Thread: Why Don't Americans Like Vegetables?

On Nov 23, 2:31*pm, Janet Wilder <kelliepoo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? *Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? *I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille *or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! *Was my home so unique?
> --
> Janet Wilder
> Way-the-heck-south Texas
> Spelling doesn't count. *Cooking does.

I wager most Americans do like veggies cooked like you think is
correct. The ones with sauces and soups are just different ways to
serve them, and in my experience (midwest), usually only for special
occasions.

I grew up (on a farm) with everything cooked and served with a little
salt and pepper and butter, at the eater's choice. My mom would make
scalloped corn once in a while, but that is with milk, eggs and
cracker crumbs ... no "sauce" and no soup.

N.

On Nov 23, 12:40*pm, Nancy2 <nancy-doo...@uiowa.edu> wrote:
> On Nov 23, 2:31*pm, Janet Wilder <kelliepoo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> > soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? *Why don't Americans like
> > regular vegetables? *I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> > what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> > I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> > Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> > scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> > ratatouille *or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> > veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! *Was my home so unique?
> > --
> > Janet Wilder
> > Way-the-heck-south Texas
> > Spelling doesn't count. *Cooking does.
>
> I wager most Americans do like veggies cooked like you think is
> correct. *The ones with sauces and soups are just different ways to
> serve them, and in my experience (midwest), usually only for special
> occasions.
>
> I grew up (on a farm) with everything cooked and served with a little
> salt and pepper and butter, at the eater's choice. *My mom would make
> scalloped corn once in a while, but that is with milk, eggs and
> cracker crumbs ... no "sauce" and no soup.
>
> N.

We love veggies! Raw and cooked. We eat all sorts and not just a
couple of kinds.

On 23-Nov-2010, Janet Wilder <[email protected]> wrote:

> Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables?

Fear of a persistent vegetatvie state?
--
Kent Brockman, multi-award winning anchor

On 11/23/2010 3:31 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! Was my home so unique?

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm just now getting to like them. I
was raised by my grandmother who boiled everything almost to whiteness.
Horrible stuff, veggies were. Broccoli isn't meant to be yellow mush.


--
Currently reading: The Chalice by Phil Rickman and The Walking Dead vol 3

On Nov 23, 12:31*pm, Janet Wilder <kelliepoo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? *Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? *I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille *or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! *Was my home so unique?
> --
> Janet Wilder
> Way-the-heck-south Texas
> Spelling doesn't count. *Cooking does.

I grew up eating vegetables we grew ourselves. Nothing better than
fresh right out of the garden. We also canned for the winter. I
think the casseroles served at Holidays are special dishes, not your
everyday foods. Made all 'fancy' for the holidays.

On Nov 23, 3:31*pm, Janet Wilder <kelliepoo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? *Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? *I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille *or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! *Was my home so unique?

Veggies cooked simply and lightly buttered and salted are often
served on American tables. (Ok, on dishes on American table.)

But it's not a "recipe" and there's no reason to talk about it here.
It'd be like posting a recipe for a glass of water.

Cindy Hamilton

"Janet Wilder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:4cec24ac$0$23853$c3e8da3$[email protected] eb.com...
> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned soup,
> sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? Why don't Americans like regular
> vegetables? I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but what is the
> obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! Was my home so
> unique?

Well I am not American but we eat as you describe. I steam most of our
veggies and we dress them with a little salt, a little butter, but
definitely no canned soup!!!

--
--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

In article <4cec24ac$0$23853$c3e8da3$[email protected] om>,
Janet Wilder <[email protected]> wrote:

> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?

Because they've been told from infanthood that they shouldn't like
vegetables, so they don't.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

Janet Wilder wrote:

> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! Was my home so unique?

I think there is a vast middle ground between the plain vegetables that
you grew up with and "cream of anything" soup coated vegetables.

> Veggies cooked simply and lightly buttered and salted are often
> served on American tables. *(Ok, on dishes on American table.)
>
> But it's not a "recipe" and there's no reason to talk about it here.
> It'd be like posting a recipe for a glass of water.
>
> Cindy Hamilton

Uh, Cindy, this isn't the "recipe" group (which appears to have died)
- it's the cooking group -

N.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:31:46 -0600, Janet Wilder wrote:

> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies?

Because simple cooked vegetables do not need recipes.

Recipe for Steamed Broccoli:

Put fresh broccoli florettes in steamer.
Steam until desires tenderness.

Doesn't make for much of a recipe. A recipe like that would get
laughed at here.

-sw

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:31:46 -0600, Janet Wilder
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
> Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
> scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
> ratatouille or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
> veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! Was my home so unique?

No. Vegetables were served plain at my house too. I like roasting
them these days. When I was a kid, only acorn squash was cooked in
the oven.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:31:46 -0600, Janet Wilder
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
>soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? Why don't Americans like
>regular vegetables? I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
>what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?
>
>I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.
>Nothing on it except maybe a little salt at the table. Squash was baked,
>scooped and served. Maybe some veggies were mixed together, like
>ratatouille or lima beans and tomatoes, but we never had sauces on our
>veggies and we never, ever had canned soup on them! Was my home so unique?

I've always eaten veggies of all sorts, and a lot of raw veggies... I
eat veggies every day, several times every day. However I don't
remember the last time I've eaten canned soup.

Janet Wilder <[email protected]> wrote in news:4cec24ac$0$23853
$c3e8da3$[email protected]:

> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies?

Meat fetishism?

--

When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag
and carrying a cross.

Sinclair Lewis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrYMafCzeE

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:31:46 -0600, Janet Wilder wrote:

> I grew up with broccoli or cauliflower steamed in the pressure cooker.

I would say that in itself is "hating" vegetables :-)
Is a presssure cooker really necessary?

-sw

On 11/23/2010 2:31 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies? Why don't Americans like
> regular vegetables? I can see a bit of salt and a little butter, but
> what is the obsession with masking the flavor or vegetables?

Some people disguise vegetables so their children will eat it, just
cover it in cheese and they will love it. When I was a child, we had a
garden. We liked vegetables, probably because we always had them. My
mother would often season vegetables with bacon fat or butter, sometimes
crema. One of my favorite seasonings for baked potatoes or broccoli is
salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Becca

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:31:46 -0600, Janet Wilder wrote:
>
>> Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
>> soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies?
>
> Because simple cooked vegetables do not need recipes.
>
> Recipe for Steamed Broccoli:
>
> Put fresh broccoli florettes in steamer.
> Steam until desires tenderness.
>
> Doesn't make for much of a recipe. A recipe like that would get
> laughed at here.

Agreed. I eat lots of vegetables that are raw or not overcooked,
and pretty plain. But if I was to post a vegetable recipe, it would
be something more elaborate. I don't think Americans dislike
vegetables, in general.

nancy

On 23/11/2010 4:37 PM, Ophelia wrote:

> Well I am not American but we eat as you describe. I steam most of our
> veggies and we dress them with a little salt, a little butter, but
> definitely no canned soup!!!

Same here. We usually boil, bake or steam or fry vegetables. I may dress
them up a little. for instance, when we did a butternut squash the other
day we added some ginger, cinnamon and curry powder. No processed foods
used with veggies here.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:31:46 -0600 in rec.food.cooking, Janet Wilder
<[email protected]> wrote,
>Why is it that most of the recipes for vegetables either have canned
>soup, sauces, or other stuff on the veggies?

Because otherwise, you don't need a recipe.