Condiments: Complements or Concealers?

[hellojello]

What do you think of Condiments?
Sometimes I think that they really DO complement the food, and then sometimes I think people use them to conceal the taste. Like covering a whole plate, meat, vegies and all (anglo-aussie staple diet), in tomato sauce or gravy.
Someone once said to me that they found people that do things like that offensive because they felt it meant they didn't really appreciate their cooking. Who knows maybe they(whoever said it, I can't remember) just didn't like sauce :confused:
It seems like a bit of an Australian (with English foundations i suspose) tradition to cover everything in tomato sauce no matter what it is. I find that a bit off, but then I don't really like tomato sauce. I do know that I really like salad, but I rarely eat it without dressing. Does that mean I like the salad or just the dressing, I wonder.
Thoughts anyone?

[ms.peachy]

Good condiments used sparingly can indeed be a nice complement. And I know this will sound snobby but I don't care, because I am a food snob, but when I see people who put condiments all over everything my first thought (right or wrong) is that they are unsophisticated/uncultured, probably grew up in a home where truly good food was never appreciated, and likely didn't get taken out to eat much beyond fast food.

Now, there is nothing particularly wrong with that - people like what they like, fine, what's it to me if that's what someone else wants to do?? But I can't help but find it terribly sad, that so many people just don't appreciate what they are eating.

[hellojello]

Good condiments used sparingly can indeed be a nice complement. And I know this will sound snobby but I don't care, because I am a food snob, but when I see people who put condiments all over everything my first thought (right or wrong) is that they are unsophisticated/uncultured, probably grew up in a home where truly good food was never appreciated, and likely didn't get taken out to eat much beyond fast food.

Now, there is nothing particularly wrong with that - people like what they like, fine, what's it to me if that's what someone else wants to do?? But I can't help but find it terribly sad, that so many people just don't appreciate what they are eating.
It is a tacky thing to do I agree. A lot of aussies do it (not my family we only ever put sauce on chips, not to say we weren't commen we just never ate meat and 3 veg, AND fast food was definately a no-no for my hippy parents -I guess in that sense we were cultured) but what do you expect from a country established for convicts, and by other members of the astocricy too low down to want to stay in the motherland. Not to mention the free settlers who evidently weren't doing well enough in their homeland's to want to stay.

[MC Moot]

What do you think of Condiments?
Sometimes I think that they really DO complement the food, and then sometimes I think people use them to conceal the taste. Like covering a whole plate, meat, vegies and all (anglo-aussie staple diet), in tomato sauce or gravy.......Thoughts anyone?


I can't stand when people add condiments or salt/pepper to food I've prepared without tasting it first....bloody heathens....but what's natcho's without guac and salsa...and condiments are essential to Vietnamese and Thai cusine.....use sparingly if at all I guess.....I can't eat take out pizza without Frank's hot sauce though so whatta I know?...oh and worchestire has a special place with a certain kind of steak....and CHUTNEY...uhhhhhhh...jesus,who's idea was it to put it on a cheese sandwhich,damn brits,damn Heathrow airport pub's.... ;)

[jabumbo]

i think they are definetly needed to an extent. drowning the food in the stuff is definetly over kill though.

i always try to spice my food while i cook it, so that i dont have to add the stuff afterwards, so it adds to the foods flavor instead of covering it up

[IDIOTSVILLE]

In my family, which has its roots in Great Britain

Yay :rolleyes: (y)

[MC Moot]

In my family, which has its roots in Great Britain, gravy is as much a dish to be savored as any part of the meal. It's made with care and certainly nobody is insulted if it's liberally applied....

Yes and gravy is stolen from the french,king louis the 14th bathed in it, who stole it from the Basque,my peeps! Although seriously,some of the most essential flavors are retained by de-glazing the pan/pot which is of course the start of savoury gravy and the Brit's do do it best especially on prime rib.....more...did ya know the expression "giving someone the cold shoulder" is historically a reference to the fact when you wanted your guests to leave you removed whatever roast meat you had hanging by the hearth so it cooled...a sly way of saying da party is over! ;)

[Freedom Toast]

I think this may be a regional thing...but it seems that EVERYONE in the "heartland" loves to drown everything they eat in ranch dressing. Pizza, pasta, anything fried, chicken,etc....

Ranch is good...but not that good.

[CiaoBellaXO]

When people use A1 Steak sauce on a filet....a good piece of meat is perfect alone.... (y)

[jabumbo]

I think this may be a regional thing...but it seems that EVERYONE in the "heartland" loves to drown everything they eat in ranch dressing. Pizza, pasta, anything fried, chicken,etc....

Ranch is good...but not that good.

yes! people did this in high school all the time. it was so gross to see a greasy piece of pizza that was ruined with globs of ranch dressing