How often do you dine out?

[Caledonia]

I think "DINING" and "FOOD" is something you have to enjoy! I cant enjoy my meal in 30 minutes...Thats why i stay home, I have my time and i know for sure nobody spit in MY soup
Well i mean especially with kids! I dont have any but how many kids cant describe a flavor! When you take your time and lets say you cook with your kids, you teach them things, its fun. And if you have your own garden with lets say carrots. kids will learn how to take care of the garden, prepare the food and eat it ! How many kids make the experience like that? Its better then any microwave mac and cheese or fast dining out!
Staying and dining at home is one important time of the day! How many couples or families have the time to "TALK" . It also keeps the family together. They sit together at least once a day and talk! It doesnt get better when you eat out and you get rushed! Write down how long you talk to your family members in one day and pay attention to the subjects!
Look into the euopean kitchen: its a totally family thing! some still make their own pasta..the "real ones" fresh made with flour . Theres a recipe and i do make the pasta "fresh" with dough for that one!
I just take the time! People say they dont have time or "i cant cook"! I say that too...but i always try to take the time!

:eusa_clap

 

[KAT]

:eusa_clap

sometimes i try hard and even kathy will say something productive
thanks Caledonia

 

[Pilgrim]

I think "DINING" and "FOOD" is something you have to enjoy! I cant enjoy my meal in 30 minutes...Thats why i stay home, I have my time and i know for sure nobody spit in MY soup

This is one distinct difference between the US and Europe. Americans are compulsively on the move, and spend much less time at meals than Europeans do. I remember in the 70's I had a French client who owned a restaurant, and he invited me and my girl friend to dine there. We ate what we thought was an extremely slow-paced, leisurely meal, and then he came out and chided me in a friendly way for rushing through the meal.

My dinner last night (solo, and I was tired) at 10:15 PM might have taken 20 minutes...and that's because I was reading and wanted to finish a chapter.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Like I said, just because we like to eat out doen't mean we eat fast, or don't speak to each other. I like showing my little girl all the different cultures Houston has to offer. People may think of it as a cow town still, but this is the fourth largest city in the US only behind NY, LA and Chicago. There is no way to substitute the questions from her when we go have Vietnamese, Pakistani or even breakfast tacos from a Taco Wagon. We still eat every other meal at home with no tv. And I eat breakfast with her every day. We never eat at MacDonalds ot those types of places, talk about a culture void.

 

[scotrace]

In Europe one needs time for the cigarette courses.

 

[KAT]

This is one distinct difference between the US and Europe. Americans are compulsively on the move, and spend much less time at meals than Europeans do. I remember in the 70's I had a French client who owned a restaurant, and he invited me and my girl friend to dine there. We ate what we thought was an extremely slow-paced, leisurely meal, and then he came out and chided me in a friendly way for rushing through the meal.

My dinner last night (solo, and I was tired) at 10:15 PM might have taken 20 minutes...and that's because I was reading and wanted to finish a chapter.

you are right! it is a huge difference!
and even eating and reading or eating on the go or in a car ..however..its a huge mistake....
i have to see what im eating..i wanna see, smell, taste all together, You enjoy with just all the senses you have! Isnt that great?
DAS AUGE ISST MIT!
I will feel satisfied and full much sooner when i enjoy and sit down, your stomach needs some time until the "full" signal" goes up to your brain!
people do so many mistakes when it comes to eating! im not saying im perfect..but i try to focus on that!

 

[RedPop4]

Married Americans with boys playing sports, eating out, sadly, is a must a couple times a week. Combine this with the fact that MrsRedPop4 rarely eats leftovers, sometimes it's cheaper to eat out, or easier to eat out.

We both like to cook, but sometimes it's simply not possible.

 

[KAT]

In Europe one needs time for the cigarette courses.

some yeahlol

 

[Caledonia]

In Europe one needs time for the cigarette courses.

Not in Scotland anymore! No smoking in public places. And what a relief that is!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I believe, when europeans go out for dinner, they take their time and its something more special! For me its so special! Cause i know i will spend the whole evening in a restaurant! You chat, have some wine and its just nice! And nobody is bugging you a couple of times and nobody is rushing you to leave once you finished your plate! You actually sit down after dinner and chat!

There you go making me feel homesick again. :essen: :eusa_booh We ate out maybe twice or thrice a year when i was a kid. It was an occasion! NOw whenever i go out i'm hassled by the waiter(ress) wanting big tips, jukebox, TVs (televisions). Not nice, but my chef (otherwise known as wife) wants one night a week when she doesn't cook - i cook saturdays, the only day i get any time to do so.

In Europe one needs time for the cigarette courses.

