I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.

[chriscinfl]

Just curious, what do you never eat out because nobody makes it right but you? I never eat meatloaf out. I only like mine. Also, I never get meal salads out (dinner salads, side salads yes) or linguini with white clam sauce. What things just don't taste right when anyone makes it except you?

Chris

[Analisas mom]

Greek salad

[Jacquilynne]

It'd be really great if we could get recipes or tips on all of these suggestions. If your version is definitive, perhaps you'd all share with the rest of us?

[vvvindaloo]

I have posted my mother's recipe for spaghetti (or linguine) alle vongole below. I notice that this dish was mentioned several times as something people hesitate to order out. I agree that it would be very useful to have people's tried and true recipes for dishes that they find are less enjoyable in restaurants.

[Analisas mom]

crab cakes

[Analisas mom]

lamb shanks

[rabaja]

Poached eggs, very hard to fine done well, although I guess there are a COUPLE of places where I live...:)

[amymsmom]

Steak - I marinate it in soy & garlic powder. Restaurants don't.

[kavikat]

I love my own steak too -- i marinade in teriyaki sauce, garlic powder, pepper or sliced fresh chilis, and sliced onions. This is how my mom always made it and nothing compares!

[soypower]

fried rice
udon noodle soup
pot stickers

[aburkavage]

I would love a blow-by-blow on how you make your fried rice! What kind of rice do you use? Is it freshly steamed, or leftover and refrigerated? Do you use any kind of special seasoning besides soy sauce? I feel like my homemade fried rice is always lacking in one way or another...

Can you tell I'm curious? Thanks in advance!

[dani_k]

YES. i have yet to have fried rice in a restaurant that is as good as my mom taught me how to make.

i don't think i've ever ordered udon out so i can't compare...oh, wait...i did once...it sucked.

[Lorcasaur]

Awesome post! Any pasta in red meat sauce -- nothing beats my family's recipe, in my opinion.

[goodhealthgourmet]

fun topic.

frittata
ratatouille
black bean dip
oatmeal

[jeni1002]

Gotta say, your black bean dip, GHG, is awesome.....To answer the original question: salads, egg sandwiches, crepes. But that's probably because I spend way too much time making salads, egg sandwiches and crepes....

[millygirl]

Okay I'll bite. What do you put in your black bean dip GHG and even better, can you post the recipe?

[jeni1002]

The recipe was posted on one of the Super Bowl threads - here's the link:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/484454

[goodhealthgourmet]

that's so sweet. thanks! :)

[millygirl]

Thanks so much.... I will definitely try it. Sounds perfect to go with drinks out on the patio!

[Val]

I'll second this...it really is delicious and healthy...gotta make it again soon... maybe tonight! I made it for Super Bowl day also.

[jeni1002]

Could you share your oatmeal and ratatouille recipes?

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm flattered you would even ask!

the oatmeal is just an issue of consistency - i don't have a secret recipe or anything, it's just always either too chewy or too mushy when someone else cooks it. i call it the goldilocks syndrome...except that no one gets it "just right." :)

as for the ratatouille, it's sort of one of those haphazard "i just know when it's right" things. again, no formal recipe, but if you give me a day or so i'll be happy to try & paraphrase the general ingredients & estimate the amounts for you.

[jeni1002]

(smiling while reading your post) I've had the same chewy/mushy issues with oatmeal for quite a while now and I am relieved to know I'm not the only one.....

I have still yet to find a ratatouille recipe to my liking so by all means, when you get the chance, please post yours. Thanks much!

[Morticia]

Yes, oatmeal is never very good outside of one's own kitchen, in my opinion...maybe it is because it doesn't hold well? For mine, I always use part milk, part water, and add the raisins, cinnamon, and little pieces of green apple to the water before bringing it all to a boil - this makes the fruit nice and soft and allows it to sweeten the cereal naturally. For health reasons, I don't like to add extra sweetener, and with my method, I never need to!

[foxy fairy]

ghg--

I just made ratatouille this weekend and I'm curious about how you do yours. I base mine on the Moosewood Original recipe -- first onions with bay leaf, then I add mushrooms (not in recipe, but I'm SUCH a fan of mushrooms), then eggplant and oregano and basil and salt(fresh--yum), then cook for a while, then some tomatoes, zucchini, red pepper, black pepper. I very much enjoy it for hearty summer or autumnal meals.

*How do you do yours???

[dani_k]

oatmeal just always seemed like such a strange thing to order out.

[SpiceMustFlow]

Chicken liver.

Such a delicate but easily-ruined meat, and I don't trust anyone but me to get it just the way I like it.

[eLizard]

meatballs
stuffed artichokes

[modthyrth]

Cinnamon rolls. Mine are tender, on the edge of gooey without tripping over that fine line, flavorful, and have no need for icing of any ilk. I've never tasted a cinnamon roll that came close, no matter how lauded the chef (including the cinnamon rolls from the current reigning national pastry champions).

[GSDlove]

Modthyrth, would you be so kind as to share your recipe? It sounds wonderful.

[modthyrth]

My pleasure.

Place 9 cups flour in a tupperware fix n mix bowl (They don't call it that any more. It's huge. The biggest one they have. It might now be called a "Thatsa Bowl" but it's hard to tell online. Anyway, get a BIG bowl, preferably one that you can cover easily. The tupperware is fabulously handy). make a well in the flour.

Scald: 1 1/2 cups milk and cool with 1 1/2 cups cold water (you're aiming for 115 degrees)
Add: 2/3 c sugar, 2 t salt, 2 pkg yeast, 4 beaten eggs

Pour liquid mixture into well. DO NOT MIX.

Put lid on and wait until it pops off (about 25-30 minutes)
While waiting, melt and cool two sticks of butter.

When lid pops off, add melted butter and mix all together. It will be wet and kind of lumpy, but don't worry.

Put lid back on and wait until it pops once again. (another 25-30 minutes)

Take half the dough out of the bowl and roll into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. (You can sprinkle on some butterscotch pudding powder if you'd like. Makes it extra gooey and adds good flavor. Especially good if you add chopped pecans.) Roll up the rectangle from the short end of the rectangle (to get the maximum swirls in each roll).

I use a length of button thread to cut my cinnamon rolls. Slide the thread under the tube of cinnamon roll, cross the string over the top and pull...kind of garrote it. You get a perfect, unsmooshed cut. Trim off the ends of the tube and make 8 even cinnamon rolls from the remainder.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place rolls in 2 9x13 pans. Put the ends in an 8x8 scrap pan. When you put the rolls in their pans, coat the outside of each roll with melted butter. This will make them easy to separate. I like to sprinkle some extra cinnamon sugar on the top of each roll.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. I like 22 minutes, but it will vary from oven to oven. Caution--when you pull these out at the appropriate time they won't look all golden brown like you might expect. If you let them go until they're golden brown on top, they'll taste dry and unremarkable. That's one of the reasons I sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top, so that people see some of the brown color they expect.

