# What's For Dinner Tonight: Episode 2021 – A New Hope **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 20, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015 "2021-01-20T19:38:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 134
**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:** [September 4, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2662 "2023-09-04T17:19:55Z")
Tonight I am having some very old friends over for a backyard barbecue/semi-potluck, and of course we made too much food. So it’s going to be [Georgian chicken](https://globaltableadventure.com/recipe/georgian-chicken/) on the grill with the last batch of the khmeli suneli from a 2017 trip to Tbilisi, plus the remains of a homemade batch and the beginning of a new batch; heirloom tomato salsa; Moroccan beet salad; Moroccan carrot salad; new potato salad made with tzatziki, feta, dill, and garden chives; agua de jamaica spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and allspice; mojitos; watermelon; and a [plum torte.](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3783-original-plum-torte?algo=identity&fellback=true&imp_id=923854720161417&req_id=5215646519109130&surface=cooking-search-web&variant=3_cooking_search_relevance_metric_ios_and_web&fbclid=IwAR2PAwWrko9Bsmkf1EemhvWEpO-Aa2SxGsAZ13qppChdqTBH304f0DY4TIo) Plus I know guests are bringing a kale salad and another dessert TBD, and that’s just the one couple who has told me what they are bringing. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2663 "2023-09-04T17:51:13Z")
Last night I made another recipe from Anthony Bourdain’s _Appetites_ – meatloaf with mushroom gravy, with mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts. > **[Meat Loaf With Mushroom Gravy](https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/meat-loaf-with-mushroom-gravy)** > > My mom's meat loaf is inarguably better than yours, but this is not my mom's meat loaf recipe. This one is an amalgam, intended to evoke all the important meat loaves in my life—and there have been many. Today I’m going to smoke a [tri-tip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-tip) (a cut of meat you might have only heard of if you live in California), with some Santa Maria style pinquito beans on the side, pico de gallo, and corn on the cob. Which is pretty much a traditional Californian Fourth of July barbecue, but I was traveling on July 4, so I’m making it on Labor Day instead. > **[Santa Maria–Style Pinquito Beans](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/santa-mariastyle-pinquito-beans)** > > Stewed pinquito beans, a traditional side dish for Santa Maria–style tri-tip, get their flavor from smoky bacon, ham, and Anaheim and ancho chiles. Get the recipe at Food & Wine. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2664 "2023-09-04T17:56:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I have no idea how it tasted. You didn’t sneak even _just ONE bite_ for yourself? Dog’s not the only one she’s gotten well trained. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2665 "2023-09-04T19:30:03Z")
I’ll say! 😆 Grilled breaded chicken with BBQ sauce, white rice and a glass of ice water. Later, some more Ginger Drops and milk. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2666 "2023-09-04T19:33:54Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > You didn’t sneak even _just ONE bite_ for yourself? You know, I should have! Kizzy had her agility trial and ended up with three first place ribbons, zero faults. There was about 1/4 of the beef leftover after, but it was in gf’s treat pouch all morning. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2667 "2023-09-04T19:48:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Kizzy had her agility trial and ended up with three first place ribbons, zero faults. Outside the scope of this thread, but … 🏆 to Kizzy! Next time, grill TWO medium rare. One for her, and one for you. (Who is “her” is best left up to you to decide.) ---
**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:** [September 4, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2668 "2023-09-04T22:31:04Z")
So far, early diiner/late lunch was roast beef sandwich on toasted sourdough with onion-cranberry chutney and horseradish. I may have another later. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2023, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2669 "2023-09-05T11:29:38Z")
Shredded and sautéd a head of cabbage. Grilled some turkey kielbasa, then sliced and added it to the cabbage. My gf drank Prosecco, I had vodka. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2670 "2023-09-06T05:25:42Z")
Last night was a little “Dallas filet” from Tx Roadhouse, with onions and mashed potatoes. Tonight is Arby’s: a beef slider, a chicken slider, and a few chicken nuggets. Plus a multivitamin, cuz damn. Awwww dammit, I forgot to ask for Horsey sauce! ☹ ---
