My SO is out of town and that means I am eating.....

[suzigirl]

So what are you cooking, ordering in or dining out on? Will you go it alone or include a friend? What do you eat when you are left to your own devices? I used to cook up a big pot of porkchops and sauerkraut with potatoes and eat off that while my ex husband was away. He hated the smell. Nowadays when my bf is away I either order in panfried dumplings and an eggroll from a takeout Chinese that is really good. I am known to trek on the other side of town for hot and sour soup that cannot be missed. I like to also go to my favorite Thai place for chicken green curry. I can be lured into my favorite Mexican spot for the salsa and chips and the fresh fried to order refried bean crispy tacos(they still use lard, which makes them so much better) or the enchiladas and I have them made with the scratch flour tortillas. I also have a friend that goes with me on "grub crawls" where we meet up and share small plates in several places and eat ourselves silly. Now that I put this into writing I look like Porky pig, but I'm okay with that. ;-)

[rozz01]

Thai curry with tofu.. coconut milk, heat and tofu are not allowed when dude is in the house...

[laststandchili]

My wife is headed out of town for a few days on Thursday. As she has adopted a low to no carb diet recently I'm planning to wallow in them while shes gone. For dinner Thursday I'm planning something along the lines of a grilled mashed potato and cheese sandwich served on a bed of orchiette pasta in a nice heavy cream sauce garnished with garlic butter croutons and french fries.

[suzigirl]

No gravy?

[alliegator]

This clearly needs gravy. And don't grill that sandwich, buy a whole bunch of duck fat and fry that sucker!

[1sweetpea]

OH my! Was that all in one meal on Thursday? You'd better pick up one of those emergency-911 call button doo-dads and a pocket defibrillator, in case your plans go a bit awry!

[INDIANRIVERFL]

As I am single, I have greater lattitude. But there definately some things I will not have the day before or during a date.

Beef shank and heart red wine stew.

Buttered toasted rye with a half inch slab of limburger and chopped onions.

Totino's pizza covered in smoked oysters, smoked whitefish, and pepperjack cheese.

A couple of pounds of spiced up chicken feet and dry Martinis on the boat.

And my favorite guilty plesure is to walk the flats with scissors and a bottle of chablis, finding sea urchins, and scooping them out of the teste and feeding the following nurse sharks the remains. One swig of wine per urchin.

[PearlRose86]

One of the bonding points for my bf and me is that we both like our food ...weird. I'm the pickier eater, as I'm lactose intolerant, and he loves the seafood I refuse to touch/can't eat. We're both not fans of steak, either. He likes nuts more than I do.

I do most of the cooking, or we cook together, so if the bf were out of town, I'd probably eat some of the "junk" food in my freezer or just make what I usually do -- pastas with veggies, soups, etc. I'm happy enough making one or two batches of food that I really like and then going to town on them all week long.

He'd probably go crazy on seafoods and salads and that sort of thing if I went out of town, but considering he doesn't cook nearly as well as I do -- he tends to go for pasta, sauces, etc.

In fact, I think I'd probably cook less because there would be one less person around to eat the food I make, which means I'd probably wind up eating too much of it myself. And he'll eat just about anything.

[initialfriend]

Pork and shellfish galore.

Lasagna. I never thought I'd meet someone who didn't like lasagna, and now I'm sleeping with him.

[James Cristinian]

Boiled crawfish!! The season is now, it's a big mess in our small kitchen, plus they're not ready to cook unless there is uncontrollable sneezing from spices, she'd rather go out and pay double plus tax and tip. Also prime sirloin strip I scored for 7.88 a pound at the local HEB. Steak, not a favorite of hers at the moment.

[NonnieMuss]

1. Red meat - steak, short ribs, etc. Mr. Muss will eat it, but isn't enthusiastic about it.
2. Chili-mac - a disgusting personalized version I make twice a year that no one likes but me, and I eat for every meal for three straight days.
3. Pizza from that one place he hates and I love.
4. Various other foods I love that, um, give me gas.

