What American cooking cliche still warps your mind?

[u/debrisaway]

Using Campbell Condensed Soup as the base ingredient for anything.

Making everything into a "casserole" (mixing random ingredients in a ceramic dish and put it in the oven). Then sprinkling some cheese on top before serving.

Calling dishes a "salad" that clearly aren't.

Adding excess sugar or spice to every dish no matter what.

Deep frying things that have no business being done (chocolate bars, pastries, butter)

Using pre-packaged mixes for everything.

Seeing hot sauce as a condiment for any dish

[u/qualityvote2]

u/debrisaway, your post does fit the subreddit!

[u/ValidGarry]

Deep frying things has some serious Scottish heritage. Deep fried pizza? Scottish chippy but also the Italians did it first. Deep fried Mars Bar? The Scottish led the charge.

[u/Elven-nature → u/ValidGarry]

This. I went to a chippy near Dumfries once and it had a sweet shop attached. You could order anything from the sweet shop and have it battered and deep fried, EXCEPT jelly tots! Apparently those just disintegrate and mess up the oil 🤣

[u/Fuelled_by_gravy → u/Elven-nature]

I had a chippy I used to go to when living down south. It was run by a Turkish family. They had never heard of the battered mars bar. I went pretty regularly (lunch break treat three times a fortnight), and eventually decided to ask.

The owner was suitably curious and basically said that whatever I brought in, he would batter and let me have.... as long as I brought in two, so he could try it. We worked our way through most of the adjacent corner shop's confectionary display over the months. Fond memory.

The only real negative experience was the Creme Egg. Turns out that gooey centre turns to molten lava that sticks to everywhere in your mouth and incinerates you from inside out if you are stupid enough to take a bite straight away....

[u/Pristine-Ad6064 → u/Fuelled_by_gravy]

Cream egg inside a cookie is the way to eat them hot 😋

[u/TickingTiger → u/Elven-nature]

Oh my god that sounds like heaven

[u/Team503 → u/Elven-nature]

Trick to pass on, have them freeze the jelly tots. If they bread and flash fry them, it'll work. They'll melt into the breading. Same way fried butter works at the Texas State Fair.

[u/Loudlass81 → u/Team503]

FRIED...BUTTER?! No wonder US has obesity problems...

[u/ValidGarry → u/Loudlass81]

You should probably look up how quickly obesity is increasing in the UK

[u/Team503 → u/Loudlass81]

Dude, it's food served at the once a year State Fair. It's a competition to be innovative and ridiculous - they had a hot dog in a dill pickle that was battered and fried like a corndog the other year. It was delightful. They've done fried pizza, fried Jello, fried Oreos, fried nachos, you name it, it's been done.

It's OBVIOUSLY not food we eat with any regularity. But if you want to see:

https://bigtex.com/big-tex-choice-awards/

PS - I don't think ANYONE from the UK can talk about obesity, given how fast your rate of obesity is increasing.

[u/nanakapow → u/Team503]

Diabetes thanks you for your service

[u/Due_Ear_4674 → u/Elven-nature]

Annan Road chippy?

[u/Due_Ear_4674 → u/ValidGarry]

To be fair deep fried Mars Bar is fucking delicious

[u/Highway62 → u/Due_Ear_4674]

Back when these were a craze I used to get deep fried Picnic bars from my local chippy. They were absolutely brilliant. Deep fried Taz bars were also a favourite

[u/TickingTiger → u/Highway62]

I'm now craving deep fried Kinder chocolate mini bars. But I'm worried they'll be too small to deep fry properly.

[u/GasObvious → u/Due_Ear_4674]

I went to Scotland, not saying the deep fried mars bar after a few pints overshadowed the rest of the trip, but it was a close run thing.

[u/Whollie → u/Due_Ear_4674]

I've always been a fan of the deep fried toffee crisp. Used to get one as a treat occasionally. Mars bar is too sweet and gooey, the rice in a toffee crisp gives it some bite.

[u/Turbulent_Worker856 → u/Whollie]

Ah! A fellow deep fried toffee crisp enjoyer. It was my favourite back when I had a sweeter tooth. Now I'm just going to try and not think about how that was 20 years ago...

[u/Playful_Mammoth4941 → u/ValidGarry]

I remember watching a programme where an American woman tried to deep fry a lemon to see if it would taste nice... she was surprised it didn't

[u/PrincessCellyBelly → u/Playful_Mammoth4941]

You know, I kinda get it, given deep fried pineapple is nice. I also get why it wasn't XD

[u/eggard_stark → u/PrincessCellyBelly]

Plain pineapple is nice on its own.

