How do you decide what to plan for dinner?

[jpmcgrew]

Living 45 miles from town I keep a freezer full of bison a perk where we live white tail and axis venison I bring home from Texas some pork,chicken.shrimp,fish and a bit of beef steaks.So I work from that or it may be a big pot of beans with a ham hock.I keep alot of cheeses and vegies on hand the vegies I buy I keep fresh by using a little thing in fridge that absorbs the ethaleyne gasses that makes fruit and vegies spoil.Works really great.I also buy the organic milks that keep longer a bit of heavy cream,sour cream and so forth like butters ,oil etc and in the summer I grow tomatoes,and diferrent herbs like basil,chives,thyme,rosemary and parsley.I also keep a good amount of canned stuff like mushrooms for pizzas etc.Of course I also stock pasta,corn chips,catsup,pickles and other condiments.Many more to mention but I feel im quite stocked up.
I will even stock freezer with at least 3 kinds of ice cream and a few frozen pizzas for when I really dont want to cook

 

[ChefJune]

I keep a well stocked pantry, but even when I think I know ahead what I want to cook, I am likely to change up when some product beckons to me in the market. A beautiful bunch of fresh asparagus, right now, or brilliant yellow zucchini blossoms can blow my plans all to bits!

Living in the North End of Boston, and shopping every day for what was freshest has spoiled me forever.

 

[Andy M.]

I have an upright freezer full of meats and poultries, frozen stocks, breads, prepared foods such as chili and pasta sauces, etc.

We do a weekly shopping for fresh foods such as dairy and produce items along with staples.

If I'm planning on trying a new recipe during the week to come, I ensure I get the necessary ingredients along with the usuals.

Beyond that, I prepare dinners that include a variety of different preparations and main ingrdients to keep things interesting.

Sometimes, we end up winging it. For example, I wanted to try making a new potato salad this week so I had the necessary ingredients. I did that yesterday and SO liked it so much she suggested we have brats and potato salad for Friday dinner. She picked up the brats tonight. I'm going to simmer them in beer with onions then grill them.

 

[AllenOK]

I kind of go in spurts and sputters on this. Mainly, this is because of my work schedule, some nights I work, some nights I don't. Nights that I don't work, I cook. On my days off, I tend to either do BBQ (about 4 -5 hours of smoking, possibly followed by time in the oven, depending on meat product), or experiment with something new.

Nights that I work, PeppA cooks, and I have to keep enough of "her kind of ingredients" around so that she can actually make dinner.

I'm a from-scratch, anything's possible type cook, she's a from-packaged-kit/mix type person. I have tried and tried to convert her over from the Dark Side, but she just won't do it. This is how she learned how to cook, and isn't willing to learn a different way.

I do try to keep quite a few staples on hand, meats, some canned stuff, pasta, veggies, fruit, etc.

Since I'm lucky enough to have a supermarket just a mile away, as well as an Asain and Latin market a few miles away, I will get some things on an almost daily basis (milk, some produce), to ensure that I get the freshest I can.

I'm going to be trying some new things here soon, as I've just gotten a really good cookbook lately, and I'll be trying some of the things out of that. Of course, since it's Mexican, getting the kids to eat it can be a challenge. I'll probably have to tame it down a bit.

Since I am a cook, I like to plan ahead, but usually, it's a cook-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, what do we have, what are we in the mood for, will the kids eat it, etc. Flexibility, creativity, are both good points. Sometimes, though, it's almost like Iron Chef around here.

 

[Barbara L]

This is how she learned how to cook, and isn't willing to learn a different way.

I think my uncle was lucky when it came to this. He grew up in Alabama. My aunt grew up in Illinois and California and ate different foods than he did. However, she never learned how to cook, so when she married my uncle he was able to teach her how to cook his way.

Barbara

 

[shpj4]

I usually decide that same day what I want to eat for dinner. I usually have a lot of food in my freezer so there is always something to eat.

 

[Claire]

I don't plan far in advance unless I'm planning a special meal (anniversary, etc) or having company. Usually sometime in the morning I ask my husband if he has something he particularly wants. About one day a week I just don't feel like it and tell him, "we're eating around tonight, OK?" That means that we warm up leftovers or something frozen or canned. Then once a week, usually Friday, we eat out. But most of the time it is planned that morning. I shop for groceries once a week but don't really plan the meals. I keep a pretty full freezer, fridge, and pantry. We don't have children or we could not get away with such laisez faire attitude. If there is something fresh that could go bad, it goes to the top of the list for eating that day, but that is the only guidelline.