Take away food (or delivery)

[kerouac2]

I must confess that I almost never do this, but I know that it is becoming more and more common. Are you happy with the idea or is it a moral defeat?

Paris is currently completely infested with Just Eat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Frichti and other companies. There has been quite a bit of controversy about the remuneration of the bike delivery people. Frankly, it is often hard work. It would already embarrass me just knowing that any delivery person, already hot and sweaty from the bike ride, would have to come up three flight of stairs to my place.  So no, I don't order.

Actually there is an Indian place just a few steps from my flat.  I had them deliver maybe twice, but it seemed wrong.  Any other time that I wanted something from that place, I preferred to just go down and wait for it instead of having it delivered.

There is a Domino's Pizza delivery site 200 metres from where I live.  I don't eat pizza, but that is another place where I would just go and collect the item instead of having it delivered.

I guess I just like to prepare my own food.

[bixaorellana]

I'm with you, Kerouac, especially re: pizza and preferring my own cooking. But I have a close friend who almost jammed her fingers putting the uber app on her phone the very second it became available in Oaxaca, proving that others feel differently.

As far as where I live, I suppose at least food delivery creates a few more jobs. Also, I assume it might generate more orders for any restaurant. After all, people have long been accustomed to calling out for pizza (& Chinese food for some lucky populations), so the idea of more variety of delivered food must be automatically appealing.

Finally, for people who are hampered from going out for any reason, being able to call up a meal must be a real boon.

[kerouac2]

It's funny -- just a few hours after making my post above, I came across this on Flyer Talk:

Your Delivery Driver Probably Ate Some of Your Food

[lagatta]

Don't blame them!

I never order food in; I'm lucky to eat in an area with a wide variety of foods from different cultures (lucky, my hell. That and the nearby métro stations are the reason I chose this area). A friend does, though. Her income is considerably higher than mine. Oh, I can afford decent food - the people who are to be pitied are those who can't afford it, or possibly just could but don't know how to cook. In my experience, this was a certain type of poor or poorish single man of a certain age and educational level - I am NOT stereotyping men. But I wonder how many young people really know how to cook nowadays - I know some who can cook very well, but don't know whether they are representative.

Sometimes I do take away roast or bbq chicken or chicken parts (usually the legs, which I prefer) because some places do them very well or have bbq or rôtisserie equipment. Also some Asian foods (South, East or Southeast) that I might not do very well or are hard to make in a small kitchen for one person. This also applies to Central American pupusas; however, I do sort of make my own empanadas. Sort of because I do buy the tapas (the crust). I like to make my own filling and once one has learned to "braid" the tapas around the filling, they are easy to make and much cheaper.

Now my baker friend is making pizzas, so if I want one I'll order it from him - it will be quality organic bread and toppings. I don't eat pizza on a regular basis either.

[mickthecactus]

Eldest grandson is an excellent cook.

Youngest can just about heat up a pizza.

[bjd]

All my kids are good cooks, the sons better than my daughter in fact although that's a bit because she tends to do vegetarian stuff so it's just me.

We never order food. If I do take anything out, which is really rare, I buy something prepared at the market. I don't mind ordering pizza (and picking it up) buy my husband claims the ones I make at home are much better, so we rarely order any.

I was struck by the number of signs for food delivery on signs in Toulouse too. Fast food. Might have something to do with the growing obesity problem in France.

[kerouac2]

I have read in the past that the #1 delivery item in Paris is sushi, while the #1 item in the rest of France is pizza.

[rikita]

i don't enjoy cooking, and often feel it takes up too much time, and it stresses me, as i am kind of disorganized in the kitchen. doesn't mean i can't cook, but i still don't want to do it too often. so, apart from very simple things, or ready bought things, or just eating sandwiches, i also sometimes get take-away. try to keep it to less than once a week though, as most of it isn't particularly healthy ... in most cases i will get it on the way home (on days we get home late, like after a's choir), usually it is things that don't take long, anyway, like sandwiches and fries from the shop downstairs, or halloumi and chicken in bread with peanut sauce from the place across the street) ... haven't ordered anything in years, mainly because it is more expensive and we have a lot of choice nearby, but used to sometimes do that, especially during the early phases of relationships when sometimes we'd spend a whole weekend not leaving the bed (except to open the door for the delivered food).

