# 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:** 144
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2862 "2023-11-19T14:30:23Z")
I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat last night so I ended up with a made up concoction that was pretty darn yummy. I can’t wait to eat it again today. I just sautéed some hot Italian sausage with some shallots and some carrot coins and a bunch of garlic. Then I added some Kalamata olives and some Romano cheese. Put that on top of some mini penne. Pretty easy to make too. ---
**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 19, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2863 "2023-11-19T15:45:15Z")
Unfortunately I can’t find frozen rhubarb here anywhere - I’ve tried. So I have to buy in the spring/summer and freeze it myself. We used to have a Kroger that would have hothouse grown rhubarb in the late fall and winter, but Kroger left our region and I’ve never seen it anywhere else. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2864 "2023-11-20T16:00:16Z")
Last night was an Italian Saute. Onions, banana peppers, mushrooms, turkey sausage, tomatoes, seasonings, tomato paste, etc. Then spaghetti added at the end and cheese grated on top. The cool part was the banana peppers. They were grown by our neighbor’s farm and had a warning sign because they varied significantly in their heat. Most were mild, but some were intense. Happily ours were insanely intense. [![](https://i.imgur.com/DvCSnVk.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/DvCSnVk.jpg) ---
**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:** [November 20, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2865 "2023-11-20T21:19:21Z")
That looks fantastic, especially to a spaghetti-lover like me, plus a fan of all the other stuff! Update: I did make the bauletti (stuffed with porcetta and mushroom) two nights ago. Turned out very well, and unlike the jumbo ravioli, this particular bauletti has ornate edges that are well sealed and don’t burst in the boiling water. Still have leftovers, and made General Tao chicken last night, so for tonight have leftovers of both. Which means I’ll probably have pizza tonight! 😀 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2866 "2023-11-20T23:47:01Z")
I found an old ribeye in the back of the freezer yesterday and I threw it in the fridge to thaw. So tonight it was fresh hand-cut fries out of the air fryer and a pan-fried, butter-basted, hand-chopped ribeye burger on a toasted brioche bun with all the fixins. Probably took several months off of my life but FUCK it was worth it. 😋 ---
**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:** [November 21, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2867 "2023-11-21T00:12:45Z")
Loose Meat sandwiches. I had a half pound of hamburger thawed in the fridge that needed cooking, some buns that weren’t getting any fresher and appropriate condementia, so why not? Pretty good when washed down by a glass of Tin Cup 10 year old. ---
**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 21, 2023, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2868 "2023-11-21T02:28:15Z")
I cooked some frozen cod fillets yesterday, but they came out unpleasantly tough, despite not being overcooked - they seemed tough after thawing/before cooking. So I think I’ll end up making pseudo crab cakes out of them (or fried potato-fish cakes). Faux tuna salad would have been good but I forgot to grab some celery at the store. ---
**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 21, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2869 "2023-11-21T03:29:19Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I cooked some frozen cod fillets yesterday, but they came out unpleasantly tough, despite not being overcooked - they seemed tough after thawing/before cooking. I’ve had this happen too. Disappointing. Tonight we had the rest of the chicken saltimbocca and I made some red cabbage and apples braised in balsamic vinegar to go with. I found _un petite choux_ (a little cabbage!) at the coop and grabbed it because those are a rare find. I like braised cabbage, but not 3 pounds of it. This one produced 4 servings, which is perfect. ---
**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:** [November 24, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2870 "2023-11-24T00:36:59Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > > [@needscoffee](#): > > > > I cooked some frozen cod fillets yesterday, but they came out unpleasantly tough, despite not being overcooked - they seemed tough after thawing/before cooking. > > I’ve had this happen too. Disappointing. Maybe switch to frozen haddock instead. I’ve been using one particular brand (President’s Choice) of beer-battered haddock for a long time for fish and chips and never had a problem. I especially like this one because the haddock is beautifully tender while the beer batter holds everything together in a crisp exterior. Other haddocks fall apart too easily. * * * Not sure what dinner will be tonight but some old denizens of the freezer have been dragged out for appetizers. Two completely different things but ironically, the same brand. Right now French onion soup is baking in the oven (absolutely not for the microwave, despite the hype on the package) … [![](https://cuisineadventuresfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/French-Onion-Soup-2PK-Retail-CAN-450x210.jpg) ](https://cuisineadventuresfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/French-Onion-Soup-2PK-Retail-CAN-450x210.jpg) To be had with what I call “mini hot dogs”. These are like sausage rolls, but made with mini hot dogs (“cocktail wieners”, I guess). They are not “proper” pork sausage rolls, but they’re made with a pastry shell that browns in the microwave in seconds to create a lightly-toasted mini hot dog, just perfect when anointed with Grey Poupon Dijon mustard. Sadly, although it appears that these sausage rolls are still made, local stores no longer seem to carry them. [![](https://cuisineadventuresfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/front-panel-en-450x340.jpg) ](https://cuisineadventuresfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/front-panel-en-450x340.jpg) After that, probably some Buffalo chicken wings and fries. ---
**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:** [November 25, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2871 "2023-11-25T00:42:01Z")
I see it’s quiet on the board on this Thanksgiving weekend. But it’s not Thanksgiving here – we did all that way back in early October. Would be a good weekend to insinuate myself into some 'Murrican household and gorge on all that turkey, stuffing, and mashed, but alas, here I am. 