# Controversial Culinary Comments **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328 "2018-10-02T18:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/221 "2018-10-05T00:43:39Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > K > > What is the point of water chestnuts? When I make my beef teriyaki stir fry (with snow peas and bean sprouts), I like to add water chestnuts for a bit of texture. It gives the dish a nice crisp addition and because they’re covered in the teriyaki sauce, they have flavor. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/222 "2018-10-05T00:48:00Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Define “properly”. Coffee is designed to be drunk hot, so saying you can’t taste it properly when it’s hot makes no sense. Might as well say ice cream can’t be properly tasted while it’s cold. I like my coffee tepid or even cold out of the fridge. Anyway things served too hot just kill your taste-buds, I like to taste my food. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/223 "2018-10-05T01:52:05Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > I like my coffee tepid or even cold out of the fridge. > > Anyway things served too hot just kill your taste-buds, I like to taste my food. I like my coffee luke warm. But otherwise, I completely agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/224 "2018-10-05T02:05:38Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Yup. You ever read the story of Grey Goose? They came up with the name and designed the bottle, the last thing they did was find the vodka to put in the bottles. (Johnny Carson) " I did not know that!" ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/225 "2018-10-05T03:28:29Z")
All Vodka starts the same and then it is filtered etc by the bottler, it’s amazing how people are duped into buying fancy Vodkas. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/226 "2018-10-05T04:02:42Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > All Vodka starts the same and then it is filtered etc by the bottler, it’s amazing how people are duped into buying fancy Vodkas. Well, not all vodka starts the same — many different things it can be made from. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/227 "2018-10-05T05:42:04Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Clearly, you think that the onion makes it an entirely different cocktail and we must all now refer to it as a Gibson. Since you brought being a purist, what ingredients, specifically, make a martini in your informed opinion? Is there an accepted definition? I don’t know. Is there a customary definition? Certainly. A martini has gin, vermouth, and an olive or maybe a lemon twist. _I_ think variations on a martini, changing this or that, is fine. I don’t care - it’s your drink - it’s good if you like it, not good if you don’t like it. But if someone is going to nitpick about one aspect, saying it’s impossible to modify the recipe, and then in the next breath say they’re going to modify the recipe, I call BS. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/228 "2018-10-05T14:29:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, not all vodka starts the same — many different things it can be made from. Vodka definition > [@](#): > > (a)Class 1; neutral spirits or alcohol. “Neutral spirits” or “alcohol” are distilled spirits produced from any material at or above 190° proof, and, if bottled, bottled at not less than 80° proof. > > (1) “Vodka” is neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color. So you can make it from anything that can be fermented into alcohol- the key is just distilling it in such a way that it’s essentially flavorless. If it actually retains the character of the fermentable substance, it’s probably best described as an unaged version of whatever the spirit made from that fermentable is. A sugarcane vodka that actually tastes like sugarcane to any extent is really a white rum, in other words. **Rick Kitchen** Nothing wrong with Jim Beam- I was just saying that if you’re going to mix your bourbon with Coke, then there’s no reason to spend more money- Beam is perfectly good for that purpose, and certainly more appropriate than buying Knob Creek Reserve or Michter’s and mixing it with Coke! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/229 "2018-10-05T14:36:10Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Vodka definition > So you can make it from anything that can be fermented into alcohol- the key is just distilling it in such a way that it’s essentially flavorless. Well, yes, that’s the goal and definition of vodka. “Essentially” is the key word there. But it doesn’t just taste like pure watered down ethanol. There are trace flavors there, IME, and the fermentation source contributes to it. That said, I don’t really like vodka as it essentially is supposed to be flavorless, but there are subtle differences, and I’ve got to believe most of those differences are due to the fermentation source. This doesn’t mean the high price of boutique vodka brands isn’t marketing bullshit in its finest form, but I also don’t believe the fermentation source doesn’t contribute to the final product. And it clearly is just plain factually incorrect that “all vodka starts the same.” It does not. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/230 "2018-10-05T14:55:18Z")
