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Wasted in San Francisco

ediblesanfrancisco.ediblefeast.com

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Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#31

Post by cgh »

agentgt wrote: post #27
eloisant wrote: post #12

Just start by giving smaller servings. Really, the size of servings in US is ridiculous, who is supposed to finish that?

This is anecdotal but I was just in France recently and the portion sizes were comparable to most urban areas in the US that I have eaten at (obviously it is not comparable to the rural areas engorging Golden Corral). The big difference is Europe seems to eat a lot less meat. The meat portions were much smaller but replaced with carbs and alcohol. As an American I felt embarrassed that I could not finish half the Mic…

My experience of French food is exactly the opposite. Meat is central, with some vegetables on the side. There is a lot of fat in the form of oil and cheese. Carbs, such as bread, are side dishes at best.

In fact, I struggle to think of a French meal that isn't animal product-centred (I'm including fish, eggs, snails etc.)

The biggest difference is they have smaller portions and way fewer carbs. You won't go out for breakfast in France and be faced with a huge stack of pancakes with hash browns and toast.

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#32

Post by Joky »

cgh wrote: post #31
agentgt wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is anecdotal but I was just in France recently and the portion sizes were comparable to most urban areas in the US that I have eaten at (obviously it is not comparable to the rural areas engorging Golden Corral). The big difference is Europe seems to eat a lot less meat. The meat portions were much smaller but replaced with carbs and alcohol. As an American I felt embarrassed that I could not finish half the Mic…

My experience of French food is exactly the opposite. Meat is central, with some vegetables on the side. There is a lot of fat in the form of oil and cheese. Carbs, such as bread, are side dishes at best. In fact, I struggle to think of a French meal that isn't animal product-centred (I'm including fish, eggs, snails etc.) The biggest difference is they have smaller portions and way fewer carbs. You won't go out for…

As a French in the US for a few years now, I second with some nuance. First there would never be meat at breakfast in France for instance, forget the bacon strips and the eggs... Also, diner in my family was often "bread and vegetable soup", or "pasta and tomato sauce". So while the main "traditional" dishes have meat, we don't always eat meat.

Also, while traditional dishes have meat inside, what makes the French Cuisine is not tied to it: you can get most of the taste from some nice sauces, often based of wine.

Other than a salad, I'm not sure I really see "non animal-based" meal in the US either (unless going to an Indian restaurant, or a vegetarian one).

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#33

Post by agentgt »

cgh wrote: post #31
agentgt wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is anecdotal but I was just in France recently and the portion sizes were comparable to most urban areas in the US that I have eaten at (obviously it is not comparable to the rural areas engorging Golden Corral). The big difference is Europe seems to eat a lot less meat. The meat portions were much smaller but replaced with carbs and alcohol. As an American I felt embarrassed that I could not finish half the Mic…

My experience of French food is exactly the opposite. Meat is central, with some vegetables on the side. There is a lot of fat in the form of oil and cheese. Carbs, such as bread, are side dishes at best. In fact, I struggle to think of a French meal that isn't animal product-centred (I'm including fish, eggs, snails etc.) The biggest difference is they have smaller portions and way fewer carbs. You won't go out for…

Well I'm not French and I was just vacationing but this is what I saw:

* French eating/dining is extremely bakery heavy.

* Every meal bread is served and lots of it (most Americans think white bread is the worse thing you can eat)

* In the morning I witnessed both in Paris and Nice consumption of pastries and not meat for breakfast

* At lunch I saw most eating sandwiches. Sandwiches with tomato and cheeses. If there was meat it was sparingly and not the subway of america 2 pounds of meat style.

* I ate predominately in French bistros and taverns. Steak Frites in France is more like Frites with an elbow size piece of steak (compare this to any # of the steak houses in) America)

* There are many new renowned chefs that are pushing a more vegetable dining experience (France is still cutting edge for food) over the traditional French Cuisine.

* Going back to bread I saw many of the locals walking home eating baguettes that they just bought. I remember this vividly as my wife commented how you never see people walking home eating white bread in America (this was jovial observation not a jab at the culture).

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#34

Post by khedoros »

brian-armstrong wrote: post #28
scaddison wrote: post #9

Paying more for scraps than for fresh food? Absolutely ridiculous. Leave it to SF hipsters to be into this kind of thing, especially while talking about how "green" and "eco-friendly" they are.

What's the definition of a hipster? Someone you disagree with?

As an overly broad definition: Someone who is not only counterculture, but who wants you to know exactly how counterculture they are.