**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:** [September 6, 2023, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2671 "2023-09-06T05:53:48Z")
I had a repeat of roast beef sandwich on toasted sourdough with onion-cranberry chutney and horseradish. Also some pickles and a babybel cheese. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2023, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2672 "2023-09-06T12:02:03Z")
Last night I grilled salmon, served it with potato salad. Grilled peaches for dessert; we are nearing the end of peach season from our local orchard, so this may have been the last of them. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2023, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2673 "2023-09-06T17:33:30Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Awwww dammit, I forgot to ask for Horsey sauce! ☹ Took one nibble of the slider, and just couldn’t. Saved it till today, and _drove back just for sauce._ Okay, I got some curly fries while I was there. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2674 "2023-09-06T23:41:34Z")
Branzino fillets with kosher salt and Italian seasoning are in the oven, and [Mexican-style riced cauliflower](https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/mexican-style-riced-cauliflower-069856) is on the stovetop. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2675 "2023-09-07T11:45:25Z")
Tuna Ceviche served on a bed of Romaine because rice/carbs. For dessert I baked a _giant_ Honey Crisp apple stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and butter. Our neighbors know we love their honey crisp apples. A few years ago they set aside two trees and severely pruned them. The trees produce a small number of giant apples. They look more like pumpkins than apples, and they are sooooo delicious. I baked last night’s apple for 45 minutes at 350! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2676 "2023-09-07T19:47:32Z")
Arby’s is my longtime guilty fast-food pleasure, and when I go there, I _gotta_ get the Arby’s sauce. Love that stuff. Last night: tossed salad with blue cheese dressing, a small pepperoni and pineapple pizza, and a glass of ice water. Later, some chocolate-mint hard candies. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2023, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2677 "2023-09-08T11:47:59Z")
Last night my gf took Kizzy to agility class, so I had to figure out a dinner that would be ready at 9:45. In the freezer, from the turkey store, I found some shredded turkey in barbecue sauce. We love it, but I wanted more than just a sandwich. So I set up a kinda-sorta taco bar. Shredded cheese, diced onion, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, shredded lettuce, salsa, various hot sauces, and faux sour cream (aka Greek yogurt). In place of real tortillas I had low carb tortillas. Baked apples for dessert, this time stuffed with brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, butter, and raisins. It was a great meal. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2678 "2023-09-09T01:07:22Z")
Strip steak and a side of sauteed zucchini, grape tomatoes and garlic in a little creamy parmesan sauce, garlic bread and fresh raspberries. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2023, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2679 "2023-09-09T02:22:42Z")
My wife and I serendipitously both had the same idea for dinner tonight - let’s go to Maskaras down the street and have tacos! We both had pork in adobo tacos. They were great, as always. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2680 "2023-09-09T16:59:13Z")
I’m making an attempt at Armenian sarma - grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions, parsley, and pine nuts. They’re braised in lemon juice and olive oil. Mr. brown had an Armenian stepmother who was a professional cook, and he waxes lyrical about the sarma that she made. I had a hunt online and found a recipe he said sounded most like what she made, so I’m trying it out. I have the filling mixed up and the grape leaves rinsed of salt and vinegar, and after I’ve had a break, I’ll start rolling them up and braising them. I’ve only ever had Greek or maybe Turkish grape leaves, so this will be a change. Hope they turn out good. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2681 "2023-09-09T20:58:49Z")
As always after doing even a quick grocery run, snack foods are the order of the day today for dinner. Early dinner tonight was a tuna salad sandwich and spicy Buffalo pasta salad. Inspired by the ravings of @Beckdawrek about garlic-stuffed olives, I picked up a bunch of those and had many of those, too. They really are addicting. I don’t remember seeing any prepacked in jars; these were from the bulk counter, preserved in seasoned olive oil. I filled up a pretty big container. Tomorrow, beer-battered haddock with chipotle tartar sauce, fries, and homestyle coleslaw with yogurt dressing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015.md?page=133) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015.md?page=135)