Sultana

Well, it doesn't have to start out as shit in your mouth.

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Jinn

I'd almost buy that, but if I work dilligently on the craft of making a model airplane, I don't immediately dissolve it a vat of acid the moment after it's completion, rendering it into nothing more than an oozing paste.

That's what you do with cooking - you destroy your beautiful (and arguably tasty) craft immediately after completion. In some cases, you spend all your time on making it and OTHER people destroy it.

I suppose it's a discussion for another thread.. it just seems so frivolous.

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Cynthetiq

I'd pick a different word that frivolous but I get the idea you are transmitting. Baking a nice cake for your girlfriend, wife, family that they really gets a kick out of has some merit there. I'd call it "too much work for too little return" or not enough value for the work put in. For me that example eating crabs.

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abaya

Ah, but when it's your partner who is crafting and you are the one destroying it (as would be the case with me and ktspktsp)... well, no biggie right? He gets to enjoy making the meal, and I eat whatever he makes. I don't have a need for any kind of complicated food, but hell... food is food! I eat it. And wash the dishes afterward.

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dirtyrascal7

I disagree with the notion that you are "destroying" the craft... and so I offer you a little comparison.

First, say you have made some sort of non-edible, but also non-functioning craft... some kind of decoration you plan to put on your fireplace mantle. So you finish making it and then what? You set it nicely on the mantle and that's about it. You occassionally look at it and recall the time spent making it or perhaps someone asks about it and you tell them the story behind it... but the point is, you typically would only enjoy it using your sense of sight.

Now, say I have cooked a high-quality meal... in both taste and presentation. Regardless of who else eats it besides me, I get to savor my craft through no fewer than 3 senses... smell, taste, sight... and also arguably touch. Granted, the decoration will have a longer lifespan... but there is something to be said for my craft stimulating multiple senses during its lifespan, wouldn't you agree?

Not to mention the entertainment value a meal possesses... the conversation during my meal, in my opinion, has much greater potential then the conversation regarding your decoration.

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Sultana

By eating the beautiful food prepared with love, you are completing the craft, not destroying it.

Unlike the Valentine's Day card I made for my boyfriend (later husband) out of construction paper and conversation hearts. He opened it, read it, smiled hugely and hugged me...and proceeded to pick the candy off the paper (it was friggin' *glued* on) and eat it.

Now *that* is destroying, lol! I was horrified and dismayed.

__________________
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath.
At night, the ice weasels come." -

Matt Groening

My goal? To fulfill my potential.

Ourcrazymodern?

"Food" is created and bought and prepared in order to (most pleasurably) become (NO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT). A delicious meal is always worth the price of admission, despite the outcome.

I thought this thread was about vodka.

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MySexyAssJ

Same here, I drink for the effect of it all mostly. And to tell you the truth I can't tell the difference either. I'm sure the cheaper the Vodka (or any Liquor for that matter) the harsher it will be, but it's all going to do the same thing in the end anyway.

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tenniels

Just a thought: How does liking something more expensive make one a vodka snob? I understand the premise of liking more expensive things makes one a "snob". But wouldn't sticking with your favourite brand, no matter cost or status make one equally snobby? Like you have your fave, don't like the others, think it's the best because you like it, etc. I dunno, I just got to thinking and that's what I thought I guess. Like me for example, I will drink Smirnoff if drinking vodka (which is rare, because I like beer, no I LOVE beer) and I don't drink other vodka's, so wouldn't I be snobby to the other kinds of vodka? I dunno, I think too much maybe hehe. Either way, we like what we like so let's drink!

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Esoteric

I prefer rum, but Smirnoff is just as good as Grey Goose to me.

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dirtyrascal7

That is an interesting point... does the product really have to be more expensive to imply snobbery? Everyone has a preference... and someone's preference for a cheaper brand could be just as strong as another person's preference for a top-shelf brand. For example, a guy I worked with once would ONLY allow Budweiser in his house. In cans. There were no exceptions to this rule, even if someone brought over some Guinness or Samuel Adams as a gift. I think most people would label this man "stubborn", if anything... but if he had the same mentality only with say, Corona... people would probably be more inclined to label him a "snob".

One time I was talking to a girl at a club. I asked her what she was drinking and she replied, "Grey Goose and cranberry." I walked to the bar with her and asked the bartender for a vodka/cranberry, and she butts in with, "no... Grey Goose and cranberry." So he started to make her drink while she watched him, making sure he used her beloved GG. I don't know what happened next... I got the hell away from her.

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Willravel

I like Absolut more that Grey Goose, but I don't know if that suggests I know the difference between the expensive stuff and the slightly less expensive stuff. I just happen to know which I prefer. I could probably give you some idea as the the brand if I tried a few different ones, but I'd get really shit faced and crash your Miata....so we won't do that.

passthru

I would like to consider myself a vodka snob in training. I have been a victim of Skyy, Smirnoff, Potter's, HRD, and a few others. I always prefer a top shelf vodka, except Grey Goose. I was very surprised by it.. I always had the impression it was very good, but when I opened my bottle I had the same reaction as the testers in the article. Luckily there was a big Grey Goose fan at our party that night, so I gave him some and mixed the rest with juices.

I do have favorites, but my opinions could be influenced.. I loved my first bottle of Ketel One, I think I thought it was very plain and was what I thought vodka was supposed to be, but I got hammered that night so.. I also like Ciroc, I don't know how big a brand that is. It comes in a very pretty bottle and is distilled from grapes. That could have influenced my opinion but I've always enjoyed it straight, neat or on the rocks. I recently read about a new premium fancy pants brand, Meydoyeff, and it happened to be located in my town so I tried it out. It reminded me of my impressions of Ketel One, and I like to drink it by itself too.

For those who can't tell the difference between cheap and expensive, I have an experiment for you. I've done this with Potter's and HRD vodka (super cheap brands) and I'm surprised/scared by the results. Buy a bottle of some crappy vodka and buy a water filter pitcher (Brita, Pur). Pour half of the vodka into another container, then pour the rest into the filter pitcher and wait for it to go through. Now pour yourself a shot of each and try sipping. I've found a very noticeable difference. The filtered vodka is far from good, but it's much better than the harsh sting from the unfiltered. I don't know what exactly is cleaned out, but.. that's kinda gross. If you really don't care about your vodka, maybe you can use this trick for your next screwdriver or other vodka drink you prefer..