macstack

I'm a sucker for old weird recipes, and I like bringing them to work pot lucks to inflict on my coworkers (I don't bring things that are inedible, just weird post-war crimes, I always eat a piece myself).

For the 2024 potluck, I fixed up the Super Supper Salad Loaf:

A bologna chub is prohibitively expensive in these times where hipsters love trash food, so I elected to go for it with a couple Spam loaves.

The filling is mashed peas, minced onions, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper, with gelatin.

Then you chill it for the gelatin to set, carve some radish roses, and glue those together with mayonnaise on top and to the side of your loaf.

Taste notes on the Loaf: It's basically a spam sandwich without bread. Not great, not terrible. Glad I didn't use miracle whip.

In Albuquerque, if you go down to Yale, pretty close to UNM, there’s this little place called “La Urraca”. They have Colombian food. The chipotle chicken arepa plate is really good. I recommend it if you haven’t been there.

For 2025 pot luck season, I started working with a recipe for Tuna Mousse. Essentially, the recipe is "take a nice tuna salad, and then put it in the food processor with some gelatin". I had hoped to put it into a one-time-use mold that was shaped like a moose, but alas, my 3D print failed, and I was out of time to recover. My tuna salad has tuna, mayonnaise, celery, capers, onions, relish, and pepper. Nothing too outlandish.

So I thought for a bit, and decided: it will be a pie.

I took some stale doritos, powdered them in the blender, and then added butter to make a TACO BELL DORITOS LOCOS pie crust.

Then I poured the processed tuna salad in (we added red food coloring, because it was kind of a sickly gray, and Luca insisted).

We let it set up in the fridge overnight.

I had a slice at the potluck, and so did a few other people. You wouldn't believe how much of a good tuna salad is in the texture. Anyway, I won't be making this one again, it was fine, and the dorito crust did add to it overall, but still, the lack of texture was a deal-breaker.

The only time I felt bad was when this woman took a big old slice, apparently thinking it was strawberry rhubarb or something, and took a great big bite, and got a horrible "do not want" look. I didn't feel bad enough to warn her, but I did feel bad.

Went full freakin' vegan tonight: tofu tikka masala.

Delicious.

These popped up in my memories recently. I used to make them for potlucks.

I miss being around college students who would eat anything.

Mashed potato ice cream cones

Pulled pork sundaes

Meatloaf cupcakes

Oh my God.

I just.

I just can’t.

Malkin wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 4:30 pm

These popped up in my memories recently. I used to make them for potlucks.

I miss being around college students who would eat anything.

Mashed potato ice cream cones

Pulled pork sundaes

Meatloaf cupcakes

<3

I originally (like 5 years ago) signed up for a potluck with "something regrettable from the '50s", intending to take an Italian antipasto that my grandmother used to make, and the immediate response in the comments (it was on a confluence/wiki page) was "if it's not a jello dish, just go home".

So I started making weird shit, because it makes me laugh, and maintains my reputation with my coworkers.

prosciutto mozzarella wrap (in a Halloween theme):

I also (to some success) tried the "brownies in a corn mold":

Jehannum wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 6:46 pm

"brownies in a corn mold":

Malkin wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 4:30 pm

I miss being around college students who would eat anything.

College student are getting more picky, at least where I work.

Of course they have 5 different Serveries on campus, along with some other options.

Got a 3 pound round on sale (because who can afford full price beef) and made a once-a-year dish.
Bouef bourguignon.

It is delicious.

Geesie wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 11:35 pm

Got a 3 pound round on sale (because who can afford full price beef) and made a once-a-year dish.
Bouef bourguignon.

It is delicious.

Depends on how much you buy, and where you live.

BEEF TOP INSIDE ROUND $ 4.99
BEEF INSIDE ROUND, CAP OFF $ 5.25
BEEF EYE OF ROUND $ 4.75

Those are per pound, but also 75# cases.

