Keep hands out of food
Every year during this time I step away from my column to work on other creative projects. I hope you enjoy these “Best of ” Q&As from 10 years ago.
Today’s topic is: Germ donors!
I’ll be back with fresh Q&As next week.
Dear Amy: I’ve been happily married for two years. I am grateful for my in-laws’ kindness; the problem is my mother-in-law’s cooking. She does not wash her hands! I have caught her putting her fingers in food, licking her fingers and putting her fingers back in the same dish.
My husband and I are disgusted. Is there any way to bring this to her attention without hurting her feelings?
Grossed Out
Dear Grossed Out: This is extremely unappetizing, not to mention unhealthy.
Because your husband was raised by his mother and is also grossed out by this, one wonders if she has always done this or if this is a new development. If it’s new, his mother could have her own health issues leading to this behavior.
Bringing this up shouldn’t cause conflict, though your mother-in-law might be a little stung. Try saying: “Mom, I’m very concerned about hand-washing in the kitchen. Can you help me out here? I love your cooking but I can’t eat after I’ve seen your hands in the food.”
(January 2011)
Dear Amy: My husband and I frequent a local restaurant.
There is one waitress who insists on serving us. She is good at her job but every time she greets us, she kisses us on our lips. It makes me uncomfortable. I have mentioned to her that I have a cold and so “no kisses for me,” but then the next time we go in, she does it again!
Diner in a Dilemma
Dear Diner: The only thing left to do is to tell this person, “I apologize because I should have told you a long time ago, but I really don’t like to be kissed when we come in. It makes me very uncomfortable.” If she won’t respect this boundary, you should mention this to the manager.
(March 2011)
Dear Amy: My in-laws think nothing about putting a spoon they licked back into the coleslaw or potato salad, or double-dipping chips into salsa or dips. My kids were taught not to do this. We’ve mentioned this to them a few times but they get offended and believe we are insulting them.
What are the health risks? Maybe if we could explain it from a positive viewpoint, they might understand.
Always Offended
Dear Offended: My instinct was that this wasn’t really so harmful. And then I did some checking.
The FDA referred me to a 2008 Clemson University study. The question researchers chose to answer is: “Does double-dipping actually spread bacteria and germs?” They assembled volunteers and used wheat crackers and dips.
They found that in just a few double-dips, about 10,000 bacteria were transferred from the eater’s mouth to the dip. According to the director of the study, this is the rough equivalent of kissing someone on the mouth. So ask yourselves, are you on kissing terms with your in-laws?
(April 2011)