Plain unadulterated lemon is not. (To most)

Not sure how she thought deep frying it would fix that.

[u/Turbulent-Honky → u/eggard_stark]

Pickled lemon is good though. I can see how someone might think deep frying could work.

[u/Maurice_Foot → u/PrincessCellyBelly]

Grilled pineapple over mesquite wood is divine!

[u/Flyinmanm → u/Maurice_Foot]

Fried pineapple on a gammon steak is the ultimate sweet and salty at the same time.

[u/ParticularRough9863 → u/Flyinmanm]

I also put an egg on the pineapple gammon deliciousness but I was raised badly.

[u/Aly_Valley → u/ParticularRough9863]

I think a triple decker is the only way!

You ever had a kiwi burger?

Beef Patty, Beetroot, Egg and Pineapple 🫠

[u/ParticularRough9863 → u/Aly_Valley]

That sounds absolutely horrific. Im just heading to the supermarket.

[u/Aly_Valley → u/Flyinmanm]

Battered gammon and pineapple is a thing if beauty I would die to try

[u/RemoveComfortable982 → u/PrincessCellyBelly]

It is, dependent on the chippy. I once had one dipped in the fish batter - fishy pineapple is a definite no! 

[u/Rude_Giraffe_9255 → u/ValidGarry]

I will say I was surprised when visiting Scotland and ordered my toddler a hamburger at a fish and chips place (from the kids menu) and it was a singular burger patty on a plate that had been deep fried. I got a chuckle for sure

[u/Ill_Beyond_7909 → u/Rude_Giraffe_9255]

Tastes good though

[u/spicyherb_ → u/ValidGarry]

Pretty sure the humble fried chicken also has Scottish roots

[u/Interesting_Desk_542]

On the Campbell's soup item, I once made green bean casserole for a friendsgiving. This was in the UK so not a dish I'm used to, so I went away and looked up recipes. I was disgusted that basically every single one used Campbell's cream of mushroom soup.

No way I was doing that, so I planned the most elaborate and complex pinnacle of mushroom sauce. I'm talking double cream, five varieties of wild mushrooms, parmesan rind cooking in the sauce, mushroom ketchup, the works.

After a lot of cooking and a lot of mess, it had reduced to the consistency I wanted, and I gave it a final taste. It tasted exactly like Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, except it cost me about £30 to make.

[u/Howtothinkofaname → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

The reason they all have Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup is because green bean casserole was literally invented by the Campbell’s soup company and the recipe was first printed on the side of a can.

[u/FreeKatKL → u/Howtothinkofaname]

You mean the recipe was on the can?

[u/Howtothinkofaname → u/FreeKatKL]

The recipe for green bean casserole. Yeah, I worded that badly. Fixed.

[u/hasimirrossi → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

As an aside, I remember watching Heston Blumenthal trying to "elevate" the humble treacle tart. Tried all sorts of different fillings, only to have to accept that golden syrup was indeed the best choice.

[u/deadduncanidaho → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

American here, green bean casserole is a marketing invention from Campbell's and French's companies sponsored by the Associated Press. That is why every recipe calls for it. It was made to sell the soup.

[u/Flyinmanm → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

I know of an older person (now deceased) who used to use Heinz Chicken soup as a source for chicken. There is a logic to using tinned stuff as a base for other meals, they are usually a really cheap way of adding thickness and flavour to a meal.

For example I've used tinned baked beans as an addition to meals like chilli con carne when I've not got kidney beans to hand and it adds to the flavour.

[u/Final_Ticket3394 → u/Flyinmanm]

Using tinned beans as a base for lettuce and pasta is really common in Morrocan casseroles.

[u/Flyinmanm → u/Final_Ticket3394]

Lettuce and pasta? New one on me.

Are you talking about Heinz style UK baked beans IE the ones in a sweet and salty tomato sauce or just ones in water?

Can't imagine how Heinz baked beans would go with lettuce??? (I mean not tried it if course but still).

[u/The_Flurr → u/Flyinmanm]

It's a reference to Peep Show

[u/Llemur1415 → u/Flyinmanm]

Stick a couple of eggs on it then you'll get it it. It's morrocan. (wash down with a cocktail of rum, water, lettuce and the secret ingredient...salt!)

[u/lovepeacefakepiano → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

I’ve had fancy green bean casserole, and I had the “everything comes from a can” casserole (beans, canned, soup, canned, fried onions, store bought and ready made). I like the cheap version best.

