Ingredients then meal, or meal then ingredients?

[TastyReuben]

What do I mean by that wordy subject? Well, born out of my earlier discussion of having a glut of some things, I’ve come to the question up top, which is:

When you think about the next thing you’re going to cook (maybe it’s close to lunchtime, or you just haven’t planned anything too far in advance), are you more of a, “Let me look at my ingredients on hand and prepare something from those,” or are you more of a, “What do I want to eat, and let me see if I have the ingredients for that?”

More succinctly…do you think in terms of ingredients first, or meal first?

I’m much more of a meal first than an ingredients first sort of cook (which is probably why I end up with too much food!).

How about you?

 

[karadekoolaid]

Depends entirely on the moment. Sometimes I wake up in the morning with the clear intention of cooking X,Y or Z. Other times, I'll just open the fridge door and think, right, what can I do with this load of stuff I've got in here?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Definitely a case of what do I have to hand?
And what needs to be used first.

But I shop with a planned menu, it's only the order of what we've planned that hasn't been decided.

 

[rascal]

Sometimes I open the fridge and see what's there.
Eg. Recently I found some thighs shirl had taken out.
I looked at them, marinated them then skewered. Satay sauce in 15 mins.
Done
Again recently chicken tenders. I remembered I made a korma sauce and froze excess. I stirfry and made rice. Simple.

Russ

 

[medtran49]

Both at various times.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Both at various times.

Same.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Both at various times.

Same

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Although I do really enjoy that bit where you look at disconnected leftover bits n bobs and think of a dish that ties them all together really well, then go through a mental inventory to realise you have ALL the right ingredients and don't even have to go out and get anything to make it. Serendipitous.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Although I do really enjoy that bit where you look at disconnected leftover bits n bobs and think of a dish that ties them all together really well, then go through a mental inventory to realise you have ALL the right ingredients and don't even have to go out and get anything to make it. Serendipitous.

Yes!

 

[badjak]

Difficult, I was convinced about ingredients, but then I realised I worked on both at the same time.
What would I like to eat? Ah, I got chicken in the freezer. Sounds good, can it defrost in time? OK, coq au vin? No, got no wine. OK, adobe? Yes, I got everything, so thats what I'll make.
Or at least plan to.
Start defrosting the bird, to then decide I want the curry I still got in the freezer as I don't want to cook.
Chicken adobe the next day

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Difficult, I was convinced about ingredients, but then I realised I worked on both at the same time.
What would I like to eat? Ah, I got chicken in the freezer. Sounds good, can it defrost in time? OK, coq au vin? No, got no wine. OK, adobe? Yes, I got everything, so thats what I'll make.
Or at least plan to.
Start defrosting the bird, to then decide I want the curry I still got in the freezer as I don't want to cook.
Chicken afdobe the next day

Yep!

 

[JAS_OH1]

Difficult, I was convinced about ingredients, but then I realised I worked on both at the same time.
What would I like to eat? Ah, I got chicken in the freezer. Sounds good, can it defrost in time? OK, coq au vin? No, got no wine. OK, adobe? Yes, I got everything, so thats what I'll make.
Or at least plan to.
Start defrosting the bird, to then decide I want the curry I still got in the freezer as I don't want to cook.
Chicken afdobe the next day

Me too! I took some pork tenderloin in a cryovac package out of the freezer and put it in the frig and meant to make pork tenderloin sandwiches with it one night and pork fried rice another, but since I still had some of a rotisserie chicken left in the fridge and plenty of salad ingredients, we had chicken bacon dinner salads instead. This kind of thing happens too often for my DH's liking, since once I tell him what we are having for dinner he gets it in his head and gets a little irritated with me for changing the plan.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Me too! I took some pork tenderloin in a cryovac package out of the freezer and put it in the frig and meant to make pork tenderloin sandwiches with it one night and pork fried rice another, but since I still had some of a rotisserie chicken left in the fridge and plenty of salad ingredients, we had chicken bacon dinner salads instead. This kind of thing happens too often for my DH's liking, since once I tell him what we are having for dinner he gets it in his head and gets a little irritated with me for changing the plan.

That’s why when asked I always reply “I’m not sure”

 

[JAS_OH1]

That’s why when asked I always reply “I’m not sure”

You'd think after all these years I would have learned to do that...

 

[TastyReuben]

This kind of thing happens too often for my DH's liking, since once I tell him what we are having for dinner he gets it in his head and gets a little irritated with me for changing the plan.

I’m like that, though obviously not with cooking, since I’m the cook, but if I ask MrsT where she wants to go, and she says, “Target, Sam’s Club, and O’Malley’s for a beer,” and then while we’re at Target, she says, “Oh, let’s run into TJ Maxx real quick, it’s right here,” I get fairly well put out, because it wasn’t on the plan, and I had everything worked out in my head, and now it’s gone kablooey.

Are we dropping Sam’s and adding TJ Maxx?! Do I need to push back O’Malley’s?!?! I need to know that, because I was going to get some fries at O’Malley’s, but if we’re adding a stop, I can’t wait that long, so I need to buy something now?!?!?! Chaos!!!!! Help!!!! - that’s my brain.