<p>My daughter bought a little sign for my wife that says, “I’m making my favorite thing for dinner tonight. Reservations.”</p>
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<p>With all popularity of cooking shows and easy accessibility of ingredients, I know more and more people who can cook a meal that is easily as good or better than anything you’ll have at a fine restaurant. But I have friends on both ends of the spectrum, from daily posts about their gourmet creations and food finds, to those who never cook and couldn’t care less!</p>
<p>Grilled salmon or flank steak is my go to for a quick meal.</p>
<p>I was a sous chef at an upscale restaurant during my grad school years. I like to think that my home made food is up to the gold standard. I have to admit…I’m a pretty damn good cook. My skills were acquired in a professional kitchen, but my tastes were acquired by living on a budget in Italy when supermarkets were unheard of and restaurants were beyond my means. I am pretty adept at keeping my pantry stocked and since I tend to shy away from recipes and cook on the fly with what is on hand or fresh, last minute meals are not a production, but a joy. I love to make something out of nothing and I love the conviviality that can be had with a simple last minute party at home. My friends are all for it.</p>
<p>Well of course it depends on how much notice, who the unexpected guests might be, and what the weather is. Other than friends of my daughters staying later or kids not getting picked up when they were younger, I cannot imagine when this might have happened in recent memory… but I usually have some of my homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer and could make that along with a nice salad or if it is summer and hot, I might have a bowl of gazpacho in the refrigerator or could easily make one. If I had time to go to the supermarket I might be able to get a turkey breast to roast if it isn’t too hot to do so or chicken/steak/burgers/hot dogs for the grill if it’s summer.Hopefully I would have time for the bakery for a nice bread and dessert, but if not, there is usually an assortment of sorbets in my freezer and sometimes ice cream and frozen yogurt. Hopefully I would also have a nice melon and berries that I can also serve or maybe a brand-new pineapple.</p>
<p>If I have a little bit of time to get to a store one of our go to easy & quick meals is steak tips (grilled), salad, rice pilaf, and bread. For dessert I slice up what ever fruit is in season and serve with store bought pound cake or angel food cake and whipped cream (sometimes I make it and other times I buy the stuff in a can).</p>
<p>I always keep the following on hand: frozen chicken breasts, frozen broccoli, ziti, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and Romano cheese. I can quickly whip up a Chicken, Broccoli and Ziti dish that is a family favorite and is decent enough to serve to guests (although I prefer to use fresh broccoli). I also always have on hand the ingredients for Magic Bars so I can whip up a quick dessert.</p>
<p>Well, I really love a cooking challenge (after I am over being annoyed:))
That said --learn how to make Brown Butter and Pasta --add parm and add what ever is around–take stale bread and put olive oil or butter on and broil…
ALWAYS have a little store bought choc torte frozen or have a bunch of candy to serve in a beautiful bowl –
a few bottles of wine, cheese and crackers
All is fun!
Take apples and slice very very thinly and it is a new dish.</p>
<p>I always cook enough for 2 to 3 extra people. My kids (and friends, significant others) know that if you’re around within 2 hours of dinner you have an invitation to stay. </p>
<p>However, if the “extra” people are too numerous that extra side dishes won’t work…takeout. Works every time.</p>
<p>JUST found out that I will have 4-6 hungry opera singers over tonight. Let the games begin!! Got a pork loin, rubbed with herbs salt pepper, 1/2 hour in the oven on high, then into the crock pot. Panzanella salad with fresh tomatoes from the garden. White beans with garlic and sage. Olives, cheese. Only labor intensive part will be a fresh Peach pie.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl–I’m with you, I’m another “live to eat” person. Just not really interested in food, especially if I have to cook it (which I have, a lot, over the last 27 years–I have 7 kids and H never cooks. I also grew up in a big family and am a veteran of many church potlucks, so I am used to cooking for an army. . .but I’ve never enjoyed it.) Though the fridge and pantry are always full of food, everyone acts like the food must be “magically processed” by mom’s hands. (What? You can’t dump your own salad out of a bag yourself?) We have some odd food habits. Lately, everyone grazes on whatever they want–usually things that don’t need to be cooked. Breakfast is cereal/toast. No one eats “lunch.” There is always a bowl of fruit and bags of nuts/seeds/trailmix on the counter. A drawer full of Greek yogurt in fridge. Burritos, pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, etc. in the freezer. My kitchen has two microwaves. Beanie weenies, macaroni and cheese, frozen pizza, nachos, etc. are what the kids often have for dinner. Or a bowl of popcorn or friend egg. Sometimes I’ll have one of those “Ensure”-type meal shakes. (How about getting a couple six-packs of those, and pass them out to your guests 
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<p>But to answer the question–it would probably be something like meat loaf (everyone seems to love my meatloaf, but I don’t think it’s so special), salmon (I heat it up in a pan with teriyaki sauce) or ham, with some dressed up bagged salad and rice/ potatoes/vegetables. Dessert would be pie or brownies with ice cream. OR, more likely, I would get H to pick up some shredded pork BBQ and make sandwiches with those at home, with some beans, corn, slaw on the side.</p>
