# What's for dinner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139 "2018-02-04T00:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/362 "2018-03-19T23:03:42Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Woohoo, just made a Thai Red curry that was the first Thai style curry I have made that I rate more than a B-. > The secret was accepting my suckitude in the genre and using jarred curry paste as a base and adding some enhancements, rather than trying from scratch. šŸ˜‰ There is nothing wrong with using a paste. There are some very good ones out there. I use Mae Ploy and then add some fresh herbs to, well, ā€œfreshenā€ it up. Iā€™ve made it from scratch decently several times before, but just the act of hunting down the ingredients and then getting them into paste form is too much of a pain in the ass to me. I start with Mae Ploy and then add fresh whatever I have around. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/363 "2018-03-19T23:13:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There is nothing wrong with using a paste. There are some very good ones out there. I use Mae Ploy and then add some fresh herbs to, well, ā€œfreshenā€ it up. Iā€™ve made it from scratch decently several times before, but just the act of hunting down the ingredients and then getting them into paste form is too much of a pain in the ass to me. I start with Mae Ploy and then add fresh whatever I have around. Thatā€™s basically what I did. I used Taste of Thailand brand, but plan on trying the other ones now that I know that method works better. Then I added some fresh grated ginger juice\* and lime juice\*\* since those have flair that only exists when fresh, and some Chili paste for appropriate fire. Then a half a can of coconut milk, and a squeeze of honey, and I quite liked it. \*standard ginger not blue ginger, cause I can never find that. \*\*standard limes not Kaffir limes, cause I can never find that. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/364 "2018-03-20T00:39:31Z")
Split pea and ham bone soup. Took the bone from last weekendā€™s ham, made the stock with that. Holy moly thatā€™s some good stuff! ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/365 "2018-03-20T01:05:18Z")
Homemade cream of asparagus soup and grilled cheese. StG ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/366 "2018-03-20T01:09:16Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Thatā€™s basically what I did. I used Taste of Thailand brand, but plan on trying the other ones now that I know that method works better. Then I added some fresh grated ginger juice\* and lime juice\*\* since those have flair that only exists when fresh, and some Chili paste for appropriate fire. Then a half a can of coconut milk, and a squeeze of honey, and I quite liked it. > > \*standard ginger not blue ginger, cause I can never find that. > \*\*standard limes not Kaffir limes, cause I can never find that. I donā€™t even know what blue ginger is. None of the pastes Iā€™ve seen have that, nor any of the recipes Iā€™ve used. I do use galangal a lot, though, for Thai stuff. Also, AFAIK, the juice of kaffir limes isnā€™t used that much in Thai cooking. The leaves and the zest are more common. But, yes, what you do is basically what I do. Usually, for me, itā€™s lemongrass, some frozen kaffir leaves that I happen to have, some regular (Persian) lime juice, some fresh cilantro/coriander or finely chopped stems, fresh shallots or green onions, garlic, chiles, etc. That sort of thing. Whatever I happen to have around. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/367 "2018-03-20T01:11:26Z")
As a related note, is split pea soup a non-newtonian fluid? As soon as it gets cold, it turns into glue. Delicious, delicious glue. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/368 "2018-03-20T01:13:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I donā€™t even know what blue ginger is. None of the pastes Iā€™ve seen have that, nor any of the recipes Iā€™ve used. I do use galangal a lot, though, for Thai stuff. Also, AFAIK, the juice of kaffir limes isnā€™t used that much in Thai cooking. The leaves and the zest are more common. Sorry, Iā€™m used to people calling galangal Blue Ginger. I have since learned that it is an almost unknown name apparently, after getting many blank looks. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/369 "2018-03-20T01:47:04Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Sorry, Iā€™m used to people calling galangal Blue Ginger. I have since learned that it is an almost unknown name apparently, after getting many blank looks. I was actually wondering if ā€œblue gingerā€ might have been some kind of reference to galangal. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/370 "2018-03-20T12:47:43Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Split pea and ham bone soup. Took the bone from last weekendā€™s ham, made the stock with that. Holy moly thatā€™s some good stuff! Oh my gosh, I love split pea soup. Havenā€™t had it in forever because the family doesnā€™t like it. New meal Iā€™m making this week, pasta e fagioli. Pretty easy to do, and I expect it will taste great. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/371 "2018-03-20T17:54:57Z")
Weā€™re doing sandwiches and leftovers. Iā€™m having a grilled peanut butter, bacon, and banana. My husband is having grilled ham and cheese, and the teenager is having leftover chicken and sides from last night. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/372 "2018-03-20T18:39:05Z")
Ragu of beef and boar with mushrooms, red wine, tomatoes. Spaghetti. Garlic bread in crusty boule form. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/373 "2018-03-20T23:11:54Z")
Leftover shrimp creole. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/374 "2018-03-21T04:00:26Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Ragu of beef and boar with mushrooms, red wine, tomatoes. Spaghetti. Garlic bread in crusty boule form. Nice. Where did the boar come from - know some hunters? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/375 "2018-03-21T13:38:00Z")
Last night was chili rubbed salmon, lime and cilantro rice, and sautĆ©ed zucchini & onions. Tonight Iā€™m leaning towards meatball subs if I can find the energy - weā€™ll see šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/376 "2018-03-22T04:08:10Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Nice. Where did the boar come from - know some hunters? Nope, just frozen in my local Sprouts supermarket. It was on sale, and then all the frozen stuff was 20% off too, so it was cheaper than lamb! šŸ™‚ Itā€™s from [here](https://durhamranch.com/products/wild-boar/). ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/377 "2018-03-22T20:24:17Z")
Not sure yet. Going to rummage in the freezerā€¦see what happens. Iā€™m quite astonishingly hungry though, so thawing time - even microwave assisted - may be a bit of a stumbling block, as may oven preheating. You know? I feel a few rounds of expedient toast coming onā€¦ ---
**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:** [March 22, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/378 "2018-03-22T20:43:22Z")
Left over curried chicken with almonds and raisins. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/379 "2018-03-22T20:45:35Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Left over curried chicken with almonds and raisins. Oh, that sounds so much better than expedient toast. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/380 "2018-03-22T22:27:50Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Oh, that sounds so much better than expedient toast. It was a recipe in yesterdayā€™s newspaper. Since I have a lot of Indian spices on hand, it was easy to make. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139/381 "2018-03-22T22:42:06Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It was a recipe in yesterdayā€™s newspaper. Since I have a lot of Indian spices on hand, it was easy to make. Me too: throwing a curry together is pretty standard practice in this house. Especially with leftovers. But I didnā€™t have any leftovers, and I was after something with a cooking time measured in seconds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner/808139.md?page=20)