Stupid communication issues that make me want to punch people.
Stupid communication issues that make me want to punch people. Ok, possibly not completely independently associated with this one incident. My dad is sick, so my mom wants to get stuff he might be able to keep down. She makes a list and asks if I can get them. One of the items is "4 regular potatoes".
I have spent a whole life considering russets, aka baking, aka Idaho 'regular' potatoes. Also, when I was growing up you had those and the red skinned waxy boiling potatoes and 'sweet potatoes', which were interchangeably either a single variety of the orange sweet potato or yam. That was it. They came in some variation of size, but that's all. Red skinned was for potato salad or mashing. Russets were for baking or mashing (or sometimes pancakes). Oh, and sometimes we were given the russets to munch on raw with salt (they're quite crunchy - I liked them) or to use to make printing stamps (omg they let us carve with knives!).
So I came back with 4 white russet baking potatoes, 'cuz I know we aren't making potato salad or mashed potatoes. Apparently, I am wrong. Apparently, "regular" refers to red skinned boiling potatoes. Now, logically I know that people make assumptions about this sort of stuff rooted in culture and experiences yadda yadda. Except this is my mother. For mumbledypeg years she has considered the waxy boiling potatoes "regular"? News to me. Seems I was raised in a parallel universe.
I am also cognizant of the fact that certain behaviors have to do with general stress and anxiety, but sometimes I still want to punch people. Yes, I know that is not the functional, constructive response. It's really annoying, though, when you go through this whole song and dance about what are those, why did you get those, those are wrong, those aren't what I wanted, you should have gotten this other thing, you're wrong, this is what I consider regular, oh well I guess I can use them, I suppose I could have been more specific, I was really writing the list for myself anyway, etc.
I have spent a whole life considering russets, aka baking, aka Idaho 'regular' potatoes. Also, when I was growing up you had those and the red skinned waxy boiling potatoes and 'sweet potatoes', which were interchangeably either a single variety of the orange sweet potato or yam. That was it. They came in some variation of size, but that's all. Red skinned was for potato salad or mashing. Russets were for baking or mashing (or sometimes pancakes). Oh, and sometimes we were given the russets to munch on raw with salt (they're quite crunchy - I liked them) or to use to make printing stamps (omg they let us carve with knives!).
So I came back with 4 white russet baking potatoes, 'cuz I know we aren't making potato salad or mashed potatoes. Apparently, I am wrong. Apparently, "regular" refers to red skinned boiling potatoes. Now, logically I know that people make assumptions about this sort of stuff rooted in culture and experiences yadda yadda. Except this is my mother. For mumbledypeg years she has considered the waxy boiling potatoes "regular"? News to me. Seems I was raised in a parallel universe.
I am also cognizant of the fact that certain behaviors have to do with general stress and anxiety, but sometimes I still want to punch people. Yes, I know that is not the functional, constructive response. It's really annoying, though, when you go through this whole song and dance about what are those, why did you get those, those are wrong, those aren't what I wanted, you should have gotten this other thing, you're wrong, this is what I consider regular, oh well I guess I can use them, I suppose I could have been more specific, I was really writing the list for myself anyway, etc.
I consider the ones you bought to be regularly too, for what it's worth. If I wanted red, I'd specify but if someone just says they want potatoes white russets are what they are getting!
ReplyDeleteI prefer Yukon Gold in general, and they can more or less be used either way, but if given that list and no way to check what "regular" meant, I'd have got russets, too. I don't think I've ever used red potatoes unless the recipe specifically calls for them (like for potato salad).
ReplyDeleteYay, you all grew up in my parallel universe! Seriously, though, some days this stuff makes me question my sanity.
ReplyDeleteI like potatoes, unless I'm making a certain kind of soup I wouldn't care at all. People are weirdly picky sometimes (myself included)
ReplyDelete