[vvvindaloo]

thank you, modthryth, this recipe sounds wonderful (and fun!).

[GSDlove]

Thanks, I can't wait to try it! Once the rolls are in the pans, do they need to rise before going into the oven?

[modthyrth]

You can give them another 20 minutes or so, but it's actually pretty forgiving and not necessary. It usually takes long enough to make the second roll of rolls that the first set is ready to pop into the oven by the time the second roll is cut. And then the second set of rolls has had rise-time while the first set was baking. It works out nicely.

[GSDlove]

Got it. This is gonna be fun!

[Pampatz]

I made your cinnamon rolls for a breakfast at church last weekend. My only modifications were 6 cups of all-purpose flour and 3 cups of cake flour (I was low on regular flour) and 3 heaping tablespoons of Bird's Custard Mix. I use the custard mix in almost all my sweet breads. It gives the bread a nice pale yellow color and a good custardy flavor.

They were really great cinnamon rolls. Completely cooked but still gooey.

[modthyrth]

Mmm, I'll have to try using the custard mix in the bread. Intriguing. I'm delighted that you liked the recipe!

[caviar_and_chitlins]

Lots of things... but:

Steak. I really have a problem understanding the whole high end steak house concept. Hmm- pay $40+ for a hunk o' meat (never great, usually good, often poorly done). And $5 for some creamed spinach, or a $7 potato.

You come to my house, and your steak will be a sizzling rare, you potato will fluff, and your creamed spinach will be creamy, not gummy.

And ditto the crab cake. They are never as good as at home, where I want to showcase the crab, not save money by adding fillers.

[greedygirl]

Steak for me too, and also scrambled eggs.

[lollya]

oh i am with you greedy, i need me some fluffy eggs. not flat browned ones.

[mielimato]

Anything grilled--steak, fish, etc. What is the added value of ordering that in a restaurant when I can do it at home?

Pasta--I think it is amazing how much restaurants charge for a plate of pasta. Mine is always al dente and the sauce to pasta ratio is perfect. This is especially true of oil & garlic sauces & cream sauces. I love simple oil and garlic pasta dishes but they are inevitably always too oily when I have it out.

[greedygirl]

That's true apart from in Italy, where the pasta is to die for.

[newhavener07]

I'm the same, hate paying $12 for a pastas that taste better at home. I love making arrabiata sauce with a can of diced tomatoes, lots of garlic and chili flakes. Also broccoli rabe with garlic and chili, which you can't find many places, even in the Italian food mecca of New Haven.

[foodwich]

steak, pizza of late, marinara, indian food except for nan which i cant make like them at home since i dont have a tandoor oven.

[beelzebozo]

- chicken pot pie. it's always under seasoned and uninventive when i order it out.
- cookies, particularly chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or peanut butter.
- chicken parmigniana. uniformly greasy and not crisp when i've eaten it out.
- barbecued chicken. tyler florence's recipe is easy and makes better bbq chicken than any restaurant in which i've eaten.

and i'm starting to feel the same way about pizza in this area. the problem seems to be that they don't crisp it enough on a stone. any pizza i've eaten at restaurants or from takeout is ten times better once i heat up my oven and put it on the pizza stone for 5-8 minutes--the bottom gets that crisp crunch that indicates the cook knew what they were doing, and the middle stays soft and moist. i'll always take my own homemade over anything i order out, but it's a lot of work to make some good homemade pizzas, so sometimes i compromise.

[greedygirl]

That's what I used to think, but now I make the dough in my breadmaker making pizzas is a piece of, er, cake! I always sprinkle semolina on my pizza stone too for a more authentic flavour. But you're never going to get a domestic oven which is as hot as a wood-fired one, sadly.

[beelzebozo]

actually the local pizza joint sells me their dough for 99 cents a ball. it's just prepping all the toppings, herbs, tossing the dough, etc. that creates all the work. i make my own homemade sauce, and anytime i make homemade pizza i'm making at least one pisaladierre, and one goat cheese and wild mushroom pizza. you can imagine all that onion caramelizing, mushroom browning, and so on and so forth amounts to a couple of hours of work at least.

but hey, it's always worth it.

[empecot]

Risotto. It sounds good on menus, but when I've ordered it in the past it's always a crunchy, undercooked, gloppy mess. Even the most upscale restaurants can't get risotto right.
I've always had perfect results with Jamie Oliver's basic risotto recipe.

[RPMcMurphy]

STEAK at any place other than a steakhouse that I KNOW will cook it right....which is few and far between.

Even here in NJ, I medium rare and get medium well most of the time, I just gave up and now only order a steak at a steakhouse I actually KNOW will cook medium rare.

[goodhealthgourmet]

don't know if you have a fleming's in central jersey, but the one in edgewater gladly obliges my request for RARE.

[yankeefan]

macaroni gravy
mango chutney
roasted garlic

[ElsieDee]

What is macaroni gravy?

[yankeefan]

sorry, pasta sauce.

[ElsieDee]

*grinning* I was thinking that was what you meant, but then my imagination kicked in and I was envisioning some sort of creamy sausage gravy with pasta (like biscuits and gravy, substituting pasta for the biscuits).

Hmmmm - maybe polenta and gravy?

[Diane in Bexley]

Elsie, I do a dish where you serve your basic spaghetti sauce with sausages over squares of fried polenta and top with mozz and parmesan reg cheese. A million calories but oh so comforting on days where you need some comfort food!

[yankeefan]

that sounds great!

[swsidejim]

chicken parmesan, I learned no one can make it like I do.

[bakerboyz]

recipe?

[swsidejim]

a variation of the chicken cutlet recipe in Joy of Cooking, Pounding out the chicken breasts, I also use Reggiano parmesan in the bread crumb mixture, and use a deep fryer with peanut oil.

I use the traditional flour, egg, breadcrumb(parmesan,parsley) coating. Then deep fry the pounded out chicken breasts. I use homemade marinara, and more reggiano, and either shredded mozzeralla,or fresh mozz. Top breasts with reggiano, mozzarella, and sauce, and then another layer of reggiano, and mozzerella. Throw under the broiler until melted.

I find the chicken parmesan when I used to order it out to either not have enough cheese, or the chicken is either dry, or is a full breast, not pounded out.

[joschus]

Your comment made me think of a chicken piccata I had last week. They didn't pound out or flatten the chicken at all. It was very strange because it was a big thick breast and though it tasted good, it just wasn't "right". I wondered how a chef could make it that way? Maybe he just didn't know better - but that's odd too.

[jeanmarieok]

Egg salad and tuna salad - I just like it the way I like it - you know what I mean?

[starlady]

Same here, plus I have no idea how long it's been in their fridge!

[firecooked]

Me too. Stuff out always has too much mayo.

[dani_k]

too much mayo or too much vinegar!

