When did all meals have to be accompanied by every condiment in the fridge? I don't remember meals when I was a child involving condiments unless we were having hamburgers or hot dogs. Then it was usually ketchup. But my children want condiments with everything. It seems that for every meal, someone wants ranch, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, thousand island dressing, blue cheese dressing, spicy mustard, salsa, sweet and sour, tartar sauce, hot sauce. Sometimes ketchup which has become blase.
I think it comes from three events: the advent of chicken nuggets; places that serve wings with their pizza including an array of condiment choices; and school lunches where a wide variety of condiments are always available . My kids think you have to dip your pizza in something especially ranch dressing or some kind of buttery garlic sauce.
I think I am too controlling in this area. For chicken nuggets, the sky's the limit. But for everything else, I think it's unnecessary and uncouth to dip everything in a sauce. Tartar sauce is for fried seafood only, doggone it! I guess I'm a food snob. But I just find it irritating.
I wonder if this is just my house or if condiments are overrepresented at other houses. Is it possible for a household to survive without ranch dressing in the house?
