# I pit lousy food at holiday dinners (Moved from the Pit) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608 "2009-12-26T05:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![St.Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@St.Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Anger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/41 "2009-12-27T07:35:44Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > Seriously I don’t know what’s wrong with St. Anger. There’s some serious cognitive dissonance going on there that’s not even worth replying to. AWWWWW what’s wrong? Poor baby! My little post disagreeing with your OP is nothing compared to the scathing people usually get there. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen, you pompous foodie ass. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/42 "2009-12-27T07:42:20Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > It’s because of asswipes like the OP that I rarely invite guests in, because no matter how good the meal, no matter how clean I keep my house, there will always be jerkoffs like that who still find something to complain about and talk to others about behind my back. You’re just being paranoid. And anyway, who cares if someone says something behind your back? If it’s behind your back, that means you didn’t hear it, so what’s it to you? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/43 "2009-12-27T07:45:18Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > Your not invited, either, BTW. Well, shucks. ☹ You can come over to my place, though. I’ve got tons of green bean casserole. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/44 "2009-12-27T08:03:49Z")
Well, all our food tasted fine, but i think i ended up with a case of mild food poisoning. I’ve spent most of the day lying down with stomach cramps and nausea and diarrhea, and with no appetite at all. I actually suspect the vegetarian roast thing i bought from the Rainbow Market in San Francisco, because i was the only person to eat it, and no-one else has had any problems. Also, every time i burp, it’s been repeating on me all day. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/45 "2009-12-27T08:08:34Z")
Bud Light Presents: Real Men of Genius _Real Men of Genius_ Today we salute you, Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back. _Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back!_ From your unlisted telephone number to the mail drop that you use as an address on your driver’s license, every aspect of your identity is completely secure. _Just like Double-Oh Seven!_ You even leave the default announcement message on when you buy a new answering machine. _Who the HELL do you think you’re calling paranoid?_ As for personal contact, nobody’s crossing _your_ threshold, whether it’s the White-Gloved Dust Inspector, or the Guest Bathroom Medicine Cabinet Snoop. _That’s a LOT of suppositories!_ So crack open a frosty Bud Light, Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back. Because they can’t talk about you when you’re gone if they’ve never known you were there. _Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back._ ---
**Author:** ![St.Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@St.Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Anger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/46 "2009-12-27T09:53:05Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Bud Light Presents: Real Men of Genius > > _Real Men of Genius_ > > Today we salute you, Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back. > > _Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back!_ > > From your unlisted telephone number to the mail drop that you use as an address on your driver’s license, every aspect of your identity is completely secure. > > _Just like Double-Oh Seven!_ > > You even leave the default announcement message on when you buy a new answering machine. > > _Who the HELL do you think you’re calling paranoid?_ > > As for personal contact, nobody’s crossing _your_ threshold, whether it’s the White-Gloved Dust Inspector, or the Guest Bathroom Medicine Cabinet Snoop. > > _That’s a LOT of suppositories!_ > > So crack open a frosty Bud Light, Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back. Because they can’t talk about you when you’re gone if they’ve never known you were there. > > _Mr. Too-Clever-to-Allow-Anyone-Close-Enough-to-Your-Life-to-Criticize-You-Behind-Your-Back._ **THUD** WOW. That was SO brilliant, I really can’t believe it took you only 5 minutes to post that. Yeah, there’s no one in my life because I rarely host boring dinner parties at my house. Gee, you have me figured out to a tee. You and the other posters on this thread are such ungrateful retards, it is beyond belief. Let us know when you come up with something funny, in the meantime, stick it up your ass, you stupid cunt. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/47 "2009-12-27T10:08:15Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > [ > Let us know when you come up with something funny, . It was actually funny. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/48 "2009-12-27T10:24:15Z")
I liked [my other one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11564483&postcount=21) better, myself, to tell you the truth. But YOU really need a nap, young man! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/49 "2009-12-27T11:01:15Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > So I put you turkeys roasted until they’re dehydrated as Antarctica’s dry valley. And green bean casserole that is closer to rancid soup. Fuck you instant mashed potatoes that lack seasoning and screw you too canned cranberry sauce. Screw off canned vegetables boiled until they’re brown and sweat potatoes with so much extra sugar on top that it sends it me into insulin shock. > > With a shit attitude like that, your lucky anyone is nice enough to invite you to their house for dinner. They can come over here and eat because I agree with the entire thing. Look, there is a LOT on tv around the holidays on cooking the perfect turkey, so there is no excuse for a bad turkey other than following an old ancient incorrect way of cooking learned in the dark ages. There is no reason for crappy mashed potatoes, and no reason to overcook veggies into mush, or green bean puke. Many people cook the way their mothers did, and the food sucks ass. I have tempered the food I cook with changes in cooking methods, my turkey is cooked nowhere near how my mother or grandmothers cook did it, and it is worlds better. I have taken an old recipe for cranbery chutney from teh family cookbook and modified it by changing the type of oranges I use the skin of as flavoring, and use splenda instead of sugar to allow it for diabetics, I tweak the pie recipes and discovered a better crust recipe that comes out flakey every time. You can still have familiar foods without them sucking ass. And if you reserve the pan drippings, you dont need a jar of gravy or a packet of mix. