Would you pass something off as something else?

[SusieQ]

I know this isn't a recipe or anything like that but I wanted to ask a question about camp food in general. Over the weekend we went to a friends campsite for dinner and of course s'mores. It was their last day there - seasonal campers and they had to close up.

My friends mom brought meat - she said it was chicken. I did not look at it. We also had hots and hamburgers. I always go for a hot dog - I love them grilled over the campfire. Anyway my daughter went for the chicken. I took a look at it before she ate it and said to her "don't eat that yet". It did not look like chicken. I asked my friends hubby and he told me it was rabbit! Seriously! If my daughter ate it and then they told her she would have cried and then puked. She has always wanted a pet bunny and that is what she would have thought about.

Have you ever done this? Brought a meat and told people it was something else? I have no problem with them eating the rabbit but I had a problem with them telling people it was chicken!

 

[ChadTower]

Have you ever done this? Brought a meat and told people it was something else? I have no problem with them eating the rabbit but I had a problem with them telling people it was chicken!

I make all sorts of meats for guests. I am lucky enough to this place within an hour of my house. If it's on their menu I have served it and they often sell things not listed there as well.

One thing I have never done and will never do is lie to guests about the food. I may not give out a recipe but I will never misrepresent the meat or any specific ingredient. You never know who has what allergy or what religious belief or what pets or what anything. Some people will try anything. Some people can't imagine eating certain animals or animals you don't find in the supermarket. I cook for people to make them happy. Lying to them is going to make them unhappy when they find out even if they don't particularly care about the difference between what they thought they ate and what they did eat.

Maybe I'm oversensitive to this because I have a bad shellfish allergy. I have been at peoples' houses who just don't care and will feed you things they know you're allergic to. "It's all in his head." Or people will hide crab meat in something and then watch to see if I really get sick. Some people are just so used to using shellfish as a basic ingredient where I'm from that they forget it's even there. Can't tell you how many times I have asked directly about shellfish in a soup or chowder and been told it's clear only to end up bent over the grass trying to vomit up my pelvis.

 

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


Only once. We had rabbit as part of a meal one Easter...!! Otherwise, the kids wouldn't have taken it very well...!!

PS...The adults all knew what it was, though.

 

[ChadTower]

That bothers me in regard to the little girl. It's too easy to predict that a little girl would be upset she ate a rabbit to say it's anything other than mean.

 

[CozInCowtown]

I always let people know exactly what is in front of them.
If they are offended then that is more for me! I have no remorse if a person voluntarily goes hungry.

JMO.

 

[ppine]

Dishonesty is rarely a good policy. When it comes to food, lots of people have strong philosophical ideas and food allergies. Always tell the truth.

 

[bsmit212]

I would let the parents know clearly what it was and let them make a decion on how to represent it to their children. As for mine, I am sure there will be a few times where I might not be completly strightfoward, at most mute, as to what something is till they have tried atleast a bite. I am a strong believer of you can't say you don't like it till you have tried it. Once they have tried a bite then I will let them know what they just tried and weather they want to keep eating it or not. But again if it is not my child then it is not my call, but would not pass off as chicken to everyone.

 

[ChadTower]

I agree with the "try it before you say no" idea with veggies and such. I have friends of various religions, though, and I'm not familiar with the diet restrictions of each. Hell I don't even remember the rolling restrictions of my wife's religion and we've been together 20 years.

 

[bsmit212]

Agree ChadTower. That is why I let adults know so they can make dicision/calls like that for their children and themselfs. It is children who will deny something that is wonderful simple becuase it has a gross/cute/funny name.

 

[campclose]

Never! I would never lie about something I cook and serve. I would tell everyone what it was - kids included. There were other things to eat too so they wouldn't go hungry. My gram made woodchuck once and told us it was beef. My mom knew better. She wouldn't let any of us eat it.

 

[carmen]

I would not do it either.Nothing good comes from telling a lie even if it is a little one like this. I could not imagine trying to explain to my child what just happened if that was us on the camp site.

 

[Blueskyy]

No, I would not lie to anyone, and especially not my children, about what I was trying to feed them. I think that lying to the little girl and telling her it was chicken was just mean!

 

[Cappy]

I did this once by accident and every body got a chuckle outa it. I made some "crab meat" stuffed button mushroom caps for an appetizer at one of our bbq get togethers. I called them stuffed mushys with no intent to mislead and every one tore into them with zeal, raving over the delicious flaky crab meat. When I informed them it was really made from Gar fish that I had pre cooked in Cajun spice and crab boil seasoning. They all laughed about it and continued scarfing them down. It's a good thing a party hardy bunch of Cajuns aint squeamish or particular. Now my GAR stuffed mushrooms are an oft requested BBq favorite.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t