😀 Feeling like something small and light tonight. Ha! I still have some of my stash of Stouffer’s left, so in keeping with the spirit of our 'Murrican friends, I shall have Stouffer’s turkey, stuffing, and mashed dinner tonight! It’s one of their better dishes, made with real turkey breast, not reconstituted stuff. Maybe some torpedo shrimp later … I haven’t had it before but the cashier assured me it was her husband’s favourite and he could eat the whole box: [![](https://assets.shop.loblaws.ca/products/20978921/b1/en/front/20978921_front_a06.png) ](https://assets.shop.loblaws.ca/products/20978921/b1/en/front/20978921_front_a06.png) ---
**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 25, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2872 "2023-11-25T01:12:41Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > torpedo shrimp Looks good! I was going to get some takeout garlicky shrimp from a Vietnamese place, but didn’t get around to it, so tonight will be rare roast beef sandwich, crostini with roasted squash-goat cheese spread that my daughter made, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Yesterday, as I squirted out some whipped cream from the aerosol can, my daughter’s dog came running just as eagerly as does my cat when I open a can of tuna. Turns out it’s one of her favorite treats. I had an extra can, so I lined and filled up some muffin tins with it and froze them for some frozen treats for her later. ---
**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 25, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2873 "2023-11-25T03:03:42Z")
Thanksgiving redux here. Smoked turkey breast with gravy, chicken cordon bleu poppers, green beans, garlic knots, mixed berries. Champagne. Cheesecake. Burp. And while we’ve polished off all the fruit and Champagne, I’ve still got more of everything else, plus mashed potatoes. ---
**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 25, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2874 "2023-11-25T04:14:27Z")
Today was a day long snack of leftovers: summer sausage, smoked gouda, smoked cheddar, ham, turkey, banana pudding, pumpkin pie, crackers, cornbread dressing, and a slice of celery with peanut butter. Several Dr. Peppers and El Chingons as beverages. I ate pretty much all of them individually, and I’m not sure where any meal began or ended. ---
**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 26, 2023, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2875 "2023-11-26T03:48:36Z")
Made some excellent meatloaf. Filled it out with some more roast squash-goat cheese spread on crostini and pumpkin pie. Made enough meatloaf that I’ll freeze the leftovers and be eating it for lunches for a long while. (The supermarket had 90/10 ground beef marked down to $3.67/lb.) ---
**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 27, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2876 "2023-11-27T03:19:49Z")
Finally getting near to the end of TDay leftovers. Polished off the green beans, mashed potatoes, and chicken poppers tonight along with a couple more slices of turkey. Still have some turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce left, so I’ll make biscuit sandwiches with that in a couple days. ---
**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 27, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2877 "2023-11-27T03:36:27Z")
Finished of the last of the thanksgiving ham by making ham fried rice tonight. Delicious, the sweetness from the ham glaze made it even better than the spam fried rice. ---
**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 27, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2878 "2023-11-27T04:40:07Z")
Carne asada tacos, black beans and rice. > [@needscoffee](#): > > Made enough meatloaf that I’ll freeze the leftovers and be eating it for lunches for a long while. (The supermarket had 90/10 ground beef marked down to $3.67/lb.) My mistake, the ground beef was 93/7 lean and only $1.83/lb! There had to have been an error, but that’s what the tag said and that’s how it rang up. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2023, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2879 "2023-11-27T06:02:10Z")
After Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving leftovers, I was getting sick of poultry. So tonight I made a ribeye steak. I left it in the oven a bit too ling and made it a bit more done than I would have liked, but it was still pretty tasty. The sides were, well, leftover brussels sprouts and wild rice from Thanksgiving. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2880 "2023-11-27T15:53:27Z")
We had a few dinners from Thanksgiving leftovers, but I realized we did not have any applesauce. With our friends/neighbors running an apple orchard we always have apples on hand. I peeled, cored, and chopped up 5 apples. Added a few tablespoons of water, a bit of sugar, some cinnamon, some lemon juice, and a bag of cranberries. the apple-cranberry sauce was delicious and beautiful. Will make again. [![](https://i.imgur.com/OGewggG.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/OGewggG.jpg) The last night I roasted brussel sprouts and catfish. [![](https://i.imgur.com/8AlijOU.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/8AlijOU.jpg) ---
**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 28, 2023, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015/2881 "2023-11-28T02:11:51Z")
Seared lamb chops and pumpkin pie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015.md?page=143) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight-episode-2021-a-new-hope/931015.md?page=145)