[Antilope]

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
Brined Smoked Whole Turkey
Homemade Barbecue Sauce

[Antilope]

My Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 cup Heinz ketchup
6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon plain prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
2 to 4 teaspoons bottled liquid smoke flavor (hickory) I use Wright's brand
1/4 teaspoon Louisiana-style red pepper sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Mix well. Simmer over low
heat for 30-minutes, stirring occasionally.

[swsidejim]

just curious, why do you need liquid smoke in the sauce? Are you ribs not cooked on a smoker?

[Antilope]

I use the sauce on other things that are not smoked. It's optional.

[swsidejim]

ok, thanks for the reply. looks like a good sauce.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Might try Pimenton from Extremadura instead of liquid smoke. Smoked paprika , done over wood, the dulce is not at all hot and has better smoke flavor, besides being non-chemical, tha the liquid smoke. Comes in 4-8 oz containers, relatively inexpensive and last a while

[SteveG]

Actually some brands of liquid smoke are based on real smoke. They capture the smoke from burning wood and bubble it through a liquid, which is what they end up selling.

[joschus]

Oh WOW! Not to sound snobby - but there's a few things don't like to order out! The exceptions are in very high end restaurants where I'll usually enjoy most anything:

cheese plates
dessert (always too sweet and yucky)
pasta - usually the sauce is gloppy or not spiced right
And now the biggy - anything "closed" like an enchilada where the chef can hide all sorts of nasty leftover pieces of whatever!

[rabaja]

Where are you eating???

[sarah galvin]

Interesting comment about the 'closed' food item. Once I happened to open my bun when I ordered a beef dip. I was disgusted at the crap they put in it - fatty and grisly meat. It took me a long time before I ordered it again and only in very good restaurants.

[lollya]

yikes you just changed me love of an enchilada. sad.

[cresyd]

I'll order "closed" foods, but I always open them when I eat them. Burritos, sandwiches, whatever...however this usually ends up being a 'dining alone' or take-out experience cause most people don't like eating out with someone playing Operation with their food.

After working in coffee shops, I have never ordered anything with steamed milk again. It's a consistency thing that I find varies too much from person to person, and the way I like it is the way I make it.

[Smileelisa]

Spaghetti. I make my own pasta and my own homemade sauce. There is no comparison with anybody else's recipe. I am picky about my sauce. I also agree about the meatloaf.

[yankeefan]

agreed sauce is a non-negotiable, although olive garden does a great job with theirs (notice that comment laden with sarcasm)

I think it would be good idea to share some of the ones we had mentioned given others interest. I dont want to throw out my mango chutney, for example, if noone cares but I for one would like to hear about the homemade bbq sauce above as well as the black bean dip.

[Jacquilynne]

I'm guessing there's somebody interested in absolutely everything that's mentioned. I'd probably never make mango chutney, but I'm curious what goes into it.

[sarah galvin]

I just made mango chutney. It's great - diced onions, lots of spices like cinnamon, cumin, cloves, allspice. Other things like raisins, cilantro. But when it is all done, it bears no resemblance to mangoes whatsoever.

[yankeefan]

yes, and I also use a ton of garlic with the raisins. dont forget the red pepper flakes.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yankeefan, your baseball allegiance almost makes me want to withhold my bean dip recipe from you...

but i won't :)

actually, just scroll up to the near-top of the thread. jeni1002 posted the link in her second reply.

but if you're a jets fan i'm taking it back...

[yankeefan]

please dont ever accuse me of that, ever. ever!

Im a dolphin fan, guess I shouldnt admit that either. good call down below on the stuffing- completely agree.
Im going to try the black bean dip out.

[mirage]

I made this dip yesterday - really good, thanks!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm so glad you liked it! :)

[Gooseberry]

Sweet things - cake, cookies. Because I find others always make them too sweet. That, and I like to know what goes into my baked goods. This is especially true of chocolate baked goods; where people are baking for profit, they use the crappiest chocolate they can find.

I also don't like egg mayo or chicken mayo out - my partner is the only one who makes them just right!

[vvvindaloo]

linguine with clams (white. no one does it like my mother, and i'm not the only one who thinks so)
chicken or veal scallopine with lemon, white wine and butter (the meat is never pounded thin enough, or there's too much flour, or whatever)
shrimp cocktail (i like my cocktail sauce to be red with a lot of horseradish and some lemon and little else)
pasta e fagioli (i only like my grandmother's)
believe it or not, basic chicken soup (doesn't this always taste best when it's homemade?)
meatballs (unless they're Swedish-style and from somewhere that I trust)

[MMRuth]

I'm the same about vongole, though the place around the corner from us makes it quite well. I actually sometimes like to try restaurant dishes that are similar to some of the things I make, to try to see if I can improve on mine.

[vvvindaloo]

I will occasionally do the same thing, when it is a dish that I make. but when it comes to dishes that someone in my family makes, which even i don't dare to dream of improving on, i simply pass when i see it at a restaurant. vongole is just one of those things for me, but i am glad you found a place where you can order it and enjoy it. where on the UES is that, by the way?
i just happened to accompany my dad in choosing new terrace furniture for their house... i am looking forward to summer evenings outdoors enjoying my mom's vongole with a nice white wine. the season is upon us!

[MMRuth]

It's actually Vico ... on Madison & 92nd.

[crosby_p]

would love the recipes for clam sauce and pasta e fagioli if you care to post them!

[vvvindaloo]

i would post exact recipes if i had them, crosby, but they aren't dishes that i make often, myself. they are my mother's and grandmother's specialties and i'm sure they do it from memory each time.
off the top of my head, i can tell you that my grandmother uses cannellini beans (usually canned and rinsed), del monte tomato sauce (which is what my great-grandmother used, and while there are many more and better options available today, they wouldn't taste the same), lard and peperoncino for her initial soup base, as well as some salt and pepper. she simmers this mixture for long time (hours) then boils her pasta (ditalini). when the pasta is ready (slightly undercooked), she adds some of the pasta water, along with a lot of plain tap water, to the sauce, until it reaches the "right" consistency: thinner than tomato soup, thicker than tomato broth. she stirs in the pasta, and lets it sit for a while before serving. both the beans and the pasta should retain a little bit of bite. serve with grated pecorino romano.
i may be leaving something out, i'm not sure. give me some time and i will ask her.

as for the vongole, i have no idea what my mother does. i think she sprinkles fairy dust into it :)

[MMRuth]

I use the vongole recipe from Hazan, and just love it. I can't remember whether she calls for chopped plum tomatoes or not, but I do like to add them sometimes, and if she does call for them, I usually add a little more.

[vvvindaloo]

i am curious to see how Marcella does it. my mother does not use tomatoes in hers, but i have tasted it that way and i like it. i tend to like mine with plenty of parsley and little else- aside from the "magic" oil my mother dresses it with. i think she once got a tip from a cousin in Rome regarding a certain flavoring for this dish, and that is part of what makes it so different. i've tried to make this dish exactly twice, following a different recipe each time, and was disappointed with the results. i'm going to have to ask mom what she does!

