What dishes do you rely on dining out for?

[emilycat]

Just curious -- I'll try out most things in the kitchen, and many, I feel, I do as well as many restaurants could serve up -- but if they're incredibly labor-intensive or require a bit of skill that I don't have, I go out for it.
My dining out treats? Sushi and fresh pasta, and any other ethnic cuisine (Thai, Vietnamese, Indian), when I want something much more authentic than I could replicate at home.
Today, for instance, I'm having an incredible craving for wonderfully fresh, make you believe you're in Bologna 'till you steip outside and see the Coca-Cola building pasta, so we're going to a great place to satisfy my urges. :)
What do you rely on professionals for?

[m4star]

I go out for steak, BBQ, and sushi. I just never have duplicated these at home to the level of quality I enjoy.

[dmcgreevey]

I've tried making french cut rack of lamb twice- both times the effort (trimming the fat) and expense ($50 for 4, just for the meat) made me reconsider doing this dish at home. I also think the high heat of restaurant ovens helps their version come out better.

We go out for sushi all the time too....although we've also had a few sushi making parties which have been a lot of fun. But, a lot of work with all the chopping and rolling!

[HDgirl]

My dining out treat would have to be fried oysters. I don't fry anything at home so I go out for them. This is funny because I just had them Monday night. They were soooo good!

[KathrynY]

Good question!

* Veal - have never have attempted it before myself, and so many great Italian restaurants in my area have such wonderful veal dishes...
* Lobster - too much work (don't like the whole dunking in boiling water thing), much prefer eating it by the beach on a warm summer day
* Sushi - would rather leave raw fish to the professionals
* Thai / Indian / other specialty ethnic as a treat - no matter how good my skills are (and we do prepare quite a bit of ethnic cuisine at home), they will never match those of a native cook

[beccathebaker]

Definately sushi- I have made it at home before and it never comes out right. There is such an art to the finished product. It's totally worth the extra expense.
Also vietnamese food with all of it's complex flavors and herbs like lemongrass and galangal (sp?)
Indian food is very hard to replicate as well, especially tandoori breads and shrimp!!

[lorilei]

I trust all things requiring raw fish to the professionals. :) This includes sushi, critters on the half shell and anything seriously close to moving...

I also enjoy a nice roasted duckling... but have never attempted to prepare one myself.

Otherwise, I'm game for experimentation at home. The hunt for weird ingredients keeps me awake and alive :D

[KValley]

I've been thinking about this recently, in light of the country/regional cooking articles in CL (Spain, Greece, Caribbean, etc).and looking back on the recipes that I have tried and those that look delicious, but the labor involved has been a turnoff to me. I made the most from the Thai and Caribbean editorials; little from the Greek and Chinese; haven't had a chance to try Spain yet. France I just never got around to - the recipes were a bit on the heavy side for me.


I, too, leave Japanese cooking to the professionals- sushi, sashimi, tempura, monjayaki, sukiyaki, etc. For me it is not only the prep time and labor, it is a precise presentation, the freshest ingredients (i.e. fish) possible- it requires such skill and finesse to get it right and I think it is difficult to remove it from its cultural context;

Outside of basic curries, I prefer to eat Indian in a restaurant, for the same reasons as above;

Ethiopian Again, the whole cultural experience of eating Ethiopian- the music, the atmosphere, the beverages, the textures and flavors of the food, the low tables and chairs, the bread- just not interested in trying to replicate this experience in my kitchen- it's too much of a fun, unique event to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant!

I love Greek food, but I think I will leave this to the experts.

In general, because I have so many memories wrapped up in eating at French bistros, I am not interested in replicating moules et pommes frites, Croque Monsieur or fondu etc., at home- I'd rather save that for the real thing, in the real place!

[hlao23]

We only eat meat when we go out - I don't like touching raw meat.

I also prefer getting sandwiches out. I mean serious sandwiches on good crusty bread. We could certainly make these at home but I just don't want to bother buying all the different ingredients. Plus we have trouble finding really good bread at the store.

[lorilei]

Originally posted by KValley
Ethiopian Again, the whole cultural experience of eating Ethiopian- the music, the atmosphere, the beverages, the textures and flavors of the food, the low tables and chairs, the bread- just not interested in trying to replicate this experience in my kitchen- it's too much of a fun, unique event to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant!


Very true... very true.

But I would encourage you to transform your home into an Ethiopian haven -- low tables and tapestries in the living room, authentic music playing on the stereo :) Invite friends. Observe hand-washing rituals. It's not the SAME as being in Ethiopia... but it's definitely an experience not to be missed!

[athena]

Believe it or not, pancakes. I'm a wiz at the complicated stuff, but hand me a spatula and pancake batter, and I'm sunk. (Also, the kitchen comes out looking like a Jackson Pollack painting....)

