FMIL is the pickiest eater alive!

AddieCake

I, too, ate what my parents ate. I was not allowed up from the table until my father said I was done eating. I'm an infantile eater because I'm picky? Piss off.

OllisaurusRex

Maggie0829 said:

OllisaurusRex said:

I'm still thinking burgers and pizza are reasonable options for my wedding, considering the wedding and reception are at a brewery, and everyone local is saying do their burgers......

How do I adult that shit up? Oh wait, that's what the beer is for.

Your wedding is so infantile even with beer.  If you want an adult wedding then you need to have unicorn meat and fairy piss.  That is the only way you will seem cultured and sophisticated.

Well, fine. The heavy majority of guests, and all 27 VIPs, who are begging to do the burgers can suck it up and enjoy their unicorn and t-rex filets. Because I'm cultured and all.

But seriously, when 73 of 106 guests found out location - they went "Are you doing their burgers?" Which will drastically lower the catering budget. From talking to VIPs, people seriously want the burgers. I admit, we eat there at least twice when we visit, they are that good. And really, we can do overpriced wedding catering of standard fare, or do the brewery burgers and pizza. May as well give our guests what they want.

snarkymaid

Just wanted to chime in and say that Indian food is typically one of the more expensive cuisines out there (those spices aren't cheap) and, in my opinion, not the best choice when factoring in the limited budget mentioned. Not only is OP being smug about her cultural superiority, but also not making the wisest financial decision.

OP, Indian food is polarizing. Personally, I love it. But I know many many people whose stomachs turn at the smell of it. The second you invite guests is when it stops being all about you and what you want. Hosting guests properly means having something for EVERYONE, including your FMIL, to eat.

jenna8984

Guys, my SIL will only eat boneless, skinless chicken breasts. No cow, pig, fish, lamb, dark meat chicken, etc. Is there a level BELOW infantile that she would be? Also, she was raised in foster care, so it's definitely the foster parents' fault for providing her a home but not forcing her to eat curry.

aquietseason

As a snobby-as-hell multiculturally raised New Yorker, man...you need to chill, girl. Not everyone is you and that's OK!

That being said if I can provide some insight -- my fiance` is Indian and we're doing a mixed spread to cater to everyone, and it's really not that hard and there's a lot of middle ground without throwing a fit!

One of our three entrees is Indian (Chicken Palak, which tends to be less odorous than red curries and can be served unsauced), the other two are lamb (culturally not an "exotic" meat for my side or his) and salmon. 

Our sides are basmati rice and veggies with raita sauce, and about half of our appetizers.are Indian-ish (fancied up samosas, aloo on crostini, etc) and the other half Italian-ish.  

We're also going to have some Indian sweets on the dessert table and I can't wait to see people try them

So far everyone we've brought the menu to (both here at the Knot and of course our guests) have been happy, and while we don't have any "plain chicken breast and potato only" guests, if we did we'd accomodate them in a heart beat. 

I know everyone says a wedding is the way to express your personalities, and we're big foodies so food is a large part of our personality. But you have to treat your guests right first, and then worry about what it says about you -- no one's going to care how cool your tastes in food are if they can't eat!

lyndausvi

aquietseason said:

As a snobby-as-hell multiculturally raised New Yorker, man...you need to chill, girl. Not everyone is you and that's OK!

That being said if I can provide some insight -- my fiance` is Indian and we're doing a mixed spread to cater to everyone, and it's really not that hard and there's a lot of middle ground without throwing a fit!

One of our three entrees is Indian (Chicken Palak, which tends to be less odorous than red curries and can be served unsauced), the other two are lamb (culturally not an "exotic" meat for my side or his) and salmon. 

Our sides are basmati rice and veggies with raita sauce, and about half of our appetizers.are Indian-ish (fancied up samosas, aloo on crostini, etc) and the other half Italian-ish.  

We're also going to have some Indian sweets on the dessert table and I can't wait to see people try them

So far everyone we've brought the menu to (both here at the Knot and of course our guests) have been happy, and while we don't have any "plain chicken breast and potato only" guests, if we did we'd accomodate them in a heart beat. 

I know everyone says a wedding is the way to express your personalities, and we're big foodies so food is a large part of our personality. But you have to treat your guests right first, and then worry about what it says about you -- no one's going to care how cool your tastes in food are if they can't eat!

Ditto.