[MMRuth]

Yes - please do ask her. I don't have the book in front of me, but I think it is olive oil, garlic, red chili flakes, parsley, tomatoes, white wine, and at the end, when you toss in the pasta and clams, you add the strained clam juice and reduce just a little further. I also always use more clams than Marcella calls for.

[vvvindaloo]

sounds good to me! i will follow up.

[MMRuth]

Oh - and I use my truffle shaver to shave the garlic paper thin.

[vvvindaloo]

my mom typically uses the garlic mincer and allows the minced garlic to sit in the oil for a while before heating it. here is what she told me: garlic and peperoncino (dried) in the oil, then heat it up slowly while heating the pasta water. when the pasta water reaches the boil, begin to mix the clams into the oil and saute just until they open (sometimes she adds salt, sometimes not). meanwhile, pour the pasta into the (salted) water. remove the clams to a large bowl as they open, reserving whatever liquid collects. when the pasta is ready, add it to the oil with a little bit of pasta water, add the clams and their juice, and stir in freshly- chopped parsley. that's it. i can hardly believe it.
she said that our cousin does indeed add some special spice to hers, but that she couldn't find it here and forgot the name...

[MMRuth]

Thanks - it sounds pretty similar to Marcella, though no wine, and in Marcella's you cook the parsley in the oil.

One thing confused me though - does she cook the clams in the oil? Or separately? I'd worry that the oil would get some of the grit from the clams.

[vvvindaloo]

yes, she always cooks the clams right in the oil, and i've never encountered any grit (wish i could say the same for when i've made them). i'm not sure what method she uses for washing/preparing the clams beforehand.

[MMRuth]

Thanks!

[vvvindaloo]

My mom decided that we should make the dish together, once and for all. So we bought the clams (true vongole from Arthur Ave.) and gave them a good rinse in a colander: under cold running water, sifting through them with our hands, rubbing lightly. Afterwards, they went in a large stainless steel bowl, covered with ice, and set in the fridge until we were ready to cook.
A few hours later, we poured about 3/4 cup of oil into a very large skillet and added four cloves of minced garlic and several generous pinches of dried peperoncino. We let that sit for about 20 minutes, while we put a pot of water on to boil, dumped the ice from the bowl, and rinsed the clams once again, being sure to remove any clam that did not close shut upon being tapped. My mother then rubbed the shells together gently, in order to remove whatever grit there might be.
We set the oil to simmer and placed 1.5 lbs. of spaghetti into the salted water. We then emptied the bowl of clams into the bubbling oil, just as soon as the garlic was ready, covered the skillet, and left them to cook for about 3 minutes. When we uncovered them, we found that a few had already begun to open. We removed the clams one by one with tongs, just as they opened, setting them into a bowl on the side. The oil looked thick and slightly opaque from the clam juices. By the time we had finished this, the pasta was ready. We emptied the pasta- first into a colander, and then straight into the oil, incorporating the clams and a handful of chopped parsley. Once lightly tossed, more parsley was sprinkled on top. We served it with prosecco, which is always my favorite accompaniment to oil-based sauces. The clams were perfectly cooked and just salty enough to eliminate the need for any added salt or pasta water. Not a trace of grit, and not one strand of spaghetti left over :)

[vvvindaloo]

I want to amend my list to include lentil soup. Not once have I enjoyed it as much in a restaurant as at home!

[starlady]

I am looking for a good lentil soup recipe. All the ones I have tried have just been lacking that "Je ne Sais Quoi" ya know??

What kind of lentils do you use?

[choctastic]

most asian desserts I make myself. for instance, sticky rice with mango. portions are never big enough and not enough coconut cream sauce usually.

also, pancakes. I make whole wheat/oat flour buttermilk pancakes that are fluffy, light and oh so good. i hate white flour.

vegan chocolate almond butter "ice cream" omg this stuff is so dangerous. so very dangerous.

[yankeefan]

can you please share the sticky mango rice recipe? Ive wanted to try that.

[choctastic]

I use the one on epicurious which is from the book "hot sour salty sweet". One serving at the restaurant is $5 a pop and it's no better than this one. I actually add more palm sugar and salt for my taste.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[bear]

choctastic, how do you steam your rice?

[choctastic]

actually i don't have one of those steamer thingys so I just put a sieve over a saucepan and steam the rice in the sieve. I cover the saucepan with its cover while it's steaming. You should probably line the sieve with cheesecloth but I never have any so I don't. It's not ideal but it works alright for my purposes. Oh and it costs me 50 cents to a dollar for a huge serving including the mango in season. At a restaurant it's like $6-8.

I actually have gotten to the point where I make up a huge jar of the coconut cream sauce which I keep in the freezer and chip off when I need it. Thus when I have a craving for sweet coconut sticky rice, I just have to steam the rice and voila, instant dessert.

Unfortunately, that sweet coconut cream used to flavor the rice also tastes really good as is, so I often eat it in its by itself...like ice cream. Very bad.

[bear]

Thanks for the reassurance that i can steam it without the special utensil. I have a bamboo steamer that I can try. I bought mangoes yesterday at Whole Foods for $.99 apiece, and have coconut milk. I didn' t buy their "coconut sugar" because I didn't realize that it is basically interchangeable with palm sugar. Anyway, I'm off to our Asian supermarket tomorrow, and will get the sugar there.

One more question...I'm assuming that "sticky rice" is short or medium-grained rice. Am I correct?

Thanks for your help, and for the tip about freezing the coconut mixture!

[gordeaux]

Sticky rice is a special type of rice unto itself, it is not a term for a way of cooking rice, nor does it refer to a specific grain size. You will not be making a true "mango with ssticky rice" if you just use some random short or medium grained rice. You need to use "sticky rice" also called "glutinous rice," "sweet rice," and a few other names. It is a specific variety of rice.

[choctastic]

Heck bear, I think you can even use white sugar if you don't have palm but palm sugar seems to have this special unctuousness that I like.

gordeaux is right. Sticky rice comes in short, medium and long grain. The Thai sticky rice for this recipe is long grain. I have never tried it with short grain sticky rice. I wonder how that would taste. I don't think it would be terrible but the cooking style might be different.

Part of the fun of cooking is trying out new and dangerous combinations. If you do this recipe with short/med grain sticky rice, be sure to report back. I would definitely stick with the sticky (aka glutinous rice) because regular rice is starchier and won't hold together the same way.

[lollya]

bahahah. i love it! guilty pleasures rock.

[bear]

Just finished making (and eating) the epicurious recipe that chocotastic posted. I used Thai long-grained sticky rice and palm sugar, both of which I found at our local Asian supermarket. I'm glad I didn't substitute. It was so simple, delicious and satisfying, and really easy. I added extra coconut milk mixture to the rice after steaming, which I would recommend. Thanks so much, chocotastic!

