# Where no meal has gone before (combos no one but you are eating) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 27, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146 "2024-02-27T05:14:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/1 "2024-02-27T05:14:34Z")
Between the fact that I love to try new things and will often purchase weird produce I see or order new ingredients through the internet, and the fact that I am obsessively opposed to food waste, I end up eating some interesting meals. Sometimes as I sit down to eat, I think, “I bet no one has ever had this particular food combo before.” For example, last night I had a tasty meal of sautéed beet greens and mushrooms that I enveloped in a burrito wrap along with jackfruit seed “hummus”. I’m willing to bet no one has done THAT before. (It was delicious, incidentally; jackfruit seeds make an ethereal dip that isn’t technically hummus as it contains no chickpeas, but it’s quite wonderful.) What have you eaten lately that was almost certainly unlike any food combo ever consumed before? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/2 "2024-02-27T05:46:35Z")
I don’t do it anymore, but I used to like mustard instead of syrup on my french toast. I guess it’s not just me, though, because my younger brother enjoyed that also. I’ve no idea if he still has it that way now. I’m sure this is just me. Take a hot serving of rice, put some Korean hot sauce (gojujang) on it, then put a couple of slices of cheese on top. Finally, spread a little ketchup, a little mustard, and a little mayonaise on top of the cheese. That’s a bit of comfort food for me. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/3 "2024-02-27T05:59:59Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I’m sure this is just me. I concur. That’s pretty creative. There are surprising mixtures of Korean and Western food - [base stew](https://mykoreankitchen.com/army-stew-budae-jjigae/) being an example - but I still think your combo is most likely unique. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/4 "2024-02-27T06:20:30Z")
I grabbed a bottle of soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce yesterday when I was making a cottage pie. I didn’t notice the mistake until after I had applied a liberal amount of the former. Since I was not inclined to toss out the entire pan full of ingredients, I piled on the potato-and-cheese topping and stuck the mess in the oven. Surprisingly, it tasted just fine when it finished baking! I have fond memories of soy sauce from when I was first living on my own fifty years ago and all I could afford to eat (aside from milkless oatmeal and raspberry jam) was baked bean and onion sandwiches on generic wheat bread. Soy sauce actually made a good condiment for the sandwiches. Back then, my evening meal at work was a small bag of toasted corn nuts and a cup of Mr Pibb. God, how simpler life was in those days! ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/5 "2024-02-27T06:43:08Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I have fond memories of soy sauce As I understand it, soy sauce is right up there with nutritional yeast, parmesan, and mushrooms (and probably some other ingredients I’m forgetting) to provide umami. Or maybe it was fish sauce, not soy. Whatever. Soy sauce is yummy! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/6 "2024-02-27T06:46:45Z")
I use it regularly when making Asian dishes, but this was the first time I put it in anything like cottage pie. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/7 "2024-02-27T07:04:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I grabbed a bottle of soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce yesterday when I was making a cottage pie. I didn’t notice the mistake until after I had applied a liberal amount of the former. Since I was not inclined to toss out the entire pan full of ingredients, I piled on the potato-and-cheese topping and stuck the mess in the oven. Surprisingly, it tasted just fine when it finished baking! When I was a child and in my teens, my mother would make shepherd’s pie for dinner. I’d typically glop on Worcestershire sauce, much to my mother’s chagrin. But I was happily eating it, which is what counted, so she let it go. Anyway, one day when shepherd’s pie was on the menu, I found that we were out of Worcestershire sauce. What to do? In the end, I said “What the hell” and grabbed the soy sauce, and glopped it on. Dee-licious! To this day, when I have shepherd’s pie, it’s a choice of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. It depends on what I feel like, and right now, they’re running about 50/50. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/8 "2024-02-27T07:07:02Z")
Experimentation makes life interesting. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/9 "2024-02-27T07:18:10Z")
