# What's for dinner? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338 "2004-08-31T01:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [August 31, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/21 "2004-08-31T18:31:06Z")
A microwaved bean burrito and salad. I’ll be glad when the countertops and sinks are installed in my kitchen so I can cook something again. **harmless** ’ dinner sounds good… ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/22 "2004-08-31T18:40:57Z")
Macaroni & Cheese - homemade, WW recipe. Yummy. Susan ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/23 "2004-08-31T18:50:10Z")
The Ukulele Lady wants me to make a new recipe she got from last month’s _Cooking Light_. Pork tenderloin cut up, browned, and braised with chicken stock, onions and carrots, green olives and halved Black Mission figs. There’s a lot of spuds around the house, so I’ll probably do mashed potatoes to help suck up the gravy. And broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/24 "2004-08-31T18:56:27Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > A microwaved bean burrito and salad. I’ll be glad when the countertops and sinks are installed in my kitchen so I can cook something again. **harmless** ’ dinner sounds good… Ah, merci! 🙂 It’s a variation on “Burgundy Mushrooms” I just added the chicken breast. I’m a lazy cook, so you _know_ it’s gotta be easy. 😉 Total of two dirty pans, one knife to cut the onion and the fork I use to turn the chicken. Most of my meals are prepared that way; just throw good tasting stuff in a pan and let it cook. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/25 "2004-08-31T19:53:35Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > The Ukulele Lady wants me to make a new recipe she got from last month’s _Cooking Light_. Pork tenderloin cut up, browned, and braised with chicken stock, onions and carrots, green olives and halved Black Mission figs. Good choice. Tonight we’re having the flank steak recipe from this month’s Cooking Light. I don’t remember what’s in it, exactly, but everything in that magazine is freakin’ delicious, so I’m not worried. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/26 "2004-08-31T21:33:48Z")
Due to our hectic schedules, last night was our “Saturday” I spent all day shopping and cooking, while he worked in his studio. We had: fresh mussels in sailor sauce with baguette white gazpacho of fennel. leek and cucumber with lobster salad roasted garlic custard with sautee of locally grown wild mushrooms and basil oil seasame salmon with asian slaw grilled lamb piquant with savory mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed spinach apricot amaretto creme brulee Granted, we do not eat this well very often, but I love to cook and the food glow has yet to wear off! ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/27 "2004-08-31T22:14:06Z")
Beef it _is_ what’s for dinner! Had a little something to celebrate, so I thought it called for a little bit of a speial dinner. Filet Mignon, marinated in Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce (a light teriyaki) Sauteed crimini mushrooms (butter and white wine…yum!) french-cut green beans, lightly seasoned baked potato with sour cream All accompanied by a nice single malt scotch 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/28 "2004-08-31T22:14:32Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > apricot amaretto creme brulee That sounds amazing! Did you just come up with the recipe, or did you get it from somewhere? In fact, all your dishes sound lovely, except for the gazpacho, and only because I believe, in my heart of hearts, that fennel was grown by the Devil Himself to ruin a good meal. Are you just a great cook, or do you have professional experience? And to answer the OP, tonight’s dinner is Grilled Flank Steak stuffed with Feta & Spinach and Steamed Artichokes. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/29 "2004-08-31T22:40:40Z")
**JavaMaven** Alas, the creme brulee is not of my own creation. I had it in a restaraunt in London years back and spent quite a bit of time trying to recreate it. It is actually not as complicated as I would have thought. I used diced dried apricots and simmered them in amaretto until they were plump and chilled them in ramekins. Prepare your custard as usual, I add a vanilla bean, though this is not strictly traditonal (there are as many ways to do this as there are cooks), and pour over apricots. Bake and torch as usual. I cannot tell you how wonderful this is. As for professional training, nope. I just adore food and read plenty of books and magazines and have worked in the restaraunt business for a few years while going to school. As for the gazpacho and your dislike of fennel–I simmered it and the leeks in chicken stock before chilling and pureeing. It subdues the strong taste of fennnel and leaves a mellow flavor that is less overiding. Thanks for the compliments! ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/30 "2004-08-31T23:34:25Z")
Damn, **Keturah** , I want to eat at your house! What’s sailor sauce? I adore mussels, though it can be hard to find good fresh ones here. We just had fresh homemade pesto (with basil from our garden) and chopped tomatos (also from the garden) served over pasta. Mighty fine. ---