[choctastic]

Oh man, glad to spread the love. Checked on this post after reading the thai sticky rice thread. Yeah, I love this recipe and yes on the extra sauce. And it's way cheaper than eating out not to mention tastes better than 99% of the sticky rice w/ mango that I've had out there!

If I have them around for other recipes, I like to put toasted split mung beans on top, for crunchiness. I've seen restaurants do this.

[adrienne156]

Hey! Thanks for posting that recipe. Lao Thai over on Solano makes my fav mango sticky rice and they are the only ones I've seen that put those little sweet toasted split mung beans on top, but they don't always have it on the menu. Where can I find those toasted mung beans in the Bay? I'm assuming Ranch 99 or some place like that, but in what section?

[choctastic]

Yeah, you can get a packet at 99 Ranch (I think $1 a small packet) and toast them before you put them on. Sorry about the late reply, not online lately.

[southernitalian]

Chicken salad - Having worked in several, I know exactly how its made in restaurants and I'm not taking any chances.

Bloody Marys - I use low sodium V8. It makes for a much tastier Bloody. You can actually taste the tomato, not just salt and that nasty garlic flavor the commercial mixes have.

[gordeaux]

nehari

green thai curry (have one place that can hook it up right, but it's too far away from me for simple take out)

Smoked spares

Cole slaw and potato salad (since when does everybody like these things with so much SUGAR in them???? GROSS!!)

Chicken breast (any way)

hush puppies (Again with the sugar. Gross!!)

Hard to order fish in a restaurant unless I know they won't cook it to death. Overcooked fish is just horrendous.

Calamari

Good carne asada is so rare in Chicago, yet there are HUNDREDS of taquerias.

Tamales. Penty of places to get them, but only a few are any good.

Chicken in a mexican restaurant. Why boil it in a flavorless (except for salt) red sauce??

Fried rice (since when do frozen peas and carrots count as "vegetables" in chinese cuisine?)

Gravy. I NEVER get gravy unless it's on the side.

Pecan Pie

I've resorted to bringing my own salsa to my favorite taqueria.

There are more just can't think of any right now.

[swsidejim]

good call on the gravy, I have not found one yet that lives up to mom's.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ooh, that reminds me of another one. thanksgiving stuffing!

[lollya]

the comment about bringing your own salsa made me crack up. never settle for less than delicious! agree on fried rice and slaw/potato salad...

[Tehama]

Gordeaux, you crack me up. I take my own coffee to my favorite breakfast joint. What they serve is just plain wrong. I shudder thinking about it.

[mrsjenpeters]

enchiladas. my husband makes chile paste, from actual chiles, with nary a tomato in sight. i'm not 100% sure what is in that orange goo you get at most middle american mexican places (actually, i have an idea, i just try not to think about it). and the cheese is just white velveeta (out, not at my house ;). the only thing restaurant enchiladas are good for are a hangover!

so i guess that also goes for anything requiring the use of actual chiles.

don't really enjoy pizza out either. my husband has discovered the perfect recipe for pizza dough. so i'm sure there's good pizza out there, just haven't found one that beats homemade!

[soupkitten]

these are not absolute, i make a few exceptions but the bar is pretty high.

omelets
pasta
hollandaise sauce
burgers/steaks
bbq
pie
and soup.

[gordeaux]

Hollandaise was one for me, but I know two places in my city where they do it right. NOTHING worse, however, when ordering a hollandaise, and finding out it's "cheese laced" or has no lemon, or even WORSE - fake lemon flavoring - YUCK!!!

[srnka]

and that is why I never order Eggs Benedict - I have yet to have a well executed Hollandaise sauce of the right consistency and with its lovely and delicate buttery lovely flavor.

[TheGloaming]

Brownies. I have a long, joyless list of requirements re: ingredients, textures, etc., which is soooo unlike me, but I'm like the Soup Nazi when it comes to brownies.

[taboo]

egg white omelette. Mine are fluffy, nonfat and filled with veggies and cheese. Restaurants make them flat, or greasy and the veggies taste like they have been soaked in butter even if you ask them to make it dry.

[Al_Pal]

In america, spaghetti al'amatriciana and spaghetti carbonara. Nobody knows how to make them properly, so I've taken to making them at home and have never found a restaurant's version that can compete with my own - not to sound TOO conceited :)

[MMRuth]

Don't know if you've tried the Amatriciana at Lupa in NYC, but it's pretty damn good. That said, I make both of those dishes at home quite frequently.

[lollya]

oooh what is this "spaghetti al'amatriciana" you speak of?

[MMRuth]

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/481828

[oakjoan]

Ah, this reminds me of another sauce that I love and have been missing ever since a great place in Glendale, CA closed years ago...Mauro's. The chef opened another place in downtown L.A. called Il Rex, which was tres elegant and fabulous. He made a simple pasta arrabbiata that was fabulous. All others I've had have been borrrrrring.

Actually, I don't make it myself so this post doesn't belong in this thread....well I DON'T CARE! I'm leaving it in.

Anybody have a wonderful pasta arrabbiata recipe?

[HillJ]

Pasta dishes, chicken cutlets or egg salad.

[diablo]

Shrimp Scampi
1 lb. ex. large shrimp per person, peeled and deviened with tails left on
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 lemon, juiced
Feta cheese
Fresh parsley
S & P to taste

Heat pan on med. high. Add olive oil and 1Tbs. butter. Add garlic when hot. Throw in red pepper. Saute about 1 min. Add shrimp. Saute about 1 min. Add wine. Saute about 1 min. Add lemon juice. Add rest of butter one Tbs. at a time, swirling pan. Add about 1/4 cup feta. Sprinkle in parsley and shake the pan around for about 15 seconds. Taste and add S & P as you prefer. Serve in a warmed bowl with nice bread for dipping. And a spoon if you are a glutton such as myself. Add some feta and parsley as a garnish if you like.

Potato Salad.
I always use pickle juice instead of vinegar. No one in Jersey (where I currently live) does this. I learned it when I lived in Baltimore. If I'm not in the South, I never order potato salad because they always make it too sweet---and no pickle juice, either. Ancient Southern secret, yall...

[SSqwerty]

This is a deeply cool idea, which I'm trying this weekend. Thank you!

[eamcd]

I'm in Jersey too and I add pickle juice to potato salad, and to macaroni salad. I'm with you--most such salads out (mostly out of big plastic tubs) are too sweet.

[dani_k]

we always used pickle juice in my house growing up in washington. granted, my mom spent her teen years in texas, so...

but i find most potato salads to be mushy, over-vinegared, sweet pickled, or bland. never right, unless home made!

[EmileJ]

steak - non one cooks it right (really rare) or seasons it properly.