[lindrusso]

I think I go out, not so much because I can't prepare what is served to me, but because it is served to me. Many restaurants prepare dishes that I might or might not take the time to prepare at home, but it's the whole experience of being waited on, eating good food, drinking good wine and enjoying a few hours alone with my husband.

Oh, and let me clarify that I live in an area that is not exactly chock-full of gourmet dining. And though I would not go so far as to say that I can cook as well as the best restaurant in town, it would just be a much easier task than say, trying to top the best restaurant in Chicago!

However, as mentioned by others, there are those things that I do at home only on occasion like ethnic food or homemade ravioli or other time-consuming items.

[KValley]

Originally posted by lorilei


Very true... very true.

But I would encourage you to transform your home into an Ethiopian haven -- low tables and tapestries in the living room, authentic music playing on the stereo :) Invite friends. Observe hand-washing rituals. It's not the SAME as being in Ethiopia... but it's definitely an experience not to be missed!

Hee hee! The visual that I am getting with this is being usurped with vivid memories: I lived in a mud hut in central Africa, with termites rather than tapestries on my walls, and had to sit on my left hand until I had trained myself to eat only with my right (I'm LH, this is a Muslim country); the musical accompaniment was either the rhythmic thud of our "mother" and village sisters pounding manioc root or the tinny transistor radio transmitting Franco-African dance music from neighboring Cameroon. We had dinner guests aplenty, most of the four-legged, no-legged, or winged variety. Many rituals to observe, particularly the slicing of chicken or goat neck arteries with a blessed knife and facing towards Mecca.

This would also be an experience I could never hope nor want to replicate in my home!

[kwormann]

Originally posted by lindrusso
I think I go out, not so much because I can't prepare what is served to me, but because it is served to me. Many restaurants prepare dishes that I might or might not take the time to prepare at home, but it's the whole experience of being waited on, eating good food, drinking good wine and enjoying a few hours alone with my husband.

I complelety agree! I LOVE having someone serve me dinner and clean up after me. It helps that we have no shortage of excellent restaurants in Houston to try.

I love to eat Indian food out, also good gourmet sandwiches:)

[Gail]

Originally posted by KValley


...Many rituals to observe, particularly the slicing of chicken or goat neck arteries with a blessed knife and facing towards Mecca.



You mean everyone doesn't eat this way? :p


Seriously, this is fascinating stuff...

[Ohioan]

Hmm, interesting question. I guess I go out to eat for lots of different reasons, but none of them is to get something I don't or can't cook. However, once I'm in a restaurant, I'll usually order some item I don't normally cook at home. The only exception might be pizza. I never make pizza at home, and if I want it, I have to go out deliberately to get it.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Julia1Pin]

Originally posted by Ohioan
Once I'm in a restaurant, I'll usually order some item I don't normally cook at home.

I try not to order things that I make well at home too. I.E., I love to order duck at French restaurants.

Sushi is definately a going out meal. Morrocan I would never think to duplicate at home. When I get a craving for any type of Asian food, I go to restaurants.

One caveat, there are definately times I have been out and have realized that I make the dish better at home (this is a really new "accomplishment" for me).

[amcleod]

Since I don't cook every night of the week, I am probably not the best person to provide input. But I will since I loooove eating out.

1. Sushi. Could never imagine a) finding sushi-grade fish b)having the patience to make it all and c) i don't have all those fabulous serving trays/dishes/platters that are such an integral part of the sushi experience.

2. Burgers. I live in an apartment and therefore don't have a grill. It just doesn't taste the same in the home broiler or grill pan. (this is also why i will NEVER turn down an offer to attend a bbq!)

3. Most Asian cuisine. I just don't think the home cooked will satisfy the craving. I do plan to try making some things thanks to CL, but I think I will still plan on relying on the restaurants for it.

To add my opinion on the flip side, I never order chicken when going out for dinner. Why bother!

[Beth H]

Asian cuisine. Yes, I do make stir-fries at home and enjoy them, but it's just not the same as what you can order at good Chinese/Japanese/Thai/Korean restaurants.

Fried shrimp. I do make shrimp at home, but not fried.

Veal. My husband does not like veal, and it's not something that I wouldn't cook for myself. So, I often order it while I'm out.

[DSH]

Sushi is definitely number one on that list since I believe in leaving the raw food to the professionals too. Pancakes would be my second one; whoever mentioned the Jackson Pollak thing has it right, plus for some reason mine never come out that well. Fortunately, I married "breakfast man" who is an ace at all things breakfast. (Although, breakfast out with a newspaper is one of my favorite dining out experiences!)

[Jewel]

I sat here trying to think of particular foods or cuisines that I rely on restaurants for, and realized (blush!) that there aren't many! I'm not a chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess there's just not many things I won't attempt to make.

