I agree its shocking. I've been eating out pretty much daily, and moreso the last 10 years since I graduated high school 19 years ago. And its shocking that I've never been asked that question.

Burgers in Calgary just only started getting big. Yes, we've had Fat Burger now for what seems 7 years, and only recently did SmashBurger, and Five Guys, the big US chain has entered into the fray in the Calgary market. Prior, it seems the only burger joints were your basic fast food chains, like McDonalds, Wendy's.. even we thought Burger King was a treat.

I'm more likely to try any food... if it's topped with bacon.

I wasn't talking about burger joints. Most every steakhouse, family restaurant, hotel restaurant, airport restaurant, etc. has a hamburger on the menu, and has for decades. Even in Calgary.;)

I forgot one. Cajun chicken is worthless without mayonnaise.

Really no need to cook decent pork to well done any more - you could have it medium rare provided the mince was carefully handled (same as beef).

favorite rule: if i bought it im eating all of it... simple as that but i mean it sounds like im selfish but when it comes to my food.. that gets down to business haha

When in doubt, add hot sauce. It can turn anything mediocre into something far more edible.

Except for that Cholula crap. ;)

^^

On a trip a few weeks ago with questionable facilities everyone else was trying to avoid drinking in order to not have to use said places that frequently. I however was constantly filling up with water - but it kept me from having any issues (and the facilities weren't THAT bad - most days). Lesson was learned from a similar trip last year where I suffered problems as a result of not drinking enough water.

Wasn't a Chalupa that ill-fated taco-thing they had at Taco Bell awhile back? :p

Hardly ill-fated; you can still get 'em. Basically a taco, but in a fried gordita shell (itself basically a pita bread.)

There are also actual Mexican foods called chalupas and gorditas, of which the Taco Bell versions have only the most passing of relationships (as is true for most things on their menu that don't have entirely made-up names, like the "Enchirito")

I used to eat those twice a week as a college Freshman. And yes, hot sauce was applied :D

Been a while since I've seen a post of yours. Thanks for your help on the Europe trip. It was an amazing experience.

I did not know that pork needn't be cooked through. That's a new train of thought.

Just realized I haven't posted mine:

1. No lemon in water. EVER! If lemon has ever been put in the glass, on the rim, etc, please get me a new glass (lemon makes the water taste like soap to me).

2. When I say no cheese, I mean no cheese. And, no, your little sprinkling of parmesan is not ok. Oh, and don't just take it back and kind of scrape it off. Make me something new. I prefer to choose when I risk my stomach on dairy (for example, cheese bought at a Sunday market in Paris = worth it, fake cheese from a can at a chain restaurant = not worth it).

3. Spinach should never be cooked more than slightly wilted.

4. When choosing a place to eat in a small town in the south, always count the number of farm trucks in the parking lot. The more farm trucks, the better. If there aren't any farm trucks in the parking lot, find another place to eat.

5. Brussel sprouts should only be eaten when fresh. Frozen brussel sprouts are tools of the devil. In fact I suspect most frozen vegetables are tools of the devil (unless I've personally blanched and frozen them myself).

6. Eggs should be no more than soft cooked (the runnier the better).

7. Corn should only be eaten off the cob, when picked fresh at the height of summer.

8. No green bell peppers ever. All other peppers are welcomed with open arms.

9. Chocolate is a gift from the gods, especially dark chocolate.

10. Ketchup should be used sparingly. In fact, meatloaf and onion rings are about the only things ketchup should always be eaten with. Perhaps in small amounts on a hamburger, hot dog, or corndog, but that's it. Never on fries.

1) Food must always be paired with beverage.

2) Medium rare, always.

3) If I am going to be bad, I am going to be terrible.

4) Egg on a burger is awesome.. But I disagree with my countrymen on beetroot.

5) Homegrown tomatoes are awesome, and tomato basil and (real!) mozzarella are a match made in heaven.

6) Buy and eat local. Reduce food miles.

7) When eating out avoid large chains, always ask the locals, be brave and try "non-standard" looking places.

8) Germans know how to live. Brats and Beer!

9) Since finishing college I never and will never again, but prepackaged meals.. Cooking takes time and care and the rewards are worth it!

10) Never clean teeth before breakfast. :)

With the companion rule

1a) water is not a beverage.


:)

The real ones, or the taco bell ones? And real hot sauce, or the taco bell "hot" sauce? :D

Your personal food rules.....
 

Always use a spoon and fork. I'm so Filipino. :D

I don't really notice knives in Indonesia either. Fork and spoon are good enough for me!

Asia preference is predominantly chopsticks.. although IIRC forks originated from there.

I prefer chopsticks with asian meals, but serve the same meal on a plate, I prefer fork and spoon.

Asian, huh?

Well, chopsticks are the norm for noodle soups no matter where I've been, but Indonesia and the Philippines are definitely fork and spoon-friendly.

Don't forget Thailand.:)

To clarify, I eat my asian meals in a bowl.. I use the chopsticks to shovel food into my mouth.

But put the same meal on a plate.. I prefer to use fork and spoon. That's because when I lift a large plate to my mouth, it won't be stable, so generally I don't lift large plates.. thus, I can't lift the plate and shovel eat with chopsticks.. As a result, I prefer the same asian meal on plates using fork and spoon, because I can't conventionally lift a plate and shovel eat with chopsticks very conveniently.

