Food Rut

When we first got together I taught my then-boyfriend (now husband of 6 months) how to cook a few things. He didn't know how to make tea with a teabag before we met, but now he cooks dinner for us almost every night, unless I'm in the mood to cook or there's a recipe I want to try. Of course, he's one of these dudes with a limited palate (sigh) so our dinners consist mostly of:

The following entrees with any combination of campari tomatoes, green beans, mushrooms, peas, corn on the cob, fried potatoes, and/or mashed potatoes:
-Hamburgers
-Pan-fried chicken thighs or drumsticks
-Steak
-Pork chops
Or:
-Hot dogs and salad
-Beef tacos
-Pasta bolognese or pasta with Italian sausage
-Vegetarian chili (we just have a really good recipe for vegetarian chili)

This does, indeed, get very old, but that's when I'll step up and cook something different. Usually I'm just very tired at the end of the day and glad that he still, after all these years (9 and a half), finds cooking enjoyable enough to take on the chore. Also the dude is really into campari tomatoes, which are indeed quite tasty although a strange side dish. We eat a lot of them.
 
My Granny taught me lots of good solid tips in the kitchen.... Freezer meals being one of them things she really felt was important.. she said if you can make enough meatballs for one meal, double or triple the recipe, it's not that much extra work, and your hands are already into it, and the oven is on.... so keep going... So if I make meatballs, I normally make around 100 to 150+, I just make a basic recipe, then divide up, and add in whatever seasoning for the type of meatball, that I am wanting to make.... As a matter of fact, Meatballs are on the list for next Friday when I am planning on making some freezer dishes... I am planning on, meatballs - Italian and Asian inspired, Shredded pork and chicken and some type of soups - thinking of Vegetable beef and Chicken noodle... With the holidays coming, I really need to get some extra stuff in the freezer...
I love to buy a pork shoulder/Boston roast when it's on sale and divide it in thirds. One part for Chinese red roast which becomes Shanghai roast pork slices, char sui, fried rice etc. The next section is American style shredded pork (no tomatos; we are Carolina vinegar sauce lovers, and the final third is Latin style pernil. The bone gets saved for chicken-pork stock for Chinese style soups or maybe split pea soup and the skin becomes chicharrones.

When the holiday season comes up and I'm hosting normally I need to cook for about 25 people so I prep certain vegetables in advance and flash freeze them: chopped onions, shallots, green peppers. Nice to reach your hand in a ziploc bag and take out what you need w/o reaching for the chopping implement and board over and over again.

I can't imagine being so self-centered that I only cook food *I* like.
I'll admit if everyone in the house liked braised beef liver they'd have to go to the diner and get it ;).
 
Never. I cook new recipes every single week. And I rarely eat out, if ever. Of course I have my standbys but I find new recipes to try all the time.
 
I hear you on so many levels!:(. Here's a possible bright light to the Gourmet situ: epicurious has recipes from the unpublished December 2018 edition on it's website. Speaking of epicurious, still haven't figured out all the "new" features like how to create a menu and I don't much like the site's search anymore. Twasn't broke on that level so why did they have to fix it?!

I find egullet.org a great substitute for chowhound's local boards; the site is currently on it's 4th Thanksgiving thread with a minimum of 4 pages each started between September and October for the early birds, LOL. Also has sessions with culinary people like Ruth Reichel, Jose Andre, and Sara Moulton. Might be worth your time.
Thank you! I will take a closer look at epicurious now and definitely check out egullet!
 


Exactly. I've still never had lima beans because my mom hated them. I would never cook anything with peanuts/peanut butter because I find them/it completely disgusting. That doesn't mean you don't also take other people's preferences into account, but if I'm making a meal it's going to be something I will actually eat.
It's a little give-and-take around here. I also don't like peanut butter so I never buy it and as a result, my DS never got a taste for it. If he or DH really wanted it, either one could buy it for themselves. OTOH, I full-on loathe Mexican food but I have one or two dishes in my repertoire because they both like it.
 
Someone would have to want to share the responsibility.

Or, and stick with me here, you say HEY. I’m tired of all the responsibility when it comes to meals. You (point to someone) take Mondays, YOU (point) take Wednesdays, and YOU (point), are now responsible for Friday. I will take all other nights. Then, sit back and smile, even if you eat sandwiches three nights a week.

