December 12-16, 2010
Winter winds were whirling in Wisconsin Sunday. They made me grateful for a cozy home with a freezer full of leftovers from which to fashion a feast!
But we’ve talked enough about how to handle homemade leftovers. It’s time to stir the pot of restaurant options and introduce you to The Doggie Bag Diva’s Directives! Please note that they are directives, defined as intended to guide, govern, or influence. They are not rules, dictates, or dogma. They are, however, lessons learned over many years of doggie bagging. They’ve also been reinforced by friends, family, and food-wise acquaintances.
DBD Directive #1: Don’t forget the bag!
Yup, even I, the Doggie Bag Diva, have been guilty of violating this dictum. Your server packaged the remains of your meal, but as your convivial conversation continued through your departure, the container was forgotten. Woe are we! Your careful future meal planning was all for naught! So anytime you are not able to lay waste to your entire serving, request a doggie bag and REMEMBER TO TAKE IT WITH YOU!
There is one additional tip that goes with this directive. Visit the restroom BEFORE you vacate your table. Stopping in the restroom on the way out provides yet another opportunity to forget your culinary treasure.
By now you’re probably wondering how I got into this gig. There is actually a story behind it! I’m blessed to have both of my parents here in the same city with me, albeit in assisted living. Every so often I spring them from the facility and off we go for lunch or dinner out. In case you don’t know, assisted living includes two meals a day, so residents have little need or use for leftovers. But these particular residents are the wise people who raised me, instilling me with the maxim of ‘waste not, want not’, so they generously gift the uneaten portions of their meals to me! At least my mother does. There are no leftovers from my ‘charter member of the Clean Plate Club’ father. I’ve learned to wait until my mother decides what she’ll order before making my own selection. After all, who wants two chicken breasts when you can have a chicken breast and a pork chop? With multiple vegetables?
One day, several months ago, I hit the doggie bag jackpot. Our server brought me a veritable shopping bag full of food! As we rose from the table I proudly held it up to my mother saying “Look at me! I’m the Doggie Bag Diva!” Our gazes locked and we both froze for several seconds. I recovered first. “What a great name for a book!” She countered with “What a great name for a TV show!” Not having a network in my back pocket, I opted for to pursue the book, especially when I realized how much fun it would be to start a blog and gather a multitude of doggie bag stories and recipes. So here I am, and here you are. Shall we share and make the Leftovers World a better place?
