Have you ever seen someone toss salad with his hands?

[Guest]

Well, I had a busy social calendar yesterday. An early evening dinner party at my elderly neighbors' children's house (about 2.5 km from our houses), from 5 to 7:30, followed by a wild underwear/fetish party at my place from 8 to midnightish. At the dinner party, I chatted with the son/homeowner while he was preparing the dinner. He turned the chateaubriand with his hands, which I'm surprised didn't burn him, but didn't bother me, since the hot grill would probably kill any microbes. But then he washed his hands, put dressing on the salad, and tossed it with his hands (then washed his hands again). Two or three other people saw this happening, and didn't comment. In fact, I was one of the few people who didn't have any salad. Was I just being prudish? Is this considered an acceptable way to toss salad? Maybe for the next housewarming gift, I could offer these?

[samhexum]

21 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

Have you ever seen someone toss salad with his hands?

No, but I have seen people toss cookies with their stomachs.

[Guest]

[+ nycman]

I once had a dinner guest become visibly distraught when she saw my bare hand literally brush against a leaf of lettuce in the salad I was preparing. I made a point of tossing the entire salad by hand the next time she came over. As long as you wash your hands first, it’s not a big deal. I mean come on…you’ve  put much worse things in your mouth. In general however, I use wooden bear claws to toss my salad. Only because I don’t want salad dressing in my hands. Not because of an irrational fear of germs. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, nycman said:

I once had a dinner guest become visibly distraught when she saw my bare hand literally brush against a leaf of lettuce in the salad I was preparing. I made a point of tossing the entire salad by hand the next time she came over. As long as you wash your hands first, it’s not a big deal. I mean come on…you’ve  put much worse things in your mouth. In general however, I use wooden bear claws to toss my salad. Only because I don’t want salad dressing in my hands. Not because of an irrational fear of germs. 

I wasn't asking about what diseases I might get from the hand-held toss. I was just trying to find out if this is a common practice. I'd never seen that done before, and I'm curious if others have also. I guess if the hands are clean, one is unlikely to contract any illnesses from this practice. I did find it unappetizing, though. Would you like it if someone you weren't intimate with put his hands all over your food? The closest I've come to would be a meal at an Ethiopian restaurant, but at least there people pick up the food with a piece of bread, not directly with their hands. I agree that getting upset over your hand brushing over a leaf of lettuce was rather overboard. I'm curious as to whether others here would also feel that tossing all of the salad by hand would make the salad unappetizing. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by Unicorn

[jeezifonly]

Hands? 

[mike carey]

I've never seen it done, and if I were being completely rational I probably wouldn't care. I'm not sure I could be completely rational in my response to it, though. Even in a social or domestic context. Still, I can see that someone might feel they can toss a salad better with their hands. In a commercial context the calculation would be different and I think bare hands would be a no-no. I've noticed in recent years a lot of food preparation where using implement was mandated, disposable gloves are now used and I can see the advantage of using gloved hands to work more quickly than using tongs. Perhaps tossing a salad with gloved hands in certain types of eateries could be part of the [I hesitate to use the word] 'artisanal' image they seek to project.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

I remember working as a server for a banquet and being instructed to plate the salad by hand, with no gloves, after washing our hands and in the kitchen out of sight of the guests.  So, yes, I've seen it happen, but I would not like to see my host performing said task in front of me.

I have one friend in particular who uses his hands while cooking instead of using utensils, and he doesn't wash his hands often enough in my opinion.  Whenever we get together for meals, I always suggest we go out to eat.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Vegas_Millennial

[CuriousByNature]

I'd be put off by that, but there are worse ways to use your hands....

[pubic_assistance]

It's pretty amusing to listen to a bunch of gay guys worry about the unsanitary possibilities of touching food with bare hands while simultaneously posting threads talking about licking some stranger's asshole. 🧐

When you eat at my house it's a pretty good guess that I've touched all the food. Although I do agree that tossing a salad should be done at the table just before serving and not with your hands. 

[marylander1940]

11 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

It's pretty amusing to listen to a bunch of gay guys worry about the unsanitary possibilities of touching food with bare hands while simultaneously posting threads talking about licking some stranger's asshole. 🧐

When you eat at my house it's a pretty good guess that I've touched all the food. Although I do agree that tossing a salad should be done at the table just before serving and not with your hands. 

Not dragging this out of subject but I guarantee you most buttholes are cleaner than vaginas... specially in this bidetless country. 

Back to subject!

Tossing a salad with hands is just gross!

 

[pubic_assistance]

13 minutes ago, marylander1940 said:

Tossing a salad with hands is just gross!

 

You can really spot the ones who don't cook. I literally touch EVERYTHING with my hands while preparing food. Do you use gloves at your house when making a sandwich ? 🤨

[marylander1940]

1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said:

You can really spot the ones who don't cook. I literally touch EVERYTHING with my hands while preparing food. Do you use gloves at your house when making a sandwich ? 🤨

Huh? I love to cook and do it ALL the time..

I don't use gloves at all but I will never toss a salad with my hands... I thought that was clear on my first post.

Who doesn't touch EVERYTHING with his hands at home? 

Edited September 11, 2023 by marylander1940

[+ Charlie]

When I was a young man, I was told by my first partner that he was taught by a French chef that green salads should always be tossed with the maker's bare hands; he never said anything about washing the hands. (Of course, this was before scientists had discovered the existence of germs.) We have a green side salad with dinner every night, and I always rip apart the ingredients with my bare hands, but usually remember to wash my hands first.