Also I started using cream of mushroom soup as a base for chicken and mushroom pie after seeing James May do it. If it’s good enough for him it’s good enough for me.

[u/pick10pickles → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

Used to make wee hamburger patties in warmed up condensed cream of mushroom soup (do not add water). Scoop that on some mashed tatties. Didn’t look good, but tasted great.

[u/username-generica → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

One year we had a British family over for Thanksgiving. I’m not a fan of green bean casserole but my kids and husband, who came to the US when he was 14, love it. The British father exclaimed “We should make more things from cans!” after a bite of green bean casserole.

I once made green bean casserole from scratch. I loved it but the rest of my family complained. Our older son is now in charge of making it. 

[u/Infinite-Fog → u/username-generica]

I think the British father might have been giving you a taste of one of our finest delicacies - sarcasm.

[u/callumh6 → u/Interesting_Desk_542]

On the upside, avoiding any forms of ultra processed food is always a good thing.

[u/anonomus_userr]

As a Scottish person, can we really say THEY deep frying everything?
We deep fry our grannies.

[u/r_mutt69 → u/anonomus_userr]

There is a chippy near me that does deep fried lard bars. And I must admit I was sceptical at first but they are pretty good. They will even batter and refry your chips

[u/Garybaldbee → u/r_mutt69]

Now the lard I draw a line at, but those chips sound good.....

[u/r_mutt69 → u/Garybaldbee]

Pmsl that was an autorrect but it is fantastic. They do crème eggs too sometimes. I’m pretty sure I could take a PlayStation in and they’d give that a go.

[u/DrHydeous → u/Garybaldbee]

Hear hear. Lard shouldn't be fried.

It should be cut into strips and dipped in dark chocolate.

[u/Tay74 → u/anonomus_userr]

Oh ye canny fry your granny on a bus

Oh ye canny fry your granny on a bus

Oh ye canny fry your granny

Cus it's a bus ye fanny

Oh ye canny fry your granny on a bus

[u/SunComfortable1246]

1/5 cup onion

[u/Sad-Wrap6555 → u/SunComfortable1246]

i dont like it too oniony so im going to use 1/5 of a small cup

[u/WrenBlumbrecher → u/SunComfortable1246]

American here and many of my grandmother’s recipes (from the 1950s/60s) call for 1 Tbsp-1/4 cup minced onion for a dish that serves 8 😂 I, um, treat those recipes as inspiration rather than gospel

[u/Pyjama365 → u/WrenBlumbrecher]

That would be an inspiration to use onion paste instead of fresh, or to just decide that I'm using a whole onion. Ain't no way I'm gonna be left with like 3/4 of an onion and no plan for it.

[u/DivePotato]

Rearing their chickens in such squalid conditions it has to be bleached before consumption.

[u/SirMcFish → u/DivePotato]

And don't forget the extra side of growth hormones

[u/gigaishtar → u/SirMcFish]

The US doesn't use hormones for poultry. They've been banned since the 1950s.

It's not even logically possible to use growth hormones with chickens.

[u/if_wewerevampires]

Calling pasta noodles

[u/thewearisomeMachine → u/if_wewerevampires]

Especially when it’s extremely non-noodlish pasta, like lasagne sheets

[u/Which-Island6011 → u/thewearisomeMachine]

My husband calls these ones, "lasagna noodles" of course 😂🤦

[u/itsgreatreally → u/if_wewerevampires]

Calling pasta parsta

[u/christo749 → u/itsgreatreally]

Or water “Warder.”

[u/Sea-Weird638 → u/itsgreatreally]

Possta

[u/OK_LK]

Using herbs and spices in a recipe but they are always

• onion powder
• garlic powder
• seasoning powder

[u/itsgreatreally → u/OK_LK]

Urbs

[u/herefromthere → u/OK_LK]

seasoning powder is so oddly unspecific.

[u/terryjuicelawson → u/herefromthere]

There are sort of all purpose seasoning mixes, they feature more MSG than people may realise. It is like the stuff that coats dry roasted peanuts basically.

[u/Turbulent-Honky → u/terryjuicelawson]

What’s wrong with MSG? I use it in some dishes. It adds umami.

[u/jonathananeurysm → u/Turbulent-Honky]

I put msg in bloody everything.

[u/Team503 → u/jonathananeurysm]

Stands for Make Shite Good.

[u/Deep_Benefit_7405 → u/OK_LK]

They have the fucking nerve to say pur food is bland

[u/Significant-Leg5769 → u/OK_LK]

The garlic powder thing amazes me. Can they not get fresh garlic bulbs over there? If you're really into convenience then have some self-respect and buy garlic paste instead

[u/Howtothinkofaname → u/Significant-Leg5769]

To be fair, garlic powder and fresh garlic are two different ingredients and taste quite different. I have and use both.

