Taking a stand
 

I am agnostic when it comes to how spicy chili should be. I generally make mine more savory than spicy, but I can acknowledge a good 4 alarm chili.

But I will take a stand when it comes to cumin. If your recipe doesn't contain lots of cumin (I mean tablespoons of the stuff), then what you have there is sloppy joe mix, or worse. It's definitely not chili.

I have spoken.

I'm not a big fan of cumin.
Soz and all that.

My first ever successful chilli (UK spelling) came from Good Housekeeping recipe. Which I bought when I moved into my first non-rental with my future ex-husband. And had my friends fall about laughing. But it gave me some basic recipes I still call on when called upon to rustle up a meal.

And it needed ingredients I had never encountered in my parents' house. And James was baffled at my list when we went shopping. "For one meal?" But chilli in various forms became my staple dish. Not award winning of course, but in 1996 it still wasn't a dish that parents made from scratch in the UK, at least where I lived (YMMV)

I became a whiz at the kind of one-pot meals that would serve as many people who appeared as was necessary. A class above the spag bol they made themselves in student kitchens. Not arrogance, just a little more time and a better budget.

I still have cumin in the cupboard now, but for curries. It adds an extra note.

Funnily enough I made my (pat pending) tuna bake for the 'rents last week. It was far better than the one I made for the Limeys. And yet they loved it on Arran, were very complimentary and scoffed it down. Mum didn't like the this and that of it, picked off the topping, didn't want carrots in there (diced, to add bulk) and I basically had to freeze four portions. Had one tonight. I thought it was yummy anyway.

I don't really like cilantro.

I really don't like cilantro.

fixed that for me. ew.

but who's stand are you taking? and where are you taking it? do we have permission to take it? or is it an illicit stand taking?

important questions ... before I can get behind any taking or any stand :D

Look... As a newbie, you answer the questions, not ask them. There should be a dwellar captain along soon to administer the quiz. You'll do fine.

Shadap, ya bully.:p:

Is there a study guide? Anyone got notes? I slept through class? I NEED A PENCIL SHARPENER!!!!!!!!!

ahhhhhhhhh

OE has clearly been lurking a while, or else just happens to be on our hivemind wavelength.

:welcome: Ocean's Edge. Are you from Scotland, by any chance?

I can't imagine life without cumin or cilantro (coriander to me). In fact, I grow my own coriander for use in thai style cooking. I used some last night to make fish cakes.

They were teh great!

Yeah, I'm not big on cilantro (coriander to me too) either.
It's one of the things that came up in my talks with Limey last year. Although not literally.
It turns out that I am extremely fussy about a lot of food, while still being able to consume a huge amount. Cumin and coriander I can put up with, but I'm not a fan.

Fennel is a complete deal-breaker for me. Bought a jar of cheap pasta sauce once and knew as soon as I took the lid off that there was fennel in it (in bolognaise?!) I might even have mentioned it here. Never bought it again.

Same with star anise, which used to have me scanning the ingredients list on Chinese Ribs very carefully. Not eating much meat or prepared food these days so it's not such a worry.

Yeah, I'm not into the liquorice type flavours either.

I did manage to drink Absinthe though.
Drowned it in Lilt (with the totally tropical taste), philistine that I am.

You cant get real absinthe over here. Darned liquor licensing laws. lol

I can tell you miss it. But that's because absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.

I had kind of been watching for a while... but it was more one of those 'woooaaaaaaaaah' my kinda people moments.

Thanks for the welcome, it does feel oddly comfortably familiar.

Only from Scotland by heritage, haven't yet been fortunate enough to see the place ... bucket list ...
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Cilantro, coriander, fennel, anise, licorice - they're all very potent flavours decidedly distinctive.... and tend to be in those love em or hate em categories with no middle ground.

Kinda like lamb

Me... I love em all, but then I'm weird like that - I tend to look at my spice shelf the way a painter looks at his box of oils :neutral:

Can get absinthe here - haven't tried it yet, I keep meaning to but never seem to have the occasion to, although rumour has it it's not real absinthe
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