BTW, how many people actually wash the ingredients first?

[foxy]

Have you ever decided it was too hot to cook and just ordered a pizza? Have you ever thought about the person making that pizza in a hot kitchen? Have you ever thought about how much sweat was dripped onto that pizza? I suppose the hot ovens cooked it all off. But still…..

Sometimes it’s best not to think about what goes on in kitchens, at home or in restaurants. 

[Rudynate]

21 minutes ago, Charlie said:

When I was a young man, I was told by my first partner that he was taught by a French chef that green salads should always be tossed with the maker's bare hands; he never said anything about washing the hands. (Of course, this was before scientists had discovered the existence of germs.) We have a green side salad with dinner every night, and I always rip apart the ingredients with my bare hands, but usually remember to wash my hands first.

BTW, how many people actually wash the ingredients first?

I use my trusty salad spinner that I have had for twenty years or more.  I use a salad set to toss salad, but I wouldn't be grossed out to see someone tossing it with their hands.  I would feel safe assuming that my host had washed his hands after taking a dump or any other unsavory activities.  Even then - most "sanitary" measures are actually "aesthetic" measures.

[marylander1940]

37 minutes ago, Charlie said:

 

BTW, how many people actually wash the ingredients first?

I do!

[marylander1940]

26 minutes ago, foxy said:

Have you ever decided it was too hot to cook and just ordered a pizza? Have you ever thought about the person making that pizza in a hot kitchen? Have you ever thought about how much sweat was dripped onto that pizza? I suppose the hot ovens cooked it all off. But still…..

Sometimes it’s best not to think about what goes on in kitchens, at home or in restaurants. 

And don't you forget about "how sausages are made.... "

Bismarck 

[pubic_assistance]

5 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

I will never toss a salad with my hands.

I don't see anything different about tossing a salad or stuffing a turkey while it's in your kitchen. 

I agree tossing a salad at the table (which is the appropriate way to serve) would be weird if you used your hands..but my impression of the salad being discussed here was that the host was still working in the kitchen. 

[marylander1940]

8 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

I don't see anything different about tossing a salad or stuffing a turkey while it's in your kitchen. 

I agree tossing a salad at the table (which is the appropriate way to serve) would be weird if you used your hands..but my impression of the salad being discussed here was that the host was still working in the kitchen. 

Let's agree to disagree I would never use my hands toss a salad.

Let's ask @Unicorn to recall the event! 

One thing is cutting things and placing them in a bowl other thing is sticking your hands inside of it and mixing it after pouring dressing, etc. 

You can stiff the turkey with your hands, I do exactly the same thing knowing everything will be cooked after a high temperature for a long time....

[pubic_assistance]

18 minutes ago, marylander1940 said:

Let's agree to disagree

Yes.

And you should never come to dinner at my house. I touch ALL the food, cooked and uncooked. 

Obviously any respectable person is washing his / her hands throughout the preparation. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by pubic_assistance

[marylander1940]

2 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Yes.

And you should never come to dinner at my house. I touch ALL the food, cooked and uncooked. 

Obviously any decent cook is washing his / her hands throughout the preparation. 

Not a problem!

tossing the salad with your own hands is gross!

Most of "the gays" wouldn't do that!

Edited September 11, 2023 by marylander1940

[pubic_assistance]

1 minute ago, marylander1940 said:

tossing the salad with your own hands is gross!

I am curious WHERE the salad was being tossed. My first reading of @Unicornpost left me with the assumption this was in the kitchen while preparing dinner...but yeah it doesn't specifically say that...so I am agnostic until I understand better his experience.

If you're in the kitchen ...I don't care what you touch. That's all part of preparing food. If you're mixing stuff with your hands at the dinner table...I agree...that's a bit weird. 

[marylander1940]

2 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

I am curious WHERE the salad was being tossed. My first reading of @Unicornpost left me with the assumption this was in the kitchen while preparing dinner...but yeah it doesn't specifically say that...so I am agnostic until I understand better his experience.

If you're in the kitchen ...I don't care what you touch. That's all part of preparing food. If you're mixing stuff with your hands at the dinner table...I agree...that's a bit weird. 

let's wait and find out!

[Guest]

30 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

I am curious WHERE the salad was being tossed. My first reading of @Unicornpost left me with the assumption this was in the kitchen while preparing dinner...but yeah it doesn't specifically say that...so I am agnostic until I understand better his experience.

If you're in the kitchen ...I don't care what you touch. That's all part of preparing food. If you're mixing stuff with your hands at the dinner table...I agree...that's a bit weird. 

Yes, the host/cook was in his kitchen. I don't so much mind hand-stuffing a turkey, or touching any other food which is going to be cooked later, but there's something icky about salad. Obviously at the table would be even weirder, but that food isn't going to be cooked between the kitchen and the dining room table. Why would you toss the salad with your hands? Because you enjoy the feel of it? Because you don't want to waste your time putting the salad tongs in the dishwasher? I don't get it. Well, at least I've heard from one other person who does that. I'm curious as to how often that's happened to me in the past but I just didn't know it. Do your guests know you toss the salad with your hands, @pubic_assistance?

I also wonder how a county health inspector would react if he caught a restaurant employee handling food with his hands (when the food wasn't to be cooked later).

Edited September 11, 2023 by Unicorn