My DH is a chef, he cooks for large groups.   He was the first to go more mainstream with a little exotic stuff for our cocktail hour.    He cooks and eats all kind of food.  Has cooked on national TV before.  He knows his shit. 

BTW - I HATE the term foodie.  Mostly because it's misused.  

A true foodie does NOT think a certain food style/type is below them.  Ever.  Nope, a true foodie will search out the best food of EVERY food type.  They will eat the best hot dog on the street corner if it's really the best.  They will go to the hole in the wall to get the best pizza.  They will go to a remote part of Kansas to eat the best fried chicken.   They appreciate food of all kinds.   American, Mexican, indian, whatever.  

A few weeks ago Andrew Zimmerman told DH he had the best dish at the Aspen Food and Wine (it was not a competition).   DH's dish?   Smoked pork.    Smoked fucking pork.  DH brined a pork in coffee and something else, then slow cooked in in a pit master grill.   Very, very simple.    This man has been all over the world eating exotic stuff, he has is own show.  He is a foodie, by the true definition  and he said DH's pork was amazing.     

 Point being a real foodie wants to eat the best of something. Not necessarily the most exotic.  If the hot dog cart on the corner has the best hot dog, they will eat it. Period.

hyechica81

you could do some interesting things with chicken like

roasted herbed chicken breast with some kind of veggies and a startch

roasted chicken in a white or red wine sauce over polenta

braised shot ribs over yukon gold potatoes 

sole francaise with veggies and rice

Knottie1436053929

I have a ton of cousins and the wedding that my family thinks had the best food was one that had Ukrainian food (lots of Ukrainians in Saskatchewan, which is where 90% of the guests were from). On the flip side another one of my cousins had chinese food at her wedding (real chinese - not western chinese) and most of the family agrees that her wedding had the worst food. Personally, I'm just a fan of eating and liked both, but in your case I would agree with PPs and try to find something that will appease you and your picker guests - even if it's not your first choice. If you just want to have Indian food then you have to be ok with some people not liking your food and perhaps announcing that they will be going to Mcdicks afterward (unfortunately). 

TrixieJess

Ummm...I've been to Indian Weddings...that have white food. I didn't eat it, but some of the other people there did, including some of the South Asians. 

Maybe your problem is your narrowmindedness and your snobbery.

freebread03

@lyndausvi your DH got a compliment from Andrew Zimmern?! That is THE SHIT. I love watching his show, and have done some adventurous eating while traveling because of him (like the time we went to a tiny port about an hour from Ensenada, Mexico to pick our fish off of the boat it was caught from...)

lyndausvi

freebread03 said:

@lyndausvi your DH got a compliment from Andrew Zimmern?! That is THE SHIT. I love watching his show, and have done some adventurous eating while traveling because of him (like the time we went to a tiny port about an hour from Ensenada, Mexico to pick our fish off of the boat it was caught from...)

Yep and Jacques Pepin.    Jacques saw DH's pit master and literally followed them bringing the pig into the tent.  They both hung out with DH and his sous chef for a while.    They actually said it was nice to have something simple as amazing as smoked pig.   

DH learned how to cook the pig like they do in France. DH worked for Eric Ripert at one point and has worked alongside Chef Paul Bocuse's now exec chef.   It was Pepin's 80th birthday and he hasn't been to France in a while.  It brought back memories for him.  

julieanne912

Lynda, if I'm ever up your way you'll have to let me know where your DH works  

And OP, if you're still around, also consider some people CAN'T eat food like Indian, due to health reasons.  My FI has Crohn's disease, and while he enjoys indian food (and other spice heavy foods), it tears him up inside and makes him miserable for days afterwards.    

TheCheeseWench

lyndausvi said:

aquietseason said:

As a snobby-as-hell multiculturally raised New Yorker, man...you need to chill, girl. Not everyone is you and that's OK!

That being said if I can provide some insight -- my fiance` is Indian and we're doing a mixed spread to cater to everyone, and it's really not that hard and there's a lot of middle ground without throwing a fit!

One of our three entrees is Indian (Chicken Palak, which tends to be less odorous than red curries and can be served unsauced), the other two are lamb (culturally not an "exotic" meat for my side or his) and salmon. 

Our sides are basmati rice and veggies with raita sauce, and about half of our appetizers.are Indian-ish (fancied up samosas, aloo on crostini, etc) and the other half Italian-ish.  

