Having looked at the people who agree with what I’ve posted in this thread, and those who disagree, I’m quite happy with who thinks what of me.
lorene asked why people who claim to dislike all seafood weren’t taken seriously. I answered, accurately. That you dislike the answer is absolutely fucking irrelevant.
My nephew told me he didn’t like Chinese food and he didn’t like seafood. I asked him if he had ever tried seafood and Chinese food and he answered in the affirmative. “Okay,” I said “if you’ve tried them and you don’t like them that’s perfectly okay.” I love Chinese food and seafood but there’s nothing wrong with anyone who doesn’t.
Again with the narrow view of the world. I do not like or dislike your answer, I merely point out that once again you are wrong. You need to become aware that your experiences are not the sum total of what goes on in the world. And you could use some manners.
It’s the Pit, I don’t need manners here. And, frankly, it’s ridiculous to claim you don’t like all seafood. There is, literally, no thing that it all has in common apart from where it comes from. I am entirely correct that that is why people don’t take a claim to dislike all seafood seriously.
I don’t only have this opinion about food. I think anyone who won’t try new experiences in anything, be it art, music, travel, books, whatever, is immature and slightly ridiculous.
Uh, isn’t there an entire lifestyle devoted to not eating meat? 
Those people seem to lack as much experience in the real world as you do. For example, I love all seafood so it is not hard for me to believe that there would be at least one person out there who hates all seafood. Also, it is entirely possible that when someone says “seafood” they just mean fish, or just shellfish, or literally anything that comes out of the sea but river fish are fine. Or it could just be shorthand for “I don’t like most seafood and it’s rare that what I do like is available” Yet you seem to have no trouble coming in here and making sweeping obnoxious generalizations based on almost no information. Makes you look really stupid.
If it’s true that you are correct that people don’t take a claim to dislike all seafood seriously, it must be because they don’t put any more thought into it than you do.
You are of the opinion that anyone who says they don’t like something must not have tried it?? Also, just because someone isn’t interested in trying something new could be for quite a few reasons other than whatever immature and ridiculous label you are putting on it.
Cooking for folks on the North Slope or in remote work camps I almost never see an allergy. There are some picky eaters but usually don’t make a verbal fuss or just mention their dislike. Simple, clean easily identifiable food is popular. When I cook in my hippy/hipster of a home town Homer, Alaska you would think you are cooking Clinic located in a farmers market booth. Allergies, sourcing concerns, social reponsability, bartering.
I like what Kenny Shopsin said in the documentary I like Killing Flies. “If you are that allergic you should eat in a hospital.”
I realize I’m a good five pages past these, but I feel the need to comment. Bear in mind that I’m a small deli cook with almost 20 years of food service experience.
It could also be that people in remote work camps are self-selecting. People with significant allergies may be reluctant to put themselves in remote situations with limited food choices and distant medical care for emergencies.
When I offer something to people, and they say they don’t want it, all I say is, “Well, it’s there if you change your mind”, and then move on. Either that or, “Well, more for me!” 
No, it’s more like everything around me feels unfamiliar and very confusing, and occassionally panicky. Once, after a focal seizure, I wasn’t even able to talk – I was only able to stutter a little bit. That lasted for the rest of the day.
Yea, this really is the gist of it. It is hard out here. Compromised immune systems and weakened constitutions get chewed up and spit out on the regular. Or they do not come at all. Thanks for the added insight.
I also have been cooking for a long time. I do not have a problem with any food allergy or dislike. There is always something. In fact satisfying a picky customer is a nice challenge. Good for the mix up. I internally groan sometimes when I can tell they are calling a dislike an allergy or something similar. I will cater to it anyway. And I really groan and food fads in general. Just not the the person.
I’ve mentioned this before in other threads, but it’s worth mentioning again: In my six years of working in catering conventions and other large-group meals, there is a clear, definite pattern. I don’t mean to make a “political” statement of it, but I’ve consistently seen how “liberal-leaning” groups (Democratic party functions, environmental groups, domestic violence activists, teachers, etc.) tend to be chock full of “allergy sufferers”, while “conservative-leaning” groups (Republican groups, NRA supporters, military-related organizations, etc.) tend to have considerably fewer and generally eat whatever we’ve made for them without questions.
I can understand a “liberal” group boasting more vegetarians/vegans — those diets are conscious choices, often made for moral/ethical reasons that fit well with liberal beliefs. Genuine allergies are not a choice, and it just seems unlikely to me that a real medical condition would correlate so closely with political persuasion. But I don’t think it’s surprising that a political mindset that encourages being “special” would attract people who want to appear “special”.
Now I’m remembering that married couple (i.e. not blood relatives) who both just happened to be allergic to all the same things. I couldn’t help thinking, “What, did they meet in some extremely specialized allergy support group?”
I get that, too. I can think, but nothing comes out of my mouth the way I want it to. It’s like being stuck inside my head. I hate it.
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity - I’m always amazed at how different everyone’s experiences are with seizures. I’d rather they didn’t exist, of course, because they suck and they hurt and they’re like a betrayal of your own body, but still…human brains are strange.
I’m so glad I read this thread - my husband has OAS and I never knew WTF it was that caused his lips to swell up after eating certain salsas, cherries and apples. The more you know.
Sounds good to me, my tomato-soup! You realize, I hope, that tomato goes into that, as well as duck’s blood. I’ll refrain from mentioning what happens after that, to spare my snookums from thinking about it…, but there you are… Nom, nom, nom.
F-
Yeah, I’d eat that. But then I tried black pudding when I was in England and found it to be delicious. Blood is just another ingredient, really.
OMG, I just read the recipe. No Tomato!!! That isn’t real duck’s-blood soup! It needs some tomato. Preferably an ugly ripe one. Without that, I refuse to eat it! Fuck that shit.
it’s in every bit of meat you eat, just that BP has a lot more…mmmmmm blood.
I don’t suppose it has ever occurred to you that military groups do not take people with food allergies or special dietary requirements so it’s no wonder that members of military organizations would have few to no people with those conditions? It’s another selected group. That alone skews your observation, so drop the quotes around “food allergies” because it’s a real condition. Yeah, there are obnoxious fakers but the real deal does exist.
I try to avoid eating anything that breaths air. I"m going to a BBQ tomorrow. The host and hostess know how I eat, so I will get BBQ portabela mushrooms. (with blue cheese, tomatoes and lettuce on sourdough bread…totally yummy) I know that I’ll be happily eating and people will wonder why I’m being punished by just getting fungus to eat. Someone will mention it and then there will be a long conversation about what is wrong with me that I don’t eat meat. Others will complain that my mushrooms were cooked on a grill that has also been used to cook meat.
It happens every year.
I just finished making German potato salad to bring and will buy a case of beer.
The big thing is that I know what is expected in advance. Nobody told me to bring anything, and I know that the host and hostess would be happy to see me if I arrived empty handed and hungry.
If I had shown up for a meal and was asked for money, I would have just left the wine or beer and left. No more parties at that home.
This is what is normal for that party.