[QSheba]

Most soups, Egg/Tuna/Chicken/Potato Salad, and unless in an incredible/authentic place, Mexican and Italian food. I might include "not as good as my mom makes" as part of the title- there are certainly things that I don't order because it will just never measure up to my mother's culinary talents! :)

[oryza]

General rule: anything I can make at home, I won't order when I'm out... restaurants to me are about food I would never otherwise see.

[Val]

This is also my philosophy when dining out...I order something I don't ever prepare at home.

[saltwater]

It depends on how far I am willing to drive and how much I am willing to spend. Locally, it is risky to order:

scrambled eggs
stir-fry, especially squid
soup (with some ethnic exceptions)
most sauce (on pasta, for example)
quesadillas (what they have against chihuahua cheese I'll never guess)
baked potatoes
any family type favorite (chicken pot pie, stroganoff)

Safer items include:

pancakes
sandwiches
fries

I really don't understand about the eggs, soup, and sauce. Those are very easy to do well at home, and the latter two hold well. I can only figure the problem is I don't like "Pan and Grill" or whatever it is they squirt on a grill before they dump the eggs on, that good soup isn't cheap enough to suit them, and pasta sauce is fastest dumped out of a can.

[azhotdish]

I'm not fundamentally opposed to ordered steak in a restaurant, but not on my dollar - if someone else is paying and they're known for it, why not?

I generally won't rule anything out, but I prefer to eat my own eggs benedict. I like my hollandaise with a lot of lemon, and it's rare to find it like this beyond my kitchen.

[Kagey]

I laughed when I saw the title of your post. For me, it's definitely any kind of pasta with red sauce. I make my own, and I only eat my own (or my family's, which is the same).

Also, eggplant parmesan. My grandmother's was the Platonic ideal, and I've been trying to replicate it my whole life, with more or less success. Any other is not to be contemplated.

Like others, I also avoid dishes I can make very easily. Like almost any kind of chicken. But that's not because nobody makes it right but me. It's because when I eat out, I like to have things I can't get every day.

[kittyfood]

Liver and onions . . . mine is so good, with lovely sauteed onions and thyme and a bit of wine, and sometimes some mushrooms, and the liver barely cooked, all over rice. (I only do this when my husband is eating elsewhere.)

[jcattles]

Risotto. Spaghetti and meatballs. Steak. Vegetable Soup.

[swsidejim]

I have found this thread interesting, especially 2 of the answers that keep popping up, I am not questioning any reponses, I just found these interesting from where I live, and my viewpoint.

# 1 BBQ. I own a smoker, and have been using it to prepare bbq for years & am pretty good at ribs, brisket, and pork butt, , but I am always interested in trying out a recommended, or new place that is said to have good bbq prepared in a smoker, or a pit. I can understand if those people who never order bbq when they go out to eat are either pit masters, or only options for bbq are boiled ribs(aka meat jello), or oven baked ribs.

#2 Steaks, I have access to Prime, and dry aged beef, and prepare these at home, but I enjoy going out to a few of Chicago's top steak houses for a steak many times better than I can prepare. A home cook, typically does not have the equiptment to cook a steak @ over 1000 degrees. Also unless you are buying Allen Brothers or another top notch prime beef supllier I can't see how a home cook can compete.

[SSqwerty]

Wildly interesting thread. I agree about the meatloaf --I'm very particular about the meats used and in what proportion, the spicing, etc. Nobody gets "my" particular taste right. Rarely do I order marinara sauce unless I know I'm in an authentic Italian restaurant. And finallly, the one thing I would NEVER order is potato pancakes --they take a lot of fussing and only Joan Nathan adds the potato starch back in for a heavenly texture. They're here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

[pamd]

I'm with you on the potato pancakes, however I have found 1 place that measures up & I must get them when there (in Philly).

I cannot find as good a Penne A La Vodka- I think mine is better than great Italian restaurants, I stopped ordering it a long time ago after a few tries. Crabcakes anywhere outside of MD!

not sure why this is double

[beelzebozo]

i don't hesitate to eat bbq at restaurants as i don't own a smoker, and certainly having a steak in a great steakhouse is an experience. agree on both these points.

[azhotdish]

I have made this point many times - it's impossible to duplicate the sear of a salamander @ 1800 degrees - even a searing hot cast iron pan does not duplicate the results.

[swsidejim]

exactly, I agree 100%.

[LowerGwyneddGirl]

I bought a TEc grill with infra red heat, it was more than a regular grill but so worth it, it heats to 1200 degrees and it the same grill they use in Morton and other high end steak places.

I get prime steaks at Wegmans, only place around me that I know of and the steaks are the BEST! only take minutes and i grill some asparagus with olive oil and a little salt and it is way better than a steak house and well under 50.00

[swsidejim]

in my original post(look at point # 2) I stated that unless you are buying your meat prime, and from a top notch meat supplier you cannot compete with the top steakhouses. You are doing that(though I have never heard of Wegmans, are they a local/regional beef supplier?), and you have similar equiptment as well. So your results are not a surprise.

I buy prime and dry aged beef locally @ my butcher, and get Kobe/Waygu beef from Allen Brothers, so I get great results at home, but there is something about a 40 oz Porterhouse from top steakhouse I still enjoy, big $$$ or not.

[Diane in Bexley]

Remember to figure in the cost of the $3-7K grill! Grill envy!

[azhotdish]

Ouch, you can buy a BlueStar salamander for about $1600 which goes to 1850 degrees.

[The Muffin Lady]

Muffins and various other baked goods. Most that I have tasted while eating out are either dry, tasteless or much too sweet, thus not appealing at all.

[firecooked]

Agree... muffins are so easy, not sure why you can get a decent one out.

[Diane in Bexley]

Oatmeal, I make mine 1/2 water and 1/2 milk and top w/ brown sugar and dried cherries or cranberries
Stuffed cabbage & stuffed peppers - have never had this taste like my Hungarian grandma's recipe, which is only one I use
Potato kugel or pancakes - family tradition is to grind potatoes in blender (not food processor) strain mixture and add back eggs & matzo meal for superlative taste
Tuna fish - very picky, NO MIRACLE WHIP, only Hellman's mayo, celery, chopped hard boiled eggs, dill weed, chopped dill pickle, seasoning
Potato Salad - another poster mentioned special secret (pickle juice), must use BaTempte half sours chopped, chopped hard boiled eggs, only Hellman's mayo, seasoning
Egg Salad - only Hellman's mayo, celery, chopped hard boiled eggs, dill weed, seasoning, dijon mustard
Devilled eggs - only Hellman's mayo, dill weed, seasoning, paprika, dijon mustard
Matzo ball soup - have put my chix soup w. matzo balls recipe elsewhere on board

[Val]

Regarding the potato salad comments...so true that so many places glop on the sugar and mayo, really gross, even delicatessens that you would expect better from...you use pickle juice and I use vinegar sprinkled over the still-hot cut up potatoes...gotta have it!

[lisavf]

Italian Wedding Soup. Nobody makes it like my MIL.

