Acknowledgments
I might not have thought to write this book without the instigation of Libby ONeill, my former agent. Her patient encouragement in conceptualizing it, and convincing me that enough people would want to read about not eating out in New York to print a book was truly a gift. And when she left for law school, she couldnt have trusted my project to a more thorough, professional, and food-loving successor than Ethan Bashoff at Inkwell Management, who completed the job seamlessly.
Hats off to my hardworking editor, Jessica Sindler, whose insights were always right on, and everyone at Gotham/Penguin for believing in this book. Im so glad to have worked with the talented illustrator Evah Fan, who put such imagination and whimsy into drawing my likeness, and who was a joy to get to know along the way. And uberthanks to Robert Sietsema, who is just about the coolest guy, ever.
Writing a book solely based on real experiences involves trusting people around you to have an iron tolerance for humility. Which, of course, few people do. So my deepest thanks to Karol, Matt, Jordan, my family, and all the folks who walk through this book, as they did in my life. Thanks, in the first place, for touching my life.
Most of all, I want to thank anyone whos read my blog, attended a food event I hosted, or anyone I cooked beside. Its such an exciting and warm surprise to know that Ive made so many friends through cooking. And knowing how awesome these people (who love food and cooking) are, its been such a blessing. Lets keep cookin, and keepin it real, fun, fresh, and delicious.
About the Author
Cathy Erway writes the tremendously popular blog Not Eating Out in New York (www.noteatingoutinny.com), featuring recipes, ruminations, and rants about all things home cooked. She also writes about food, agriculture, and green living for Saveur and The Huffington Post. Her work has appeared in such publications as Edible Brooklyn, Time Out NY, The L Magazine, and Serious Eats. She lives in Brooklyn.
Epilogue
So, what did I gain from my week of only eating out? Well, to start, Ill compare my spending for the two back-to-back weeks. During normal week, I went grocery shopping twice and spent a total of $19.54. I also bought snacks during the day, usually at work to stave off hunger (or boredom), which Ive already added to that total. Then there were items that I consumed that werent purchased in that week, like eggs, butter, flour, and a package of dried cranberries Id polished off one night in front of the TV With these in mind, I think its a fair if somewhat generous estimate to put my food spending at $25 for that week.
Over the course of opposite week, I saved receipts whenever I could. So with my brunch at Stone Park Cafe, snacks in Flushing, Queens, kimchee noodles and dinner at Char No. 4 the next day, sushi lunch and Caribbean dinner on Tuesday plus an iced coffee along the way, the Pax Wholesome Foods lunch, bagel breakfast, pea soup lunch, a previously unmentioned snack of watermelon cubes from a deli, Doughnut Plant doughnut, Chinese takeout lunch, and slice of pizza, the grand total of my food spending was $116.51. This total does not reflect the Szechuan dinner in Flushing that my parents paid for. It also doesnt account for the expensive dinner at Walter Foods that my date paid for, or the Momofuku Noodle Bar dinner that my date, again, paid for. Finally, opposite week was really only six days instead of seven, since I didnt eat out that whole Saturday of the Chile Pepper Fiesta and Jordans party. So the grand total was one day and three restaurant meals short.
I guess its not so uncommon to get treated for three meals in a week for those who typically go out to eat. This skewed the final tally for my opposite week significantly, though, and I hadnt been expecting it. Im not complaining, however. I imagine that if I had paid for my own meal, I would have spent about $15 for the family meal at the Szechuan restaurant in Flushing. Splitting the check at Walter Foods plus tip would have set me back at least $60, as a lowball estimate. And the food Id split with Michael at Momofuku Noodle Bar plus tip probably would have cost about $30. So, adding these sums to $116.51, a more accurate estimate of what I would have spent if Id paid my own way that week would be $221.51.
Now, in contrast, what if I, instead of my friends or parents, had been the one treating for one or two of these occasions? What if I were a guy who took dates out to dinner maybe three times a week, and wanted to foot the bill each timeyou can imagine how skewed my total would be then!
I got on the scale again at the end of opposite week, too. I wouldnt have been surprised to see a slight gain. My taste buds at least were unaccustomed to encountering so many rich foods in one week, especially that doughnut. I could imagine that they did their damage on the rest of the body. But God bless the mysteries of metabolismwhen I stood on the scale one week of eating out later, not a fraction of a decimal had budged from my beginning weight. The number was the exact same one the dial had read on that street corner in Flushing a week before. Ill keep that number to myself, though. Its a sensitive topic that no woman likes to share, her weight. For me, its a little awkward because I tend to weigh what a healthy middle schooler might, even though I consume many more calories than I deserve for it. It must be in my genes; my mothers weight has remained static and she stays slim regardless of her rapacious appetite, and some of her clothes from when she was my age are much too small for me now.
But these facts aside, during opposite week I was reminded of how much I do appreciate fine dining, and the institution of restaurants as a whole. They are not the enemy (though this revelation might seem painfully obvious to most). As long as you dont fall hideously sick from a tainted oysterlike my friend Matt did recentlytheres little harm in spending a little extra money on a special occasion for a nice meal at a restaurant. But thats the way Id like to keep it: special. Ill treat eating out as an indulgence and a luxury. Doing it every day is just not for menot mentally, physically, or financially. Eating out may be unavoidable for many busy people in this world, but as long as I can still squeeze my favorite hobby into my schedule, Ill be cooking happily ever after.
And what did I learn from my two years of (mostly) home-cooked food? Well, people will say that the world of restaurant food is vast. But the world of cooking and eating in far exceeds it in scope, even in a city as seemingly disinclined toward home cooking as New York. There are foragers in the parks as we speak; anarchist freegans lurking around the trash cans while you sleep; cook-offs being thrown and/or dreamed up by the second; and food bloggers eagerly tapping away at their computers with flour-coated fingers, taking in the rich smells of something wonderful cooking in their kitchens. Its a jungle out there. And unlike restaurants, there is no finite limit to the number of menu items that can be ordered and consumed within the realm of home cookeryso long as a person has a kitchen and the imagination to create something tasty all their own.
Just as there are social traditions, customs, and interactions related to eating out, there are those particular to eating in. These are the things about cooking for two years that have meant the most to me. From making brunch for hungover friends to having Christmas dinner with my family, I hope there is never a shortage of opportunities to cook and eat with people on a regular basis. Getting involved in supper clubs has proven for me a pretty good way to keep this up constantly, though running one yourself can be time-consuming and costly if youre not careful, as I humbly learned.
