Are you a tipper? A big tipper? A generous tipper? Or are you a very scrutinizing, begrudging tipper? Who even understands tipping etiquette anymore? You know - who to tip? when to tip? how much to tip? Allow me to share some thoughts on this tipping practice....
First and foremost, it is my personal feeling that tipping should be completely optional! I think we have been societally conditioned to tip workers in certain industries because we are expected to. And they have come to rely on - and expect - our tips. Unfortunately, the bosses, the guys upstairs in the big corporate offices, have felt the wages of these certain employees do not need to be a livable wage because of the 'extra' (AKA expected) wage from tips.
Would we feel as obliged to tip a restaurant server if we knew they were being paid a decent wage? Would service improve or suffer if servers didn't feel they were working for the tip? Anyone who's worked in the restaurant industry can probably tell you a few horror stories about the customer who stiffed them, or tipped way over the 'prescribed' amount. They most likely have stories, too, about their base salaries, or more likely, the lack there of, and how the tips are crucial to their survival. I know I've heard a few doozies!
I work in a wine tasting room at a winery. Yes, we do sell wines by the glass and by the bottle and have seating available for our guests. Are we a bar? A restaurant? No, we are, first and foremost, a wine tasting room. The other stuff is part of the perks of visiting us. Do I work in a tippable environment? That's open for debate, probably going back to the theory that tipping is optional. Do I work in the hospitality industry? I'd say yes, without a doubt. Who typically gets tips? The hospitality industry (think about who you tip - servers, bell boys, valet drivers, cab drivers, hairdressers/barbers, bar tenders, etc.). Do I expect tips? Not typically. Do I appreciate tips? You bet I do!
Maybe we've gotten so used to tipping that much of our population doesn't even realize who is getting tipped. Or if the people who deserve the tip are getting it. Think of the behind the scenes people in a restaurant - the food preparers, the dishwasher, the bus boy...without them, the 'back of the house' people, the face of the restaurant, the 'front of the house' people, don't function well. Yet, those are the ones we tip. We can only hope the rest of the crew is getting paid what they ought to be, or that the servers and host/hostesses are sharing the "wealth" at the end of their shifts.
Does the bell boy/girl or parking valet make a livable wage, or are they relying on tips to make ends meet? How do we know? Do we tip them because they managed to park our car without scratching it? Because they loaded our over-packed over-weight bags onto the trolley and brought it to our room? Are we tipping them because they did an exceptional job, or because we are expected to? Aren't they just 'doing their job' and doing it well? OH! So many questions!
Go to www.emilypost.com for the general and quick answers to tipping etiquette, but as you read it, ask yourself two questions: first - what is in the job description and what is above and beyond?, and second - are you doing it because you WANT TO or because you THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO?
Tipping, as I see it, should be because you want to and because you think it is deserved.
Ideally, all employees are paid at least minimum wage (see that word - minimum? - hello?) and what ever they earn in tips is an unexpected, unnecessary, much appreciated bonus. Workers in the tippable industries should all know their jobs duties and do them well, and treat all customers equally well (remember, this is in my perfect work environment!). Would the world be a better place if we could just interact on a level playing field and not have to worry about if we're supposed to shell out an extra buck or five because you treated me better than that table over there?
So much still up for discussion here on the issue of tipping. Surely not our most pressing issue, but maybe worth having a conversation about.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
In praise of leftovers
Admit it - you look forward to Thanksgiving not only for the great meal you'll be sharing with friends and family, but also for the promise of leftover turkey! Turkey sandwiches for lunch and maybe some turkey tetrazzini for dinner. Leftover dressing and/or stuffing for a mid night snack (or dressing waffles! Yeah...it's a thing!). Maybe some leftover mashed potatoes for potato pancakes the next morning. But what about the other 364 days of the year? What about those leftovers?
Leftovers are not always a bad thing. The trick to embracing leftovers is to get creative with them, not just reheating them a few days later. In my travels through life, I've realized that not everyone feels as I do about leftovers. Someone once told me that her husband won't even eat anything that's leftover, except maybe pizza. Really?
I know I am not the only person out there who gets excited about not only the roast chicken we're having for dinner, but the chicken enchiladas we'll be having a couple of nights later, or the chicken salad sandwiches I'll be enjoying for lunch. Or, best of all, the breakfast of chicken and gravy over a waffle with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Oh. Yum.