I eat all this while watching terrible girlie TV that I try not to subject him to.

[suzigirl]

I think all of that sounds good to me. Love me some chili Mac. Nom nom

[Bill Hunt]

Scallops, or maybe oysters, as my lovely wife cannot do either. When dining together, I seldom order either, as we usually share to some degree.

Solo, then I have no issues ordering either.

Hunt

[ARenko]

Spicy stuff with strong aromas. My wife can't stand either. When she's gone I cook Thai mostly. Some Indian. Also whole fish - she hates food presentation that reminds her it was once alive.

[suzigirl]

Whole fish is okay by me but i couldn't do a whole suckling pig or the likes

[ARenko]

Yeah, I wouldn't like that either. But my wife won't even do chicken on the bone - it's boneless, skinless breasts or no chicken at all.

[Miss Priss]

Anything featuring mushrooms! They're just about the only food he doesn't like. And even so, if I plunk a plate of risotto with porcini in front of him, he'll get through it somehow. He just won't ask for seconds.

[juliejulez]

Tonight it was pancakes from a boxed mix and some turkey sausage. Zero effort and I loved it.

[suzigirl]

That sounds like something I would chow down on. Something super simple

[EWSflash]

Young son lives with us while finishing college, so when DH goes out of town I declare "feed yourself, dammit" and will cook up some shrimp that he doesn't like much, and eat it with cocktail sauce.That's my favorite light dinner.

[rcallner]

My DH is pescetarian, so I'll do chicken piccata, or sometimes a schnitzel, when he's gone. And a bit of bacon, which otherwise is SO smelly in the air. (It was a revelation to me that bacon doesn't smell good to some vegetarians.)

[suzigirl]

I thought bacon smelled good to everyone. ;-)

[rcallner]

I did too. And roasting turkey. But turns out, no.

[suzigirl]

Guess that takes roasting a whole ham out of the loop, too. Darn.

[hyacinthgirl]

My husband likes most of the same foods I do, so there's not really any special things I wait til he's gone to eat. EXCEPT... basically I use the time he's away to eat all the things I'm too embarassed to be seen eating. He knows I have a soft spot for those frozen pizza bagels. He doesn't know I can eat a box for dinner (or breakfast... when pizza's on a bagel, you can have pizza anytime!). I've also bought a little individual box of lucky charms and have had that for dinner. Or sometimes just a bowl of ice cream for my dinner meal. I try really hard to make sure we're all eating healthy as a family, so when I get a break, sometimes it's fun to eat like a 13 year old.

[alliegator]

Haha, I love this question. Hubby is out of town a lot, so it's really quite a variety of stuff for me. But my most guilty pleasure is pizza. Not some thin crust, healthy thing, but anything called the mighty meaty, all the pig, meatza, etc...
He thinks it's digusting, but to me, it's the good stuff. Add beer and junk tv and the evening is complete.

[suzigirl]

Pizza, beer and junk TV. I could live on that while my honey was away. Beer for sure.

[Perilagu Khan]

I thought junk TV was a reduncancy.

[alliegator]

Well, you could sub out junk fashion magazines...

[alliegator]

Last evening (indeed my beloved is out of town) was an orgy of junk. I ordered a Pizza Hut meat lover's pie, watched the Bachelor and drank Miller Lite all at the same time.

[suzigirl]

Sounds perfect. My sweetie doesn't eat takeout pizza. I haven't had one in ages. I think that will be on the menu next time he leaves.

[Perilagu Khan]

Dear, oh dear, oh dear.

[alliegator]

Suzi, make sure you're wearing sweatpants, it tastes better that way. And PK, don't worry, I'm drinking lots of water today to flush out the toxins.
I will add that the Miller Lite was a bit of an accident, I thought I had real beer, but did not.

