# What is your favorite meal that you cook? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 28, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186 "2024-05-28T15:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/41 "2024-05-30T01:56:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve thought about making it with just spinach, but I _like_ red bell peppers Oh, so do I, but Florentine is famous without it. I could see subbing some onions, or adding a bit of mustard to the sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/42 "2024-05-30T01:59:13Z")
Chili. I’m just about to make a batch right now, in fact. 50/50 ground beef and ground pork, onions and garlic, a blend of fresh peppers (today I’m using Anaheim, jalapeno, and serrano), pinto beans, beef broth, tomato sauce and tomato paste, and my personal blend of spices, thickened with a cornstarch slurry and simmered until the peppers are tender. It’s super-flavorful and hot enough to make you sweat. Sometimes I’ll make a green chili with most of the same ingredients but tomatillo puree instead of tomato and green chili powder, or a chili verde with cubed pork in a tomatillo-and-green-pepper puree, or a thick, beanless and veggie-less coney-style chili for hot dogs and burgers, or a Cincinnati-style chili for making four-ways. I even once made a vegetarian chili with corn and squash instead of meat. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/43 "2024-05-30T01:59:20Z")
She likes onions, but onions don’t like her. ☹ ---
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/44 "2024-05-30T02:04:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > She likes onions, but onions don’t like her Omg, I never thought it would happen to me, but it did. Still love them, but I have to think about my office partner… My point was, though, your recipe looks delicious even without the red peppers. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/45 "2024-05-30T02:09:28Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > your recipe looks delicious even without the red peppers. Oh, I assure you: It is! 🤤 ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/46 "2024-05-30T02:25:23Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > I don’t know if I have an absolute favorite, as my tastes vary by season and even the day of the week. But certainly one dish I make that gets very good reviews from the family is breaded and fried pork schnitzel with jaeger sauce (essentially an onion, mushroom, and bacon gravy type sauce). Paired with some homemade spaetzle and a crisp gewurztraminer, and you have a very nice dinner indeed! I have no idea what most of those things are, but I now want to eat them… ETA: after review, I apparently want to drink one of them. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/47 "2024-05-30T02:30:59Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > readed and fried pork schnitzel I used to make pretty good Wiener Schnitzel, but you can’t get veal cutlets around here anymore. ☹ I local place has ‘Wiener Schnitzel’ made with chicken. If I order it, I ask for the ‘chicken-fried chicken’. Because that’s not Wiener Schnitzel, dammit! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/48 "2024-05-30T04:47:34Z")
Mmmm. I make an oxtail soup that starts with a lot of very caramelized onions. And it’s really fabulous. I suppose i could use it as a base for French onion soup. … My favorite dish that i make all the time is roast chicken. The key is to buy a tasty chicken (i buy chickens breed for flavor rather than quick growth, that were raised on pasture) and not overcook it. I use the FDA “integrated” safety guidelines (the ones that take into account how long the meat is kept at temperature, not just the hottest moment) which allows for much lower final temps. I guess i cook it “medium”, rather than “well done”. I start it very hot to brown the skin, and then turn the oven down low to finish cooking evenly. I don’t even season it. I suppose i like less salt than many, but i think it’s delicious just from chicken-y goodness and maillard reactions. I also make a nice roast duck with wild rice/cranberry stuffing, and my family adores Madhur Jaffrey’s bbq leg of lamb. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/49 "2024-05-30T04:51:26Z")
Update on the chili: I was feeling experimental and decided to add 1/4 tsp. of fish sauce while it was simmering. It adds a whole lot of umami to the broth. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/50 "2024-05-30T04:52:17Z")
