"Des plats vieillots" means old-fashioned dishes seen in a negative light.
"Des plats à l'ancienne" means old-fashioned dishes seen in a favorable light.
It seems to me that the title of this thread indicated that the subject was old dishes seen unfavorably since one has to "admit" liking them as though there were something wrong with that.
It's quite unusual for a word in one language to fill all the slots filled by a word in another language and only those slots.
And it's foolish to draw conclusions about culture from the vocabulary of a language. "Did you know the French have no word for entrepreneur?"
We've established that both Francophones and Anglophones can refer to old-fashioned dishes negatively and positively (see "comfort food" above, for example). Of course they can. You can refer to anything in any language.
According to these people....
The word entrepreneur comes from the 13th century French verb
entreprendre, meaning to do something or to undertake.? By the 16th
century, the noun entrepreneur, had emerged to refer to someone who
undertakes a business venture. The first academic usage of the term
was by economist Richard Cantillon in 1730. For Cantillion, the
bearing of risk engaging in business without an assurance of the
profits that will be derived is the distinguishing feature of an
entrepreneur.
Sasha,
Maybe it is a southern MD thing. We have some friends who are from Southern Maryland and a really into crabs (I thought I knew how to pick crabs until I met them) and they both grew up with it.
Oh, what a dreary steak tartare that must be
With seasonings mixed in with the meat, I just don't want any sauce involved.
Stan - that could well be the case. It's not a Baltimore thing that I've ever seen.
I never saw vinegar with crab in my stint in Murlin, but I was in Frederick. And it was 30 years ago.
I've never seen it on crab here, although lemon or lemon butter are popular.
And that reminds me of a local old-fashined dish that I haven't had in ages. Crab (or shrimp) Louie, a cold salad. The dressing is made from mayonnaise, ketchup (or chili sauce) and various seasonings. Sometimes cream or whipped cream is added. Made properly, it is delicious and only remotely related ot Thousand Island. Made improperly, it tastes like bad bottled Thousand Island.
(Crab Louie sounds like the brother-in-crime of Clams Casino).
I'm sorry Kerouac. I failed you! I only talked about the top of my meat not the inside. I am ashamed. But just plain ground beef with an egg on top really wouldn't be all that appealing. Not a lot of seasoning mind you, just enough to give it a bit of pizazz.
My in-laws live in Frederick, nutrax. It's not known for its cuisine!
I prefer Crab Imperial, made with Old Bay, of course.
(Crab Louie sounds like the brother-in-crime of Clams Casino
Hee hee - it does.