The Last Supper

 

No, not the Da Vinci painting LOL

I live to eat, and I love to eat, so I always wonder, if I could choose my last supper, what would it be? Something simple, something comforting, or something decadent and luxious?

I think I want to really enjoy something I will never be able to eat again (duh!).

I've always said, I want a meal at Shanghai Terrace at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. I love their food and drinks, so if it's something I can choose, I choose them.

Thoughts About Death

Lately I've been thinking a lot more about death. We all die in the end. 

As I get older, I think about my parents passing. My mom died in her middle age. I've live past the age when she passed. My dad, who was a lot older, and would be considered elderly, passed four years later.

As we get older, we hear about people we've grown up with, known, or worked with who have passed, and that makes me sad, because the one thing that's sure in life is that it will eventually end. 

How would like I like to die? 

My mom died of cancer. She was in severe pain for quite a while but was diagnosed only 5 weeks (so we have no idea how long she had had the cancer, and she had a history of tumors, both benign and malignant) before cancer killed her. My dad and I were home. She had been in the hospital. They said to go home and they would call if anything changed. That was the last I saw her alive.

My dad died of a heart attack. He had just come back from an overseas trip, which he kept raving about. And then he dropped dead, I'd say happy. Yeah, it sounds weird. He had had a weak heart, so I guess it was a matter of when, so I'm glad he was able to go on his trip. I have relatives who were angry with me for letting him go on the trip. It was his choice, he had a great time, and he died having enjoyed himself. I have no regrets.

How about me? I don't have the health issues they had. For that I am grateful. But I also have a hard time imagining myself going on for another 30-40 years. That just sounds dreadful.

I have no immediate family, just cousins, some I'm close(r) to, and some I don't care about. That's my choice. But, then, will anyone miss me when I'm gone? I have friends, but I don't see them very often. I don't really keep in touch with people. I'm really bad that way. I can go on for weeks without talking to anyone. That doesn't bother me.

So, anyway, I wish we could choose our method of death, preferably quick and painless. When it's time to check out, I want it to be my choice. It's not that easy! But, if you do get news of my passing, not from something I could not prevent, rejoice that I chose how I wanted to exit this life.

Some thoughts about restaurants giving away unsold food

I’m ambivalent. I agree food waste is a huge problem, and restaurants should do better. Of course, this particularly affects restaurants that usually have food on hand throughout the day, like baked goods that need to be made ahead of time, or fast food restaurants where they usually make more than enough. Obviously, they cannot give away half-eaten food or leftover food from a buffet. If they run out of food before the end of the day, customers would not be happy.

It’s really not a financial issue, as it will be a writeoff anyway, whether they throw it out or give it away. So, what to do with unsold food at the end of the day? Throw it out? Give it away?

The arguments against giving away unsold food at the end of the day include logistics, extra packaging needed, and possible liability if someone gets sick from eating food that has not been kept at a safe temperature.

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects restaurants and grocery stories from liability for unsold food donated to nonprofits to feed people. The nonprofits then assume liability once they receive the donation. 

But what about unsold food given directly to individuals? If an employee, at the end of the day, packs up unsold food and hands it out to individuals, not to a nonprofit, who’s liable if someone gets sick, since that would not be covered by the Act? You need just one lawyer filing a lawsuit to make restaurants think again. 

And how do you prevent employees from making more than necessary so they can say there’s too much unsold food, so they can take the food home?

Too Good to Go lets people buy at a major discount at the end of the day unsold food the restaurants would otherwise throw out, but the argument is about giving away free unsold food to people who are homeless, for example, not about trying to make some money from getting rid of the extra food. Would they be willing to just simply give it away before they close for the day with the explicit understanding that they cannot be held liable if someone gets sick or that it must not be for the employees’ own consumption?

And that goes back to the other two issues: logistics and packing up the food. In addition to serving dine-in/delivery/takeout customers, staff will also need to pack up the unsold food. And when can they start giving it away? Before the restaurant closes while there are still diners, or after it closes and hand the food out afterwards? Assign staff to take the food to a public park, for example? What if a restaurant worker is injured while delivering/dropping off the food to an offsite location?

Just thinking out loud. I think a lot of people walk in and don’t expect restaurants to run out of food, but maybe restaurants should either think about not making too much in advance or having a policy of giving away unsold food.