It will KILL ME! But I'll eat it anyway!

[Broomjockey]

It doesn't matter how many times our butcher Chef explained there's no pork in Canadian bacon just like there is no real cheese in head cheese.

Am I misunderstanding? Is this butcher saying that Canadian bacon comes from something other than a pig? Is he crazy? Or do you have some bizarre kind of Canadian bacon that I've never heard of before?

[lush]

I too have this friend who is allergic to tomatoes, but can eat spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, etc.

I asked him about it when we first met, and it has something to do with the juice of an uncooked tomatoe that is the problem. Once it's been cooked (like ketchup, hot sauce, bbq sauce, etc) he won't have a problem, but he can't even cut up raw tomatoes. I'm always careful when preparing fresh veggies with him around to use a seperate cutting board for the tomatoes.

I've seen him have a reaction (raw diced tomatoes in tuna salad at a sandwich shop) and it isn't pretty. More like scary.

I'm the same way, there's an enzyme in raw tomatoes that breaks down when they are cooked, I react to it. Supposidly it's more commen in people with latex allergies (but as far as I know, that I do not have)

I have an ugly reaction to raw tomatoes, but am fine so long as they're cooked. Someone didn't believe me when I said raw tomatoes make me ill once, and while I was working, slapped tomato on my sandwich and pulled it off, leaving raw juice on the lettuce..I'll just say the owner of my job at the time was scared and screamed at the kitchen for that one..

[mischugenah]

the truth about tomatos

Me: Sir...I just thought I'd make you aware, our bbq sauce is made with tomatoes.
SC: Oh sauce is fine! Could I also have some ketchup for my burger?
Me: Okaaaay....

Actually, this is quite possible. When tomatos are cooked, the protiens in them get 'denatured', or changed completely, at least as I understand it. I'm desperatly allergic to tomatos that have been cooked or processed in any way, but raw ones are ok.

[powerboy]

My old supervisor has a similar allergy. Raw tomato is lethal to him, but he can (and did) have ketchup on his fries. He actually explained it to me how it works, but I can't remember. Best I can recall is that the processing breaks up the chemical that he is allergic to and renders it harmless.

Of course, it doesn't explain the attitude.

My last boss was the same way. He was at a restaurant and when he mentioned no tomatoes, because they would kill him. What happened, they pilled a bunch tomato slices.

With me, I do not like pickles. I like sweet pickles but not plain ones. So whenever I order the food without pickles, and it comes with some. I will just take them off.

[Sakka]

I think people say they're allergic because they feel that ensures the staff will take extra care to make sure there aren't any mistakes.

One of our former foster daughters insisted she was allergic to nuts, yet she ate them all the time, and as far as I know, only had hives once. She ate peanut butter, and her favourite chocolate bar was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Either she got some wrong information, or she didn't care, because she liked them.

I can see that, I have a sensitivity/allergy to nuts.
Yet one of my staples is peanut butter. It has to be heavily processed before I find it safe to eat. So called 'Natural Peanut Butter' causes my mouth and tongue to go numb and/or my stomach to start feeling upset. The kinds that seem to be more chemicals then actual peanut butter, I can eat with barely any concern at all. Needless to say, this confused my parents for at least a few years.

For raw nuts, I'll try one to be polite/check my body's reaction.
Peanuts, I can have a handful or two before my mouth starts to tingle.
So far, every other nut that I've tried, my mouth starts tingling after one or two are consumed. Except for almonds or walnuts, for some reason just the scent of those two will make my stomach start to churn, and it doesn't matter if they're fresh or heavily cooked/processed.

[FenigDurak]

And have you ever noticed (oh geez, I sound like Andy Rooney, gah) that people either love or hate them? There is no like?

I only like tomatoes. Mostly because most places keep them so long they get grainy. I can do with or without. They're only a step above celery (read: crunch water) anyway.


All of the women in my family developed minor food allergies at the age of 23. My Grandma's is to strawberries (yumm!), my aunt's to peaches, my Mom to milk fat and mine to almonds. We get these deep rooted pimples that feel like they're sitting on a nerve, but go away after a day or two.
I admit to "chancing it" every summer with the warm toffee almonds at Faire and then just dosing with Benadryl on the way home. I'd make a terrible diabetic. No self control...

