cereal_killer75

Idiosyncrasy;

1. A structural or behavioural characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.
2. A Physiological or temperamental peculiarity.

Perhaps it could be argued that by pure existence, I am an idiosyncrasy. I am sure my family would agree with that. Am I peculiar? Yes. Am I temperamental? Maybe... depending on which day you ask that question, the answer will vary :o)

I have many unique behavioural characteristics - such as, ensuring that every food group on my dinner plate not only be eaten separately, but also co-exist on my dinner plate separately. For example, if I have both peas and mashed potato on my plate, a pea must not stray into my mash. That is just simply unacceptable, and there has to be a careful extraction process. Before being able to eat either food group, I must separate the two... inter-vegetable consumption is an oddity to me.

This particular characteristic goes further still... Not only do I like my items separate, they are consumed in the same manner. My mum makes the best Sunday Roast dinners (her potatoes are exquisite!), and there is a definite method that such a meal should be eaten.
* Firstly, the potatoes must be eaten... whilst they are hot and still crispy. (If any other food group touches them, this item should be removed prior to eating - includes gravy).
* Then the meat (** Side note, if meat is Pork, crackling should be consumed prior to the potatoes... this is the only exception to the rule). It is accepted that all roast meat should be eaten with gravy; these are one-in-the-same when being consumed under the 'Mel Idiosyncrasy'. 
*Then Roast Onion,
* Roast Carrot, and finally
* Peas (eaten last, cause they taste the same hot or cold).

The next idiosyncrasy is a group characteristic of my Family... we shall call it the 'Mckiernan Idiosyncrasy'... and one I highly recommend. Bread and Gravy. This is another moment where two different food items are allowed to touch. Whilst eating the roast dinner, the slice of bread is placed into the gravy tray and allowed to soak up the goodness of the left over gravy. By the time dinner is finished, the bread is warm and swollen with gravy. It literally melts in your mouth. To top off this idiosyncrasy in my family there is a common myth that accompanies it... if you do not eat this item directly after the consumption of the Roast Dinner, you will fall ill. The 'Bread and Gravy' portion of dinner is commonly known as 'The Antidote'.

Finally for dessert, there are more idiosyncrasies. A roast dinner can only be completed by the presentation of a hot hot fruit pie... most commonly being the Apple Pie (however this is not a hard and fast rule). It can, on occasion, be an Apricot Pie or Apple and Rhubarb Pie. But it must always be a pie... once my mother attempted to serve a Strudel (albeit Apple). This was  a clear breach of the 'Mckiernan Family Idiosyncrasy Rule'. As such, there was the great Strudel Rebellion of '88. 

Well, this is the Idiosyncratic Rules for Sunday Lunch... do you dare ask about the rest of my week???? :o)