I've been known, on many occasions, to be half way through dinner, eyeing what's potentially leftover, and declaring how it will be, with a fried egg, perfect for breakfast the next day. I actually tell people, if it can't be served for breakfast the next day, with an egg, it may not be worth keeping. There are exceptions, of course - salad comes to mind. Just save that for lunch or a mid-day snack.
The trick to using leftovers is to create a whole new dish with the leftovers. Many times, the protein and veggies can be combined. It doesn't take a lot of effort either. Some creativity, sure, but it shouldn't be any more complicated than the original meal. Chicken, pork chops, pot roast, rice...most everything can be reimagined into another meal. Want to hear some of my tried and true uses for leftovers?
Chicken. Leftover chicken, besides being used for the aforementioned enchiladas and sandwiches, can be added to rice dishes (Chicken fried rice or Chicken and veg risotto) and pasta dishes (Chicken Alfredo, Chicken and cheese rigatoni, or in a Carbonara) very easily. Make a chicken stir-fry. Chicken tacos! And don't just use the meat - take the seasoned skin off the chicken and fry it up! Hello chicken 'bacon'!
Nearly all those ways to use leftover chicken can be done with leftover pork chops or pork roast. I've never turned leftover pork into a sandwich filling, a la pork salad (chopped with onions, mayo, and relish, for example), but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Beef really depends on how it's ben cooked for me. As long as it's been cooked to a rare or medium rare, it's easy enough to repurpose. If it's ben cooked well-done, I usually just end up using it sliced in sandwiches. If it's rarer, it's fabulous in a stir fry. Cut up the meat into strips, add it to a plastic produce bag (again, reusing what's already I the kitchen) of seasoned flour, give a good toss and fry it in a pan of hot oil for a tasty coating which also help thicken the sauce. Add the other ingredients - onions, broccoli, carrots, whatever you feel like using, and some water or beef broth or red wine or beer and some soy sauce, and serve it over rice or chow mein noodles or eggs noodles. Voila!
I'm full of ideas on how to repurpose your leftovers! Got something you can't figure out how to use? Go 'head! Try me!
Leftovers are not always a bad thing. The trick to embracing leftovers is to get creative with them, not just reheating them a few days later. In my travels through life, I've realized that not everyone feels as I do about leftovers. Someone once told me that her husband won't even eat anything that's leftover, except maybe pizza. Really?
I know I am not the only person out there who gets excited about not only the roast chicken we're having for dinner, but the chicken enchiladas we'll be having a couple of nights later, or the chicken salad sandwiches I'll be enjoying for lunch. Or, best of all, the breakfast of chicken and gravy over a waffle with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Oh. Yum.
I've been known, on many occasions, to be half way through dinner, eyeing what's potentially leftover, and declaring how it will be, with a fried egg, perfect for breakfast the next day. I actually tell people, if it can't be served for breakfast the next day, with an egg, it may not be worth keeping. There are exceptions, of course - salad comes to mind. Just save that for lunch or a mid-day snack.
The trick to using leftovers is to create a whole new dish with the leftovers. Many times, the protein and veggies can be combined. It doesn't take a lot of effort either. Some creativity, sure, but it shouldn't be any more complicated than the original meal. Chicken, pork chops, pot roast, rice...most everything can be reimagined into another meal. Want to hear some of my tried and true uses for leftovers?
Chicken. Leftover chicken, besides being used for the aforementioned enchiladas and sandwiches, can be added to rice dishes (Chicken fried rice or Chicken and veg risotto) and pasta dishes (Chicken Alfredo, Chicken and cheese rigatoni, or in a Carbonara) very easily. Make a chicken stir-fry. Chicken tacos! And don't just use the meat - take the seasoned skin off the chicken and fry it up! Hello chicken 'bacon'!
Nearly all those ways to use leftover chicken can be done with leftover pork chops or pork roast. I've never turned leftover pork into a sandwich filling, a la pork salad (chopped with onions, mayo, and relish, for example), but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Beef really depends on how it's ben cooked for me. As long as it's been cooked to a rare or medium rare, it's easy enough to repurpose. If it's ben cooked well-done, I usually just end up using it sliced in sandwiches. If it's rarer, it's fabulous in a stir fry. Cut up the meat into strips, add it to a plastic produce bag (again, reusing what's already I the kitchen) of seasoned flour, give a good toss and fry it in a pan of hot oil for a tasty coating which also help thicken the sauce. Add the other ingredients - onions, broccoli, carrots, whatever you feel like using, and some water or beef broth or red wine or beer and some soy sauce, and serve it over rice or chow mein noodles or eggs noodles. Voila!