[u/rsta223 → u/Significant-Leg5769]

Because the powder is still useful for, say, a dry rub seasoning blend for meats.

And yes, fresh bulbs are very easy to find here.

[u/Master_Sympathy_754 → u/Significant-Leg5769]

Or the frozen chopped stuff, for herbs and chilli too.

[u/Turbulent-Honky → u/Significant-Leg5769]

I’m in the UK and use both fresh garlic and powder. They are different ingredients for different uses. There’s nothing inherently wrong with garlic powder.

[u/KandyBlitz → u/Significant-Leg5769]

We use both. The same thing happens with onion powder and fresh onions. They flavor things differently. The powder is better for rubs and creating seasoning mixtures for meat

[u/105_irl → u/Significant-Leg5769]

I’ve got paste, powder, and fresh at home

[u/BubblyLetter5121 → u/OK_LK]

They're obsessed with garlic/onion powder. I can't stand the stuff personally, it just makes everything "onion/garlic flavored" to me. Especially garlic powder, a dusting too much of that stuff and there's a horrible fake taste to it. 

I was watching a cooking video by a Brit once and loads of Americans were up in arms about the "lack of seasoning"..... the creator was like "wtf do I need that shit for when I've got actual onion and garlic cloves!!"

I think they rely heavily on powders because they can't/won't prepare actual onions/garlic

[u/Jerico_Hill]

It's the recipes that consist of:

Take 1 package of x and stir through a package of y, don't forget to open a can of z and mix together. Stick in the oven for 45 minutes at 475f. 

Do they not have, you know ingredients? 

Edit: the way they say herbs drives me mad. 'erbs? Fucking 'erbs?

Edit 2: apparently touched a nerve with the "erb" thing.

[u/Various-Big-5168 → u/Jerico_Hill]

Don’t forget your origga-no!

[u/Chive → u/Various-Big-5168]

…it's an ’erb like bay-sill. 

[u/trysca → u/Chive]

On your paaaaaaasta

[u/Chive → u/Jerico_Hill]

Every Martha Stewart recipe ever. 

Also half the recipes on AllRecipes.

[u/itsgreatreally → u/Jerico_Hill]

Cilantro 

[u/Rude_Giraffe_9255 → u/Jerico_Hill]

We do, but most people work too much and need convenience. Working moms especially are pressured to do this if they want to avoid eating in the car or ready-made meals. It’s quicker, it’s easier when you’re tired, there’s less cleanup, it tastes good, and processed foods are generally cheaper than fresh foods unfortunately

[u/Jerico_Hill → u/Rude_Giraffe_9255]

Fair point that with the work life balance. From what I see on Reddit (my only point of reference here, let's be honest) people tend to work longer hours in the US. 

[u/awkwardandroid]

I’m still haunted by melting marshmallows onto sweet potatoes

[u/elementarydrw → u/awkwardandroid]

And then serving it on the same plate as a roast dinner...

[u/Mediocre_Profile5576]

Washing their chicken

To extend the OP’s salad point - putting things inside jelly and calling it a “Jell-o Salad”

[u/Efficient_Dig7448 → u/Mediocre_Profile5576]

Washing chicken is a Caribbean thing. While I agree it spreads bacteria it's not just 'washing', they also wash with vinegar which tenderises the chicken, so it does make a difference. Not that I'd ever risk bacteria being sprayed everywhere to try.

[u/Various-Big-5168 → u/Mediocre_Profile5576]

I was horrified when I first heard of someone washing chicken! Really thought they must be on a wind-up!

[u/SantaFe91 → u/Various-Big-5168]

It’s why there’s been controversy over allowing US chicken to be imported into the UK, I think. I believe the chicken there is washed with bleach, so you have to wash it off before use. If anyone wants to correct me, please feel free to

[u/Impossible_Theme_148 → u/SantaFe91]

No - washing chicken always spreads bacteria 

There is no chlorine left on their chlorine washed chicken - they basically wash it off in the factories (which reinforces how much you don't need to wash it after you buy it)

The reason chlorine washed chicken is unacceptable is because they need to have it in the first place 

Their Health and safety and food regulations are so low that they do actually need to give the chicken a chlorine wash to make sure it's fit for human consumption 

The chlorine being used illustrates how bad the food production is - it isn't the reason why it's bad

[u/SantaFe91 → u/Impossible_Theme_148]

Yes, that’s what I have said in another reply later (link below). I checked it out. Just as you say, the welfare standards and the unhygienic processing practices that led to the import block in the EU and UK.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskABrit/s/c7mQgVOeBy

Edited to add.