[cheerypeabrain]

Despite the fact that our hostess has given us a list of 'dog friendly pubs and restaurants' in the area...we still won't go to any because our dog is not particularly 'dog friendly'

So today on our way back from our walk my husband suddenly NEEDED fish and chips...we drove for miles and miles looking...most are found in villages and towns, but my beloved insists on staying on fast main roads...after driving for half an hour I saw one ahead. Probably the most expensive (out of London) chippy we've ever been to...but the fish was gorgeous...a crisp, savoury,very light batter...lean meaty cod fillets and perfect PERFECT chips...proper big chunky ones...piping hot, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Beautifully presented in a flat, lidded cardboard box lined loosely with greaseproof paper. We should have had one portion between us really but Jeff bought us one each. Delicious and very filling (the fish and chips...didn't eat the box).

[questa]

Sept 1, 2019 9:57:00 GMT rikita said:

i don't enjoy cooking, and often feel it takes up too much time, and it stresses me,

Same here, Rikita. Living alone, I find that it is also uneconomical to go for any meals that have many ingredients, herbs and spices. I have many jars stashed away that have only been used once, in attempts to "cook something special".
I don't do the take-away much, mainly a healthy Subway roll or fish and chips and I haven't done home delivery for years. I have started buying the ready-to-eat meals lately, a few minutes in the microwave and I have a portion controlled, attractive and tasty meal...and no washing up. I would not be able to make the meal myself for the price.

Sometimes I cook up a big Stew with enough to freeze in portions to have another time. Then I can really cook well but it takes all day.

[kerouac2]

I am currently simmering what will be a delicious osso bucco cinnamon and clove curry, but that is not the subject.

I absolutely love kebabs, and there are at least 15 kebab places on my very ethnic street. There are also 3 or 4 places that sell hot wings (another favourite of mine). And of course 10 or so places that sell takeaway pizzas. That on the other hand is an item to which I am not at all attracted, although I have the choice between Turkish pizzas and Italian pizzas (basically the difference between tomato based or non tomato based). (Why so many places on my street? Because it is the main road between Paris and the northern suburbs, on the way to London and Brussels if going beyond the suburbs. Most of the places are open until 3 or 4 am -- not forgetting the 24-hour bakery across from my flat. In the middle of the night, the principal customers are the all-night taxi drivers, as well as the police.

And yet, the last time I bought anything on my street was more than two years ago when I had no kitchen for about 10 days during my renovation. If I weighed at least 20 kilos less, I might let my guard down.

[bixaorellana]

I had forgotten this thread existed, but it certainly is pertinent now, particularly where I live.

As soon as the quarantine started, many restaurants hustled to provide delivery service. I've only ordered out twice since then, once with vile results and the second time got adequate but rather boring food.

Well, there is a lady who has been in Oaxaca for years, in and out of the food business. I first knew of her years ago, when she and her then-husband, who is from Italy, had a food stand on Sundays at the Railway station park. She is a ballet dancer from Korea -- a tall elegant person who is also warm and friendly.

Her restaurant is only three blocks from my house so, having found out that she is again open for business, I strolled over there today. I took some containers, as I do not yet feel comfortable eating in a restaurant. There was no menu, rather the food was on display in big square white plates tightly covered in cling wrap. She told me of a couple of other items such as lasagna which were available. I picked out a plate with two drumsticks surrounded by a sort of ratatouille and a mixed salad. She let me take the whole plate, rather than having to dump it into containers. After I paid she teased up an edge of the plastic and gave me a minced beef patty wrapped in hierba santa, which she said was Mexican inspired, but not Mexican. What a nice way to do take-away!

This meal proved the third time really is the charm, as it was the only one of my away-from-home meals since the quarantine that was really pleasant and different from something I would have made for myself.

[kerouac2]

There have been so many news reports about how the food businesses have tried to survive during lockdown that I have seen countless mouthwatering examples of what all of the places are doing. On top of that, a lot of the reports show them making these fabulous dishes, putting them into containers with all sorts of wonderful side items -- and delivering them to the homeless free of charge. This is wonderful, but it makes me want them to continue doing that rather than delivering them to me.

And anyway, now that lockdown has ended, people can go back to these restaurants.

[bixaorellana]

Not here.

Today I found out that there is a fancy taco place making poorboys for delivery. They're using the baguettes from my local bakery, which are very good but maybe not the right texture for the classic poorboy. Obviously I'm going to have to find out the hard way.