We're also going to have some Indian sweets on the dessert table and I can't wait to see people try them

So far everyone we've brought the menu to (both here at the Knot and of course our guests) have been happy, and while we don't have any "plain chicken breast and potato only" guests, if we did we'd accomodate them in a heart beat. 

I know everyone says a wedding is the way to express your personalities, and we're big foodies so food is a large part of our personality. But you have to treat your guests right first, and then worry about what it says about you -- no one's going to care how cool your tastes in food are if they can't eat!

Ditto.

My DH is a chef, he cooks for large groups.   He was the first to go more mainstream with a little exotic stuff for our cocktail hour.    He cooks and eats all kind of food.  Has cooked on national TV before.  He knows his shit. 

BTW - I HATE the term foodie.  Mostly because it's misused.  

A true foodie does NOT think a certain food style/type is below them.  Ever.  Nope, a true foodie will search out the best food of EVERY food type.  They will eat the best hot dog on the street corner if it's really the best.  They will go to the hole in the wall to get the best pizza.  They will go to a remote part of Kansas to eat the best fried chicken.   They appreciate food of all kinds.   American, Mexican, indian, whatever.  

A few weeks ago Andrew Zimmerman told DH he had the best dish at the Aspen Food and Wine (it was not a competition).   DH's dish?   Smoked pork.    Smoked fucking pork.  DH brined a pork in coffee and something else, then slow cooked in in a pit master grill.   Very, very simple.    This man has been all over the world eating exotic stuff, he has is own show.  He is a foodie, by the true definition  and he said DH's pork was amazing.     

 Point being a real foodie wants to eat the best of something. Not necessarily the most exotic.  If the hot dog cart on the corner has the best hot dog, they will eat it. Period.





**************************************************************************
^^^^ This. Also, more of this.

A couple of years ago I was called out on Twitter and told I must not be a "Real Chef or Foodie" because I posted about all of the crazy stuff we ate while filming the "State Fair Food" episode of my show. It is my FAVORITE episode of the year (and my wedding just happens to be on the day that we would normally need to shoot it this year, so we are taping it a few days late, thus postponing our honeymoon). This toolbox said that no one who would eat any of those things could have any real taste. Never mind that the group of guests that joins me on that show every year as we wander our way through the state fair (sampling everything from the donut burgers, cricket pizza and shark-on-a-stick to the classic roasted corn and fried cheese curds) is made up of some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in town. We have a hilarious time, but to some snobs, if it isn't Escargot and Chateaubriand, it isn't any good. Oh, and I later found out that the jerk on Twitter was a guy who came into my restaurant a couple of years earlier and asked me on a date. I declined, and he was pissed. I tagged all of the chefs in my reply to him (I had to let them know they weren't real foodies after all), and he pretty much got called out all afternoon long.

OllisaurusRex we are serving pizza at our brewery wedding. Gauche I know, but we decided to cower to the peasants. Oh, or maybe it's because we LOVE pizza and beer... We'll hit the snail farm (I'm completely serious and excited about it) and stinky cheese caves when we get to Europe.

lyndausvi

TheCheeseWench said:

lyndausvi said:

aquietseason said:

As a snobby-as-hell multiculturally raised New Yorker, man...you need to chill, girl. Not everyone is you and that's OK!

That being said if I can provide some insight -- my fiance` is Indian and we're doing a mixed spread to cater to everyone, and it's really not that hard and there's a lot of middle ground without throwing a fit!

One of our three entrees is Indian (Chicken Palak, which tends to be less odorous than red curries and can be served unsauced), the other two are lamb (culturally not an "exotic" meat for my side or his) and salmon. 

Our sides are basmati rice and veggies with raita sauce, and about half of our appetizers.are Indian-ish (fancied up samosas, aloo on crostini, etc) and the other half Italian-ish.  

We're also going to have some Indian sweets on the dessert table and I can't wait to see people try them

So far everyone we've brought the menu to (both here at the Knot and of course our guests) have been happy, and while we don't have any "plain chicken breast and potato only" guests, if we did we'd accomodate them in a heart beat. 

I know everyone says a wedding is the way to express your personalities, and we're big foodies so food is a large part of our personality. But you have to treat your guests right first, and then worry about what it says about you -- no one's going to care how cool your tastes in food are if they can't eat!

Ditto.

My DH is a chef, he cooks for large groups.   He was the first to go more mainstream with a little exotic stuff for our cocktail hour.    He cooks and eats all kind of food.  Has cooked on national TV before.  He knows his shit. 

