I had similar debates while cleaning out the pantry and freezer this weekend. Settled on 2 years for cans completely arbitrarily and had a odd assortment of borderline items for dinner. I also vowed to cut out the aspiration-based shopping. I’m never going to make homemade vegan crab cakes no matter how many cans of…

I do this, too. Saves trips to the store and also stops the constant drone of “What’s for dinner?” I’m trying to get better about doing the same for lunch. I used to cook extra to have lunch for the next day, but now that doesn’t always work...unless it’s a huge pot of chili or similar, however much I cook, that’s how…

My grandmother taught me to slice up that leftover steak/roast, fry briefly in butter or bacon grease (just to heat and brown, while preserving the tenderness), and serve on buttered toast strips. Cut the toast to match the steak strip, like steak-toast fingers. She called them steak sandwiches and I make sure I…

A can of tuna dumped in Kraft mac-and-cheese was one of my mother’s regulars in the dinner rotation. She said it was “tuna casserole.” But she herself never ate it...

We used to insist that my father get the burgers at Roy Rogers but the fries at McDonald’s. I’m still amazed he ever agreed to this, he was not one to accommodate children in general, but he did it for us. I can only assume he also realized the fries at McDonald’s are good but the burgers are crap.

I’ll order delivery during rain and tip extra, or the day after snow and tip even more, but not during a real snowstorm. It has taken me an hour+ to get the 5 miles from the pizza place to my house in the snow because people where I live are notoriously bad at driving in snow.

Yup. I was not allowed to walk to the mall alone because the Lyons sisters had disappeared doing that. My parents were working at the Montgomery Wards when it happened, my mom was even interviewed by the police. I was just at the Costco last week.

I find their “Taste of America” theme very poorly executed. New York is so specific, and Greektown is so vague/generic. Especially when mixed with big regions like West Coast and Southern. I am being persnickety in this analysis, I know.

(who the hell doesn’t use Grubhub or Seamless?)

Same. Eat24 is the only online option for my favorite Indian place. I always pick up, so hope that makes a difference for the tip situation. They actually turned me down the one time I tried to tip in cash upon pick up.

I never thought it was good...it was just...tradition? Kind of like egg nog.

I still am appalled that hot dog crust pizza exists. I like pizza, and I like pigs and blankets. I have probably even eaten both at parties. It doesn’t help that Pizza Hut makes terrible pizza.

It really does look like chicken parmesan but in fried chicken shapes. Maybe like a leg-shaped nugget? Or maybe it just looks flat in the picture. I don’t know that I’d like that with the KFC spice palate with marinara sauce, but maybe they will flavor this differently.

I mean, ok, I also have a hard time thinking of a costume that says “Oh, Desi, yup, you nailed it...” Put on a suit jacket or tux, for starters, and then stick with Lucy. But brownface? Did they think of this while lamenting that they couldn’t do blackface and use the n-word? Like, how much time do they spend being…

Aw. My in-laws are weird about food, I totally get it. Especially food they haven’t eaten before. I brought salad to a potluck once and they told me it was really good, but said it like they were surprised. Whaddya know, I can actually make food.

Good point. I started cooking out of desperation...my mother is a terrible cook...and there were some disasters along the way. I mostly learned by watching cooking shows and trying things out, but most importantly not being too hard on myself if something doesn’t turn out.

Agree. I make an effort to save takeout/dining out for things I honestly don’t know how to cook. I can make killer chicken parmesan or fettuccine alfredo at home for a fraction of what an Italian restaurant costs by the time you add in a glass (ok, bottle) or insanely marked up wine. But paneer makhani escapes me, so…

Oh yeah, I love rare beef. Really just between rare and medium rare is my favorite.

I expect that 1. this is really intended to be a choice of rare, med rare, or medium (at most); 2. they would rather serve you charcoal than risk loosing money if you send it back or want it comped; 3. because they have corporate overlords and will do anything to avoid complaints; 4. this particular story...based on…

Ok, one time, when there was truly no one else in line, I did ask if I could have the steak they had just sliced but hadn’t put out yet. It just looked so rare and juicy and amazing...if anyone else were there I probably would have just let a few folks go ahead of me, crossed my fingers, and hoped I timed the steamer…