Where is the line?

[Caution: More foodie stuff! But don't worry, RWT & I have our first private dance lesson this Sunday and I'm confident that it will start some non-food-related thoughts swirling around in my brain.]

In reading my foodie forum this morning, someone posed the question: "Is it possible to take food too seriously?" That led to a discussion of food snobbery which reminded me of an experience had by someone who once ate a dish, liked it and then had mixed feelings once he found out the "secret ingredient" was Miracle Whip (the whole discussion can be found here).

So using the Miracle Whip incident as an example... theoretically speaking, you make the dish and as one of the components use:

-- Fresh eggs, gathered just that morning from free-ranging chickens, first-press olive oil, the finest imported mustard, sea salt from the shores of Brittany & cane sugar, all whipped together until they form a nice emulsion.

-- Organic eggs from Whole Foods, organic safflower oil, organic mustard, sun-dried sea salt & minimally-refined sugar, all whipped together (by hand with a whisk) until they form a nice emulsion.

-- Eggs from the grocery store, Wesson oil, mustard, salt & sugar, all whipped together until they form a nice emulsion.

-- "Gourmet" mayonnaise from Dean & DeLuca

-- Hellman's (or Best Foods for you west coast readers!) brand mayonnaise

-- Miracle Whip

So at exactly what point does it become unpalatable?

Another example... Jose Andres, (Bon Appetit "Chef of the Year" winner) at his restaurant Oyamel, takes pork rinds, crushes them and sprinkles them over the top of an avocado-filled sopa. Or at one of his other restaurants, Cafe Atlantico, he does a similar thing with corn nuts. Oooh... ahhh... But what about when Suzie Homemaker crushes up canned fried onions and sprinkles them over her green beans?

However, I realize that we all have our baggage from past experiences, expectations and egos to consider. My grandmother was an atrocious cook and frequently cooked a dish containing eggplant cut into rounds. To this day, my father will not eat eggplant if it is cut into rounds, no matter how it is cooked (but if it is cut into sticks or diced it's just fine). My mother-in-law does not like tomato-based pasta sauces because they remind her of when she was poor and could afford nothing else. And when my oldest sis was out visiting last fall and we went to CityZen, it would have taken nothing short of food-poisoning to convince her that our meal there was anything other than perfect because she is such a huge fan of Thomas Keller (the chef at CityZen previously worked at the French Laundry for Keller).

These types of things color our perceptions of what we eat and not necessarily on a conscious, controllable level, it is just part of one's personality. I like to think that a truly talented cook/chef can make delicious food with all different types of ingredients (not just the best-of-the-best stuff). And if the result tastes good, then it tastes good. Nothing more, nothing less, or else, IMHO, the food is being taken too seriously.

[BTW -- I have a quiche recipe that calls for mayonnaise (but not Miracle Whip). It always grosses me out a bit while making it, but that quiche sure does taste good! And, no, I usually do not tell people that it does contains mayo unless they ask.]