# So What's for Dinner Tonight? (2020 Anything Goes Edition) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 15, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037 "2020-10-15T20:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/221 "2020-11-15T21:41:30Z")
You just know that mayo jar had been left out on the counter overnight or all day more than once as well. In Southern California where it’s nice and warm. As to dinner: I’m doing ribs as I said. I’ll be baking up a few each sweet & russet potatoes; far more than we 3 can eat, but that sets up real nice heat-n-eat for during the week. I’ve got a low-effort cooking technique that gets the nice crunchy salty steakhouse-style skins. Lemme know if you want that. You were admiring @purplehorseshoe’s baked sweet pots w cheese & BBQ sauce earlier. Maybe that with some accesories? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/222 "2020-11-15T21:47:28Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’ve got a low-effort cooking technique that gets the nice crunchy salty steakhouse-style skins. Lemme know if you want that. Sure! > [@LSLGuy](#): > > You were admiring @purplehorseshoe’s baked sweet pots w cheese & BBQ sauce earlier. Maybe that with some accesories? I’m still considering that. I have some sweet potatoes here in the fridge that are silently nagging me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/223 "2020-11-15T21:57:18Z")
This is sorta the opposite of her low-n-slow cooking method, but they still come out pretty darn awesome. From [The BEST Baked Potato Recipe | Gimme Some Oven](https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/baked-potato/) as refined by experience. For large russets: ballpark 70 minutes from goes into oven to ready to eat = 95 minutes w warmup & prep. For sweet pots or small russets subtract 10m from each interval below = 20m total. Sweets can go longer, but don’t need to. Russets done longer get too crunchy. Preheat oven to 450F (~25minutes warmup) Clean & pierce potatoes thoroughly Place pots on wire rack on a baking sheet or put pots directly onto oven rack w catch pan on next oven rack down. Want airflow all around. Bake large russets 35 mins or small russets / sweets 25 mins until skin dry & slightly wrinkly. Remove from oven, brush tops/sides w oil or melted butter. Sprinkle top/sides w coarse salt. Invert & repeat on bottom surface. Return to oven inverted vs first bake. Cook same interval again: russets 35mins, sweets 25 mins. Pull from oven & serve. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/224 "2020-11-15T22:03:48Z")
Thanks, LSLGuy! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/225 "2020-11-15T22:52:24Z")
Two meatloaves made; one in the fridge waiting to be baked, and the other wrapped in cling film in the freezer waiting for another day. I’ll assemble the potatoes au gratin soon for cooking later. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/226 "2020-11-16T00:07:43Z")
Hot beef curry (Rogan Josh), Basmati rice, steamed sweet potato with butter and salt, peas nuked in mint jelly, toasted naan, and a glass of cold whole milk. Yum-O! 😋 ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/227 "2020-11-16T00:15:44Z")
That’s exactly how I make them, too. Perfect every time. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/228 "2020-11-16T00:36:39Z")
Leftovers! Hot dogs, beans and saffron rice with raisins and almonds. Reel gore-mett meal! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/229 "2020-11-16T00:48:07Z")
Last night we made dan dan noodles, and I had the leftovers for lunch today. Tonight we made pork chops with yuzu-miso marinade and ponzu brown butter mushrooms. Dang, I love the weekends these days. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/230 "2020-11-16T04:12:54Z")
The rest of the chili I made earlier in the week, crackers and some really nice satsumas. One thing I love about chili is it’s one of those things that actually gets better after it sits for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/231 "2020-11-16T04:30:21Z")
Sliced up the remains of the grilled cow from last night in a buttered ciabatta roll, with Colemans English mustard, a slice of pepper jack, sliced tomato and cucumber. Fresh crispy meaty and zippy. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/232 "2020-11-16T05:02:33Z")
Ended up doing the stuffed sweet potatoes. Mashed the innards with lentils, tahini, and Indian spices. I thought I had pumpkin seeds to add but I must have eaten them all. They were very good, and I have enough to snack on the rest of the week unless I freeze some. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/233 "2020-11-16T05:05:13Z")
> [@Precambrianmollusc](#): > > Sliced up the remains of the grilled cow from last night in a buttered ciabatta roll, with Colemans English mustard, a slice of pepper jack, sliced tomato and cucumber. This sounds fantastic! Actually, _everybody_ else’s meals sound great. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/234 "2020-11-16T05:20:13Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > The rest of the chili I made earlier in the week, crackers and some really nice satsumas. One thing I love about chili is it’s one of those things that actually gets better after it sits for a few days. Oh, indeed. Both the green and the red versions of chili get better. I remember my aunt Anita’s recipe for a bowl of red. It’d bring tears to my eyes and make me sweat when I’d eat the first fresh bite of it on the first day. After it had sat in the fridge for a day, the meat was more tender, and the heat at least took two or three spoonfuls to start my sweat glands up, and all of the other flavors have an easier time coming through. Perfect chili weather is due for north Texas soon, and we just re-stocked with dried and frozen peppers. I can’t wait…until Thanksgiving is consumed…or maybe we can make turkey chili with the leftovers…hmm. The dan dan sauce we made has a similar arc. Last night, I spooned a few extra spoonfuls of it on my noodles, and kind of thought I might have over-done it by the end. I (of course) did the same thing with my serving for lunch, and I was thinking I might want another spoonful when I was near finishing it. It was less hot, and the flavors were even better. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/235 "2020-11-16T05:26:04Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > The dan dan sauce we made has a similar arc. Last night, I spooned a few extra spoonfuls of it on my noodles, and kind of thought I might have over-done it by the end. I (of course) did the same thing with my serving for lunch, and I was thinking I might want another spoonful when I was near finishing it. It was less hot, and the flavors were even better. Do you make your dan dan noodles with ground pork? ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/236 "2020-11-16T05:34:03Z")
Yep, kind of think I have enough for another serving for lunch tomorrow. We also found the mustard preserved in chili powder at a store that is literally down the street. Though, technically we got mustard tuber and not mustard green, which is supposed to be the spicier of the two. I liked it better than the dan dan noodles I’ve had prepared for me in restaurants, so I’ll probably stick with it, even though it’s technically not what the recipe we were following called for. We also substituted baby bok choy for the pea shoots the recipe called for, I realized when I was eating it _that’s what I’ve been eating all this time when I’ve ordered this_. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/237 "2020-11-16T05:39:10Z")
Can you point to a recipe you’d recommend? There are zillions on the web. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/238 "2020-11-16T06:00:44Z")
Surely, it’s Cafe China’s recipe published in the New York Times. > **[Café China’s Dan Dan Noodles Recipe](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021499-cafe-chinas-dan-dan-noodles)** > > Also known as dan dan mian, these noodles have regional variations — you’re likely to find a peanut-laden, vegetarian version in Taiwan — but this recipe comes from Café China, a beloved Sichuan restaurant in New York City. Popularized in... ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/239 "2020-11-16T06:10:56Z")
Thanks! Unfortunately I don’t have the extra NYT Cooking subscription, but the ingredient list is available online. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/240 "2020-11-16T14:24:45Z")
We got to talking yesterday evening, and before long it was too dark to grill the steak, so we wound up having bacon-tomato pasta and salads instead. 🍨 🍷 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037.md?page=13)