BTW - I HATE the term foodie.  Mostly because it's misused.  

A true foodie does NOT think a certain food style/type is below them.  Ever.  Nope, a true foodie will search out the best food of EVERY food type.  They will eat the best hot dog on the street corner if it's really the best.  They will go to the hole in the wall to get the best pizza.  They will go to a remote part of Kansas to eat the best fried chicken.   They appreciate food of all kinds.   American, Mexican, indian, whatever.  

A few weeks ago Andrew Zimmerman told DH he had the best dish at the Aspen Food and Wine (it was not a competition).   DH's dish?   Smoked pork.    Smoked fucking pork.  DH brined a pork in coffee and something else, then slow cooked in in a pit master grill.   Very, very simple.    This man has been all over the world eating exotic stuff, he has is own show.  He is a foodie, by the true definition  and he said DH's pork was amazing.     

 Point being a real foodie wants to eat the best of something. Not necessarily the most exotic.  If the hot dog cart on the corner has the best hot dog, they will eat it. Period.





**************************************************************************
^^^^ This. Also, more of this.

A couple of years ago I was called out on Twitter and told I must not be a "Real Chef or Foodie" because I posted about all of the crazy stuff we ate while filming the "State Fair Food" episode of my show. It is my FAVORITE episode of the year (and my wedding just happens to be on the day that we would normally need to shoot it this year, so we are taping it a few days late, thus postponing our honeymoon). This toolbox said that no one who would eat any of those things could have any real taste. Never mind that the group of guests that joins me on that show every year as we wander our way through the state fair (sampling everything from the donut burgers, cricket pizza and shark-on-a-stick to the classic roasted corn and fried cheese curds) is made up of some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in town. We have a hilarious time, but to some snobs, if it isn't Escargot and Chateaubriand, it isn't any good. Oh, and I later found out that the jerk on Twitter was a guy who came into my restaurant a couple of years earlier and asked me on a date. I declined, and he was pissed. I tagged all of the chefs in my reply to him (I had to let them know they weren't real foodies after all), and he pretty much got called out all afternoon long.

OllisaurusRex we are serving pizza at our brewery wedding. Gauche I know, but we decided to cower to the peasants. Oh, or maybe it's because we LOVE pizza and beer... We'll hit the snail farm (I'm completely serious and excited about it) and stinky cheese caves when we get to Europe.

yeah, I think self-proclamined "foodies" would really be disappointed what their favorite celebrity chef eats on a normal basis.    Trust me it's not a 5-course meal at Per Se.

julieanne912

lyndausvi said:

TheCheeseWench said:

lyndausvi said:

aquietseason said:

As a snobby-as-hell multiculturally raised New Yorker, man...you need to chill, girl. Not everyone is you and that's OK!

That being said if I can provide some insight -- my fiance` is Indian and we're doing a mixed spread to cater to everyone, and it's really not that hard and there's a lot of middle ground without throwing a fit!

One of our three entrees is Indian (Chicken Palak, which tends to be less odorous than red curries and can be served unsauced), the other two are lamb (culturally not an "exotic" meat for my side or his) and salmon. 

Our sides are basmati rice and veggies with raita sauce, and about half of our appetizers.are Indian-ish (fancied up samosas, aloo on crostini, etc) and the other half Italian-ish.  

We're also going to have some Indian sweets on the dessert table and I can't wait to see people try them

So far everyone we've brought the menu to (both here at the Knot and of course our guests) have been happy, and while we don't have any "plain chicken breast and potato only" guests, if we did we'd accomodate them in a heart beat. 

I know everyone says a wedding is the way to express your personalities, and we're big foodies so food is a large part of our personality. But you have to treat your guests right first, and then worry about what it says about you -- no one's going to care how cool your tastes in food are if they can't eat!

Ditto.

My DH is a chef, he cooks for large groups.   He was the first to go more mainstream with a little exotic stuff for our cocktail hour.    He cooks and eats all kind of food.  Has cooked on national TV before.  He knows his shit. 

BTW - I HATE the term foodie.  Mostly because it's misused.  

A true foodie does NOT think a certain food style/type is below them.  Ever.  Nope, a true foodie will search out the best food of EVERY food type.  They will eat the best hot dog on the street corner if it's really the best.  They will go to the hole in the wall to get the best pizza.  They will go to a remote part of Kansas to eat the best fried chicken.   They appreciate food of all kinds.   American, Mexican, indian, whatever.  