I guess Chinese is one that we eat out quite a bit. Like Beth H I do stirfries, Kung Pao Chicken and such at home, but there's something about the way the professionals do it that just tastes better. We're not sushi or fish eaters, so I don't have to worry about that. But most everything else, from Mexican, Italian, to plain 'ol American I do at home! I will concede to baby back ribs being better at the Outback than anywhere else! I just can't duplicate those ribs at home, even with my smoker!

And it does give me a nice warm fuzzy to hear my DH take a bite of something out and say "Honey, yours is better..." :D

[mb]

we actually don't eat out too often. the food i cook at home is pretty good, and whenever we do go out, we realize we could have made the same thing at home (and maybe even better). true, we never go to top-notch restaurants - maybe that would make a difference (with the food AND the service). we HATE paying for bad service, which we always manage to get :rolleyes:

DH loves to order chinese food (sesame chicken). chinese food does taste different in a restaurant, but i'd rather have stir-fry at home because it isn't as oily and it just tastes lighter. i do like the steaks at outback - how do they make them like that? our home-grilled steaks come out good, but never like outback. we do order pizza every now and then also... i would never attempt sushi at home (too difficult). we usually just save these things for a 'take-out' night about 1-2x's a month.

you all sound like you go to such exotic restaurants! i've never seen an ethiopian restaurant before... (and julie, thanks for the great visuals!)

[Jennett]

Ditto to the sushi and Asian cuisine--especially Pad Thai. I love it, and have tried several different recipes, and it never tastes as good as in a restaurant.

Also gnocchi. I've managed to make gnocchi that are tasty and not leaden, but they're still not half as good as the authentic kind.

[Chefzhat]

Creme Brulee, and more Creme Brulee.

I'm going to turn this thread onto the dessert train - am I the only one that goes out for what comes at the end of the meal?? I can make most anything that we want to eat, but the torched crispy sugary crust of Creme Brulee escapes me and I order it wherever we go. I am STRONGLY campaigning for a kitchen torch for my b-day.

Debie

[Beth H]

I didn't even think about dessert when I first read this post! But --since I"m a terrible baker, the only time I get a lot of desserts is when I'm out. Such as -- key lime pie, cheesecake, tortes, etc., etc., etc.

Of course, none of these fall into the "light" category. :)

[jms0310]

In my opinion, asian cuisine at a restaurant is a thousand times better than the attempts I make at home. So I leave that for the experts. Also, fried things or "finger foods" like real french fries (I bake mine), fried shrimp, potato skins, and buffalo wings are better to go out for since I don't fry anything at home. Really authentic ethnic meals, complicated layered desserts, and fancy cheesecakes (that is what the Cheesecake Factory is for) are things I would never try at home so those are things I will always go out for if I am in the mood for them.
Jessica

[doggerham]

Debie IMHO, having tried a couple, don't spend the money on a "cute" kitchen torch -- they don't get hot enough and the flame is too small and everything takes forever. Go out to your local Home Depot and get yourself a Burnzomatic and a fire extinguisher.

The cooking club thinks that DH and I are firebugs, because we've done creme brulee, crepes suzettes and two or other things involving fire (not to even mention the grill!)

Amy

[dotglee]

Sushi, definitely, although my usual grocery has sushi grade fish, as well as a sushi to order stand. Thai and Indian, also, but we are starting to do more at home, especially with the help of CL recipes.

Chinese is eaten out when I don't want to do the work--my recipes are quite good and definitely lighter. And DH has proven to me (it was hard to believe) that he can make fresh pasta in the time that it takes the water to boil for dried. Now, if we could just find a light version of fettucine, cream, and crab....

I have made pizza at home a lot, but prefer to order in or eat out because it can be done in a wood burning oven and it takes time at home if you make your own dough. Maybe I can't get my oven hot enough.

What a great thread. I was going to make fresh tomato sauce and pasta tonight, but now I think I'll get pizza! Our favorite local place makes a fresh vegie pizza--tomatoes, olives (Kalamata if you want), Walla Walla sweet onions, mushrooms, sometimes roasted garlic--and they will cut the sauce and cheese down to nothing (more like Italy) and bake the crust a bit more than normal. You can almost imagine being at Domino's outside of Lugano, but not the Domino's we usually think of. (There should be smilie licking its lips for this board)

[JAtelsek]

Loved this question and reading everyone's answers. I've found it difficult if not impossible to recreate my favorite ethnic foods (sushi, Thai, Chinese, Burmese, Indian) at home -- though goodness knows I've tried.

Occasionally my husband and I splurge on a really fine restaurant meal, and all my healthy eating habits go out the window for an evening. So I'll order steak, cream soups, rich potato dishes -- stuff I'd never make at home because it's too fattening. And my favorite restaurant indulgence: the cheese course (instead of dessert)! Rich and decadent.