We usually cook dinner at home or bring food to eat at home. Going out for dinner is usually a treat or a necessary convenience. First, going out has to be worth it to me. I think of the quality, the investment towards more ingredients and the leftovers: is the meal I'm going to have better than all the perks of cooking at home? Second, am I going to be agitated with the service, cleanliness or the wait? I am usually auditing an establishment with my eyes, and I usually know exactly how long the food has taken. Don't get me wrong, I love a birthday celebration, a kitchen on its A-game, an inventive menu and a good deal like everyone else. Also, if I am sick, have a craving or am getting home late, I tend to eat out more.But convenience? Come on! Home is the most convenient to me.
One weeknight I was weighing my options. I really wanted Italian pasta, but the thought of going out and waiting and maybe not liking the dish gave me pause. Besides, I wanted ravioli and ragu sauce. I went to the Italian market of a local pasta store and bought almost 1 pound fresh ravioli, about 1.5 pounds fresh fettuccine and a package of ladyfingers. Then, I went to the nearest grocery store and picked up a baguette, milk, some cremini aka baby bella mushrooms, organic basil, canned tomatoes, an organic lemon, a red and green bell pepper and spring onions.
As soon as I arrived home, the tomatoes (26 oz), pepperoni, red and green peppers, onion, some pitted olives and olive oil went in the food processor. One pot had water boiling fettuccine; once that finished I saved the drained hot pasta water and cooked the ravioli. Another saucepan had the simmering sauce I made in the food processor. I added some parsley, basil and more snips of pepperoni with kitchen scissors. Meanwhile, I drizzled bread with olive oil and put it in the toaster oven. In the final saucepan, I sliced mushrooms and sauteed them in butter. To that I added some spring onion and a lemon, thinly sliced to get the lemon oil flavor, then added the cooked ravioli and 1/3 cup pasta water. While it simmered, I finished the ravioli with about 1/4 cup Romano cheese and snips of basil.
It was intense work, but we were able to sit down to eat in 40 minutes with two large bowls of delicious gourmet pasta, semi-homemade, and some bread. After our daughter went to bed, I made a "tiramisu" milkshake--a coffee-flavored milkshake that we dipped with ladyfingers.We kept the unused ingredients and made other meals. More importantly, We had at least 4 meals of leftovers. We spent about $40, but I took the ravioli to work for lunch, then we ate the remaining intensely flavored red sauce with tortellini and used it for French bread pizza. I made ricotta (eventually) with the milk, layered ladyfingers and made real tiramisu. What's the lesson in all of this? I think the $40 I spent on the ingredients and the effort to make the food in this case paid off more than paying the same amount (with tax and tip) at a restaurant.
Restaurants have their place and their value--inventive ideas, convenience, the chance to allow you to talk and catch up leisurely. I do challenge people to consider what place home has--budget-friendly, quality-controlled, stocking ingredients, learning and sharing at your own pace. Food for thought!
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