Combos that just don't do it for you

I think I'm a person who's willing to try most things in the food world, and I certainly do scan a lot of recipe blogs and sites. But there are some things I'm bound to skip over, and lately I'm noticing it's because they involve combinations I'm just never going to for. Yes, I could make them and eat them, and others in the house might even like them more than me, to me, they're page turners.

The first few that come to mind are:

- shrimp with any kind of tomato-based sauce (I don't mean barbecue or cocktail sauce, I mean a pasta-type tomato sauce)
- for that matter, pretty much any fish or seafood with a tomato sauce
- for that matter, chicken cacciatore or any chicken with a tomato sauce
- any creamy chicken thing with broccoli in it
- almost anything with the word "Florentine" - I do like spinach, especially creamy spinach, but not so much at all in casseroles
- fish dishes with cheese - though I do like a McFishFillet or homemade fried fish fillet sandwich with fish, fish and cheese together in a casserole... no
- a beef or lamb stew/daube/Irish stew in a watery sauce - I want it in a thick beefy gravy or thick creamy gravy
- oh, and this is drifting in to just-plain-dislikes, but vinegary sour German-style potato salads and similar vegetable treatments

Right now watching Rachel Ray on Food Network. She just sauteed a pan of bacon and mushrooms. I'm so there. Now she dumped in a can of San Marzano tomatoes. And she's going to put this all on tilapia. Ack. I'm so not there.

Damn Katie, I agree with these two:

- fish dishes with cheese - though I do like a McFishFillet or homemade fried fish fillet sandwich with fish, fish and cheese together in a casserole... no
- a beef or lamb stew/daube/Irish stew in a watery sauce - I want it in a thick beefy gravy or thick creamy gravy

but everything else on that list I love .

I guess for me the combo I just don't get is mint in savory dishes. To me mint is strictly in the realm of desserts.

zoid wrote:I guess for me the combo I just don't get is mint in savory dishes. To me mint is strictly in the realm of desserts.

zoid, glad someone agrees with me on something, but it's not (entirely) about what I don't like. I have my own petty gripes; another person's has theirs. Obviously we're talking about a highly personal list.

Remember when there was some reporter for NPR whose name sounded very similar to "Mint Jelly"? Once my sister said, y'know, his name sounds like "mint jelly." After that I couldn't think of anything else whenever I heard him on the radio. Can't remember now what his real name was.

Yeah, though, lamb and mint. Never got that either. Do we have to smash up everything from the same season together? Can't we eat them separately?

p.s., I meant to say, a McFishFillet or home-cooked fried fish fillet with a slice of cheese ... because what that goes on a hamburger bun isn't better with a slice of cheese?

I can excuse RR's tilapia dish -- gotta get some kind of flavor on that bland fish.

But there are things that when put on a menu, turn me off from a dish immediately.
#1: Mayo on sandwiches that don't need it, as in "chipotle mayo" or "sriracha mayo". Gimme the chipotles and sriracha, skip the glop. And why spicy mayo on sushi? So much for the fresh flavors and health benefits.
#2: Blackening on rich fish. Blackening a salmon is a waste. For that matter, blackening anything to put on a creamy pasta, you've just plain lost me.

In terms of your other items:
- Love shrimp in tomato sauces, no problem with that at all.
- The exception to fish 'n' cheese is the tuna-noodle casserole (aka noona toodle), or the tuna melt. Why it works, I don't know. Other fish used that way I can't conceive of swallowing.
- Watery stews are only exceeded in awfulness by pasty sauces
- Savory mint only seems to work in Vietnam. Summer rolls and pho are wonderfully enhanced by a collection of herbs. Maybe add some Indian raitas to that list, to counteract spicy grilled meats and pilaus.

For me:
Lamb + mint
Duck + orange
Fish + cheese
French fries + ketchup

fish + tomato (though I do enjoy some tomato based shellfish and bivalve preparations - jambalaya, manhattan clam chowder, etc. and I'm ok with a little diced tomato garnish on fish)
fish + cheese
chicken + cheese

edited to add, I thought of another:

potatoes + cheese (that's right, i do not enjoy cheese fries, poutine, cheese on mashed or baked spuds. I do like potatoes au gratin, but i feel like that's more like potatoes cooked in a cream sauce with a little cheese. and the more cheese used in this dish, the less I like it)

when it comes down to it, I really like do cheese, but there should be far fewer applications than our culture typically employs.

JoelF wrote: - Savory mint only seems to work in Vietnam. Summer rolls and pho are wonderfully enhanced by a collection of herbs. Maybe add some Indian raitas to that list, to counteract spicy grilled meats and pilaus.