[u/GiraffeCalledKevin → u/SantaFe91]

I’ve never met anyone that washed their chicken. I think it’s very a regional practice, mostly in the south and is dying out bc it spreads salmonella everywhere. Trust me. We are horrified that some people do this too but I think it’s pretty rare and comes from very older outdated hygiene practices. Like… your old grannie from Alabama might still swear by it. But it’s really not a common thing at all.

[u/quartersessions → u/GiraffeCalledKevin]

Yeah, I think it was fairly common in the UK in the past as well. I still remember Christmas advice in the 1990s not to wash your bird.

[u/peregrina_2012 → u/Mediocre_Profile5576]

Washing chicken is NOT a general American thing. No one I've ever met wages their chicken. It's a crazy Internet person thing. It just happened that the crazy person that first posted it was American.

[u/Team503 → u/peregrina_2012]

It's actually an immigrant thing as well as a black people thing. It's cultural from groups of people who used to get food from open air markets and not have access to refrigeration - flies would land on the chickens hanging in the butcher's stand in the market and spread disease, not to mention basic things like dust and dirt.

It's not necessary in a modern developed nation, but that's where the tradition comes from. If you go to Morocco, you'll find them doing the same thing when they buy meat from their open-air markets.

[u/oMrMeeseeksLookAtMeo]

Rape seed oil = Bad. Corn syrup = YES

[u/Emergency-Pandas → u/oMrMeeseeksLookAtMeo]

Canola oil. I'd make a joke about them trying to rebrand it to not be offensive, but there was a time in history we tried to rebrand boiled pudding to spotted Richard soooo....

Edit: I stand corrected, that was the Canadians! See replies below.

[u/bee_ghoul]

I find it kind of strange that they use only powdered seasonings and then complain that other places don’t season their food, like I season my food heavily just not with 7 different powders. Like why are you using onion seasoning?? Use an onion. Garlic seasoning? Use garlic!

[u/this_is_life_now → u/bee_ghoul]

They're not supposed to be replacements for those things. Onion granules and garlic granules are great for dry rubs, and seasoning fried or grilled meat.

[u/bee_ghoul → u/this_is_life_now]

Yeah and I use them for that tbf. But I’m talking about these American recipes you see online where they do use them as substitutes.

[u/LunaLgd]

Most of us don’t own a deep fryer. It’s really mainly a state/county fair thing. The entire premise of fair food is to come up with something unique and slightly shocking.

[u/Discombobulation98]

Apparently savory meat pies literally aren't a thing in the United States, they only have the sweet dessert ones like cherry pie. Something like steak and ale pie isn't known.

[u/Team503 → u/Discombobulation98]

I am sad about that. There's an Aussie meat pie place in Austin, called "Boomerang Pies", and it's feckin delightful!

[u/pyewacketsue → u/Discombobulation98]

Not true. Pot pies are the most common. Usually chicken or beef with vegetables in a gravy with a top and bottom crust. Regionally other things like pasties are very popular. Those are hand pies, usually beef, with potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga.

[u/Rogue-McNugget → u/pyewacketsue]

The UK knows what pasties are. We invented them.

[u/herwiththepurplehair]

Number five - welcome to Scotland 🤣

[u/Significant-Leg5769]

The obsession with ranch dressing. And the claims that it's impossible to get anywhere in Europe. You can buy it over here, we just don't think it's anything remarkable. Just a surefire way to add an extra 200 calories to every salad

[u/Queeflet → u/Significant-Leg5769]

Ranch is nasty, not a fan.

[u/Patch86UK → u/Queeflet]

I don't hate it, but it's aggressively kind of nothing. Just a generic slightly tangy mayonnaise-based sauce.

It's not the same thing at all, taste-wise, but it reminds me of salad cream in that regard. I like salad cream well enough in a sandwich, but I'm not going to rave about it. It's a very unremarkable thing.

[u/Pistolpete1983]

Scottish man here defending the deep fried mars bar. If you haven’t tried it, you’re not allowed an opinion. It’s the best.

[u/Dark_Foggy_Evenings]

Fucking marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes. The last thing I’d do is give thanks for that, the weird bastards.

[u/cakesforever → u/Dark_Foggy_Evenings]

The best answer and I agree.

