot Noodle with a spoon?

While I have never eaten a Pot Noodle, but I think I see what's happening here.

I eat all savoury dishes with knife/fork/chopsticks.

Spoons are for desserts/soup.

Pinklittle

Went to a friends house when I was younger and for pudding we had iced buns (iced fingers) that the mum had cut in half and buttered! Wtf!!!!

This is the absolute norm in Australia. People look at you weirdly for eating a dry bun. DH always asked for his bun to be buttered at the bakery in the UK (He's Aussie) and they'd do it but go Here in Oz, I say "No butter thanks" and they go at me!

Oh, just seen the mention upthread of buttered Weetabix. There’s a blast from the past! My mum served us that for breakfast- with sugar sprinkled on top of the butter. Loved it. I know both Mum and Dad were sometimes given sugar sandwiches as children so maybe it was just an extension of that in my Mum’s mind.

I'm 46 and when I was growing up this was a serving suggestion for weetbix or an advert. For a treat we were allowed it with marmalade too. But it does make a mess when you eat it as it crumbles everywhere.

@Figgit

I’ll take your buttered Weetabix and raise you buttered Weetabix with marmite. Delicious!

Ha ha...my brother would have it with marmite.....he ate everything with marmite.

I preferred marmalade.

I'm 46 and when I was growing up this was a serving suggestion for weetbix or an advert.

@Mumdiva99 Ah! I’m 44. Seems like my mum got the idea from that ad then.

@TheLastLonelyBakedBeanInTheTin

Ooh Yorkshire's for pudding. In my house we have them with jam. I have raspberry, the kids have strawberry jam and squirty cream. Going to have to try them with syrup now!

I also put jam in rice pudding. I thought that was normal though??

Jam or golden Syrup on rice pudding in our house!

I took a friend to visit my parents in Lancashire, he went with my dad to get fish and chips and was amazed at someone asking for a 'fish butty' ie a whole fish folded over and put in a buttered barm cake.

He still has not seen a 'meat and potato pie butty' I'm not sure he entirely believes me.

He was also highly amused when there was a radio advert for a pub quiz with a 'pie and pea supper'.

I could never understand why people would want to have a cup of tea with dinner! It was a 'thing' in my childhood. Do people still do it? The only time I would drink a cup of tea would be with afternoon tea.

When I was a teenager I went on an exchange stay in France. The 18 month old baby was given wine mixed with water to drink with his meal. It obviously didn't do him any harm as he is a fully qualified doctor now!

I like tea as a drink with any meal, I never realised it was considered weird! I do know someone who puts orange juice instead of milk on weetabix, which I really don't fancy.

@Mumdiva99

Oh, just seen the mention upthread of buttered Weetabix. There’s a blast from the past! My mum served us that for breakfast- with sugar sprinkled on top of the butter. Loved it. I know both Mum and Dad were sometimes given sugar sandwiches as children so maybe it was just an extension of that in my Mum’s mind.

I'm 46 and when I was growing up this was a serving suggestion for weetbix or an advert. For a treat we were allowed it with marmalade too. But it does make a mess when you eat it as it crumbles everywhere.

My husband has introduced 4yo DS to dry Weetabix with butter and Marmite. I love all 3 of these ingredients but not together! And yes, @Mumdiva99, I curse him for the crumbs!

Orange segments with cream. Gross.

@nordicnorth

Orange segments with cream. Gross.

That's not gross at all 😋

My parents never had a drink with a meal. I used to be desperate for a glass of water by the end of eating but had to wait for a cup of tea to be made which came after we had dessert

@LunaMay

Yes squash is cordial, but usually we reserve the word 'cordial' for the posher varieties. Not the cheap sugar free orange/blackcurrant given to kids. So I would give the kids squash mixed with water in plastic cups but have myself a nice tall glass of elderflower cordial with ice.

@toothpicklover, I agree with you about it being snobbish. I am not British and come from a country obsessed with bread but I can't see nothing weird about having soup and sliced bread. It's bread. Shape is a matter of preference and availibility.

I should say misplaced snobbery

Agree is quite snobby to express faux surprise at sliced bread with soup. Soup with bread is not exactly unusual in the UK

[quote TheLastLonelyBakedBeanInTheTin]@LunaMay

Yes squash is cordial, but usually we reserve the word 'cordial' for the posher varieties. Not the cheap sugar free orange/blackcurrant given to kids. So I would give the kids squash mixed with water in plastic cups but have myself a nice tall glass of elderflower cordial with ice. [/quote]
Pure marketing speak to persuade you to pay more for what is essentially squash.

@DartmoorChef

I'm from Lancashire. Tea with your meal, white bread and butter with soup.. perfectly normal.

I’m from Yorkshire. Agree, both completely normal.

I was given tea with meals from a very young age. I remember putting it in a sippy cup for my younger sister.
I still have tea with most meals. My husband thinks it’s odd though.

Is squash / “diluting juice” what we call cordial in Australia?

I've never heard the expression "diluting juice!"
I think of cordial as more of a thicker (almost syrup like) texture and often with different flavours (elderflower etc)

My mum always put a handful of macaroni into the minced beef when making a cottage pie. I now do the same - it's lovely. My family love it and I get complaints if there's no macaroni in the cottage pie. It sounds weird but I promise it's lovely.

@feelinglostt

I know someone who has marmite spaghetti (not envy).

Oh marmite spaghetti is the food of the Gods! Nigella has a 'recipe' for it in one of her books. Drained spaghetti, reserve some of the cooking water and add it back to the pan with butter and Marmite.

I hate going anywhere for food as I cant eat Pastry,Bread,Pasta,Rice,Cake,Icecream,Potatoes,Beans,peas,carrots, the list goes on. Last night we went to our social club for a party with a buffet. I ended up eating 2 chicken legs and the salad garnish.

My oh favourite childhood meal his mum made him was Sausage rolls mushy peas with mash potato and a whole tin of tomato soup poured on top. I only make it when he needs cheering up etc
very odd combo and often wonder when she first made it what made her think a tin of soup would really be a good idea.

A slice of crunchy fried bread spread with marmalade and eaten while hot. Food of the gods