maortega15

No salt on fries

No mayo

When it comes to spice level, medium would be my limit

nkedel

Funny to look back an almost decade, and see that other than drinking a broader range of diet sodas, my tastes have otherwise failed to grow up. As I've crossed the 40 mark in the mean time, I doubt they ever will!

braslvr

It has been a long time! Not much has changed for me either except for having to reduce my spice (heat) level from insane to mildly crazy.

Here's a couple of new ones.

Eggs: Top 2 or 3 favorite food. Can eat them every single day and never get tired of them. Love them cooked almost every possible way, except...
Can not and will not eat fried eggs with any brownness or crispyness whatsoever. MUST be slow and gently cooked, whether hard or runny. Also can't stand scrambled eggs overcooked or browned. I would rather have runny whites...
Eggs II: Nothing goes better with eggs than CRISPY fried potatoes, either hashbrowns or pan fried homefries.

Crusty French or sourdough bread: Another top favorite food.
Don't even THINK about bringing that disgusting plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar out with that gorgeous basket of fresh hot bread. Salted butter only.

JBord

Only occasionally with close family members. There's a life rule that supersedes personal food rules - "Mind your own damn business". You can eat your ketchup-soaked hot dog next to me with no fear.

I'm just going to assume it's slathered in BBQ sauce and no napkins are available!

You made me think of #6 (just thinking of different utensils or lack of them), which is that cultural food rules apply to everyone when they are not at home. Meaning, as examples, don't go looking for a fork in a Tokyo sushi restaurant or REMEMBER to use a fork and knife on your drumstick if it's appropriate in that country!

phillygold

Why do most restaurants insist on drowning fish in sauce...or even worse, give you a huge hunk of lemon to squeeze on? There is nothing better than fresh fish. Simply prepared, baked, broiled or grilled. When I see people squeezing lemon juice over it, I get ill. It doesn't enhance the taste of the fish. It masks it. Order the chicken next time!

beachmouse

I think many places sauce the fish to cover up that their cook or chef tends to slightly overcook it. Especially for more delicate fish like red snapper, which are harder to get right and then you lose all the flavor with the sauce.

ILuvParis

Ick! Lemon on chicken??

Just kidding, however, a lot of this thread seems to have gone beyond personal food rules, to what people think others should or should not eat or how they should eat it.

GadgetFreak

Ketchup on hot dogs

JBord

Bound to happen. If a rule applies to me, it should apply to everyone.

nkedel

I hate waste. If I don't like something, and it's on the table or my plate, I'm glad to see other people eat it rather than throw it away.

The one exception is mushrooms. I revile the things so much I'd really rather not touch them, have them touch any food I'm going to eat, or have anyone who's been touching/eating them touch me -- so I ask my wife to avoid them when we're eating meals together.

braslvr

Not only do I love every type of mushroom I've ever tried, I purposely often include extra in dishes as they have almost no calories and I find them filling. A wonder food.

PS. My favorite (American) Chinese restaurants all have at least one thing in common. Judicious use of many kinds of mushrooms in many different stir-fries and soups.

Another rule. No coffee. Nothing coffee flavored. No dark beers that have that similar roasted taste as coffee.

BamaVol

I love fruit but will not eat it unless it has been cut and the core (apple, pear) or stone (peach, apricot, plum, nectarine) has been removed.

AlexanderRae

Same!

lhrsfo

Three simple rules:

1. No processed food.
2. No fruit with meat - fruit as a dessert but never with the main course.
3. No margarine or other fake spread, anywhere, EVER.

readywhenyouare

I would agree with this most of the time. But last fall I discovered that Crown Royal Vanilla mixes very well with apple cider.