A LOT of people on this thread would do well to remember they are a member of the family, not the hired help.
 
Or, and stick with me here, you say HEY. I’m tired of all the responsibility when it comes to meals. You (point to someone) take Mondays, YOU (point) take Wednesdays, and YOU (point), are now responsible for Friday. I will take all other nights. Then, sit back and smile, even if you eat sandwiches three nights a week.

A LOT of people on this thread would do well to remember they are a member of the family, not the hired help.
I guess that applies - if anybody actually feels like they're being treated that way. Happy coexistence in a family is negotiated, to a point, but I don't think there's any objective standard for who needs to do what, or how responsibilities get divvied up. Imbalances may exist and the individuals involved don't mind, or if they do, feel it's not worth going to war over (or eating sandwiches 3 days a week ;) ).

I do almost all the cooking - and the meal planning and the shopping and the prep. As I said up-thread, I find the day-to-day of it to be pure drudgery much of the time. Shaking up this routine (at least around here) would result in eating poorer quality, much less well-prepared meals AND me having to consider doing a bunch of tasks that I currently leave entirely to the other family members. :laughing:
 


I guess that applies - if anybody actually feels like they're being treated that way. Happy coexistence in a family is negotiated, to a point, but I don't think there's any objective standard for who needs to do what, or how responsibilities get divvied up. Imbalances may exist and the individuals involved don't mind, or if they do, feel it's not worth going to war over (or eating sandwiches 3 days a week ;) ).

I do almost all the cooking - and the meal planning and the shopping and the prep. As I said up-thread, I find the day-to-day of it to be pure drudgery much of the time. Shaking up this routine (at least around here) would result in eating poorer quality, much less well-prepared meals AND me having to consider doing a bunch of tasks that I currently leave entirely to the other family members. :laughing:

Yep. Time and schedules certainly play into it, but I think quite often, each different thing is done by the person who cares most about how it's done.
 
Yep. Time and schedules certainly play into it, but I think quite often, each different thing is done by the person who cares most about how it's done.
Agree. I've no doubt my DH and DS would manage to keep themselves from starving if I wasn't around, but neither of them cares enough about cooking to become good at it. In the end, I'd rather do (almost) all of it myself and have nice meals. :teeth:
 
I guess that applies - if anybody actually feels like they're being treated that way. Happy coexistence in a family is negotiated, to a point, but I don't think there's any objective standard for who needs to do what, or how responsibilities get divvied up. Imbalances may exist and the individuals involved don't mind, or if they do, feel it's not worth going to war over (or eating sandwiches 3 days a week ;) ).

I do almost all the cooking - and the meal planning and the shopping and the prep. As I said up-thread, I find the day-to-day of it to be pure drudgery much of the time. Shaking up this routine (at least around here) would result in eating poorer quality, much less well-prepared meals AND me having to consider doing a bunch of tasks that I currently leave entirely to the other family members. :laughing:

That’s a valid point too. I get suggestions from the family, but I like to do the actual cooking. Mostly because it means someone else cleans up :D
 

I LOVE Maangchi! I can't make many of the recipes (soy allergy and I don't have subs for everything), but her videos are wonderful and the recipes I CAN have are so good.

I don't really get into a food rut. If anything, I start to miss the simple comfort foods because I will go month without making the same thing twice. Between my cookbook collection, pinterest, and food blogs there is a never ending amount of recipes out there. You just have to take a few minutes to find them. I have thousands of recipes pinned on Pinterest alone. More then I could ever make in my lifetime.
 
All the time! The problem is that I'm the one doing the bulk of the cooking so it needs to be quick and easy in order to accommodate everyone's busy schedules. I'm predicting that after this week there'll be a request for no chili for the next month. It's been on the menu too frequently.

I need to branch out and find some crockpot meals that are tasty.
 
No you don't have a really good recipe for vegetarian chili :rotfl2:

Seriously though, I really don't know how you could make vegetarian chili. Chili without the meat is just vegetable soup.

I'm not a purist, but if it helps, you can think of it as a bean stew with bulgur wheat and chili spices.
 

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