Even as someone who writes about restaurants all day, trying to figure out what’s for dinner can be overwhelming. And as food costs continue to rise, both at restaurants and grocery stores, striking a balance between cooking at home and eating out feels harder than ever. But recently, instead of vowing to forgo my takeout habits altogether, I’ve found myself somewhere in the middle, with a table split between takeout and home cooking.
The first time this “halfsies” dinner snapped into focus was last Lunar New Year. The day slipped away from me, and while I had dumplings on my mind, I didn’t put their preparation into my calendar early enough. Suddenly, it was late afternoon and they were still nothing but a craving. After a quick trip to the store, and scrounging up the last of the wrappers and bok choy, I returned to my dining room assembly station, so focused on the folding that I hadn’t given any thought to picking a main. There was no way a return trip to the store was in the cards and neither I nor the contents of my fridge were in a state to offer anything else, so I turned to an old standby: Northern Cafe. With an order of orange chicken and Lao Gan Ma noodles in, the weight of dinner seemed to lighten, and completely disappeared as soon as the table was covered with steamed and fried dumplings sitting alongside takeout containers. Not cooking the whole meal didn’t take away from the experience; instead, it gave me back more time to enjoy the holiday (and a fridge full of leftovers the next day).
Since the Lunar New Year affair, I’ve been thinking about other ways to integrate this new practice into my life. Sometimes it’s an uphill battle to let go of the feeling that not preparing an entire meal is a copout, but that lessens with each successful dinner. Recently, I plated take-out tangsuyuk (sweet and sour crispy pork) and jjajangmyeon from Paik’s Noodle with homemade bok choy, and chile oil noodles with Perilla’s banchan. I’m dreaming up dinners of seollongtang with homemade kimchi pancakes and plates of pasta with a salad freshly tossed with balsamic and oil. Roasted sweet potatoes with a pat of butter could make a perfect pairing with a restaurant burger whose fries just aren’t quite there, while homemade eggs might complement takeout waffles on days when homemade batter isn’t in the cards. And while delivery pizza still is better than what my own oven can produce most of the time, a homemade dish of roasted vegetables or a Caprese is an easy way to make slices feel a bit more special.
It’s not just a casual lunch at home where this works. Next time I host people and am feeling overwhelmed with cooking a full spread, I’ll likely try something in the middle by ordering a few dishes in and concentrating my efforts on a new recipe I’ve been meaning to try, or an old favorite that takes a good amount of time like braised short ribs. And while I can still serve homemade food to guests, I can also support local restaurants that need it right now. I’m already envisioning a take-out tray of Chuy’s crispy tacos, surrounded by shallow bowls of blistered peppers from my cast iron, and a baking sheet of brownies. Cooking may be a way to show care for others, but sometimes takeout is a way to show care for yourself. And this way, maybe you can have a balance of both.