It does. Another story, that may not be “where no meal has gone before,” but I’ll mention it anyway. The local McDonald’s was within walking distance, and a handy alternative for when neither my ex nor I felt like preparing dinner. On such nights, we’d wander over there. She liked collecting the toys from the Happy Meals; I was happy enough with a Big Mac, a Coke, and fries. Fries. They need something, and I’m not averse to ketchup. But this one had the little paper cups and pump dispensers for ketchup and BBQ sauce—the BBQ sauce for McNuggets, I guess. Anyway. One day, the pump dispenser of ketchup was empty, so on a whim, I tried the BBQ sauce with my fries. Wow! Ever after, it was BBQ sauce with fries, instead of ketchup. When available, of course, and sadly, it doesn’t seem to be any more. At least, not around here. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/10 "2024-02-27T07:21:00Z")
I know I’m not the only one who puts mustard on fries but the reaction of people to seeing me do it means it’s pretty rare. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/11 "2024-02-27T10:11:54Z")
I make hotdog burritos. Spread some refried beans (from a can) on a tortilla, slap on some pickled jalapenos, the hotdog, and shredded cheese. Roll it up and microwave for 90 seconds. ---
**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:** [February 27, 2024, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/12 "2024-02-27T10:32:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I know I’m not the only one who puts mustard on fries but the reaction of people to seeing me do it means it’s pretty rare. Mustard’s usually what I go with if the place doesn’t have tartar sauce. Speaking of mustard, any time I’m eating baked beans I need to squirt some yellow mustard on top and stir it in before eating. I got the habit from my dad and assumed it was something everyone did until a few years back. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/13 "2024-02-27T11:00:59Z")
Lots of people add a condiment to a simple cheddar sandwich: pickle, chutney, mayonnaise, chilli jam, what have you, and nobody blinks an eyelash. I spread a little mint sauce - zingy, delicious mint sauce - on there and everyone looks at me with mingled disgust and derision. Not only can I not persuade anyone to even try it, I can barely persuade them to believe that I eat it because I actually like it. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/14 "2024-02-27T11:16:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Speaking of mustard, any time I’m eating baked beans I need to squirt some yellow mustard on top and stir it in before eating. I got the habit from my dad and assumed it was something everyone did until a few years back. I discovered this a little while back and now wouldn’t have them any other way. ---
**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:** [February 27, 2024, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/15 "2024-02-27T11:42:18Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > I spread a little mint sauce - zingy, delicious mint sauce What brand? My favorite has gone out of production. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/16 "2024-02-27T11:44:46Z")
Colman’s when I can get it, store’s own otherwise. The “Garden Mint Concentrate” remains the acme of mint-related condimentry - ostensibly sold for dilution, I have been known to eat it by the spoonful. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/17 "2024-02-27T12:06:38Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Ever after, it was BBQ sauce with fries, instead of ketchup. I like both of those combinations, have enjoyed soy sauce with fries - and in Belgium they have mayonnaise with fries. In a Hungarian restaurant, I got goulash soup as a starter, then ordered goulash as a main dish. The chef came out and said “In 30 years here, nobody has ever ordered that.I just wanted to meet you!” Both dishes were delicious. 😃 ---
**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:** [February 27, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/18 "2024-02-27T13:00:18Z")
In a guacamole thread, I mentioned using it as an omelet filling, something I do from time to time. I was surprised people thought it weird. ---
**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:** [February 27, 2024, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/19 "2024-02-27T13:47:54Z")
I made myself a clean-out-the-fridge sandwich the other day before going to the store. I had one paper-thin slice of pastrami, a couple spoonfuls of hummus, and some American cheese. It was all right, but nothing I’d recreate on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146/20 "2024-02-27T15:58:11Z")
As a wee lad, my late great-uncle got me hooked on saltine crackers with peanut butter and French’s yellow mustard. Still eat them to this day. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-no-meal-has-gone-before-combos-no-one-but-you-are-eating/998146.md?page=2)