# I made something tasty! What the hell is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115 "2005-01-05T00:32:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/1 "2005-01-05T00:32:09Z")
I cooked up some 4 cheese ravioli I had and then layered it, lasagne-style, with: Imitation Crab mixed with spinach Shrimp Emeril’s Vodka sauce Pizza blend cheese Topped it off with whatever cheeses I had on hand, and baked it. It was a hit, even with my oldest son who doesn’t like seafood. So…what is it? It’s gotta be something not entirely original, I figure, but I’ve never had anything like it. Ideas? Or input on what I might change next time to liven it up? (I have to say, I really like the vodka sauce…had never tried it before, but it’s goood.) Best, karol ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/2 "2005-01-05T00:54:09Z")
Dunno, but the imitation crab has me worried. I’m allergic to most kinds of fish, so I always have to ask if the crab is really crab. Anyway, I think you’ve invented something here, but I don’t know what. You could call it, I dunno, ravioli with shrimp and imitation crab with assorted cheeses and Emeril’s vodka sauce. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/3 "2005-01-05T01:12:39Z")
You made “Mom’s Creative Cheesy Shrimp and Crab Casserole”. Woo! I’ve accidentally made a few winners with whatever was on hand a time or two. Sad thing is I never manage to duplicate them when I try to plan for it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/4 "2005-01-05T01:16:56Z")
I’d call it “pasta and seafood surprise.” I use “surprise” in any recipe I invent, because I’m always surprised when my experiments turn out well. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/5 "2005-01-05T03:19:19Z")
I don’t know what it is but it sound \ ***delicious** \* ! Cheese, pasta, seafood, what’s not to like? My mom is good at that, taking whatever is on hand and concocting something yummy. Trouble is, one can never do it a second time. [big puppydog eyes on] _Can I have dinner at your house_?[/big puppydog eyes off] ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/6 "2005-01-05T03:41:01Z")
How about Baked Ravioli Florentine with Seafood? ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/7 "2005-01-05T04:23:36Z")
In honor of the Straight Dope, Cecil’s Ravioli Florentine? ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/8 "2005-01-06T01:43:48Z")
Oh my God, I made a _Florentine_? I’m so impressed with myself. I tend to name things the way Asbestos Mango does…my poems are usually named something like “Poem for a Sister” or even more daring and edgy, “The Sister.” It’s kind of pathetic, really. (BTW, can you eat artificial crab? It’s whitefish, I think, with “crab flavoring,” whatever the heck that is.) I make Pasta Surprise about once a week for the kids…pasta with whatever is leftover, plus spaghetti sauce. They love it. Baker, you may come on over ANYtime. So can anyone else. I love to cook for a crowd. And for Mango, I’ll make some, uh, pasta surprise. Thanks for the input! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/9 "2005-01-06T02:07:35Z")
I thought “florentine” basically meant “there’s spinach in this.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/10 "2005-01-06T02:11:42Z")
You’re a step ahead of me, then, because I assumed it meant “with a lot of cheese on top.” I tend to cook chunks of meat and fried potatoes, that sort of thing. This was, literally, the first time in my life that I used frozen spinach in anything. Frankly, I only put it in because everything else was so yellow and white (except for the pale orange sauce). My color sense was offended without something green, and since I always use broccoli as my green, I went wild and got the spinach. My mama would be so proud. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/11 "2005-01-06T03:40:49Z")
[Florentine](http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/how_to/food_dictionary/entry?id=2554):dishes presented on a bed of spinach topped with a creamy cheese sauce. So I guess you’re both right. If you wanna get fancy, you could probably call this thing _Ravioli cotti con più formaggio alla Fiorentina_. I’m sure the Italian is horribly mangled (thanks, Babelfish), but it’ll probably impress the heck out of your family. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/12 "2005-01-06T03:57:49Z")
If you ever come to a potluck Chicago Dopefest, you **will** bring this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/13 "2005-01-06T19:09:05Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > If you ever come to a potluck Chicago Dopefest, you **will** bring this. 🙂 Absolutely. With Doritos on the side. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/14 "2005-01-06T21:46:39Z")
A Bloomington steamer? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/15 "2005-01-06T21:51:44Z")
In an analytic and boringly scientific way, I’d look at it and go; hmm, layers of pasta, with cheese, white sauce, spinach and seafood. I’d classify it as a white seafood lasagna with spinach. But mare di Bodypoet florentine sounds a lot better, so let’s go with that. Since I don’t know ‘seafood’ in Italian, I just put ‘Bodypoet’s sea’ which I’m thinking is maybe even better in English. So how about _Bodypoet’s sea florentine_ as a name? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/16 "2005-01-06T22:33:35Z")
[Ragout](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=ragout), maybe? Sounds very tasty in any case. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/17 "2005-01-06T23:26:05Z")
I will say this for it: It was better the first time than it was when I reheated it. I was somewhat surprised–so many times, dishes taste better the next day. But I think the shrimp and the cheeses didn’t lend themselves to reheating the way chili or something might. It was still good, though. We managed to eat most of it, with one ravioli left for each dog. Everyone was happy. I made elkburgers smothered in Beefy Mushroom soup roasted with potatoes the night before. It was GOOD! And I’m not crazy about elk. It’s amazing how inventive one gets when the cupboard is nearly bare and payday is still a few days off! ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/18 "2005-01-06T23:35:19Z")
I believe if you made it without refference to an existing dish then you get to name it. If you later find out someone did it before you can either start using the old name or stubbenly use your own name for it. Many dishes have multiple names for the same sort of reason. Creme Brule is also Burnt Cream. Even famous chef’s sometimes make a minor and obviously often done before change to a recipie and yet name the new recipie for themselve. eg Maman Blanc’s Floating Island is just standard Floating Island with sliced Almond. So come up with a good enough name, and feed it to enough friends and maybe the name will stick and become famous. ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/19 "2005-01-07T03:05:37Z")
AFAIK that faux-crab stuff is called _surimi_ and is usually made from pollock (which is unfortunately being heavily overfished as a consequence). [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surimi) has a somewhat more comprehensive definition. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115/20 "2005-01-07T03:14:42Z")
I like the sound of “mariscos” for seafood, but the Italians call it “frutti di mare”. How about “Mariscos florentinos”, “Frutti di mare florentina Bodypoet” or “Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee Cheezy Shrimp and Krab De-Lite”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-made-something-tasty-what-the-hell-is-it/283115.md?page=2)