Chicken is a bit better, but still 40#.
CHICKEN 2PC LEG QUARTERS 4/10 (40LB) $ 0.65
CHICKEN BREAST BNLS SKNLS 4/10 (40LB) $ 1.60
CHICKEN THIGH MEAT 4/10 (40LB) $ 1.84

I don't buy large amounts anyway because beef is bad for me and the environment. So maybe in the course of a year I'll make that, goulash, and stroganoff.

Anyway, what's a hearty meal without a decadent dessert? Peanut butter pie:

Geesie wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 12:06 am

I don't buy large amounts anyway because beef is bad for me and the environment. So maybe in the course of a year I'll make that, goulash, and stroganoff.

Anyway, what's a hearty meal without a decadent dessert? Peanut butter pie:

I work in a college servery, which does over 2000 meals a day.

We use a lot of chicken, beef, pork, and vegetables each day.

So I assumed.
And to cap off the minor feast,

Man, my hot wing dip and eggroll in a bowl seem awfully lame by comparison.

Witnessed a tragedy when we went for the brunch showing of Project Hail Mary last Sunday:

We got lasagna down to an art form, even if I do say so myself.

Alien wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2026 7:51 pm

We got lasagna down to an art form, even if I do say so myself.

Have you tried ketchup, instant ramen, and kraft singles as a lasagna recipe yet?

All roads lead to Rome.

Just got back from a trip through Germany, Austria, and Czechia, so:

Is the first one spaetzle?

Yes. Or rather: Knöpfle.

I didnt read it first and thought it was butter chicken...

Cream cheese wontons are a regional food? Really? Can others confirm? I would have never guessed...

Malkin wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2026 1:56 pm

Cream cheese wontons are a regional food? Really? Can others confirm? I would have never guessed...

I've never heard of it. I think he rest of the country just does crab rangoon.

I’ve definitely heard of cream cheese wontons.

Happy Easter!

Easter? Easter!

Geesie wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2026 2:00 pm

Malkin wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2026 1:56 pm

Cream cheese wontons are a regional food? Really? Can others confirm? I would have never guessed...

I've never heard of it. I think he rest of the country just does crab rangoon.

I've seen/had them in multiple other locations besides Minnesoda. Someone told me, and I have no idea how true this is, that it goes by rangoon if it's larger and folded one way, and if it's smaller and round, it's called wonton. No idea. But locally, most are just crab rangoon.

Today was my birthday.
My family's traditional birthday cake has been a very old type of marble cake. It's not a vanilla-chocolate swirl like the Jewish delis introduced at the turn of the 20th century. This one has a light part that is a traditional white cake, the dark part is a brown sugar and molasses cake. It'd different! But, delightful. And I've added something to the tradition - since it's two cakes in one (and because making your own birthday cake is kind of tragic), my wife makes one part and I make the other simultaneously, then I swirl them together.
I like it.

Happy birthday!

I was at a conference in Munich, this week. So, enjoy!

Wurstsalat:

Schweinshaxe mit Semmelknödel:

Hofbräukeller:

Schweinebraten mit Kartoffelknödel:

Schneiders Brauhaus:

Augustiner Stammhaus:

Ulmer Currywurst:

Bonus round; I‘m on my way to Paris now, stopover in the Alsace.

A dozen snails in garlic butter:

Tête de veau avec sauce gribiche:

Apple tart with Williams pear schnaps:

So, after my visit to the Circuit de Reims-Gueux, I stopped in Meaux for lunch.

Oeufs dur Mayonnaise as a starter (yes, that literally means “hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise”):

Main course, andouillette. That’s a pig’s small intestine stuffed into its large intestine. Stinks to high heaven; tastes divine:

And since Meaux is known for its particularly exquisite variant of Brie, a piece of Brie de Meaux to finish it all off:

For Mother's day dinner I made chashushuli. It was delicious. The US needs more Georgian restaurants.

Alien wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2026 6:18 am

Just got back from a trip through Germany, Austria, and Czechia, so:

Is that liver dumpling soup? My dad would make that. It’s only way I will eat liver.