It's a fuzzy word with a fuzzy definition, and it doesn't mean quite the same thing to everyone. I think you know that, though.

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#35

Post by [deleted] »

cgh wrote: post #31
agentgt wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is anecdotal but I was just in France recently and the portion sizes were comparable to most urban areas in the US that I have eaten at (obviously it is not comparable to the rural areas engorging Golden Corral). The big difference is Europe seems to eat a lot less meat. The meat portions were much smaller but replaced with carbs and alcohol. As an American I felt embarrassed that I could not finish half the Mic…

My experience of French food is exactly the opposite. Meat is central, with some vegetables on the side. There is a lot of fat in the form of oil and cheese. Carbs, such as bread, are side dishes at best. In fact, I struggle to think of a French meal that isn't animal product-centred (I'm including fish, eggs, snails etc.) The biggest difference is they have smaller portions and way fewer carbs. You won't go out for…

[deleted]

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#36

Post by microcolonel »

brian-armstrong wrote: post #28
scaddison wrote: post #9

Paying more for scraps than for fresh food? Absolutely ridiculous. Leave it to SF hipsters to be into this kind of thing, especially while talking about how "green" and "eco-friendly" they are.

What's the definition of a hipster? Someone you disagree with?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#37

Post by [deleted] »

cgh wrote: post #31
agentgt wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is anecdotal but I was just in France recently and the portion sizes were comparable to most urban areas in the US that I have eaten at (obviously it is not comparable to the rural areas engorging Golden Corral). The big difference is Europe seems to eat a lot less meat. The meat portions were much smaller but replaced with carbs and alcohol. As an American I felt embarrassed that I could not finish half the Mic…

My experience of French food is exactly the opposite. Meat is central, with some vegetables on the side. There is a lot of fat in the form of oil and cheese. Carbs, such as bread, are side dishes at best. In fact, I struggle to think of a French meal that isn't animal product-centred (I'm including fish, eggs, snails etc.) The biggest difference is they have smaller portions and way fewer carbs. You won't go out for…

[deleted]

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#38

Post by microcolonel »

agentgt wrote: post #33
cgh wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience of French food is exactly the opposite. Meat is central, with some vegetables on the side. There is a lot of fat in the form of oil and cheese. Carbs, such as bread, are side dishes at best. In fact, I struggle to think of a French meal that isn't animal product-centred (I'm including fish, eggs, snails etc.) The biggest difference is they have smaller portions and way fewer carbs. You won't go out for…

Well I'm not French and I was just vacationing but this is what I saw: * French eating/dining is extremely bakery heavy. * Every meal bread is served and lots of it (most Americans think white bread is the worse thing you can eat) * In the morning I witnessed both in Paris and Nice consumption of pastries and not meat for breakfast * At lunch I saw most eating sandwiches. Sandwiches with tomato and cheeses. If there…

I feel validated by the fact that somewhere in the world people walk home eating bread. The other night (at 03h30) I went into a 24-hour grocery and bought a ciabatta, ate it on the way home.

It crossed my mind that I had never once seen anyone do this, and by local standards it probably looked ridiculous.

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#39

Post by prawn »

eloisant wrote: post #12

Just start by giving smaller servings. Really, the size of servings in US is ridiculous, who is supposed to finish that?

One problem is that restaurants have no incentive to serve modestly sized, affordable meals. No one raves about a restaurant because it served "just enough to fill me up". No restaurant would ever advertise "reasonably sized plates".

Restaurants with small servings are focusing on quality and charging accordingly, or pushing 5+ courses.

Even if a restaurant charged two-thirds the price for appropriately sized meals, they still have the same transactional costs (staffing, equipment, production, etc).

Re: Wasted in San Francisco

#40

Post by prawn »

jasonjei wrote: post #26

What I do in addition to freezing food that I can't finish is preserving them in mason jars, either by jamming them with sugars, or curing them with salt. You end up with completely different food products with different flavor profiles.

My 4yo son and I enjoy the book Two Little Gardeners* about a brother and sister who prepare ground, grow food, eat some and store the rest. They preserve/pickle a variety of things in jars, store pumpkins and potatoes, hang onions and garlic, and keep their carrots in a tub of slightly dampened sand (a technique I hadn't heard of previously). It's a great little book if you have children, they're interested in gardening as mine are, and you want to introduce them to the stages involved in the whole process.

* https://www.amazon.com/Two-Little-Gardeners-Golden-Book/dp/0...

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