I love all kinds of savory Middle Eastern dishes with mint in them, too. Tabbouleh, for example. I'm not a fan of mint jelly with lamb but I've enjoyed unsweetened fresh mint sauces and gremolata-type mixtures with it.

The "dessert" seasoning that rarely does much for me in savory dishes is vanilla. There was a vogue for a while of seafood with vanilla sauces that I never appreciated. And foie gras. I think both need acid to set them off.

Right now watching Rachel Ray on Food Network. She just sauteed a pan of bacon and mushrooms. I'm so there. Now she dumped in a can of San Marzano tomatoes. And she's going to put this all on tilapia. Ack. I'm so not there.

Not commenting on Rachel Ray, but there are other cultures with fish/tomato preparations that are pretty fantastic, ranging from Mexican Veracruzana preparations to Moroccan tomato/olive sauced fish and the not-unrelated Spanish bacalao (and it's cousin the Italian baccala). And I haven't even made it to Greece yet.

It's really a classic combination, perhaps not to your taste, but I can't get enough of it.

Ketchup + Mustard

ice cream or cheese on pie
mint on meat
fried eggs on things where they don't belong such as burgers.
Cinnamon in spaghetti sauce or chili

Yep, me too. Any combo where da sausage isnt grilled over real charcoal just dont do it for me.

Artie wrote:Ketchup + Mustard

= Barbecue Sauce

Really. But for the most part, I agree: Ketchup on fries and maybe a dry burger, mustard on sausages.

I don't get mint jelly with lamb, either. Or mint jelly in general. What is this used for otherwise? A salve?

I also agree with the sugary sauces with meat. Duck with orange, venison with cherry...I'm fine with it if the sauce is sweet but still savory, but I've been to too many places where the sauce tastes like pie filling and there's more sauce than meat. To this I'll add salads with sugary dressings, ribs with sugary sauce, sweet tomato sauces anywhere, chili with enough honey* to make you actually say, hey, is this honey? and even ham with a thick, crunchy brown sugar crust.

Banana splits and sundaes with ice cream that doesn't complement the sauce/toppings or vice versa. As in, I'll have an old-fashioned split with bubblegum, mint and rainbow sherbet.

Pasta with potatoes or mac & cheese topped pizza. I never had any of the latter, but jeez, how 'bout some protein?

*or molasses

Ketchup and mustard? You mean you don't make a ying and yang to dip your tots? That's a combo I can't live without.

I love Santorini's preparation of shrimp with feta and tomato. But I completely understand the mint on anything, and I agree with the mayo preps, enough mayo in sushi rolls already (although, I get that the japanese love the stuff and put it on everything).

I can't stand tarragon and chicken combos, and especially tarragon and pasta/or frie combos(I'm talking to you Branch 27). Blech

nicinchic wrote:You mean you don't make a ying and yang to dip your tots?

Mods, please, banner quote!

I had a crazy friend once who was constantly on a diet. Every day she had grilled chicken. Sometimes twice a day. She made a puddle of ketchup and mustard, mixed it til it was orange, tore off pieces of chicken and dipped it in. This might be the reason I don't like grilled chicken breasts.

Combos that do it for me:

Fresh mint with lamb, in salad, everywhere
Cream cheese and lox
Shrimp in spicy (thin) tomato sauce
Meat and fruit
Meat and fruit
Meat and fruit
Pasta with beans
Pasta with potatos (its a Magyar thing)
Chopped liver and tongue
Egg on pizza
Anchovy on pizza
Anchovy on everything

Combos I don't like:
Beef & Sausage (one or the other please)
Bacon & X protien (one or the other please)
Simon & Garfunkel (neither really)

How do you feel about Hall & Oates?

Pie Lady wrote:I don't get mint jelly with lamb, either. Or mint jelly in general. What is this used for otherwise? A salve?

Yes, the problem with mint jelly on lamb may well be mint jelly.

JoelF wrote: - The exception to fish 'n' cheese is the tuna-noodle casserole (aka noona toodle), or the tuna melt. Why it works, I don't know.

Agreed, and thank you for "noona toodle!"

Habibi wrote:Combos I don't like:
Simon & Garfunkel (neither really)

Ha ha ha!

I never had the tuna melt because the idea of warm tuna salad with American cheese never appealed to me. But Mr. Pie is appalled.

Try a griddled tuna melt on rye with Swiss. Put some capers in the tuna salad, too. Ooh-la-la! It will change your mind.

Just sayin'.