A few weeks ago Andrew Zimmerman told DH he had the best dish at the Aspen Food and Wine (it was not a competition).   DH's dish?   Smoked pork.    Smoked fucking pork.  DH brined a pork in coffee and something else, then slow cooked in in a pit master grill.   Very, very simple.    This man has been all over the world eating exotic stuff, he has is own show.  He is a foodie, by the true definition  and he said DH's pork was amazing.     

 Point being a real foodie wants to eat the best of something. Not necessarily the most exotic.  If the hot dog cart on the corner has the best hot dog, they will eat it. Period.





**************************************************************************
^^^^ This. Also, more of this.

A couple of years ago I was called out on Twitter and told I must not be a "Real Chef or Foodie" because I posted about all of the crazy stuff we ate while filming the "State Fair Food" episode of my show. It is my FAVORITE episode of the year (and my wedding just happens to be on the day that we would normally need to shoot it this year, so we are taping it a few days late, thus postponing our honeymoon). This toolbox said that no one who would eat any of those things could have any real taste. Never mind that the group of guests that joins me on that show every year as we wander our way through the state fair (sampling everything from the donut burgers, cricket pizza and shark-on-a-stick to the classic roasted corn and fried cheese curds) is made up of some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in town. We have a hilarious time, but to some snobs, if it isn't Escargot and Chateaubriand, it isn't any good. Oh, and I later found out that the jerk on Twitter was a guy who came into my restaurant a couple of years earlier and asked me on a date. I declined, and he was pissed. I tagged all of the chefs in my reply to him (I had to let them know they weren't real foodies after all), and he pretty much got called out all afternoon long.

OllisaurusRex we are serving pizza at our brewery wedding. Gauche I know, but we decided to cower to the peasants. Oh, or maybe it's because we LOVE pizza and beer... We'll hit the snail farm (I'm completely serious and excited about it) and stinky cheese caves when we get to Europe.

yeah, I think self-proclamined "foodies" would really be disappointed what their favorite celebrity chef eats on a normal basis.    Trust me it's not a 5-course meal at Per Se.

I just read something that Grant Achatz's favorite late night meal is penne with red sauce.  So fancy.

PrettyGirlLost

Maggie0829 said:

I also find it funny that OP only has two options...Indian food or dry, boring chicken.  Pretty sure there are many other foods to choose from that can still be adventurous but yet crowd pleasing (and budget friendly) at the same time.

Cut her a break, @Maggie0829, she's just an anthropologist.  Only a person well versed in the culinary arts could possibly know that!

Or, you know, a person that doesn't have their head crammed up their own ass. . .

randomslove

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

You come across as pretty condescending in every post. So if someone does not have what think of as a refined palette, their tastes are "infantile?"

I think you need an attitude change. What if someone has heavy food allergies and that limits what they can have? I worked with two people who had severe allergies. One was gluten intolerant to the extreme; the other was allergic to chocolate, any and all nuts, most berries, apples, and peanut butter-- and I'm sure more, but those were the only ones that came up.

PrettyGirlLost

randomslove said:

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

You come across as pretty condescending in every post. So if someone does not have what think of as a refined palette, their tastes are "infantile?"

I think you need an attitude change. What if someone has heavy food allergies and that limits what they can have? I worked with two people who had severe allergies. One was gluten intolerant to the extreme; the other was allergic to chocolate, any and all nuts, most berries, apples, and peanut butter-- and I'm sure more, but those were the only ones that came up.

Pretty condescending?  She comes across as totally condescending in her posts.

And also as totally culturally ignorant of the US, which is surprising since she's an anthropologist.  I'd expect one to realize that the US is very culturally diverse country full of immigrants and their US born descendants from all over the world, so the idea of a "typical" American kid is just nonsense.

leahkate

I am a very adventurous eater and I cannot stomach indian food. I've tried numerous times, and I just can't do it. 

leahkate

Maggie0829 said:

I also find it funny that OP only has two options...Indian food or dry, boring chicken.  Pretty sure there are many other foods to choose from that can still be adventurous but yet crowd pleasing (and budget friendly) at the same time.

Yeah, it seems like a "Foodie" could figure something out.

fyrchk

Sounds like FMIL has a right to be mortified. Probably has more to do with your attitude than the actual food.

And, I don't need to go to a wedding to have my palate "refined." Thanks.