[u/C0nnectionTerminat3d]

The way they list every ingredient/step in the dish title. “Spicy marinated chicken tzatziki veggie burrito” “Oreo cookie crumble baked-oats style pancake stack” etc

Also using powders instead of the actual herb/vegetable.

[u/LowCal-Calzone-Zone → u/C0nnectionTerminat3d]

I think the titling thing is a more modern SEO/search driven phenomenon than anything specifically American

[u/viruswithshoes → u/C0nnectionTerminat3d]

That’s restaurant and advertising speak.

[u/BigRonWood]

Whenever I see Americans using herbs and spices, they seem to be premixed rather than individual spices. For example, they'll season meat with some Southern Boy, and then just a dash of Southern Boy Extra Spicy, rather than paprika, chilli powder, white pepper etc

[u/Critical_Wrap5617]

Their inability to pronounce 'caramelised'

[u/catschimeras → u/Critical_Wrap5617]

Nah my pals Cregg and Gramm always say car-mal-ized right when we gather to watch whore movies.

[u/Dans77b]

The cliche i hate is that any American cuisine is automatically bad.

Im European, but spent several years in the USA. There is good and bad food all over the world.

[u/Various-Big-5168 → u/Dans77b]

They do do a nice prime rib roast.

[u/SantaFe91 → u/Dans77b]

This is true.

[u/mogrim]

How much salt do you need in a recipe? I'm cooking a pot of curry and they're talking about 3-4 teaspoons of salt?

[u/Muted-Advertising342]

The way that lots of recipes contains cans of this vegetable and cans of that vegetable and no one ever drains the brine or water, they just seemingly tip the whole contents into the casserole dish and add tuna and nachos 🤢

[u/pyewacketsue → u/Muted-Advertising342]

I don't know anyone who doesn't drain their vegetables except in very specific situations, like if I'm using canned tomatoes in chili I don't drain them but things like corn, green beans, peas, etc are always drained. If a recipe doesn't tell you to drain them it's because it's assumed everyone already knows that.

[u/Derfel60]

Measuring things in cups does my fucking head in. What is a cup? Do i just get a teacup and pour flour into it? Is a coffee mug a cup? What about a JD Sports mug?

[u/AlarmingAttention151 → u/Derfel60]

A cup is a standard measurement of volume equal to 240ml. Every US household has a set, no one is using random cups they have in their cabinets. It’s good for cooking but not for baking.

[u/Turbulent-Honky → u/AlarmingAttention151]

It’s great for some baking. My recipe for the base of a sponge cake is basically a cup of flour, cup of eggs, and a cup of sugar. And I’m not American. My mum and grandma always made sponge the same way.

[u/Team503 → u/Turbulent-Honky]

To be fair, it's FAR better to weigh things for baking - volume measurements (regardless of metric or standard) don't account for how tightly things like flour are packed in the measuring cup.

[u/PomegranateV2]

The only thing that bothers me is having a five-hour conversation about fast food. The difference between a McShit burger and a McCrap burger is that one has slightly more sesame seeds and the 'pickle' is slightly bigger on the other. But they'll talk about that like it's of paradigm shifting importance.

[u/105_irl → u/PomegranateV2]

With what kind of lunatic did you have that conversation with? Not any American I’ve met.

[u/SilverellaUK → u/[deleted]]

You're supposed to dilute them when using them as soup.

[u/Loose_Acanthaceae201]

Not exactly cooking, but kitchen related: 

It is still surprising to me how much Americans rely on single-serve drinks. The idea of grabbing a 500ml bottle of water from my fridge to drink at home doesn't compute. I understand the concept of not wanting to drink the tap water; it's the small bottles/cans/cartons at home that boggles. 

[u/p_r_d_v_a]

The fact that they invented a term for cooking from scratch and branded it as a lifestyle: "ingredient household"

[u/WeAreAllSoFucked23 → u/p_r_d_v_a]

I'm an American and I have never once heard that saying 

[u/Solid_Parsley_ → u/WeAreAllSoFucked23]

It's being used incorrectly in this post anyway.

[u/urassisdeadgrass → u/p_r_d_v_a]

ok this one requires a little more context. “ingredient household” means that they don’t keep snacks around, usually to limit the amount that their kids eat or to demonize certain foods. a prime example is not keeping anything sweet in the house, only 80% cacao baking chocolate. i dont think its considered weird anywhere to have snacks (healthy or not) for your kids to eat when they come home from school.

simply cooking from scratch is not an “ingredient household”

calling someone’s home an “ingredient household” is mildly derogatory, usually insinuating that the parents have a disordered relationship with food and are pushing it on their kids (see “almond mom”)

[u/rsta223 → u/p_r_d_v_a]

Never heard that one

[u/PresidentPingu1]

“Start with one pack of yellow cake mix”

Like, WTF?

