Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who don't like leftovers grew up in homes with lousy cooks, and they themselves probably can't cook worth a damn either. That or they come from a culture of blandness -- think typical English or midwestern cuisine. That food is barely edible during the first pass -- a bowl of cereal would be preferable to leftovers.

Good cooks and flavorful cuisines produce awesome leftovers. Indian food in particular tends to taste better the next day, after really marinating in the spices. Go to a black cookout, and you'll see people bringing their own containers to fix a plate to take home.

The idea on this thread that it's rude to take extra food a host offers is bizarre. It's actually more onerous for the host to find a place to store and eat (or waste) food cooked for a lot of guests. The more leftovers guests take, the faster the fridge can be cleared out and dishes washed and the kitchen feeling normal again.

It is also rude to insult other people's culture and food. If you ate bland and boring food in the midwest, you ate something from a bad cook. That's all. There are many delicious dishes in the midwest.

I prefer plain and simple and lightly seasoned cooking. It may be bland to others but it's delicious to me. I don't go around judging people for wanting heavily seasoned, spicy Indian food. Each to its own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Etiquette reminders:

It's rude to offer guests left-over food unless you are very close and know this person enjoyed that particular dish. If you do this to other types of guests, it means you don't respect them. Freshly-cooked and well-presented food that you offer on a plate at a table is a symbol of your respect for your guest. Boxed food meant to be reheated the day after is not.
The host may even be attempting to get rid of their food because of lack of space or because they didn't like the food, which is even ruder because it reduces the guest to a useful trashcan.

I'm not American and have family in Europe and Asia. None of them would dream of handing me their leftovers. That would be rude. I understand that Americans have a more relaxed culture, but still. Keep your leftovers for those cherished friends and relatives who are gazing longingly at it.

You can keep your etiquette reminder, it’s not needed. I literally do not know anyone who offers guests leftovers. It’s for personal use only.

This is such a WASP-y thing. Immigrants of all income levels offer guests leftovers all the time. I think it might be because it can be hard to get the ingredients for ethnic foods, so guests may want a second helping. But I also wonder if it's cultural. In India (where my family is from), you don't offer leftovers, per se, but it's common when you're preparing special foods or foods that you're known to make well to prepare more than you need and portion it out to send to close friends and family.

I'm US born-and-raised, but I will never get over how bizarre certain aspects of American food "etiquette" are. Like good etiquette being leaving some piece of food on your plate and not asking for seconds. In so many cultures, these things are actually incredibly rude!

No, it is not a WASP-y thing. It is a PP thing. These are the same people who toss fresh baked goods delivered by friends and neighbors. And yell at people about masks while ten feet away.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who don't like leftovers grew up in homes with lousy cooks, and they themselves probably can't cook worth a damn either. That or they come from a culture of blandness -- think typical English or midwestern cuisine. That food is barely edible during the first pass -- a bowl of cereal would be preferable to leftovers.

Good cooks and flavorful cuisines produce awesome leftovers. Indian food in particular tends to taste better the next day, after really marinating in the spices. Go to a black cookout, and you'll see people bringing their own containers to fix a plate to take home.

The idea on this thread that it's rude to take extra food a host offers is bizarre. It's actually more onerous for the host to find a place to store and eat (or waste) food cooked for a lot of guests. The more leftovers guests take, the faster the fridge can be cleared out and dishes washed and the kitchen feeling normal again.

It is also rude to insult other people's culture and food. If you ate bland and boring food in the midwest, you ate something from a bad cook. That's all. There are many delicious dishes in the midwest.