**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 1, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/31 "2004-09-01T00:18:49Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s sailor sauce? If it’s what I first thought when I read it, then I don’t think I’d like it! 😛😉 Is it marinara? ([Italian (alla) marinara, _in sailor style_, feminine of marinaro, _of the sea, sailor_, from marino, _marine_.) ---
**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 1, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/32 "2004-09-01T00:22:23Z")
Oh. Tonight I’m just broiling a couple of brats. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/33 "2004-09-01T01:10:51Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Tonight I’m just broiling a couple of brats. …nahhhhhh. Too easy. The pork/fig/olive/pearl onion stew was all _right_, but not something I’d choose to put into regular rotation. And man alive, do I hate broccoli rabe. There’s no disguising that bitterness. But the mashed pertaters were good. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/34 "2004-09-01T01:14:50Z")
> [@keturah](#): > > **JavaMaven** > Alas, the creme brulee is not of my own creation. I had it in a restaraunt in London years back and spent quite a bit of time trying to recreate it. It is actually not as complicated as I would have thought. I used diced dried apricots and simmered them in amaretto until they were plump and chilled them in ramekins. Prepare your custard as usual, I add a vanilla bean, though this is not strictly traditonal (there are as many ways to do this as there are cooks), and pour over apricots. Bake and torch as usual. I cannot tell you how wonderful this is. > > (snip) > > As for the gazpacho and your dislike of fennel–I simmered it and the leeks in chicken stock before chilling and pureeing. It subdues the strong taste of fennnel and leaves a mellow flavor that is less overiding. Simmering the apricots in amaretto is a brilliant idea! I would have thought you may have pureed the apricots and added them to the custard, but that would have probably curdled the custard. If I ever go back to being a pastry chef, I’m stealing that idea. 😉 And cooked fennel definitely does taste much better than fennel in the raw. It does lose quite a bit of the sharp anise flavor. I have had fennel braised in cream that was rather good, so I’m not a total fennel-hater. Thanks for responding back! ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/35 "2004-09-01T01:16:52Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > …nahhhhhh. Too easy. > > The pork/fig/olive/pearl onion stew was all _right_, but not something I’d choose to put into regular rotation. > > And man alive, do I hate broccoli rabe. There’s no disguising that bitterness. > > But the mashed pertaters were good. See, I could see figs and pork doing quite well, but not in a _stew_. Roasted tenderloin with grilled figs on the side sounds quite a bit better. How do you do your taters? ---
**Author:** ![JayElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@JayElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayElle)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/36 "2004-09-01T01:41:01Z")
Cold pizza. You just had to ask on the one night I didn’t cook dinner! Tomorrownight it’s gonna be ginger sliced beef and snow peas over rice. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/37 "2004-09-01T02:00:04Z")
Stir-fry, a small salad, a baked potato, and a large ice cream. All right, for cafeteria food. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/38 "2004-09-01T02:05:54Z")
Microwave Thai Peanut chicken/vegetable stuff. Start eating, realize that microwave stuff is nasty Eat a tuna sandwich ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/39 "2004-09-01T02:08:31Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > If it’s what I first thought when I read it, then I don’t think I’d like it! 😛😉 > > Is it marinara? ([Italian (alla) marinara, _in sailor style_, feminine of marinaro, _of the sea, sailor_, from marino, _marine_.) While I have been known to enjoy the sailor sauce of which you speak, I am now a grown woman who just cooks! Sailor sauce as I have known it, tends to be whatever a fishermans wife has around. I used fresh mussels steamed in white wine with shallots,chopped jalapeno and garlic. The mussels I put in the slightly warm oven, and reduced the sauce. Add whole butter, chopped tomato, fish stock , and saffron. Simmer and add mussels. Eat with crusty bread dipped in the sauce. Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338/40 "2004-09-01T02:19:17Z")
Tonight we had roast chicken, mashed potatos and gravy, fresh tomatos, lima beans, and cranberry sauce. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/262338.md?page=3)