I ran headlong into some class issues this weekend, or, well, financial distinction issues.

Once a year I cook for a weekend of up to 40 people doing maintenance on a lodge in the mountains, and we all chip in to cover the cost of the food.

This weekend I was teamed up with this other woman, and despite being provided the amount we had for the budget and working out a shopping list with her in advance, when she went to buy the food, she spent more than twice the allotted budget--at Whole Foods. (!!!) She didn't ask if we had any of the supplies already (we did), although (to be fair) she didn't ask to be compensated for what she spent over the budget. She chose to prepare a number of dishes which were very labor-intensive and required lots and lots of ingredients, while I'd argued for something a bit less ambitious.

We ended up wasting a lot of food or not using what she'd bought, because she bought too much or prepared too much.

She was very nice. And yet I found myself stewing because I usually get a lot of props for cooking fun meals for a copy of dozen people without blowing a wad of cash.

I don't know how much of my resentment is just jealousness that I didn't get the strokes I usually do; or annoyance that she thought it was important to throw so much money at the issue. As it was, an enormous amount of food got wasted, and/or left there when we left this afternoon. What we had was very good. But still!

And yet, very nice person. Just seemed kind of oblivious to the fact that the community as a whole isn't really gourmet or upper class in any meaningful way. Perhaps I'm overreading it all.

Just seemed kind of oblivious to the fact that the community as a whole isn't really gourmet or upper class in any meaningful way. Perhaps I'm overreading it all.

No, I don't think you are. In my experience, food is a HUGE class issue.

Yeah, it is. I just didn't expect my emotional reaction to the situation to be so strong. Took me back a bit.

BTW, good luck tomorrow! Or is it Tuesday?

I neglected to say: Allyson, you owe them nothing. Shake the dust off your feet and find something where they appreciate your general awesomeness. Tim is totally right.

Cheerios:

My family straddles between working class and middle class. Historically, food was very basic, not spiced, and not expensive to purchase or labor-intensive. The only time people spent hours and hours in prep time were the holidays or special occasions. There was no presentation, but there was quantity.

Whenever my family comes to visit me in Chicago, I have to remember that and take them to the appropriate restaurants. Places that aren't too fancy or expensive, or have what they would consider "weird food" on the menu, or anyplace where I'd have to translate the menu for them.

BTW, good luck tomorrow! Or is it Tuesday?

Thanks! It is Monday mid-morning, which means I need to go to bed ASAP.

It is Monday mid-morning, which means I need to go to bed ASAP.

shrift, in case you didn't go to sleep yet (and, um, even if you already did) - good luck!

[Edit: I wish I had time now to elaborate on the whole food-and-class issue, because it's so interesting and varied and can run so deep. Oh, well. Conversations in Natter tend to repeat themselves after some cycle, right? Some other time, then.]

Dig back a few generations on either side of my family and you hit small time farmers. But Dad joined the navy for WWII and did the whole GI Bill college thing (huge class buster). Then he went to Germany to teach army brats for the occupation and wandered all over Europe. Got his palate way expanded from Turkey to Italy to Spain all the way up to Finland. Mom got scholarships and work-study to become the first woman in her family to go to college and then went to work in mission schools in South and Central America, wandering all around during her vacations.

Then they came back to MI, met, married, moved to a small, remote town, and raised a family.

I grew up assuming everyone ate paella and lasagna and Finnish rye with chili. It was so odd to see my sister's friends come to dinner an poke at their food with a, "What the hell is this?" look on their faces.

Anyway, service—to country or church—was both broadening and class-busting for them. I think it was for a number of people in their generation, especially the WWII GIs.

Why was I both a midnight poster and a first thing in the morning poster? I am so going to regret this schedule.

Anyway, on class I am a bit sheepish to admit that I come from fairly upper-class lines way way back. Like, I have a great great grandmother who went to college, and a great great grandfather (different line) who was a federal judge. Nothing shocking - no Newport mansions - but for the times, way up there.

Why was I both a midnight poster and a first thing in the morning poster?

Um, so that I won't feel alone in my own (um, worse, though lacking two kids, and I'm not sure if it's better or worse) schedule?

My dad was the first on his side to go to college (and he didn't finish) but it's a different story on my mom's side. She wasn't from wealth but definitely a more educated, genteel background. Class stuff actually accounted for a ton of their Issues relating to things far beyond money.