"Giusi" > wrote in message
.. .
> blake murphy wrote:
>> On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:28:54 -0500, "Ms P" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> "Giusi" > wrote in message
>>> .. .
>
>>>> If they don't taste first, there's no possibility that they'll know
>>>> whether it's perfect or not.
>
>>> I find your attitude extremely controlling if you're going to demand
>>> that guests have to eat *their* food exactly the same way you do.
>>>
>>> It is possible to know before tasting that something needs more salt.
>>> It's called personal taste an experience.
>>>
>>> Ms P
>
> If your personal experience is that even when eating an ethnic dish you
> have never tried before it always needs salt, I submit you need to eat in
> a better class of eating places.
>>
>> we've had this discussion here before. while a case can be made for
>> tasting before salting, if *every single time* a certain item needs
>> more salt, it becomes tiresome to test it all the time. it also depends
>> on who is doing the cooking. in some high-tone
>> joints, it might be well to see if the cook knows what he's doing
>> first. but i wouldn't be concerned about his feelings if it turned
>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> Hey, I am not talking about a pile of green beans or a burger/steak, but
> carefully prepared dishes that have required a certain amount of effort
> and expertise. With plain foods I do think salting is very personal and
> can be altered at the table freely. With a soufflé or a braised goose or
> a delicate lemon/cream/parmesan sauce, you'd better taste first at my
> table. Heavily salting a complicated dish can make it resemble Dinty
> Moore corned beef hash. If that's what you like to eat, then eat it
> someplace else, because that is not how I cook for guests.
>
> A good example is the balancing of sour with salt. Salt really is needed
> to balance things that include lots of lemon. Oversalt and the lemon is
> lost.
>
> I was recently served a plate of pasta as a first course in a restaurant
> that was so salty it burned my tongue. I canceled the rest of my order,
> because who could taste meat and vegetables after that? If the owner
> weren't a friend I'd probably shy away from the restaurant, but since he
> is and he tasted it, knowing that I'm not that fussy at cheap places, he
> made a face and suggested someone had slipped with the salt. Accidents
> happen. Even in my kitchen. Accidents get thrown out here.
>
And that's exactly what I meant.
Edrena