[ArikaDawn]

Generally I don't order anything I could make with ease at home, but I would NEVER order chili or meatloaf in a restaurant. I grew up with very specific versions of these two dishes and they are made much much differently outside of my family. I can't get used to the other versions.

[corgette]

Tea.

So few places make a decent cup of hot, strong tea. And apparently I'm incredibly gauche for wanting milk alongside as well, so I just don't bother ordering it out.

[starlady]

Same here!!!!
I never order tea at a resto!

[phan1]

RICE! For the most part, it's always fresh out of the rice cooker meaning it's too moist, goopey, and tasteless. I eat it when I'm at Chinese places, but only cause you sort of have to...

[Boca_Raton]

Macaroni and Cheese.

It's either too greasy and heavy or it's some designer version. I like my way, thank you very much.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Mac & Cheese
Caponata
Cabbage meat soup
Limoncello
Eggplant gratin
Cassoulet
Pizza, if l lived in New Haven, would not have to
Turkey neck and sausage gumbo

Think comfort food that one likes is set at early age, 8-10, and while mine may be great for me, if it is not what you had then, it will be lacking
carrot cake

[nosey]

I agree. I make sure to put buttered panko crumbs on top.

[Jimbosox04]

Marinated Steak Tips !! My secret recipe is top notch.

[moodyfoodie63]

lasagna or italian meatballs!

[Tehama]

For me: Spaghetti and desserts - *especially* cheesecake.

I have to agree with everyone on the steaks. Though I am not master of the grill at my house, by dear boss (who is a CH lurker, thanks to me) is in complete agreement on the steak issue (no one seasons/grills them right but him... no restaurant knows their head from a hole in the ground, etc.).

[JewishMom]

Meatloaf, yea, and matza balls. Oh, and lamb. And I do agree with the poster who said they hate paying $12 for a plate of pasta! So what's up with that new promotion, I think it's Pizza Hut, 3 lbs. of pasta for what, ten or 12 bucks? How's $1.00 a pound from the supermarket? What else I hate paying restaurant mark-up for, that's way cheaper made at home (and never overcooked, either, btw) is seafood, too.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm with you on the matzo balls, if anyone other than my mom or me made them, they're not worth eating [imho].

[susancinsf]

funny, true story from my sedar this year: my son (as he always does) raved about my matzoh balls...I confessed that, as usual, I just used the mix (but make my own soup)...he told me he knew that, but that when he and his girlfriend tried the same mix on more than one occaison, they weren't nearly as good as mine! (must be the soup! :-))

[goodhealthgourmet]

which mix? in our family it's always croyden house. you wouldn't believe what went on last year trying to track it down - had to mail-order it by the case from some random deli halfway across the country because none of the stores carry it anymore.

[heidipie]

matzoh brei
french toast
scrambled eggs
(I guess I find breakfast out to be less necessary than I did as a young bohemian)
I never eat chicken out because I always find it overcooked
brisket
matzoh ball soup
and I'll wait til I'm sure of the place's bonafides before I'll order their pie

[Food Tyrant]

Pasta with any sauce (gravy).

I note that many people have an aversion to ordering pasta with red sauce because homemade is way better.

My gripe is not the sauce (maybe because I rarely get a chance to taste how mediocre they may be), but the limp noodles.

I have gone nose to nose with chefs over their insistence of cooking the pasta earlier in the shift, and then when an order comes in, re-heating the noodles and then saucing. I have sent back so many plates of pasta that She Who Must Be obeyed won't let me order it any more. I do check with the server if the pasta is cook to order and that it is al dente and the lying SOB's (or just plain clueless, you pick the least offensive) always gets it wrong.

I can order a steak the way I like it and send it back, but try that with a plate of spaghetti. So what is it with chefs who don't understand that I can wait 9 minutes for them to cook my noodles?

Even owners who are Italians throw up their hands and proclaim that because Americans don't taste the difference why should they educate us. I still can't get a plate of al dente pasta, so I don't order it anymore outside. I wish I could say that lack shows up in my waistline, but that's not the way life works.

[MagnumWino]

Broccoli rabe. Always seems to be way to crunchy, not cooked through nearly enough.

[TongoRad]

Nothing.

A lot of things mentioned in this thread are certainly worthy of being very selective about (particularly a poorly made linguini with white or red clam sauce, which is one of my mortal enemies ;) ) but I wouldn't make the blanket statement that I would never order them in a restaurant. Heck- there are some places that I go to specifically for these things. If it's done properly, bring it on, I say!

[brh973]

Rack of lamb
I can't take credit for it, my husband makes the most amazing BBQ'd rack of lamb. I always get excited when I see it since on a menu, I just LOVE lamb, but it's just always a let down compared to home. Even when the flavors are good it is often overcooked.

[duck833]

Steak and bbq. The restaurants never get it right, or as well as I do it. I do have a great smoker for ribs, brisket and butts. For steaks I just use my Weber with charcoal about 1" from the grill, I leave the Costco rib-eye on for about a minute, turn 45 degrees and do another minute, flip, do the same to other side. I then pull the steak to part of grill where there are no briquets, drop the lid and cook to 119 internal, let the steak rest after pulling for 5 minutes or so and then dig in.

[susiek11]

Lemon bars. I've never bought one that didn't taste primarily of raw flour and/or powdered sugar, begging the question "Where's the LEMON?"

[Caitlin McGrath]

Bakery lemon bars are invariably much too sweet for me. Ditto brownies.

[rayrayray]

mashed potatoes (the secret ingredient is cream cheese)
channa masala
chicken fingers

[bluecatbeads]

Fried eggs...I like them over easy, and most places don't et it right...if the yolk is runny, their whites are too. I don't understand why it's so difficult to get this right.

Also pancakes. I have nothing against white flour, but most places where I would order breakfast foods out obviously use a mix for their pancakes. Bisquick just doesn't do it for me. I use the basic recipe from How To Cook Everything, whichever version fits what I have on hand that day.

[MrsCheese]

Crab cakes. It's funny, because my recipe is extremely simple, but I think most places overdo it. Simple is good. I'm always disappointed if I order crab cakes out, so I don't do it anymore (neither does DH).

[Harters]

I'll eat anything but Mrs H won't touch chicken outside the house. And she's not too keen even if I've cooked it.

[musicalchef]

Key lime pie. Actually the problem is that i DON'T make it right; I add some cream cheese, but I guess I just don't like the "authentic" version of it with only keylime juice, egg yolks, and condensed milk. It's too sweet and tastes a bit gritty to me.

Also lobster. I refuse to pay an arm and a leg for overcooked shellfish when I can get fresh ones (my mom lives in Florida) and cook them myself just the way I like them. I don't even like shrimp in many restaurants. Somehow many Chinese places seem to get them right, but that's about it.

Frappuccinos and other expensive coffee drinks. I can make a better one at home for about a tenth of the cost.

