Condiments

[EcclesCake]

How many of you automatically load your dining table with various condiments by rote, irrespective of the meal.

Or are you a tad more circumspect and present a selection appropriate to the meal?

Perhaps, harshest of all, for some do you never put condiments/seasoning on the table?

[sherrardk]

Tomato sauce for most meals although as the kids get older they seem to stop using it. Never put salt or pepper on the table (and use salt sparingly when cooking).

[marval]

Just salt and pepper

[Buenchico]

Dining table? What's that?

My meals get consumed on the kitchen worktop and I rarely used any condiments. If I need some freshly ground black pepper then I'll simply reach into the cupboard above the worktop for the pepper grinder (or, more usually, realise that it's still on the worktop from the last time I used it). It's exactly the same if I want, say, a splash of soy sauce.

So there's certainly no ritual of setting out any condiments on a table. (Anyway, if I've cooked the meal myself, I shouldn't need to add any condiments as I should have got that bit right during the preparation!)

[EcclesCake]

Sherrard, ketchup has its place but watching your adult pal putting it on a cheese salad is a bit wierd.

There again I used to like a smear of ketchup on toast when I was a kid!

[ummmm]

A selection appropriate except salt. If someone wants salt, even a guest, they'll have to ask. That's more habit though and not me not thinking of their needs/wants.

[ummmm]

Eccles...my dad used to put ketchup on almost everything, including Sunday dinners.

[paul1763]

what is "appropriate to the meal"? personally i think if you like it have it reguardless of what others think, i like horse raddish, mustard and mint sauce, be it with beef or lamb, bangers or burgers.

[Old_Geezer]

Usually one only needs salt to bring flavour out. Pepper is available by tradition. Although to be honest I'm rarely at the table, it's put on before I bring my grub in from the kitchen. :-)

[Jackdaw33]

Salt and pepper de rigeur. Then, depending on what follows, mustard, if meat, horseradish if beef, mint sauce, if lamb, tartare sauce ,if fish, apple sauce if pork, Heinz salad cream if salad. NOT mayonnaise, which is the devil's vomit.

[jackthehat]

Pepper-mill and Salt-mill together with salt-shaker are habitually on the table.
Appropriate condiments are offered with the meal.....and eyebrows are kept firmly in place when an 'unusual' accompaniment is requested.

[ummmm]

See if I was having salad I would put out salad cream, mayo, sweet chilli, balsamic and a dressing if I had one...that caters to all our tastes. Still no salt though.

As far as I'm concerned salt is used as an enhancer during the cooking process, not at the end.

[Jackdaw33]

I love writing on my Xmas cards, "Condiments of the Seasoning."

[Prudie]

A boyfriend of the daughter's used to ask for ketchup with steak, OK odd but I can accept that but when he wanted it with Xmas turkey I couldn't control the eyebrows.

[dustypuss]

What's a table?

[ummmm]

Prudie, do you really think ketchup with steak is odd? I thought that was normal..

My dad would also have it with the xmas turkey...

[Prudie]

I did think it was very odd as I'd never come across it before but having tried it I often have it myself now. With turkey? yes too odd for me.

[ummmm]

Actually....we only serve ketchup with steak if we're having chips.

The roast dinner and ketchup is odd.

[Tilly2]

No condiments except for black pepper with pasta.

[Prudie]

Actually I prefer mayonnaise with steak so that's maybe a bit peculiar :-)

[Psybbo]

Sea, salt black pepper and according to the meal, apple sauce, mint sauce mustard etc