You go out to dinner and can't quite finish everything on your plate. What do you do? Most likely, you'll ask your server to box up the leftovers for you to take home. Oftentimes the container used is styrofoam, and it will end up in your trash. Even if it's made of something else, there's a good chance it will be tossed, not recycled. But what if you never took the container in the first place?
My friend Denise has an innovative approach to restaurant leftovers. She brings her own container from home when she goes out to eat. When she's done, she scrapes her own plate - with probably more care than most servers. After all, who better to collect that last delectable bit of sauce or morsel of bread? This is such a simple thing to do, but consider the impact if we all stopped demanding restaurant doggie bags.
Denise has also suggested alternative methods of dealing with leftovers at home. How often do we reach for plastic wrap or foil to cover dishes of food? We could just as easily and effectively use an inverted plate or bowl. That's actually a blast from the past. I bet most of us can remember a parent or grandparent doing this before the introduction of all the convenience packaging on the market.
Thanks for reminding us, Denise, that simple is a good (and less expensive) approach in the kitchen.
P.S. Readers, I'm still seeking your responses to my question last article about why you buy cases of bottled water at the grocery store. Don't be shy. I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know. E-mail news@theconcordinsider.com.