I find it funny watching people trying to eat rice or noodles off plates with chopsticks. It can be an effective diet method, if you're trying to lose weight eating a few pieces of rice or a few noodles at a time using chopsticks.

Hi, glad you had a fun trip!

Yup, with the pork, the danger used to be Trichinosis, but with modern food production it really isn't a risk - I can't recall the last time I heard about it in farmed pork.

Good steak should never touch a grill. It is to be cooked on a smoking hot cast iron skillet...cooked rare to med rare (depending on preference) and topped with butter and chives.

Barbecued steak is superb, and my preference above all methods. Marinated and barbecue sauce added.

I especially like Bullseye, but certainly enjoy with HP. At a fine dining restaurant, nothing like Chimichuri.^

As with so many foods, textural contrast is the key
 

When struck by the urge for a box of grocery store cake donuts
http://media.fooducate.com/products/...7957C35D9.jpeg
the box should be opened for several hours and the donuts turned in the box periodically to get a nice starting-to-get-every-so-slighty stale all-over crust on them

No Sushi or shellfish the day before a long haul flight.

I always drink alcohol during adventurous dinner so it can kill any bugs.

If you serve me something from a can, it had better be a beer.

Canned vegetables are Satan's feces.

Tomatoes must be either raw (in which case they'd better be tasty) or cooked down into a sauce. Cooked tomatoes that retain tomato shape are to be avoided.

Austrian food is underappreciated and should be more widely available

No organ meats. Except possibly haggis

Decaffeniated coffee is like sex with a condom. Ok that is actually my brother's former colleague's rule.

I hate my food touching each other. I need it separated in to little piles that don't touch each other. I can't have a few peas mixed in to the mashed potato.

I also hate it when they put meat on top of vegies or chips. I don't want the food underneath it mushed or squashed.

I can't eat anything that has touched a cooked egg. Yuck!

The only proper dipping sauce for wings is bleu cheese dressing, NOT ranch.

^^

The spice must flow.
Vegetables are a must. Meat and bread are optional.
Leftovers are for the dog.

I hate having a fried egg on the same plate as a portion of baked beans. To me it resembles a car crash on a plate

No coffee on flights. It`s a diuretic and the air in the plane is already on the dry side.

No orange vegetables in dessert pastries, e.g. carrot cake and pumpkin pie. Raw, roasted or steamed carrots are okay. pumpkin ravioli is fine.

Eggs must be hard boiled or scrambled, never soft boiled or sunny side up.

Strawberries may be fresh but not made into strawberry ice cream.

Garlic - the more the merrier, even better if everyone else is having it, especially when travelling since it keeps nasty colds at bay.

No shrimp. It`s a taste + texture thing. However, lobster tail is okay. Texture is similar but tastes different. Shrimp chips are yummy too.

No fish with tiny little bones that can stab you in the mouth or get stuck in your throat. Fillets okay. If whole fish, I go for the cheeks.

Ketchup on a hot dog is okay for the occasional guilty pleasure. I stock neither ketchup nor hot dog wieners at home.

Chicken or turkey thighs any day over breast meat.

Since this thread seems to have been resurrected, I'll play.

No ketchup on french fries.
No mayonnaise on anything. EVER!
No fish from a can. Fish should come directly from the ocean, lake, or river and into the frying pan or oven.
No raw tomatoes.
No olives - I try to like them, but I can't.
No peanuts/peanut butter except in savory foods like satay or kung pao chicken.
No lima beans or okra.
No offal. Yes, I know the cheffy people love offal, but not me.
No rabbit or cuy (guinea pig). If it can be may pet, it cannot be food.
And now that I have been in the company of Brits for several years, I have to say that this business of beans in tomato sauce for breakfast or on toast or on baked potatoes is just absurd. The same goes for chip butties. Who makes a sandwich with french fries as the filling? It's just a carbohydrate and fat sandwich.

And a few drinking rules:
Never ever drink any tequila that comes in a plastic bottle.
If you must mix lemonade or tomato juice with beer, you are drinking some nasty beer. Beer should not be mixed with anything.

I don't drink tequila, but have seen rum in plastic bottles. For me, I'd modify the rule to say:

Liquor that comes in plastic bottles must not be drunk straight.

Never eat anything on a business occasion at a restaurant
that is going to be messy with the end result me looking like
a 5-year old after a chocolate ingestion fest.

Never eat anything before or during a trip that I think will
potentially make me sick.

Sandwiches need to have the bread buttered!!!

1. No frozen butter
2. No green peppers
3. No reconstituted Potato pieces molded in the shape of a French fries (Burger King and many restaurants)
4. No chives on anything
5. No in-house mason jar for sale bottled water
6. No conveyor belt pizza
7. No flavored ice tea
8. No flavored coffee
9. Heinz ketchup only
10. No "our version of" any classic dish
11. Butter please along with the bread
12. No featured item of the day that's already on the menu and the same price
13. No foam on food
14. No fusion anything
15. No warm bottled water
16. No plastic bottled water
17. Tap water please without asking in all 1st world countries
18. If I ask for ice, bring lots of it