[Perilagu Khan]

Does water flush out The Bachelor? ;)

[alliegator]

No, sadly it's in there forever. Cheesy guy, loose girls, they're all in my brain hanging out with the cast of Law and Order SVU, and the Dancing with the Stars folks ;)

[Wahooty]

Intellectual toxins are much harder to purge than the dietary ones, without a doubt.

But Dancing with the Stars...that's just sparkly and nonsubstantial, not actually toxic. ;)

[suzigirl]

Sweatpants-check
Beer-check
Big cheesy pizza-check
Water to nurse potential hangover-check
Trash tv-check
Love it

[escondido123]

Spaghetti with butter/tomato sauce alternated with spaghetti with parsley/pistachio pesto. Red wine thank you.

[mcf]

Osso buco... he hates it. Or lamb shanks. Or both.

[1sweetpea]

Osso buco and lamb shanks are my PREFERRED cuts from those animals.

[Bacardi1]

RED MEAT! The hubby hasn't eaten any red-meat products for 30 years, & although he doesn't mind at all if I want to make it for myself, it's easier just to cook the same meal for both of us, which I don't mind at all.

However, when he won't be dining at home, I'll make myself a nice steak, or lamb chops or a lamb/goat curry or lamb/goat burger, or pork spare ribs. Or sometimes sauteed chicken livers, which hubby doesn't care for either.

[suzigirl]

No red meat for thirty years... eeeekkkkk. Must. Eat. Meat. I like your solo menu

[pine time]

LOL--I was a strict vegetarian for nearly 20 years. When I decided to resume eating meat, the Mr. said "only 2-3 bites, 'cause you'll probably get sick at first." I scarfed down a whole ribeye with no ill effects! Carnivore ever since.

[Perilagu Khan]

Jolly good show, I say!

[EWSflash]

+1

[suzigirl]

I was also a vegetarian for two years but not for health reasons. My dad took up "canned" hunting on a twenty acre ranch. I was so upset that people would go on a ranch and shoot trapped animals I gave up meat. I also went back to meat with no I'll effects. Some people can't go back easily.

[Bacardi1]

Well, hubby isn't a vegetarian. We just stick to poultry, seafood, & vegetarian dishes. Actually, it works out quite well & I really don't miss red meat. If I have the urge, I'll order it when we're dining out, or I'll make it when he's not going to be dining home. Sometimes I'll just make him something else.

For instance, I ALWAYS cook myself a nice corned beef for St. Patrick's Day. Hubby enjoys the same side dishes, but has turkey kielbasa instead.

[suzigirl]

My dear man doesn't eat much seafood so taking red meat out of the running would make the choices narrow.

[pinehurst]

Spicy, highly seasoned anything (think fra diavolo anything, vindaloo, etc).
Fish of any sort (including my beloved sardines, lox, bagels, calamari)
Lamb (which I share with beloved hound)
Broccoli rabe! And more of it!

[ricepad]

Mrs. ricepad is generally not fond of foods that are heavy, rich, or fatty, so when she's away, it's steak or ribs or something really leaden like alfredo. Or I'll go out for really greasy Mexican food. (My mouth is watering just at the thought!)

[valerie]

+1 on the Mexican food. My husband does not like it so when he's away, a nice burrito with lots of guacamole and chips is my guilty pleasure.

[1sweetpea]

I use the opportunity to experiment with wild ingredient matches or new cooking techniques (i.e. oil poached fish or starting meat in a cold cast iron pan). I tend to skip the starches and eat more veggies and proteins or even eat one-main-ingredient meals, such as roasted cauliflower or stir-fried cabbage or broccoli. I'm also likely to make grilled cheese sandwiches or eat two bowls of soup, or a huge salad, as a meal. Call it laziness, but I can't wrap my head around making a main protein, side starch and side veggies just for one person. If I'm heading out alone, it's probably for sushi, Pho or a Pad Thai.

[Musie]

If I'm home alone... well I will buy a box of chicken fingers to gorge on.

Kedgeree is a popular second since my husband isn't a fan of smoked fish.

If I have company for dinner, well, I'd make an effort to cook something that doesn't just compromise of battered or breaded chicken.