snip > [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Are you mixing up deep dish with thick crust? Good deep dish pizza should not be doughy at all. The crust isn’t really that much thick than a New York slice. snip The ones I’ve had (admittedly from chain restaurants) have all been advertised as “Chicago deep dish” and have all been uniformly doughy. I’m partial to thin crusts overall and maybe I need to try the “real” thing but so far every iteration I’ve had has been a disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/231 "2018-10-05T15:16:19Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > snip snip > > The ones I’ve had (admittedly from chain restaurants) have all been advertised as “Chicago deep dish” and have all been uniformly doughy. I’m partial to thin crusts overall and maybe I need to try the “real” thing but so far every iteration I’ve had has been a disappointment. Yeah, that what non-Chicagoan’s think deep dish is. It shouldn’t look like this: [http://i.gzn.jp/img/2017/06/19/united-airlines-deep-dish-pizza/00.jpg](http://i.gzn.jp/img/2017/06/19/united-airlines-deep-dish-pizza/00.jpg) It should look like this: [https://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/968702/size/tl-horizontal\_main.jpg](https://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/968702/size/tl-horizontal_main.jpg) What I don’t understand is that this isn’t like a NY Bagel “It’s in the water” scenario. Deep dish is pretty simple to make and there’s nothing stopping people from making a decent one outside Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/232 "2018-10-05T15:32:56Z")
I don’t know how people can stand the stench of hard-boiled eggs. Also, what’s with this “bowl food” fad? I’m kind of bummed that 3/4 of all recipes out there have onions in them, because I don’t like onions. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/233 "2018-10-05T15:33:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > (Johnny Carson) " I did not know that!" Fun read. [Sidney Frank - The Man Behind Grey Goose Vodka - Nymag](http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/bizfinance/biz/features/10816/) > [@](#): > > …And so was born one of the most astonishing brands in the history of distilled spirits. Grey Goose vodka, invented from thin air that summer morning, had as yet no distillery, no bottle, and—perhaps the most pressing order of business—no vodka. Yet this past June, almost exactly eight years after Sidney Frank gave name to this nonexistent liquor, Grey Goose was sold to Bacardi for more than $2 billion. Cash. (To understand how much that is, consider that IBM’s personal-computer business, nurtured, honed, and advertised since 1981, recently sold for $1.75 billion.) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/234 "2018-10-05T15:42:20Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I’m kind of bummed that 3/4 of all recipes out there have onions in them, because I don’t like onions. A recipe is a great starting point, but feel free to modify it to suit your needs! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/235 "2018-10-06T22:02:01Z")
Actually reminded of these by the carrot cake thread, even though neither is carrot-cake related. \>\_\> Oatmeal raisin cookies are far superior to chocolate chip (not that I’ll say no to chocolate chip!). Pizza without pineapple is a sad waste of ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/236 "2018-10-06T22:17:20Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Oatmeal raisin cookies are far superior to chocolate chip (not that I’ll say no to chocolate chip!). > > Pizza without pineapple is a sad waste of ingredients. Oatmeal raisin chocolate chips cookies- my wife makes them, perfect! Barbarian. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/237 "2018-10-06T22:21:31Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I am tired of sugar in everything. > > I am tired of soy in everything. > > I am tired of modified food starch in everything. > > I am tired of corn in everything. A while back, my brother purchased some hemp milk and a couple of other products made with it, and was not impressed. He added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these ‘healthy’ hemp products contain high fructose corn syrup.” 😛 eta: If you don’t know, hemp milk is a pale bluish-gray color, kind of like the window I’m typing in right now. It tastes about the same as any other vegetable milk. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/238 "2018-10-06T22:35:24Z")
> [@hesdeadjim](#): > > Is this what that Kardashian was talking about? My favorite morning news host quoted her as saying having cereal with milk was life changing for her, she grew up without it. I assumed that meant she ate it dry. Can’t even imagine that. > > My weird thing is ketchup on my cottage cheese. Had it for years, then found out Nixon liked it also. Not sure how to feel about that. Some people like their cereal with orange juice. I’ve tried it myself and it wasn’t bad, but it would depend on what kind of cereal you use. Most likely, for me it was Raisin Bran. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/239 "2018-10-07T01:20:28Z")
I will never ever ever understand the North American insistence on including melted cheese in (what seems like) practically every dish. I find it extremely weird. Nobody else seems to agree with me, though. Sad! ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328/240 "2018-10-07T02:35:55Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I will never ever ever understand the North American insistence on including melted cheese in (what seems like) practically every dish. I find it extremely weird. > > Nobody else seems to agree with me, though. Sad! Count me as one who agrees with you! And things that normally do have some cheese in/on them, there is the persistent attitude that if it has cheese, MORE cheese must make it better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-culinary-comments/822328.md?page=13)