'Letdown' Foods?

[ronjohn55]

We were at a Mexican restaurant last weekend, and a waitress walked by with a plate of fajitas. As they sizzled away, leaving a woderful aroma of smoke behind, I made a comment that I considered fajitas to be one of the ultimate letdown foods.

I was forced to explain my theory that no matter how good the fajitas you get are, they will never live up to that wonderfull smell. Especially when you are sitting there hungry, debating what to get as an order goes sizzling by.

By the time you get your order, you've usually had a drink, some chips and salsa, possibly even an appetizer, and they just can't live up to that wonderful smell.

Anybody else ever experience anything like that? (Don't get me wrong, I'm still a big fan of fajitas)

John

 

[Half Baked]

Desserts are my letdown food. I'm sitting there watching the waiter bring trays of desserts to a waiting table. Oh, they all look so wonderful and I think about which one I'll pick after dinner.

After appys and dinner, when the waiter brings the tray to me and I survey the beautiful plates, pick my favorite and then the letdown. I should've eaten dessert first maybe.

 

[Bangbang]

I have had to many bad steaks.

 

[phu]

Kimchi. Way back when I first got a taste of Korean food, I heard all these great things about this staple called kimchi; it's supposed to be spicy and delicious. Kimchi, it turns out, is the single most revolting thing I've ever eaten, with the possible exception of part of a Heath bar.

 

[Bangbang]

Chitlins really suck. Just the smell should tell ya something. Ughhhhhhh

 

[arlienb]

i agree with bangbang...restaurant steaks...it's either tasteless or they just don't get the doneness you specify...the latter must have something to do with transit time between the cooking area to your table

 

[ChefJune]

Chitlins really suck. Just the smell should tell ya something. Ughhhhhhh

I've never been able to get them down! The smell is so revolting! I've even prepared them (on a dare) and was told they were "smokin'!" but I couldn't even taste them. I remember one time a woman who lived in a building I was living in in Medford, MA made them and someone called the fire department!

 

[arlienb]

what are chitlins? the way you've described them, it is something to avoid!

 

[SNPiccolo5]

Some restaurant's dessert's are just horrid... One time I was at an Italian restaurant and ordered, with a friend of mine, their warm chocolate torte. It came at room temperature and a little piece of ice cream. That's fine, but I swear the frosting it had on it was one of those store bought tubs. Not what I expect for a desert. Whatever, we ended up eating less of it, so maybe it was a good thing... lol!

-Tim

 

[Bangbang]

what are chitlins? the way you've described them, it is something to avoid!

: chitterlings, chitlins, chitlings (small intestines of hogs prepared as food)

Fried Chitterlings (Chitlins) and Hog Maws​

In my part of the country, chitterlings come in 10 pound buckets. Hog maws come in smaller packages found in the freezer case. If you can find the larger containers and like the recipe, simply use several times the ingredients to end up with the same percentages. Local supermarkets also carry smaller packages. After cleaning the chitterlings of the fat you will only end up with about half as much volume.
Ingredients:
2 pounds hog maws (pig stomach)
2 pounds chitterlings (pig intestines)
3 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (flakes)
1 medium peeled onion (white or yellow)​

The hog maws are the thickest and will therefore take the longest to cook. Rinse them thoroughly as you trim off the excess fat. Put them in a 6 quart pot along with your 3 quarts water, onion, pepper, and salt. Bring them to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.
While maws are cooking, rinse chitterlings thoroughly and trim the extra fat off them. Like most organ meats, they have a lot of fat. Add chitterlings to pot after maws have cooked for 1 hour 15 minutes. Cook another 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender. Add a little extra water if necessary.
Prepare a large cast iron skillet with 1/4 stick of butter. Remove maws and chitterlings from pot and slice. I use to slice them right in the preheated skillet although you can use a cutting board. Then stir with a large metal spoon as you lightly brown them. You can pour out the water from the pot, including the onion. The onion added a little flavor and made them smell nicer while simmering.
A variation on this recipe is to slice the chitterlings and hog maws into pieces as above, but them put them back in the pot with the stock. Again, you can get rid of the onion. Cover the pot and simmer the cut up mixture for another 50 minutes.
If you don't like onion or don't have onion, you can add four or five bay leaves to the mixture instead.. Again, you throw the bay leaves away before frying or cooking down the chitterlings.
By now the hog maws and chitterlings should be thoroughly done and almost falling apart. You can serve them with your favorite side dishes such as greens, maccaroni and cheese, or rice. I actually prefer to eat them by themselves, with several splashes of hot sauce. However, they are fattening and it's tough not to eat too much. So you probably should have a side dish.
Store the leftovers in the refrigerator. Like so many other great soul food dishes, chitlins taste even better after the flavor has soaked in for a few hours. The leftovers won't last long.​

 

[jennyema]

Kimchi. Way back when I first got a taste of Korean food, I heard all these great things about this staple called kimchi; it's supposed to be spicy and delicious. Kimchi, it turns out, is the single most revolting thing I've ever eaten, with the possible exception of part of a Heath bar.

Try durian!

I love kimchi. There are many different types, maybe yours was too fermented. Fresh kimchi is, IMO, refreshing and delicious.

 

[GB]

I do not eat at fast food restaurants much (maybe 4 times a year at most), but I think those are my biggest letdown. The pictures look great on the menu, but never have I seen any of their food look even remotely like the pictures or commercials.

 

[pdswife]

Lately... it's been sushi. It's been a while since I've had the good stuff.

 

[auntdot]

I think my biggest letdown food is coffee.

While it is brewing nothing smells as appetizing (OK, OK, maybe cooking bacon), but for some reason what's in the cup never seems to live up to the smell.

 

[mudbug]

I have the same reaction to baking bread, auntdot. Not all loaves are equal, but they all smell luscious while they are still in the oven.

 

[phu]

Try durian!

I love kimchi. There are many different types, maybe yours was too fermented. Fresh kimchi is, IMO, refreshing and delicious.

No way. I am quite convinced that (to my tastes) kimchi is just utterly horrid.

 

[kimbaby]

PIZZA does me the same way... smells like heaven but by the time it gets
to me it just can't live up to the aroma
good thread...

 

[marmar]

For me it would have to be desserts as well.
They never seem to be as good as you hoped, or by the end of the meal you've eaten so much and get a stomachache because you dared to eat the delicious-looking dessert.

 

[VeraBlue]

I think the fact that I'm taking Hoodia now is a testament that I've never been let down by food. It's been a love affair since that first bowl of macaroni.

 

[SNPiccolo5]

I think my biggest letdown food is coffee.

While it is brewing nothing smells as appetizing (OK, OK, maybe cooking bacon), but for some reason what's in the cup never seems to live up to the smell.

True True True! Coffee smells absolutely delicious while brewing, but then tastes so-so when drinking, although I do love coffee...

-Tim