Maybe substitute chopped tomato for the chopped pepper? It would give a little tang as well as some color. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/51 "2024-05-30T04:57:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I used to make cioppino… Me too. One of my favorites. Used to. Can’t really make it for one… Oh, wait. There was a thread about that… ---
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/52 "2024-05-30T11:39:11Z")
The last time I made French Onion soup I caramelized the onions overnight with the sous vide. They came out perfect. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/53 "2024-05-30T12:00:11Z")
Lamb liver with bacon, onions and a red wine sauce. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/54 "2024-05-30T12:15:28Z")
That’s a trick I learned from Kenji. That, and adding raisins to add a sweet note to some dishes like adovada. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/55 "2024-05-31T10:22:07Z")
Not sure if I learned it somewhere. I was just thinking about whether there was anything I had in the fridge to add more umami and I thought of Worcestershire sauce, but I didn’t want the Worcestershirey flavor, and then I remembered that I had some Thai fish sauce. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/56 "2024-05-31T11:54:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I used to make pretty good Wiener Schnitzel, but you can’t get veal cutlets around here anymore. ☹ > > I local place has ‘Wiener Schnitzel’ made with chicken. If I order it, I ask for the ‘chicken-fried chicken’. Because that’s not Wiener Schnitzel, dammit! When I lived in Salt Lake City they had branches of a California-based fast food chain named _WienerSchnitzel_ that sells hot dogs. My quintessentially German advisor used to rail against the fact that an American chain named “WienerSchitzel” didn’t actually serve _Wiener Schnitzel_. > **[Wienerschnitzel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wienerschnitzel)** > > Wienerschnitzel is an American fast food chain that specializes in hot dogs. The company was founded in 1961 by former Taco Bell employee John Galardi as Der Wienerschnitzel. Despite the name, the company does not ordinarily sell Wiener schnitzel, doing so once as a promotion. Wienerschnitzel locations are found predominantly in California and Texas; others are found in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Washington, as well as the US territory of Gu Apparently the restaurant “Weinerschnitzel” _did_ sell real _Wiener Schnitzel_ for a brief time in 2017 (by which time my advisor had sadly passed on), in an effort to synchronize with reality. But it didn’t last. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/57 "2024-05-31T12:26:36Z")
I make a mighty fine Charleston-Style Shrimp & Grits, pretty close to this recipe: > **[Old Charleston-Style Shrimp and Grits](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220895/old-charleston-style-shrimp-and-grits/)** > > This shrimp and grits recipe featuring creamy, cheesy grits topped with a savory shrimp sauce is a classic Southern seafood dish bursting with flavor. Another favorite is my Chicken Stew & Dumplings, emulating my late mother’s recipe as close as I can. Mom never wrote down her recipes, so I just wing it. I use big hunks of chicken, celery, carrots, onions, seasoning, and more, in a rich chicken stock cooked in a pressure cooker and cat head-size Bisquick drop dumplings on top. Great on those chilly days…which are unfortunately rare here in Florida. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/58 "2024-05-31T12:30:48Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Charleston-Style Shrimp & Grits, Mmmmm, I had Shrimp & Grits in Charleston at Jestine’s Kitchen. A meal I’ll always remember fondly. Sadly, the restaurant closed permanently during COVID19. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/59 "2024-05-31T12:31:20Z")
I like my Jambalaya. Brown some sausage in the oven while I cut up and brown some chicken thighs. Then brown the onion and garlic for a bit, then add rice, bell pepper, mushrooms and allspice. After a while, add white wine and chicken stock. After a further while, return the chicken and add the sliced sausage. Lastly, add the shrimp and cook until pink. Sometimes, I add hot sauce and/or a sliced-up dried chorizo for fun and color. The sausage is usually hot Italian if I can’t find andouille or chorizo style. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186/60 "2024-05-31T12:56:33Z")
Hmm… hard choice. I guess I’ll go with Chili Cheese Chowder. A bit of work because there is a LOT to chop up. It’s a spicy/hot potato cheese soup. I used to make double batches and freeze it. But the cooked potato does not seem to freeze very well - gets grainy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-meal-that-you-cook/1002186.md?page=4)