Comments on: Favourite dishes you don't serve to guests

By: Ella

Ella — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:31:55 +0000

Tuna patties. I can't persuade anyone that they're amazing without actually forcefeeding them. First, make fluffy mashed potatoes just as you normally would – plenty of butter and milk, even cream, if you have it on hand. I hate dry flavourless patties. I'd rather they're a little gooey and tasty than bland and solid. Add one egg, a handful of fresh grated parmesan, finely sliced spring onion, salt, coarsely grated pepper, a good squeeze of lemon juice, and chopped fresh herbs (parsley, or whatever you have). Add a can of tuna in brine (drained), and combine. I like to break the tuna up pretty finely. If you refrigerate first, they're easier to shape, but I don't always have time. Form patties, and roll in breadcrumbs, then fry in a pan lightly coated with oil until toasty brown and crispy on the outside. They're great on their own as "bowl food", but my secret pleasure is to put one in a crusty roll with lettuce and mayo. Mmmm. Tunalicious.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:01:52 +0000

There's my super-lazy meal when I am the only one at home but don't want to eat total rubbish. I pour myself a glass of white wine, oil the Le Creuset gratin dish and heat it in the oven then throw in a chicken breast, a couple of tomatoes, half a red capsicum (possibly covering 2-3 mushrooms so they don't dry out). I sprinkle all with one of those herb or rub mixes. Sometimes I cover with foil. Sometimes I add a slosh of wine. Sometimes I take the cores out of the tomatoes and push in some basil leaves. Occasionally I might add beans or asparagus towards the end of cooking. I'm sure it could be made in any sort of dish but the 35-y-o gratin dish is part of the ritual as, of course, is the wine…

By: Cupcaker

Cupcaker — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:08:23 +0000

@ zoe / puku : try those mashed potato sandwiches panfied in a little butter – magnificent! (Especially if made on ciabatta or turkish bread)

By: zoe / puku

zoe / puku — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:50:48 +0000

lol. great question! I do a similar veg spag, including carrots (which, like my mum, I even put in spag bol, makes it sweet + ups vege quota – I don't know why people find this addition strange at all!) but I think I've happily served this to guests before

exclusively private dishes for me: bowl of mashed potatoes (garlic, herbed, fetta sprinkled or plain), 2 minute noodle ramen soup (chock full of veges, meats, herbs etc, but if serving guests I would swap the noodles for something less cringey), spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Parmesan, bubble and squeak, and a variety of horrors with leftovers – like mashed potato sandwiches! pan-fried leftover anything! leftovers on 2 minute noodles! *hides face in hands*

By: Duncan

Duncan — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:20:08 +0000

No probs, all you pickle people. This post was meant to elicit exactly such secrets, fetishes and follies!

Coby, you've reminded me of something we'd eat when i was growing up — stew on toast!

I think the mentions of mashed potato are interesting… you know, i hardly ever make mash, and the thought of it as comfort food isn't me — immediate reaction is "too much effort", yet of course my pasta or other people's eggs and soldiers, or tuna bakes or whatever all take about the same time. Secret comforts reflect the inner something?

By: Coby

Coby — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:35:52 +0000

Eggs often fit into the solitary meal for me. As for dishes never served to guests, spaghetti with bacon and eggs done one of two ways. Either very garlicky and olive oiled or perhaps more oddly with curry powder and sweet soy. My family favour the sweet soy version, but I love the garlic and oil one more. Also, sometimes I'll make latkes and top them with a fried egg.

I still love bubble and squeak, again topped with an egg – that's not 'guest food' *ever*.

Leftover stew on toast for breakfast is a completely solitary meal for me:)

By: Thanh

Thanh — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:06:44 +0000

Y, we are two jalepenos from the same jar. I always have a jar of that in the fridge at all times too. I also love kimchi and went through a kimchi phase where I ate it almost everyday for about 6 weeks.

Sorry to hijack the comments Duncan, I promise this is my last comment about pickles. It's just that you don't find a fellow pickle lover every day.

By: Campbell

Campbell — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:38:18 +0000

Lamb's Fry. I love it. My flatmates love it too. But I would never serve it to guests. My Mum just taught me to cook it about a month ago. I hate every second of having to prepare it – so the comfort is definitely in eating it.
Come to think of it – anything that I would normally serve with mash potato is something that I would never serve to guests. I guess mash is the ultimate comfort food for me.

By: Y

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:29:20 +0000

Thanh, I used to always have a jar of jalepenos in the fridge at all times. These days I've moved on to kimchi though

By: Thanh

Thanh — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:31:05 +0000

Y, I know that most food enthusiasts would cringe at Spam, hence I wouldn't serve it to anyone else. But I do like the way the sugar makes the Spam taste.

Also, I have a really unhealthy obsession with pickles too. I eat pickled cucumbers with most sandwiches and love jalepenos in a lot of things.