Obviously, in the grand scheme of things, this is hardly a knotty problem but recently I've been offered a couple of restaurant menu's that have left me curling a lip and feeling rather disappointed.
I LOVE eating out... I gave up smoking and went cold turkey with a brand new shoes and homewares addiction to afford me the pleasure of eating out once a month.
"Hello, my name is Jus and I'm a restaurantaholic"
But, surely the whole point of eating out is to enjoy the sort of food you'd never be knowledgable/bothered/brave enough to prepare at home?
I promise, I am not tooting my World Cup horn at this point. I am a garden variety homecook. I'm fond of baking, becoming passionate about homegrown veggies and I'm always keen to experiment a little, but there isn't a restaurant out there that would hire me for anything more than dishwashing. So when I'm asked to pay a premium for a smaller portion of something that I regularly serve at home I sulk.
Whilst pouting like a blow fish and sniffing loudly I found
this quote...
'Do I miss going out for dinner? Nah. Cooking is a great joy: I go home, pour myself a glass of wine and go into the kitchen, the guys come in and peel the cucumbers or whatever and then we have dinner. It's the best part of the day, that part where you put on your blue jeans and a T-shirt and start cooking. It's just everybody there being themselves, and it's much more satisfying.'
Ruth Reichl
Editor-in-Chief, Gourmet Magazine, NYC
New York times Restaurant Critic 1993-1999
and this website...
Beautiful photo's, delicious recipes and enough hints and tips to keep me eating in for a while anyway.
All photo's Sunday Suppers.
Edit: I had hoped this 'eat in' experience would save me a fortune, however there's a mutiny afoot amongst the kitchenhands. I've heard mutterings along the lines of, "half a Mars Bar each is not equal to the minimum wage" so it looks like I'll have to start throwing in the odd Crunchie too!
Mutiny afoot amongst the kitchenhands? That will never do. Hang on a mo...YOUR'VE got kitchenhands?!!! If the odd crunchie thrown in will do then go for it!
ReplyDeleteI love Ruth Reichl! Her books are stunning.
ReplyDeleteI love going out but usually end up ordering something I'd cook at home - apart from pasta - I won't order it out as we have quite a lot at home...my trouble is- I love being home to !
ReplyDeleteI'm meetng The Balancing Kiwi tomorrow - how great is that ?!!
I do like that quote about cooking in rather than eating out and I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN about portions. Sometimes I've nearly said out loud FIFTEEN QUID FOR THAT??? I get rather more scouse when I'm vexed too. I sound like a fish wife.
ReplyDeleteWe've become very incompatible in our desire to eat out - Ben has to wine and dine clients quite frequently, so another French restaurant is nothing to him. However, I quite enjoy the experience, especially, as you say, if it's things you wouldn't our couldn't cook at home. Our kitchen hands are developig cooking as a hobby, which has to be one of the best reasons for having children, surely..?
ReplyDelete