[plasticanimal]

My wife doesn't like fish that she finds "too fishy". When she's away I usually make spaghetti with a strong and stinky puttanesca sauce. I also eat fried smelt or sardines.

Sometimes I make a pilgrimage to a bar called The Wheat Sheaf to get my favourite chicken wings. I don't go there with the lady; the forty or so TV screens drive her nuts.

I always think about cooking things that bum her out (like the cuter animals) but I so far haven't done it. I don't know, I think I would feel weird about. I wouldn't want to hide it from her, but I wouldn't want to tell her I ate a li'l lamb or bunny or that I committed lobstercide in our kitchen.

[Musie]

Is she vegetarian?

[suzigirl]

Lambs and lobsters and bunnies, oh my. Sounds like a feast. I think that its nice not committing lobstercide while she is away. I think I might have a restaurant do it for me though so it wasn't in her kitchen

[gfr1111]

My girlfriend is the same way: no eating of cute animals. Give me a break! Still, I abide by it all the time that she is home. When she is gone, it's a feast on roast lamb and bunnies!

She also doesn't like to see the heads on fish, so when she is gone, I sometimes cut them whole and leave the heads on.

She doesn't like raw fish sushi or rolls with raw fish in them, so they make an appearance when she's not there.

She doesn't like anything with high amounts of fat. So, smoked pork sausage, sour cream dip, potato chips for the sour cream dip, cream cheese on crackers, whole chocolate milk, heavy cream, whipped cream, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, camembert, hot dogs, fried grouper and snapper, all make an appearance.

[suzigirl]

Loving your alone menu.

[1sweetpea]

But do you get rid of all evidence of your feasts before she returns?

[MonMauler]

I'm single, but I rarely spend a night alone for some godforsaken reason. So, when I do get a stretch of nights alone, my diet mostly consists of beer and whisky, which is a significant departure from my diet when gf's are over: whiskey, wine and beer.

[Shrinkrap]

Fatty meat! Pork butt, pork belly, chicken thighs, duck breasts.......fat!

[Perilagu Khan]

Butt, belly, thighs and breasts.

Hm!

[Shrinkrap]

Lol. I like big butts, and I cannot lie!

[suzigirl]

To cute. I like big butts too. Especially smoked

[juliejulez]

I'll be facing this often from now on w/ SO's new job. I plan on eating lots of dishes with butternut squash, peas, and HEAT... not all in the same dish though. SO has Crohn's so I have to limit the heat usually and he doesn't like butternut squash or peas, and I like them a lot. I will also be trying more "interesting" things, because I don't have to please him... if it's gross it's just me that'll be upset. Oh, and I plan on trying some meatless meals.

[suzigirl]

Meatless? Now there's a word rarely uttered in my house when the man is around.

[juliejulez]

Same here... don't get me wrong, I love meat too, but sometimes I just want something light that won't require a lot of cooking.

[suzigirl]

I have been known to skip the meat portion of dinner or take a smaller portion but i love me some meat.

[emerita]

I pick the foods my otherwise great partner doesn't eat for whatever reason (allergies, different food preferences ...) but that I would like to try more of when a chance like this arrives. This doesn't mean going on a gross binge, just
trying good choices that are off limits when you eat together.

My SO has seafood allergies, and we live in the coastal Pacific Northwest! Guess what I do when he's away? A friend lately threw a shellfish-themed potluck -- at her place, to keep our home trace-free -- just so a group of us could party with a clear conscience. Fresh oysters with raspberry mignonette, wow. Shrimp with everything! Salmon Wellington in puff pastry!! We cooked up a storm, beat restaurant prices, and now have a tradition in the making.

[suzigirl]

How nice of you to take the party elsewhere to keep him safe. And it sounds very tasty to boot

[foodieX2]

I eat a regular meal and will "cook" for myself. Grilled steak, roasted salmon, lamb chops. Roasted beets, english peas, grilled asparagus. Maybe some wild rice or couscous. I will often go and buy something exotic or something that might cost prohibitive for two for a special treat.

