Why do restaurants serve nearly raw vegetables as cooked?

[condor]

Today I had a lovely fish and shellfish pie in a local restaurant but served with near raw asparagus. I asked for the asparagus to be cooked till it was soft and it was returned still too hard for the table knife to cut it. I returned it again to be cooked 'very soft' and cited health reasons as to why, but once again it came back hard. The waitress said she doubted whether it would be any different to the last time, which was true, my wanting it cooked more had been ignored by the kitchen. I gave up after that and managed to eat the top most tips of the asparagus but left the stems.
Why do restaurants want to serve nearly raw vegetables when most middle aged/old folk want them cooked?

[truck71]

Were they raw or al dente? Personally I love veg like that but it's only a preference.

[anonymous-user]

Hate soft veg, give me a crunch every time!

[DoubleD]

Cooked to you is over cooked to others.

[Speed 3]

I definitely prefer Al Dente but that shows pretty poor customer service given your repeated specific request. Veg always changes taste with prolonged cooking. I can't stand cooked carrots but I'll eat raw ones all day long.

[Efbe]

condor said:

Today I had a lovely fish and shellfish pie in a local restaurant but served with near raw asparagus. I asked for the asparagus to be cooked till it was soft and it was returned still too hard for the table knife to cut it. I returned it again to be cooked 'very soft' and cited health reasons as to why, but once again it came back hard. The waitress said she doubted whether it would be any different to the last time, which was true, my wanting it cooked more had been ignored by the kitchen. I gave up after that and managed to eat the top most tips of the asparagus but left the stems.
Why do restaurants want to serve nearly raw vegetables when most middle aged/old folk want them cooked?

did you have the right dentures in?

[Markbarry1977]

You should have simply said "cook them how I want them doing or I am simply not paying for the meal" simple as that. I bet they would have done them how you were paying them to cook them then.

Bloody idiots - Hope you left suitable reviews on google, facebook and trip advisor.

[condor]

Efbe said:

did you have the right dentures in?

I didn't have any dentures in. There's a lot of reasons why people want soft vegetables apart from being easy to chew. It's also easier to swallow.

I am attending another group Christmas meal next week and we have specifically requested soft veg as the previous year ( we are having it at the same hotel) it was so hard it couldn't be eaten.
Perhaps they do it on purpose so it can be made into soup later on.

[DoubleD]

It's a generation thing. People used to boil veg for days on end until all the flavour, goodness, colour and texture had gone. And now.....they don't.

[condor]

10 mins for carrots and sprouts is more than enough. Parsnips for 7 mins, broccoli for 4 mins. This is not days on end.

[ClassicMercs]

condor said:

10 mins for carrots and sprouts is more than enough. Parsnips for 7 mins, broccoli for 4 mins. This is not days on end.

Sounds very much like MrsMercs timings in the steamer - a carefully timed operation throughout the whole meal preparation - I ought to take more notice in future, but she seems happy - leaving me to creating lump free gravy, and carving. We all have our jobs.

The only veg that needs longer is soaked marrowfat peas. My favourite time of year coming - Xmas day marrowfat then cold leftovers spread in sarnies ! A colleague also has these - although MrsMercs side of the family find it a bit weird.

[craig1912]

Always steam vegetables so they still have a "bite" to them- can't stand mushy stuff unless it's carrott and swede mash

Edited by craig1912 on Wednesday 7th December 10:05

Edited by craig1912 on Wednesday 7th December 10:06

[Fastchas]

I'm not making this up...my Mum puts the veg on before putting meat in the oven.
I weighed 10st (6' tall)up to the age of 25 before I left home. I'm now 13st.

[Bill]

condor said:

10 mins for carrots and sprouts is more than enough. Parsnips for 7 mins, broccoli for 4 mins. This is not days on end.

10 minutes for sprouts?!? : yuck: How can you cook parsnips for less?

I hate overdone veg, and feel 4 minutes for broccoli is too much, but each to their own. 10 minutes for sprouts though... Do you like the brown and smelling of farts?

[condor]

My sprouts are still green after 10 mins they are soft and easy to eat. Parsnips I boil with carrots to have together.
If I'm having roast parsnips put them in for 5 mins to parboil with the potatoes before going in the roasting tin.

[anonymous-user]

Parsnips should only ever be roasted imvho

[condor]

garyhun said:

Parsnips should only ever be roasted imvho

Have you tried them boiled? I have parsnips as an everyday vegetable with carrots - not just with roasts.

[Speed 3]

Fastchas said:

I'm not making this up...my Mum puts the veg on before putting meat in the oven.
I weighed 10st (6' tall)up to the age of 25 before I left home. I'm now 13st.

My Mum used to give them 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Surprised there was anything left to spoon out after that.

I bet your meat spent at least 3 hours in the oven too

[mike80]

Speed 3 said:

My Mum used to give them 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Surprised there was anything left to spoon out after that.

Same as mine. Me and my brother hated sprouts, but if she got a load cheap - or free - we'd have eat mountains of the bloody things that had been pressure cooked for hours...

[anonymous-user]

condor said:

garyhun said:

Parsnips should only ever be roasted imvho

Have you tried them boiled? I have parsnips as an everyday vegetable with carrots - not just with roasts.

Well that's now on the list to try