Pie Lady wrote:I never had the tuna melt because the idea of warm tuna salad with American cheese never appealed to me. But Mr. Pie is appalled.

I agree that the American cheese tuna melt is only acceptable in the appropriate context (diner, cafeteria). But when you're in charge, you can do it any way you please. Swiss, a noted, is excellent, as is any good cheddar or a jalapeno jack. You're only limited by your imagination. I enjoy tuna melts so much that It was one of my go-to dishes when I (briefly) quit carbs - in a breadless version, of course.

Pie Lady wrote:I never had the tuna melt because the idea of warm tuna salad with American cheese never appealed to me. But Mr. Pie is appalled.

Hi,

The few times I have ordered tuna melts, I was confronted with cool-to-cold tuna, cheese barely melted and griddled bread.

I have the soft bread bought at Jewel at 49 cents (I think) recently. I had a small can of tuna in oil, the type that reminds people of vomit or dog food. What the heck, I am going to make a tuna melt.

I did not drain the oil from the tuna, because there might not be much to talk about. I added some mayo, capers, pickle relish and lots of pepper.

I spread some mayo on the bread slice exterior, then put a slice from Costco cheddar block. I put half the tuna on the top, then a tomato slice with a cross slice of cheese. This was plopped into a preheated frying pan to begin its magic. Meanwhile, I spread mayo on the exterior of the top slice of bread.

Everything heated up nicely, the cheese melted on one side, then I flipped for the second side to heat the tuna and melt the cheese.

I can now see why someone would like a tuna melt. If I had better somewhere else, I might go out. Instead, the best example was the one I made.

This is something I will do again. Plus it is a good use of the lesser quality tuna, because there is very little density to overcome.

Homemade tuna melt, yes!

Regards,
Cathy2

Sweet relish + ANYTHING.
That stuff is vile.
Sugary hot dog? Keep it.
Sugary Tartar sauce? <shudder>
Sugary tuna salad? <heebie jeebies>
---
I'm just VERY picky when it comes to sweet + savory. I mean, I really like bq sauce on a ton of stuff, but throw miracle whip on a sammich, and I'll vomit.

Green pepper + potato salad.

I'm also one that doesn't even consider fish&cheese. I love an occasional Mcfish - HOLD that stuff you call cheese tho. BUT, I will try a grouper reuben next time I'm down in Fla. Swiss seems...ok.

Salty/limey/Chile powder on fruit. Seems like a shoe-in for my palate. It's just not for me tho.

seebee wrote:Sweet relish + ANYTHING.
That stuff is vile.
Sugary hot dog? Keep it.
Sugary Tartar sauce? <shudder>
Sugary tuna salad? <heebie jeebies>
---
I'm just VERY picky when it comes to sweet + savory. I mean, I really like bq sauce on a ton of stuff, but throw miracle whip on a sammich, and I'll vomit.

Green pepper + potato salad.

I'm also one that doesn't even consider fish&cheese. I love an occasional Mcfish - HOLD that stuff you call cheese tho. BUT, I will try a grouper reuben next time I'm down in Fla. Swiss seems...ok.

Salty/limey/Chile powder on fruit. Seems like a shoe-in for my palate. It's just not for me tho.

I think we were separated at birth—I’m not even a remotely picky eater but these are all top of the yuck list for me. Only addition for me is anything that contains cucumbers in chunks when the seeds are discernible.

And I have a feeling the grouper Reuben ain’t gonna be an exception for you once you try it

I know I'm in the vast minority here but with very few exceptions, I really dislike chocolate and fruit. I don't mind an occasional chocolate-covered raisin but that's about the extent of it. When I see chocolate dessert with raspberry sauce, it makes me want to cry.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I know I'm in the vast minority here but with very few exceptions, I really dislike chocolate and fruit.

I could see room for non-berry deviations from this rule. Like banana fudge gelato is as good as it gets and nothing like a rich chocolate with raspberry sauce. I mean banana splits are universally beloved and they have pineapple with fudge and banana.

bweiny wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I know I'm in the vast minority here but with very few exceptions, I really dislike chocolate and fruit.

I could see room for non-berry deviations from this rule. Like banana fudge gelato is as good as it gets and nothing like a rich chocolate with raspberry sauce. I mean banana splits are universally beloved and they have pineapple with fudge and banana.

Yeah, it's mostly citrus and berries with chocolate that make me shudder. I can tolerate bananas with chocolate but I really dislike the rest of it . . . definitely no pineapple, cherries, strawberries or dried apricots, either. Why ruin perfectly good chocolate and perfectly good fruit by forcing them into an unnatural union?

=R=