My neighbor Greg's 'fancy' bean soup recipe

He came over last Tuesday with a big pot, saying he'd made a 'gourmet' version of my cheap bean soup. It was the same thing, but he'd added exactly three capers and called it 'Mediterranean style'. He was so proud, said it 'elevated the whole dish'. Has anyone else had someone try to improve a budget meal in a way that just made it more expensive for no reason?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollyl455h ago

Oh man, that is so familiar. My cousin once 'upgraded' my basic pasta by stirring in a tiny spoonful of pesto from a jar, like it was magic dust. Suddenly it was 'gourmet' and the cost per bowl doubled. It's the same with people adding one fancy cheese slice to a grilled cheese and acting like they invented cooking. It just makes the meal more expensive without really changing it.

scott.jana4h ago

Yeah, I just keep the fancy stuff separate now. Let people add their own pesto or cheese if they want it, so the base price stays low. Stops the "chef's special" tax before it even starts.