[marcpork]

I've been allergic to peanuts and almonds my whole life. Really allergic, if I eat any my throat swells up and I start talking like the godfather, then I start to suffocate. Technically, neither are nuts (almonds are related to peaches or something, and peanuts are closer to beans), but I have had to be careful of what I eat my whole life. Things that "may contain nuts" don't really do anything to me, so I can still enjoy a good milky way bar or six. But if I take a bite into a peanut butter cookie, my mouth starts to burn. Not like eating something really hot, more like spicy and bitterness to the extreme. I haven't had to deal with my allergies that much because it's becoming kinda obvious what I can and can't eat, and I haven't had a problem in years, but I'm kinda afraid to see if I've grown out of them yet.

[Emrld]

Here is the example:
I go out to eat and order my burger . . .no rabbit food. Just meat, bun, cheese.
It gets brought out closed . . .so the cheese has melted into the onion, lettuce, pickle, tomato . . . and it isn't onion in a ring it is little diced ones.
They take it back to the kitchen . . .scrape it and put a new slice of cheese on . . .problem is they didn't get all the onions and the pickle juice soaked into the top bun.
I don't like the taste of onion or pickle . . . so I luckily notice this prior to taking a bite . . .send it back and ask for a new one made correctly. Using manners - as in "I am so sorry but this isn't how I ordered it, would it be possible to have a new one made?"
Sure enough they send out a new one . . . but it has additional DNA (yes I have actualy had food spit on- at least I am hoping it was only spit- it was white) Oh and I was 14 with my 16 year old sister at the time this happened.
Now I never raised my voice, gave attitude etc. I actually apologized for liking things the way I like them. It isn't my fault if the order didn't go into the kitchen correctly, or the kitchen didn't read it, or the runner brought the wrong plate to me.
If I say that I am allergic I am a lot less likely to have DNA donations.
Again - not every kitchen person is like - truth be told it happens less and less - but once you have been burned by it.

[AnqeiicDemise]

Am I misunderstanding? Is this butcher saying that Canadian bacon comes from something other than a pig? Is he crazy? Or do you have some bizarre kind of Canadian bacon that I've never heard of before?

Color me embarassed. I confused two chapters here..

Canadian bacon -- comes from the back of the pig, versus the underbelly which is what American bacon comes from.

I was thinking of something else.

[Broomjockey]

Color me embarassed. I confused two chapters here..

Canadian bacon -- comes from the back of the pig, versus the underbelly which is what American bacon comes from.

I was thinking of something else.

Ah. I even did a google search to see if there were variants I didn't know about. Turns out that it's got a weird coating in some places. Still pig though

[Wenchie]

I'm not sure if these people were really allergic, or that they couldn't tell the difference between being allergic to something and not liking the taste of it.

Actually, I have an allergy to raw tomatoes. There is an enzyme in raw tomatoes that will make me horridly ill (like food poisoning, go to hospital on iv ill) but when you cook and/or process the tomatoes, it removes (breaks down) the enzyme.

So I can have cooked tomatoes, tomato soup, ketchup, bbq sauce etc... but I can't have fresh salsa or any thing else with uncooked tomato. And even the juice will make me ill, so if a tomato is put on a sandwich it has to be remade.

So it IS possible... and people look at me strangely... but in a circumstance like that, it's easier to give a brief explanation. ^_^

[rerant]

You know, after reading most of these comments I now realise how much you non-Candians would benefit from a Harvey's.
When you order a burger you're basically only ordering meat and bread, and all the condiments are put on afterwards at your request.
No special requests for removing things, just ease.

Plus they're the best fast food burgers evAr. Well, them and Hero Burger.

[Ringtail Z28]

Harvey's sounds a little like a Fuddruckers or a Boll Weevil. They serve their burgers in a similar way.

[Anakah]

Maybe they think if they say: I'm allergic that the fast food place would get the hint and not screw up and stick it on there.

Because I thought about saying that at Carl's. I specifically asked for NO mayo or tomatoes, and what did I get on it when I got home? A buttload of mayo (even though I asked him twice to make sure) and tomatoes.

I understand it is really hard to hear on the intercoms, I just thought maybe he was new or couldn't hear. I don't like to cause a huge scene or anything. Accidents happen. I would never say I was allergic though, even though the thought has gone through my head.

I usually turn off my car so that they can hear me better.

But yeah, telling someone you will DIE if they put that thing on there and then asking for it in another form is completely stupid.

[Pagan]

Ah. I even did a google search to see if there were variants I didn't know about. Turns out that it's got a weird coating in some places. Still pig though

I did the same thing. The words "que what" running through my head....since it is entirely possible that I've misplaced my mind.