# 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:** 18
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/341 "2020-12-11T14:47:13Z")
^^ There’s a large Asian market here and I saw them amongst the many other varieties of frozen egg rolls they sell. They were quite good - kind of like an Asian version of a hand pie. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/342 "2020-12-11T15:20:08Z")
Now I want an old-fashioned deep-fried McDonald’s crack-apple pie. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/343 "2020-12-11T15:27:13Z")
I’m going to have to try making apple egg rolls or spring rolls. Last night I made some pasta that I topped with mussels in a tomato sauce. It was a decent idea, but I was not impressed. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/344 "2020-12-11T20:33:22Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Now I want an old-fashioned deep-fried McDonald’s crack-apple pie. This is the closest thing to the apple egg roll, I think - I just baked 'em, but if you deep fried them it would be pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/345 "2020-12-12T12:54:37Z")
I’ve worked out a crude approach dicing some apples, adding sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a splash of apple juice. Simmering this till the apples just begin to soften, then allowing it to cool. Put the filling in an egg roll wrapper and air frying. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/346 "2020-12-12T14:26:48Z")
It might be good with a bit of cream cheese in it. Or brown sugar. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/347 "2020-12-12T14:27:25Z")
!!! Yes !!! ---
**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:** [December 12, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/348 "2020-12-12T14:31:21Z")
Apple egg rolls sound very much like Filipino banana lumpia. Yum. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/349 "2020-12-12T17:28:31Z")
Oh man, I haven’t had lumpia in ages. We used to be able to get them in the local grocery store back when we lived in Virginia - there was a lady who made them by hand and would sell them at a few places. So good. But those were meat and veg fillings, no banana. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/350 "2020-12-12T22:17:57Z")
For brunch/lunch, I have been on a mission to use up all the random leftovers in the fridge, and today’s experiment was loosely based on [Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes.](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/loaded-mashed-potato-cakes/?fbclid=IwAR3fEh_8bFGbeBZPV8GHQli2dIc5RRa4I0fwduVlgOfuPlZ3FyXqyD7hIEM) I think this is about to become my new favorite thing to do with random leftovers. I fried up maybe 3 slices of chopped prosciutto, added a bit of olive oil, and one finely minced red bell pepper. Meanwhile, we had maybe 3 - 4 cups of leftover potato/parsnip/roasted garlic mash, so I dumped that into a bowl, added 4 eggs, some goat cheese, some diced havarti, some Penzey’s Fox Point, some pepper, some parsley, and some all-purpose flour. Dumped in the sauteed peppers and prosciutto. Mixed it all up and fried the first three patties, but the batter wasn’t quite holding together enough, so I added a bit more flour (multigrain chapati flour this time, for more nutritional value) for the next round and made them a bit smaller. Bingo! I think you could adapt this to just about any random stuff you might have in the fridge. We have a metric ton of root vegetables in the fridge right now, thanks to our enthusiastic CSA, so I am now thinking about all possible combinations of root vegetable patties/fritters/whatever. I guess it will be our Hanukah food this year? We have tons of sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, turnips, beets, celery root, carrots, parsnips, watermelon radishes, winter squash, and I’m sure I am forgetting a few things. Maybe mashed sweet potato with chickpea flour, smoked paprika, and tahini/garlic drizzle? Other ideas welcome! ---
**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:** [December 12, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/351 "2020-12-12T22:22:04Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Maybe mashed sweet potato with chickpea flour, smoked paprika, and tahini/garlic drizzle? Other ideas welcome! I roast sweet potatoes, scoop out the flesh, stir in a little tahini and chili powder (the mix that you’d use in chili, not straight chile powder), smoked paprika, and some canned chickpeas, then re-stuff. Smoked paprika sprinkled on top. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/352 "2020-12-12T22:24:38Z")
Tonight I’m finally getting around to making @scabpicker’s [Dan Dan Noodles.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/238) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/353 "2020-12-12T23:14:32Z")
Tonight will be a bag of frozen Mexican-style veggies, some additional roasted red peppers, some hamburger and assorted spices. There will be left-overs, because I made a lot. But the fridge is looking neater. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/354 "2020-12-13T15:25:37Z")
Yesterday was baked mustard chicken, and because there’s another thread on the board about latkes, I made some potato pancakes, too, though I tarted mine up with some finely chopped serranos and a little cheese. Tonight will be pot roast, and that’s where the random root vegetables will be going. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/355 "2020-12-13T17:38:50Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Tonight I’m finally getting around to making @scabpicker’s [Dan Dan Noodles.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/238) How’d ya like it? Tonight we’re having chicken shwarma from a Trader Joe’s pre-marinated pack. I made a batch of [sourdough flat bread dough](https://www.akneadtobake.com/post/sourdough-flat-bread) last night, and I’ll get it out of the fridge and bake it in about an hour. I had a light lunch because I’m sure I won’t be able to resist eating some fresh, hot bread. 🥙 ---
**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:** [December 13, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/356 "2020-12-13T17:43:21Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > > [@needscoffee](#): > > > > Tonight I’m finally getting around to making @scabpicker’s [Dan Dan Noodles.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/238) > > How’d ya like it? It was good. Thanks! When all this is over, I’m going to have to try it at a Chinese restaurant to compare. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/357 "2020-12-14T00:41:41Z")
I spent so long chopping and prepping that I ran out of steam. I’ll find some leftovers or crack open a jar of gefilte fish. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/358 "2020-12-14T01:54:46Z")
Stuffed eggplant with the stuffing pretty much just moussaka. Very fine. ---
**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:** [December 16, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/359 "2020-12-16T03:48:50Z")
Panini yesterday, which was very good. Will make again soon, since I have another panino loaf to use. Leftover pot roast/veg and potato pancakes tonight. Probably shakshuka tomorrow, since I already have the sauce made and there’s some duck eggs in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037/360 "2020-12-16T03:50:57Z")
I was on the road today. So supper was a McRib sandwich and an apple fritter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-for-dinner-tonight-2020-anything-goes-edition/923037.md?page=19)