So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Hercule]

Apparently it's genetic:
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/why-does-cilantro-taste-soap-some-people/

Can't stand the stuff myself.

Love it, myself, can't get enough of it. When making tacos (and the like) at home we skip the lettuce and pile on the cilantro instead.

Interestingly, my experience is that when you walk into a South American kitchen, cilantro is one of those ambient smells. At least that was the case when i was in Colombia.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Are coriander and cardamom typical for "christmas-cookies" in the US, too?

 

[vitanola]

No. In North America "Sweet" is the general flavor of baked goods. Spices are generally viewed with the deepest suspicion. I blame that, like so many other awful things, on the cultural hegemony of the Scots-Irish.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Nah, we like fried and greasy more than sweet, at least in the Northeast. But no telling what those southern or midwestern barbarians get up to.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Is this deep-fried classic still known at the US-Eastcoast?
https://www.google.de/search?q=kräp...hUKEwjL0ZSVvfHOAhWL8RQKHZtTCUAQ_AUICCgB&dpr=1

Little (what you would call) "pastries". Pancake's little brother. They are not dying out, here in East-Germany.

 

[Hercule]

No. In North America "Sweet" is the general flavor of baked goods. Spices are generally viewed with the deepest suspicion. I blame that, like so many other awful things, on the cultural hegemony of the Scots-Irish.

But it can easily go overboard. Savory can be a nice change to the usual sweet baked treat.

On a similar note, a local ice cream maker was selling "fire roasted sweet corn ice cream". I had a cup, and it was really interesting. Lots of cob flavor. Kinda tasted like creamed corn. It wasn't entirely objectionable, just took you for a surprise as being out of place. I found myself taking a spoonful and thinking, I don't know... then after a while another bite. Went on like that til my cup was about 2/3rds gone then I felt I had enough of that. Still it wasn't objectionable. But now I never have to try it again. I found the same to be true of the ice cream they made with the beer.

 

[Fading Fast]

But it can easily go overboard. Savory can be a nice change to the usual sweet baked treat.

On a similar note, a local ice cream maker was selling "fire roasted sweet corn ice cream". I had a cup, and it was really interesting. Lots of cob flavor. Kinda tasted like creamed corn. It wasn't entirely objectionable, just took you for a surprise as being out of place. I found myself taking a spoonful and thinking, I don't know... then after a while another bite. Went on like that til my cup was about 2/3rds gone then I felt I had enough of that. Still it wasn't objectionable. But now I never have to try it again. I found the same to be true of the ice cream they made with the beer.

A lot of the new ice creams work the way you describe. I love sesame seeds, so I tried Haagen Dazs' Toasted Sesame Brittle the other night. Very good flavor - the sesame came through (which isn't always the case with sesame-flavored foods) - but even though I enjoyed it, I don't care if I ever have it again.

As to the above discussion on German cookies, I'm a big fan of German Christmas cookies (and German cookies in general) as I grew up next to a German family whom we shared baked goods with (they baked them, we ate them) and learned at a young age that German baked goods had a focus on flavors / spices and, overall, much less of the full-on sugar of American baked goods.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Do you like old-fashion coconut-macaroons??
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...orm=QBIRMH&pq=kokosmakronen&sc=8-13&sp=-1&sk=

 

[ChiTownScion]

As to the above discussion on German cookies, I'm a big fan of German Christmas cookies (and German cookies in general) as I grew up next to a German family whom we shared baked goods with (they baked them, we ate them) and learned at a young age that German baked goods had a focus on flavors / spices and, overall, much less of the full-on sugar of American baked goods.

Pfeffernusse cookies on Christmas Eve were always a treat in my house when I was growing up.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Pfeffernusse cookies on Christmas Eve were always a treat in my house when I was growing up.

One of the best inventions!!

 

[ChiTownScion]

One of the best inventions!!

An acquired taste. A very easily acquired taste.

 

[Trenchfriend]

An acquired taste. A very easily acquired taste.

I recommend a hot cacao, thereto.

 

[EngProf]

Nah, we like fried and greasy more than sweet, at least in the Northeast. But no telling what those southern or midwestern barbarians get up to.

As a non-Reconstructed Rebel, here is how proper Christmas cookies should be made:
Roll out sugar-cookie dough until ~1/8 thick. Cut with appropriate Christmas-style cookie-cutters: stars, bells, trees, Santa Clauses, etc. Bake until "done" but not brittle. Ice cookies with powdered-sugar icing colored appropriately for the type of cookie - green trees and wreaths, red Santa Clauses, yellow and red ornaments and bells, etc.
Then decorate each cookie using colored sugar and related "decorations" to add ornaments to the trees, stripes to the bells, and other Christmas-y looks.
They look great and taste even better - a tradition in our family for over sixty years and maybe beyond...

(Fried and greasy at Christmas?? - Bah humbug!)

 

[vitanola]

In our tradition we make Kolacky, Peffernusse, shortbread, Gingerbread, lemon bars, jam thumb prints, and just about any sweet or savory dough that can be forced through a cookie press. Until we had to move to town to take care of the Old Folks we used to bake between eighty and a hundred dozen cookies every season. The kitchen at my parent's place is not suitable for mass baking of that sort.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Love it, myself, can't get enough of it. When making tacos (and the like) at home we skip the lettuce and pile on the cilantro instead.

Interestingly, my experience is that when you walk into a South American kitchen, cilantro is one of those ambient smells. At least that was the case when i was in Colombia.

Lettuce? On a taco?

 

[HudsonHawk]

Nah, we like fried and greasy more than sweet, at least in the Northeast. But no telling what those southern or midwestern barbarians get up to.

We Southern cavefolk like our cookies like we like our iced tea...sweet. We can tolerate spicy, gingerbread type cookies. Just don't ask us to put gravy on our French fries.

 

[Zombie_61]

Lettuce? On a taco?

Only if the meat is ground beef.

...Just don't ask us to put gravy on our French fries.

Mmmmm, gravy fries. Delicious!

 

[Edward]

Worn as daywear according to the catalog. It had pictures of people out in public settings. It went in the recycling rather quickly, so no pictorial evidence.

Sounds like "jeggings", which I first saw on a comedy tv show and thought were a joke...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Just don't ask us to put gravy on our French fries.

Philistine.

 

[Fading Fast]

Philistine.

My only issue with gravy and such on French Fries - and don't get me wrong, I can enjoy a good poutine - is that unless all done in rapid fire, the fries get soggy, now that, I can't abide.

As a kid who grew up eating greasy spoon french fries with or without ketchup (no other options), I've come to appreciate them with mayo as well, but something you dip them in, not dumped on top of the fries for the same reason as above: nothing should be done to reduce the crispiness of the fry itself.