I'm full of ideas on how to repurpose your leftovers! Got something you can't figure out how to use? Go 'head! Try me!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
On birthdays and un-birthdays
Perhaps the Mad hatter said it best in "Alice In Wonderland," when he explained to Alice the reason for celebrating one's 'un-birthday.' I believe it goes something like this:
"There are 364 days of the year that aren't your birthday. Those are un-birthdays."
The way I see it, MY birthday is the day to celebrate MY arrival into this mad, mad world. MY un-birthday is an open invitation to everyone to celebrate getting through another day in this mad, mad world. So....what's the difference between the two?
BIRTHDAYs require presents. Don't be that person who insists on 'no gifts, please.' It's your birthday, that one special day to honor YOU, and that day should be acknowledged! Acknowledged with birthday greetings and celebratory hugs and presents! The presents don't have to be expensive or spectacular (admit it, though, they'd still be acceptable if they were expensive and spectacular!). They should be thoughtful.
BIRTHDAY parties are nice, though not required. A party could be an impromptu gathering of a few friends, or a huge blow-out celebration. Sometimes the party style is dictated by the age one is celebrating - a 21st birthday calls for a certain type of soiree, while a 37th birthday calls to mind nothing as specific. Any birthday ending in five or zero (and that all-important 21st birthday) feel more significant to me.
BIRTHDAYs are a signal of a new beginning, much like your own personal New Years Day. It's your day to reflect on the year that just passed, and a time to plan for the new year ahead. No matter what age you are about to celebrate, every birthday matters.
UN-birthdays are all those days in between birthdays that need a little recognition. UN-birthdays are your reason to celebrate the joy of NOW! UN-birthdays don't require gifts, but the occasional unexpected gift is always nice to receive! UN-birthdays don't require a party, but lunch with a few friends can turn ito a party, so don't overthink it!
UN-birthdays only require you to celebrate something! Even if it's just paying homage to making it through another day without anything bad happening! Celebrate Tuesday! Celebrate the rain! Celebrate friends!
Here's to birthdays! And here's to un-birthdays! Eat! Drink! And find some reason to celebrate today!
"There are 364 days of the year that aren't your birthday. Those are un-birthdays."
The way I see it, MY birthday is the day to celebrate MY arrival into this mad, mad world. MY un-birthday is an open invitation to everyone to celebrate getting through another day in this mad, mad world. So....what's the difference between the two?
BIRTHDAYs require presents. Don't be that person who insists on 'no gifts, please.' It's your birthday, that one special day to honor YOU, and that day should be acknowledged! Acknowledged with birthday greetings and celebratory hugs and presents! The presents don't have to be expensive or spectacular (admit it, though, they'd still be acceptable if they were expensive and spectacular!). They should be thoughtful.
BIRTHDAY parties are nice, though not required. A party could be an impromptu gathering of a few friends, or a huge blow-out celebration. Sometimes the party style is dictated by the age one is celebrating - a 21st birthday calls for a certain type of soiree, while a 37th birthday calls to mind nothing as specific. Any birthday ending in five or zero (and that all-important 21st birthday) feel more significant to me.
BIRTHDAYs are a signal of a new beginning, much like your own personal New Years Day. It's your day to reflect on the year that just passed, and a time to plan for the new year ahead. No matter what age you are about to celebrate, every birthday matters.
UN-birthdays are all those days in between birthdays that need a little recognition. UN-birthdays are your reason to celebrate the joy of NOW! UN-birthdays don't require gifts, but the occasional unexpected gift is always nice to receive! UN-birthdays don't require a party, but lunch with a few friends can turn ito a party, so don't overthink it!
UN-birthdays only require you to celebrate something! Even if it's just paying homage to making it through another day without anything bad happening! Celebrate Tuesday! Celebrate the rain! Celebrate friends!
Here's to birthdays! And here's to un-birthdays! Eat! Drink! And find some reason to celebrate today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)