<p>Atomom - you know what I never got? Sitcoms / movies where the mother is busy cooking breakfast for husband, kids, etc. who are all running out the door. Why on earth would you cook breakfast on a weekday? Isn’t that what cereal, fruit, oatmeal, muffins, toast, yogurt are for? Why does breakfast need to be hot? I enjoy pancakes and eggs as much as anyone, but those are for brunches served in restaurants :-).</p>
<p>Breakfast?? That’s why toast was invented.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl–Aren’t those tv/movie moms also wearing makeup/heels/pearls while they cook breakfast? (At our house, the kid who overslept is rooting through the cabinet for a piece of gum as a breakfast/toothbrush substitute. Mom still sound asleep.)</p>
<p>Pancakes or french toast would be dinner at our house.</p>
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<p>Because it’s great to have once in a while…especially on the weekends. However, I agree it’s time-consuming to prepare and not always practical…or necessarily healthy during most mornings. I also will owe to being weird as someone who loves a bowl of oatmeal with honey and raisins as an indulgence. :)</p>
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<p>It’s the touchy-feely emotional reaction of a meal tasting better if it’s “prepared with love” by family members/friends. :)</p>
<p>Despite the admittedly overly clinical description of the above…I feel the same regarding home meals prepared by family, friends, and acquaintances. </p>
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<p>I usually skip breakfast. With the exception of a glass of fruit juice and endless cups of green tea, my usual first meal of the day takes place at around noon. Found it facilitates my concentration and focus when tackling morning activities whether at work or play. :)</p>
<p>I always cook enough for two meals, so unexpected guests would most likely either just have what I was planning on having that night, or the next night. This time of year we are drowning in vegetables from the CSA. Most of the time I grill them along with some meat - butterflied lamb, steak, fish are my favorites.</p>
<p>If I’ve got chicken thighs I might make you The Splendid Table’s chicken cacciatore [Chicken</a> Cacciatore | The Splendid Table](<a href=“http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/chicken-cacciatore]Chicken”>Chicken Cacciatore | The Splendid Table) or Mark Bittman’s chicken with apricots.</p>
<p>cobrat–if you knew my attitude toward cooking, you’d know that “prepared with LOVE” doesn’t apply to my meals. </p>
<p>I prepare food with resentment, disgust, annoyance, and yes, I’d even call it HATE at times!</p>
<p>I’m with atomom. To me, there’s nothing magical lovey-dovey among preparing meals. It’s a chore to me, not a way of expressing love. I hate having to think about it night after night (which is why I love leftovers), I hate being tired at the end of the day and have to stand there and do it, and I especially hate dirtying a kitchen. For what? It just seems so labor intensive and repetitive to me, and I don’t think the end result is worth it.
I’m fortunate that my H likes to cook, and was / is happy to do it. Even so, I’m fine with the same few meals repeated over and over again, and I’m fine with simple things like grilled chicken breasts, steamed broccoli in the microwave, brown rice, and so forth. </p>
<p>My D and I went out last night, and for dinner, we stopped at Whole Foods, bought prepared foods from their hot-bar area, ate there and then went on to our activity. That was about as perfect as it gets.</p>
<p>I think I feel the same way over cooking (=functional, basic, get it done, take whatever shortcuts necessary, as long as the end result gets the job done that’s good enough) as some of the ladies on here have felt about fashion on the fashion threads :-).</p>
<p>I like cooking, I like eating, we could probably go 6 months without repeating dinner. Hubby and I both cook, so we each take turns 3 nights a week, then we either go out or do carry out. </p>
<p>This summer s has invited his ‘gang’ over quite a bit. They always manage to be here for dinner. Tonight I was told at 5pm they’d be hanging out here. Now I don’t “have” to make them dinner, they’d be fine with pizza or going out, but almost all the time I make dinner for them.</p>
<p>I happened to go through a blitz where anything that wasn’t nailed down was getting canned this summer. I made a huge batch of homemade spaghetti sauce - with sausage and pressure canned it. I already had a bagged salad, with a cranberry & almond salad topping in the fridge for a different dinner. So with little effort we had spaghetti and salad for dinner.</p>
<p>We have a deep freezer full of every kind of meat under the sun. To add more people is usually not that big of a deal. For me I think it’s a very important ritual to eat dinner as a family. I make a weekly menu so it’s never a biggie to me to have a few extra plates at dinner.</p>
<p>oh Atomom, you made me laugh. I’m in your camp, and not a fan of cooking! We only had two kids, but we spent years living frugally and cooked eerything, including 6 loaves of bread per week. Now- I am delighted not to have to provide meals for anyone. Husband and I graze in or out
depending on mood.</p>
<p>Did anybody mention getting a few rotisserie chickens from Costco and some pre mixed bags of salad? Maybe some of those great whole wheat rolls you put in the oven for a few minutes? To make it special, I always have some stored Martinelli’s Apple Sparkling Cider. Oh, and a Costco Black Out cake… did I mention I like Costco? I always have some emergency appetizers from my other favorite place, Trader Joes.</p>