Not in Scotland. Recently banned, don't you know? What, what! (edit ... beat me to it, Caledonia)

Pip pip ...

bk

 

[KAT]

people always wanna take the easiest and quickest way

i m just asking myself how europeans do that with just Mcdonalds and burger King... And we dont have those places on every single corner. When youre in a strange town..you actually have to search for one!
And we dont have Restaurant chains like olive garden!
Every restaurant is owned by somebody else! And they are all unique! Its always interesting to go to a new restaurant!

 

[Caledonia]

Apologies Baron K. I'll try and curtsy to the side next time.

 

[KAT]

There you go making me feel homesick again. :essen: :eusa_booh We ate out maybe twice or thrice a year when i was a kid. It was an occasion! NOw whenever i go out i'm hassled by the waiter(ress) wanting big tips, jukebox, TVs (televisions).

bk

oh yeah same here!
we went out to a restaurant on the second day of christmas or so! You get all pretty and wear your prettiest dress. And i still like the idea to keep it special!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

we went out to a restaurant on the second day of christmas or so! You get all pretty and wear your prettiest dress.

I certainly did! The dress with the pink flowers on it.

bk

 

[RedPop4]

Yes it is. I re-read my other post, and it sounded as if I don't like to eat out. Indeed we do, and we live in a very dining friendly town, New Orleans metropolitan area. I try as hard as I can to NOT patronize national chains as we have too many good homegrown places.

Same for fast food. I'd prefer not to have it, but it's a fact of life some times. When we get out of a ball game at 8:30 in the evening, you can't well go out to a nice restaurant.....most places are still VERY short of employees in this post-Katrina era that they close quite early.....especially with dirty kids, or go home and cook. We both, very much want to be with the boys at the ball park, so staying home to cook while they're away isn't an option.

 

[KAT]

lol

I certainly did! The dress with the pink flowers on it.

bk

 

[scotrace]

people always wanna take the easiest and quickest way

i m just asking myself how europeans do that with just Mcdonalds and burger King... And we dont have those places on every single corner. When youre in a strange town..you actually have to search for one!
And we dont have Restaurant chains like olive garden!
Every restaurant is owned by somebody else! And they are all unique! Its always interesting to go to a new restaurant!

There is nothing at all in the USA to compare with the food and drink I had while in Germany and Austria! From the small village places (grill plate & pork hock in Garmisch) to the more expensive spots (wild game in Bertchesgaden), it was all so amazingly delicious! Even the little breakfast sausages at the B&B's were to die for.
And I cannot find a cookbook with recipes to duplicate it. I bought a cookbook while I was there, and it's still not the same (though I make a good Sauerbraten). I thought the Luchow's cookbook might be close, and it is for some things. But the food, in Europe, was astonishingly good.
Perhaps US meat is over-inspected and bland?

We still eat out twice a week. I get sick to death of the cleanup.

 

["Doc" Devereux]

I have to agree with my fellow (single) Europeans here. The process of cooking is an absolute joy, and for me the best is when you can share the process with someone. I've had a couple of guests join me in the kitchen for part of the preparation, and it can be quite entertaining to chat with a glass of wine as you're chopping herbs and mixing sauces. Quite often if I'm making an effort the main dish will have been cooking for several hours by the time my guest arrives (I adore giving a dish time to really combine flavours and develop subtleties), but there are still vegetables and side dishes to prepare and I think it helps to relax the situation.

But for me, the greatest pleasure of cooking is seeing the look on my guests' faces when they taste the food. That's when the work, the sweat, the swearing and everything else are absolutely worth it.

When it's just me... Well, I live in London. Restaurants and decent take-outs really aren't all that difficult to find if I can't be bothered to cook.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

to the more expensive spots (wild game in Bertchesgaden),

lol lol lol lol lol

Who's the gamekeeper these days?

bk

 

[KAT]

There is nothing at all in the USA to compare with the food and drink I had while in Germany and Austria! From the small village places (grill plate & pork hock in Garmisch) to the more expensive spots (wild game in Bertchesgaden), it was all so amazingly delicious! Even the little breakfast sausages at the B&B's were to die for.
And I cannot find a cookbook with recipes to duplicate it. I bought a cookbook while I was there, and it's still not the same (though I make a good Sauerbraten). I thought the Luchow's cookbook might be close, and it is for some things. But the food, in Europe, was astonishingly good.
Perhaps US meat is over-inspected and bland?

We still eat out twice a week. I get sick to death of the cleanup.

now dont make me cry! Im leaving germany on the 20th! We just had Sauerbraten this week! We cook that only every other year! It takes a few days!!!! to make one! You have to put it in some wine and raisons and all that herbs and have to turn it around every day! its sooo yummy!
worth the work and waiting! I just came back from bavaria and Austria a couple of days ago, ...the food was good..no even better then good!
I cant find any good butcher or bakeries in the US! The choice isnt very big in the store! i can find just everything here! We even cook rabbit! And most americans i heard, never tried it before! When it comes to butcher and baker, its a job you have to learn. The edcuation takes 4 years and longer! They DO KNOW their job very well here! I gonna miss my meat and bread!