Nobody cares about food.

[Innula Zenovka]

Woman forced to have all her limbs amputated after eating fish from a market

Her infection may become more common as climate change causes the oceans to warm, researchers say

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Why don’t Americans put butter on their sandwiches?

I am here – as a Briton in the US – to commend her for shining a light on the under-reported fact that Americans don’t understand that you can put butter in a sandwich, preferring to drown it in mayo instead. My American wife, it dawned on me with horror, was guilty of this habit. “Why don’t you butter your sandwiches?” I texted her urgently. (“This is not innuendo,” I added.) “Yuck,” she replied. “A sandwich needs mayo.” We were, I realised, two countries divided by a common language and a completely different approach to spreadable fats.

So why aren’t buttered sandwiches popular in the US? It is easy to understand why Marmite might not make the leap across the Atlantic, but butter is surely a staple. The explanation, I think, is that, like their horrible chocolate, a lot of American butter is substandard, because of looser regulations; European butter has to have a higher butterfat percentage than American butter and those extra percentages add a lot of flavour. American butter is usually designed for cooking and, unless you go out of your way to look for the good stuff, it doesn’t add much to a sandwich.

Is this right? I'd never realised that US sandwiches use mayo rather than butter.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Butter is for toast. Most sandwiches need mayo, although a few (like brisket) get just mustard or thousand island.

eta: We have been to High Tea at a very nice hotel overlooking the harbor in Victoria where they made sandwiches with butter and it was very lovely, just not what Americans are used to.

 

[Casey Pelous]

Why don’t Americans put butter on their sandwiches?



Is this right? I'd never realised that US sandwiches use mayo rather than butter.

Well ... the average US supermarket's mayo display is about 12 feet wide. That includes Miracle Whip, though, which is billed as a "salad dressing" and looks like mayo but is, in fact, the fermented sweat of Satan.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Well ... the average US supermarket's mayo display is about 12 feet wide. That includes Miracle Whip, though, which is billed as a "salad dressing" and looks like mayo but is, in fact, the fermented sweat of Satan.

We didn't say it was sweat, as much as another bodily fluid of Satan...

 

[Isabeau]

My mother always put butter or margarine(!) in our sandwiches no matter how many times I told her I didn’t want it. She always thought I was nuts. “A sandwich without butter?!”

 

[Kokoro Fasching]

Keep your butter, and your mayo.. only Nutella goes on sandwiches!

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Why don’t Americans put butter on their sandwiches?



Is this right? I'd never realised that US sandwiches use mayo rather than butter.

I use mayo in my sandwiches, except on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, on which I do use butter.

Does anyone else use butter on their PB&Js? My husband looks at me like I sprouted a horn on my head whenever I do! He insists it's "peanut butter, jelly, and bread, nothing more." I think he's missing out!

 

[Casey Pelous]

I use mayo in my sandwiches, except on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, on which I do use butter.

Does anyone else use butter on their PB&Js? My husband looks at me like I sprouted a horn on my head whenever I do! He insists it's "peanut butter, jelly, and bread, nothing more." I think he's missing out!

Agreeing that butter on pb&j is excellent, not that you sprouted a horn.

BTW, mayo on the outside of a grilled cheese prior to grilling gives gloriously even browning and deliciousness. Got that tip from a Tony Bourdaine book.

 

[Essence Lumin]

BTW, mayo on the outside of a grilled cheese prior to grilling gives gloriously even browning and deliciousness. Got that tip from a Tony Bourdaine book.

That's something to try. Otherwise butter is essential on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich here in the US or at least with me.

 

[Free]

What other kinds of emergencies are there?

 

[Essence Lumin]

There aren't too many food things I'm really snobby about but Penzey's Tellicherry black pepper is one. It is so expensive, $8.69 for the bottle shown and then you have to buy $40 of stuff for free shipping or pay another $9 (I think) for shipping. What the heck. I hadn't bought any in four years so I did it.

I used it today and oh gosh, there just is no comparison to supermarket black pepper. It is so powerful and flavorful.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I am so happy we have a Penzeys in town.

 

[Essence Lumin]

I am so happy we have a Penzeys in town.

Yeah, there is one across the river from here in Center City Philly, but that would involve $5 bridge tolls and parking or $5 transit fees and a lot of time so forget that.

 

[Free]

Yeah, there is one across the river from here in Center City Philly, but that would involve $5 bridge tolls and parking or $5 transit fees and a lot of time so forget that.

For me it's an hour or so drive into Boston's western suburbs. I don't need spices that badly!

 

[Free]

Tonight I had for dinner what I call hot salad, something I've made going back years when I was on a vegetable kick and experimenting with ideas for simple dishes with them.

Hot salad is simple. It involves stir fry veggies - I usually pick up a container of pre-cut from the grocery store's produce section. For the greens, I get a package of sugar snap peas. I put a little vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat, and dump in the snap peas. Once they get hot, I put the stir fry vegetables in, and mix it all for several minutes. Sometimes I add in some garlic, or if I feel the need for a "dressing" I pour in a little garlic ginger teriyaki sauce.

I think it makes a decent lunch. Or dinner, when I'm not in the mood for much. Like tonight!

 

[Kokoro Fasching]

Tonight I had for dinner what I call hot salad, something I've made going back years when I was on a vegetable kick and experimenting with ideas for simple dishes with them.

Hot salad is simple. It involves stir fry veggies - I usually pick up a container of pre-cut from the grocery store's produce section. For the greens, I get a package of sugar snap peas. I put a little vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat, and dump in the snap peas. Once they get hot, I put the stir fry veggies in, and mix it all for several minutes. Sometimes I add in some garlic, or if I feel the need for a "dressing" I pour in a little garlic ginger teriyaki sauce.

I think it makes a decent lunch. Or dinner, when I'm not in the mood for much. Like tonight!

Costco has a huge bag of veggies like that for about $8. Enough for 4-5 meals easy. I just throw in fry pan, add what ever spices feel right for today and makes for a excellent meal

 

[Isabeau]

I’m trying to get into teas/herbals teas. I drink way too much coffee.

Tonight: lemon-green tea.
Interesting taste of astringent with a soupçon of nothing.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

When I say "herbal" you say "no thanks,"

 

[Rose Karuna]

Back in November of 2022, I had COVID. I completely lost my sense of smell - seriously, I could not even smell garlic or coffee. Gradually, some of my sense of smell has come back to me over the last year but not completely and also, not accurately. For example, my husband, friends and I all got on an elevator after someone had been in it with a particularly overpowering perfume. They all smelled perfume, I smelled only alcohol. It smelled like a hospital to me.

This has really impacted my food consumption. I've lost 45 lbs. Granted, I needed to lose it - but a lot of the reason is because I just don't want to eat anymore. About the only things I can taste are coffee, tuna, tacos and pickles. Thank heaven for tacos. Even when I can't taste the veggies and cheese in them, I can taste the spice and I like the crunchy texture.

I need to throw a couple of emergency tacos in my purse!