[Tehama]

Hi MusicalChef: you might also get some ideas from http://keylimejuice.com/recipes.html I do like the "authentic" recipe myself, but I did notice some variations in the 'desserts' section on here that might be more to your palate. Nellie & Joe's is my favorite KL juice brand.

[Scargod]

Chicken and dumplings. My Mom spoiled me with these spoon-dropped, light and airy dumplings that floated on the broth and were well-seasoned with salt and pepper.
Meatloaf, as well.
Steamed okra.
Key lime cheesecake. (My take on key lime pie) No pudding. Graham cracker crust with secret ingredients.
Usually chili (but there are exceptions).

[marigolds]

Would love to know the key lime cheesecake recipe (with secret ingredients!) That sounds divine!

[Sam Fujisaka]

Nothing. I'll eat pretty anything out, including stuff I take pride in making as well as anyone else. Many things that I don't eat out are because they aren't served in restaurants--dishes with organs and the like. Some things like carpaccio and sashimi, I'm more likely to eat at home.

[pemma]

meatballs
saltimbocca
meatloaf

[Pampatz]

Potato soup and French onion soup. The potato soup is always bland and gummy. French onion is usually too salty and not enough cheese.

[Rick]

I won't say NEVER, but for me it's steak. I'm not a giant fan of steak to begin with so to pay $30 or more for something I can make at home in 15 minutes for far less money just isn't my thing.

[Zabalburu]

Taking about average places: Bacon. I don't know how a diner could mess it up, but it's never quite right. Same goes for scrambled eggs.

[JCap]

Sesame noodles. The Cooks Illustrated version is one of our go-to regular dishes now, and the results from the local restaurants has been terrible.

[erzuli72]

I can't even think about pumpkin pie if it isn't mine, my mother's or grandmother's (and yes, it's all the same recipe!).

[njensen]

This is an easy one - Gnocchi.

The crazy thing is that I keep ordering them while I am out to try to find some good ones, but no one even comes close to homemade.

[chef chicklet]

cannelloni (crab) and most Italian pasta dishes.
Steak- rib eye
French onion soup
egg salad sandwich
tuna salad sandwich
pizza
Milk shakes

[cmoniker]

Risotto. I always want to but it's invariably disappointing. My wife loves it and orders it every now and again then stares at her plate and sighs that it's not as good as mine.

I don't do anything special to mine - I don't think - but I think getting the timing between switching off the heat, adding the last ladle of stock and stirring in the parmesan prior to covering before serving might be the key. Leave it two minutes too long and it goes goey rather than creamy. Skip this step - as I imagine many professional kitchens do - and it ends up as a splodge on a plate (and in the worst cases a crunchy rice splodge). It's not rocket science. In fact it's the precise time it takes me to go to the cupboard to get the plates, get a couple of pairs of hands washed and pour a couple of glasses of wine.

[punk pie]

Breakfast - I like to make my own eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, pancakes, etc. Everywhere I have gone the breakfasts seem really greasy and just rushed through.
If I am at a diner or restaurant in the early morning w/ friends or family I will most likely order a sandwich instead.

[kpaumer]

Seafood salad: shrimp, crabmeat and lobster on Bosten Bibb lettuce w/ white asperagus.

[bigdead1]

beef stew its the only one my family will eat and steak its hard to have steak cooked just the way you like with just saying rare med rare or med everyone has a different degree of doneness for those

[FoodieKat]

Oatmeal
Mexican rice and beans (except what gets served on the side at restaurants)
And tomato-based Pasta sauce (unless it's at a 'real' Italian restaurant). I got my basic instructions from an Italian girl so I'm pretty sure mine is usually better.

I will also never order garlic bread, roasted or mashed potatoes or anything with Yorkshire pudding in a restaurant, because I know my husband will always make these better. Noone, myself included, can make potatoes quite like he can.

[piccola]

I'm with you on the oatmeal, especially since it costs about $8 in restaurants.

I also generally don't order sandwiches unless there's something special about them - artisanal bread, some hard-to-find ingredients, etc.

[prison cook]

sausage gravy - you never know what you are going to get. IF I have a hankering I will sometimes ask the waitress for a sample first. But the very best is to make your own using the white sauce recipe on the box of kentucky Kernel seasoned flour mix (in the grocery aisle with the Drake's mix, in a red and white checked box) and then add your favorite browned sausage (we use Old Folks which I can only find at Meijer stores in Michigan) We use butter or margarine to make the white sauce rather than the sausage grease in order to keep the gravy from being too greasy.

laughed at the comments re hidden items in burritos or enchiladas.. when my son was small he asked where the road kill disappeared to .. I asked if he'd ever had a burrito.. at 28 we still chuckle about that one

[Firegoat]

Lasagna
Meatloaf

[dumpycactus]

hummus
guacamole
cheesecake
most cookies
lemon curd
risotto

also because these sorts of things just aren't worth paying the mark-up for, when it's not that difficult to make on my own. i like to order things that would require a little more effort (for myself to make) - you know, bang for my buck.

[BamiaWruz]

This is an interesting thread.

-Basmati rice (though I was born in the region I'm not south east asian, my mom taught me how to cook rice, and in my opinion it's perfect)
-Stuffed grape leaves (I'm middle eastern, and it varies from region to region, while I don't hate how other people make it I prefer my own way/ethnic style)
-Stir-fries (I like them fresh, not too crunchy, and not overcooked or with gooey starchy sauces/coatings)
-Guacamole
-Pizza
-Pasta (like it al-dante - harder, it always arrives softer)
-Any tomato sauce (I'm picky about skins so I always make my own, anything with tomato, even ketchup *yes ketchup most of the time has little ground up skins* Makes it hard to eat out)
-Couscous (I don't like how it's added to other recipes, makes it soggy, like it plain with stews)
-Eggs (I just can't get myself to)
Fruit (any chopped fruit, I must cut my own fruit fresh) fruit salads are out and fruit platters.
-Falafel - because my mother makes the best and everyone we've ever known who tasted it can confirm.

Any ethnic recipes (middle eastern/egyptian/lebanese/iraqi food) I don't even bother eating/ordering them out. Feels like a rip off.
Funny how I don't even bother eating indian food out, because it's just not the same, I've learned to make it well and it's a pleasure to eat it from my south-east-asian friends.

[southernitalian]

You never order pizza in a restaurant? How do you make yours?

[BamiaWruz]

Not really, I have yet to discover a nice gourmet pizzaria :) For now I'm perfectly content with mine, I buy a prepared pizza dough and turn my oven on super hot (my BF's oven is great, it's old but for some reason it's better than any oven I had) and then I start throwing toppings on the pizza.
I make yummy zatar and cheese breads like this too.

[LJS]

Lasagna
Tuna Salad/Egg Salad/Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Turkey stuffing

[Emmmily]

Pesto. I make gallons in the summer during basil season, thne freeze it in small containers and eat it all year long. The only time I'll eat it out is as a spread on a sandwich.