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/50 "2009-12-27T12:10:41Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > The difference here is that you don’t get invited to a restaurant–you pay money for a meal and service and atmosphere, and therefore as a paying customer it’s ok to bitch if the meal sucks. > > But to sit here and whine and cry like a spoiled child about all these horrible people that were so evil that they opened their home to you, and made the godawful mistake of not being as brilliant a cook as YOU, and then bitch about it is kind of low class. > > I’ve had bad meals at other peoples houses. But my appreciation of their hospitality and effort outweighed their substandard culinary skills every time. If you’re going to go through the effort to decorate, clean and get ready for company, you may as well go all out and learn how to make a good meal. There is no dearth of information on how to cook a turkey, make mashed potatoes that don’t taste like library paste, and decent gravy. I’ve also been to gatherings that were otherwise pleasant, but sitting at the table and watching people (including the host) choking down lousy food put a serious damper on the festivities. I’m also not saying you have to be Martha Stewart; Lord knows I’m pretty far from her level of domestic perfection. All I’m saying is _learn to follow a fucking recipe._ Look, I believe in social niceties, and I’ll thank the host for his hospitality. That doesn’t mean I have to like the food. ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/51 "2009-12-27T14:06:52Z")
Reading this thread makes me realize how lucky I am to come from a family of good cooks! Seriously, I’ve never understood the whole “let one person cook for everyone” idea. Our family get togethers tend to be pretty large, so we’ve always let everyone bring a couple of dishes. When my mom hosts, she usually makes the (fabulous) turkey and cornbread dressing, and everyone else brings side dishes, breads, and desserts. Less stress for everyone, plus if there’s a crappy cook in the lot, we have plenty of alternatives! ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/52 "2009-12-27T16:53:00Z")
> [@St.Anger](#): > > you stupid cunt. 1. Reminder [QUOTE=Restricted language in the Pit] The following expressions should not be directed at other posters. cunt [/QUOTE] > **[Restricted language in the Pit](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=508858)** > > The following expressions should not be directed at other posters. cunt and variants, e.g., cuntlapper motherfucker cocksucker fuck you and variants, e.g., go fuck yourself, fuck off and die suck/lick my dick/cock and variants Expressions not... Please avoid this from now on. No warning issued. 1. I’m moving this thread from The Pit to Cafe Society. **Gfactor** Pit Moderator ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/53 "2009-12-27T16:56:10Z")
I could make a comment about the aforementioned term and fine dining, but I shall refrain. Our Christmas dinner was superb. But then, we ate out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/54 "2009-12-27T18:05:23Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Look, there is a LOT on tv around the holidays on cooking the perfect turkey, so there is no excuse for a bad turkey other than following an old ancient incorrect way of cooking learned in the dark ages. There is no reason for crappy mashed potatoes, and no reason to overcook veggies into mush, or green bean puke. Many people cook the way their mothers did, and the food sucks ass. The people who I know who cook horribly have no idea that their food is horrible, thus they’re never motivated to figure out how to make it better. Truly! My M-i-L has great hubris about her cooking, and views Mr. Athena and I as snobs because we prefer fresh vegetables to canned and would rather go without turkey than eat a dried out leathery bird. If that makes me a snob. so be it, I’ll live with it. Especially since it comes from the woman who told us that if we offered to take her to any restaurant in the world, her #1 choice would be Long John Silvers. ---
**Author:** ![St.Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@St.Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Anger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/55 "2009-12-27T18:36:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It was actually funny. You obviously don’t get out much. You probably think children’s knock-knock jokes are funny, as well. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/56 "2009-12-27T18:54:31Z")
Orange you glad I didn’t say “St. Anger”? HA HAAAAAA!!! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/57 "2009-12-27T19:00:23Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Especially since it comes from the woman who told us that if we offered to take her to any restaurant in the world, her #1 choice would be Long John Silvers. _urgh_ LJS is OK for lunch once in a while if your office is near one. Oh, wait. That’s Red Lobster. Either way, they’re both the Denny’s of fish restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/58 "2009-12-27T19:12:55Z")
I still don’t get why people still do the typical green bean casserole when there are so many other options. One year my husband was in charge of bringing it. He used fresh green beans and mushrooms and made a white sauce using various cheeses. He topped it off with home-made onion rings. It was out of this world. I had done a search on Gourmet Green Bean Casserole and he sort of mixed and matched and added his own touches. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/59 "2009-12-27T21:25:45Z")
WAG: Typical GBC tends to be the choice when a single cook is carrying the entire load, because it doesn’t add all that much effort to the job. This has made it a familiar dish, and non-threatening to the tyro who’s asked to contribute for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608/60 "2009-12-27T23:29:58Z")
GBC is also popular because it’s not seasonal. You can get canned green beans, canned mushroom soup and canned French-fried onions any time of the year, and most people have at least two of the three ingredients already in their cabinet. It’s crazy easy to make, but it’s “fancy” enough that it’s not an everyday side. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-lousy-food-at-holiday-dinners-moved-from-the-pit/522608.md?page=4)