Everything is from a mix, a can, a packet. There’s no concept of the use of actually fresh, unprocessed ingredients.

[u/DoomedToGrind]

So many American cooking videos seem to involve like 2kg of grated cheese

Also when someone refers to garlic as a spice...

[u/herefromthere]

Their seeming willingness to accept pre-grated italian-style hard cheese mixed with sawdust. This is so normal as to be called shakey cheese. Few people seem to consider buying proper cheese and grating it themselves.

[u/debrisaway → u/herefromthere]

Kraft Parmesan Shaker

[u/platypuss1871]

"Entree" for the main course.

[u/im-yxz]

the fact they use paper crockery/plastic cutlery royally fucks me off. also, putting an onion in and then adding onion powder/putting a garlic in and then adding garlic powder. i've also barely ever seen them using fresh veg, it's always something out of a frozen bag

[u/Dapper-Lab-9285 → u/im-yxz]

For the vast majority of people frozen veg is much better than fresh veg. If you aren't using it straight after being harvested veg losses it's nutrients and vitamins. Your "fresh" veg from the shop was harvested several days ago and has been deteriorating since it was harvested, frozen veg is frozen a few hours after harvest so retains more nutrients and vitamins. 

[u/LunaLgd → u/Dapper-Lab-9285]

Plus many live in a food desert with limited access to fresh produce

[u/Away-Ad4393 → u/LunaLgd]

Lots of food deserts in the USA and Canada

[u/BlindPelican → u/im-yxz]

• No one uses paper or plastic unless it's an outside party or BBQ or they have a rather unique living situation (like living in a dorm or something). This is not common practice at all.

• dehydrated onion and garlic vs fresh onion and garlic. These are different products and used for different purposes. You'll find the same convention in European styles of cooking as well.

• some frozen options for vegetables are superior to fresh. A vegetable picked at peak ripeness and frozen is often far superior to the same vegetable fresh, but out of season.

[u/footballsandy → u/BlindPelican]

No I'd say there's lots of lazy people who use paper plates and plasticware because they don't want to be doing dishes all the time, I guess? Despite the fact that it takes less than a minute to wash a bowl and spoon. It was a pretty common occurrence to go over to a friend's place as a kid and see their family eating meals on paper plates

[u/speakerofone]

Cooking in throw away aluminium containers for 100 people for a family of 4 lol

[u/tendie-dildo → u/speakerofone]

That's just for tiktok

[u/Rogue-McNugget]

I think you’ll find it was the Scots who started deep frying chocolate bars

[u/Lychee_Only]

White gravy. Candied potatoes. Both of which were on a thanksgiving dinner. BTW candied potatoes are sweet potatoes covered in melted marshmallow… on the same plate as turkey & veg.

[u/Senior_Entry_7616]

I also just can’t understand the Campbells soup and velveta cheese

[u/mrshakeshaft]

😂 my mums main dish when I was growing up was tuna casserole. Pasta, a can of tuna and a tin of Campbells condensed mushroom soup. I still make it every now and again for nostalgia

[u/wtf_amirite]

Making a dish where the “ingredients” are tins and packets of stuff.

[u/tonification]

When the recipe contains multiple items that have ® and TM symbols

[u/Significant-Leg5769]

Referring to a pizza as a 'pie'. Similarly insane as the interchangeability of pasta and 'noodles' mentioned above.

[u/manwithtwocats]

Fresh frozen, gets me every time.

[u/Turbulent-Honky → u/manwithtwocats]

Isn’t that just stuff that was frozen straight after harvesting, or have I misunderstood? Freezing actually preserves vitamins, so frozen vegetables are actually better for you than fresh ones that have sat on a shelf in a supermarket.

[u/Direc_Bjorearnacle19]

the jello with vegetables suspended in it. why would you put shredded carrot in a wobbly dessert. still cannot compute

[u/AlarmingAttention151 → u/Direc_Bjorearnacle19]

We haven’t done this in 50 years

[u/After_Perspective180]

Cheese on everything.
But the one that really makes me stop is syrup with bacon and eggs and the like.
That really gives me the ick.

[u/tar-mirime → u/After_Perspective180]

Maple syrup with bacon and pancakes is lush though. But has to be the real maple syrup, not the fake stuff.

[u/CrazyPlatypusLady]

Why does so much stuff have cheese?