My husband on the other hand will eat B&M baked beans out the can, a bowl of cereal or takeout pizza. He eats to live and while he loves to eat what I cook he has no interest in cooking for himself.

[suzigirl]

Your husband and my bf sound like similar crearures. Sub pizza for buffalo wings though

[fldhkybnva]

This!

[Musie]

When I first moved in with my husband, all he had in his cupboards were cereal and instant noodles, plus I could usually find an empty pizza box somewhere.

[justalex]

Last time I was left alone for a weekend, I bought a pound of some good prosciutto just for myself. I stretched it out over 3 days in scrambled eggs, on toasted, olive oil drizzled baguette and with summer tomatoes and basil and fresh mozzarella.

It was a wonderful splurge along with some quality reading and gardening time. Heaven!

[suzigirl]

At first I thought oh my, a pound but after finishing this I like how you roll. I could snuffle a pound in three days

[Wahooty]

suzi, I just love your choice of words here. Because "snuffling" is PRECISELY what one does to prosciutto...I just never knew the right word for it. :)

[suzigirl]

Especially reserved for decadent treats and things for which you have no restraint. :-)

[Wahooty]

But snuffling is quietly gluttonous. One can't snuffle, say, a bag of chips. But soft, translucent, salty, nutty slices of pig...<snuffle snuffle>

[suzigirl]

Lol. Thank god I wasn't drinking something when i read this.

[sunangelmb]

My husband is a total meat, potato guy. I could exist on couscous and roasted veggies, or a yummy grilled cheese. Or perhaps I'd snack all night. Tomatoes,basil and mozzarella, some olives and roasted peppers, popcorn, Swedish fish...endless possibilities

[hyacinthgirl]

Yep, snacking, that's my MO. He likes to sit down and have a full meal, but I'm perfectly content eating a handful of something now, a piece of toast with tomato in an hour, maybe some ice cream, followed by a banana and then a piece of cheese... alllllll nighttttt.

[Perilagu Khan]

BBQ ribs would certainly be in the rotation. That and any number of creamed soups.

[letsindulge]

Depends on how long he'd be away. I would eat out Indian, Persian, and Korean that are coincidently not his favorite cuisines. I've also cooked my home-style Filipino dishes that he doesn't partake of.

[jmcarthur8]

My meals would be a different iteration of any kind of pasta with any kind of cheese each day.

[pine time]

+++! Pasta till I'm sick of it--and I've never been able to eat enough to get sick of it. With oodles of cheese, preferably stinky ones that the Mr. doesn't like. Maybe I'll schedule an out of town trip for him????

[EWSflash]

Oh man, me too.
Actually, I look forward to not making dinner at all (to my son's dismay, although he's grown and has demonstrated awesome self-feeding skills). There's plenty of stuff in the house if he wants to make something, and I lost 20 pounds really fast a couple of years ago by announcing that I would neither prepare nor eat dinner. It worked. I'm about to announce this year's 20 lbs, don't think this is a first world problem with my family- it's THE first world problem. working moms who won't cook dinner.

[Jerseygirl111]

Liverwurst or SPAM. Also, ice cream for breakfast.

He is all that stands between myself and anarchy.

Jerseygirl111

[suzigirl]

Love it! My bf does too. Otherwise I would have no stomach lining left

[ratgirlagogo]

I am going to be making the hottest chile or vindaloo. Mr. Rat is not a fan of the heat.

[suzigirl]

That is why I get all the foods I like too. Bf doesn't like the heat. Gimme the curry Thai hot please

[juliejulez]

Yessss. What's with all these guys and their hate of heat?

[THoey1963]

Must be with the wrong guys....

Disclaimer: not a pick up line...

[ratgirlagogo]

Believe me, Mr. Rat is the person that God made for me. And he's totally into food, one of the many things we have in common. Just not food as hot as I might always like it.