Wasted in San Francisco
ediblesanfrancisco.ediblefeast.com
ediblesanfrancisco.ediblefeast.com
The simple answer is that food provides us with the energy and nutrition we need to survive; but of course, if you take a look around it's pretty obvious we dedicate a tremendous amount of time and energy to eating that extends well beyond basic sustenance. We have all sorts of complicated but erroneous aesthetic and cultural reasons for eating, which, in a first world country extends several levels of abstraction beyond merely serving basic needs.
I mean, if optimizing only for sustenance was the goal, we'd all be munching hamster pellets or choking down some Soylent like hydrated paste. We certainly wouldn't be interested paying premiums to have exotic, perishable fruits (which are mostly water) shipped in from other continents only to throw half that in the garbage.
> [There’s] $4 billion (USD) equivalent of food losses in a year in the continent and if you can conceptualize what four billion can do to alleviate poverty in our various countries, then you can understand the waste and the economic deprivation that food loss is causing the continent,
https://fsrn.org/2016/05/african-farmers-seek-creative-solut...
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.
A personality affectation characterized by the adoption of outmoded fashions, faux nostalgia for things and eras the hipster never themselves experienced, ostentatious self-awareness and histrionic introspection designed to showcase the hipster's own moral superiority relative to mainstream society, and above all irony as the sole mode of existence, the denial of the possibility of authentic non-referential experience, and the pervasive implicit and explicit ridicule of those who think that authentic, non-ironic, non-referential experience is possible.
* https://www.amazon.com/Two-Little-Gardeners-Golden-Book/dp/0...
Really, the size of servings in US is ridiculous, who is supposed to finish that?
In many countries they have smaller servings - but it's typical to eat 2-3 servings. In the US we often have larger servings (equivalent to 2-3 servings) but only eat the one.
Having traveled quite a bit, the largest discrepancy in serving sizes I've noticed is that the US really likes drinks. Especially sodas and especially 60oz sodas. Everywhere I go gives me a "kids sized" cup of water to down with my meal...
In Australia, going out to dinner usually means two or three of an entreee (starter), main and dessert.
Fast food portions are huge though - in the US my girlfriend and I would get a burger each and share a small chips and drink.
Maybe the parent comment is counting the salad, the soup and the dessert?
But these are not "servings" as the OP was talking about, i.e. for the same dish (main course) that you would get 2-3 servings, something we don't do normally in Europe (perhaps only in big celebrations like Christmas).
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 Michelin star meals because they were so rich (albeit incredibly good).
IMO when it comes to food waste meat is the real culprit.
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.
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).
* 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).
It crossed my mind that I had never once seen anyone do this, and by local standards it probably looked ridiculous.
Claiming that France has one way of proportioning meals is like saying that a Southern American potluck bbq is the same as a posh Michelin star restaurant in Manhattan.
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).
I know the quality of the food will be meh. When I eat out, I want as good or better than what I can make.
Another bonus is it would be more practical to also have dessert after the main course. In practice I usually just end up ordering an appetizer as the main course at the cost of some awkwardness with the server.
Even though many desserts are made ahead of time, in Australia they're often very expensive ($15-18) and so something I almost never order.
It's be cool to see more places like that: small portions but using the extra cost savings for higher quality food.
I'd probably call it "Seconds" too, and this is why I'm not in the restaurant business probably. :)
Nope. Nope nope nope.
Reminds me of the local cafeteria at my uni that reduced food waste, so when I went there at 1PM to avoid the crowds (they served until 1:30PM) there was just no food left. Good job, so helpful.
I would prefer not to be at the mercy of some crop dusters with paraquat.
I remember that my college food service had a policy that food that was considered waste had to be thrown in the dumpster, and not doing so was grounds for being fired. A friend had to throw out around 20 pounds of fresh fruit every Friday because the venue that they were at wasn't open over the weekend.