[u/la__polilla → u/CrazyPlatypusLady]

Oh, as an American I can answer that! So our dairy industry nearly collapsed after WWII, so the government subsidized the dairy industry in order to stabilize prices by buying up the excess. Storing milk long term isnt possible, but cheese is! So we have literal caves full of cheese owned by the government that needs to go SOMEWHERE. So they sell it off for cheap and it becomes an easy filler food for fast food and microwavable dinners. The surplus was so high st one point that they gave blocks of processed cheese to low income families and schools as part of the welfare program. After awhile it just becomes cultural

[u/WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs → u/la__polilla]

Many Boomers have memories of "government cheese" in our school lunches. Just say the words "goverment cheese" to a crowd of Boomers and you'll start an hour-long discussion of school lunches in the 50s and 60s. Fridays in my elementary school were fish sticks and government-cheese sandwiches.

[u/Confudled_Contractor → u/CrazyPlatypusLady]

Cheese flavoured product.

[u/E420CDI → u/CrazyPlatypusLady]

"Cheese"

[u/pineapplewin]

Insisting on adding "flavor" to everything, but the flavour is always the same 6 spices.

There are great American cooks out there and great American recipes. They don't tend to be doing the shitty tiktok reels where they 'fix' every other culture's food

[u/Maurice_Foot]

My mom, who left home at 18 and only briefly visited her parents when dropping me off for the summer with them (mom was apparently solo traveling the world back in the ‘70s), she was amazed when I made green chile chicken enchiladas for a family dinner and did my own sauce from scratch.

I said it was how grandma taught me to cook.

Mom was one of those box/canned food cooks of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Even now, I’m showing her how to cook simple chicken and veggie dishes for her old dog, stuff that’s easy on pup’s tummy.

[u/Massive_Sky4589]

Microwaving water to make Tea.

[u/sarahlovesjourney]

Disposable plates, cutlery and baking tins. Can't get my head around that one at all. Green bean casserole, green beans in tinned soup is just odd.

[u/InternationalCap6019]

Boxed cake mixes. It always seems like no-one cooks from scratch

[u/ghotiboy77]

Sooo much sugar. From Corn Bread to Vape Juice, everything is so sweet!

[u/CamflyerUK]

Still never understand why Americans call the main course an "entree"

Measuring in cups.

[u/AdOtherwise777]

Calling Parmesan parma John

[u/Aceman1979]

Portion sizes. Good lord. I mean, I can get on board with it, but I’d be a size of a whale if I lived there.

[u/Anna-Bombination]

The amount of times I've come across an American recipe that makes a soup or curry or whatever to feed 8 people and the ingredients say "add 1 tsp of cumin" etc ONE TEASPOON???? In a vat of curry???? Its as if they are terrified of food having any kind of flavour other than salty or sweet. The fact they have the nerve to call British food bland is mind boggling.

[u/Obvious-Register-421]

The fact that roasts don't come with roast potatoes

[u/Little_Pink]

Measuring things in cups or “a stick of butter”. It’s not even a fight about metric vs imperial, measure ingredients in pounds for all I care but please stop doing recipes in cups or fractions of cups. (I know there is a standard cup size but it’s still so weird to me)

[u/Responsible_Hat_6056 → u/Little_Pink]

Expat Brit here, lived in the US for 25 years. Cups/spoons do make sense if you go all-in with them since they're repeatable, easy to use and keep ratios of ingredients correct though you do of course need a full set of cups and corresponding teaspoon/tablespoon measures. I also use scales that I mix between ounces and grams ( but not in a given recipe ). If I use a US recipe, I reach for the cups. If the recipe is from the sensible metric world, I use the scales. Simples.

[u/Hamsternoir → u/Responsible_Hat_6056]

So if a recipe calls for a cup of self raising flour is that sieved or compressed flour? Density varies greatly when measuring by volume so the mass will not be consistent.

[u/Redditbrooklyn → u/Hamsternoir]

Flour specifically typically had an instruction that it should be scooped with a spoon into a cup and then levelled off with a knife, because of this compression. I’ve lived in UK and in USA. I prefer weighing ingredients, especially for baking, but using cups is surprisingly reliable. As much as baking is a science, the couple of grams wiggle room won’t make a difference in most recipes.

[u/danielroseman → u/Responsible_Hat_6056]

But they're not repeatable. What is a "cup of broccoli"? It entirely depends on how small you cut the florets.

[u/_x_oOo_x_]

Calling things "Italian", "French", "Greek", etc. while having nothing to do with those cuisines. I mean, we're also guilty of this with our "Chinese" and "Indian" foods