Tipping with Take Out?

We don't eat out often but there are a few restaurants in town we like to patronise. It would be impossible to mention eating out in Nanaimo without mentioning the fabulous Thirsty Camel downtown. The Thirsty Camel however is not to subject of today's posting. I wanted to write about Amrikko's Indian Grill located in Departure Bay.

Buying a meal from Amrikko's always leaves me uneasy and yet I love Indian cuisine and there is little other choice in town. It may not be as amazing as Indian meals you can get in bigger cities but it's the best we have here in Nanaimo. 

You may ask yourself how I could ever eat at Amrikko's after what I have to say next but the only way I can explain is to reiterate that I love Indian food. On more than one occasion I've driven to Amrikko's on my way home from somewhere and ordered take out. While waiting for my food I have seen truly appalling food safety practices by at least one employee working at the front counter. Not washing hands between dealing with money and... anything else including a snotty nose, picking up with bare hands dropped ice cream meant for a customer and continuing to serve it, various other drops of things to the floor and also served to customers, touching of straw ends and glass rims, ice scooped out of bin with hands or the glass itself.... there is too much to mention from what I've seen in brief moments waiting for my food to be prepared. I don't know, maybe there's a certain expectation on my part that ethnic restaurants are supposed to have some level of unhygienic practices. Maybe not very PC but truthful at least. I'm laughing here because there really is no excuse to keep eating at a place that proves itself to not meet basic health and safety standards in at least the front of the restaurant.

Oddly enough the above is not what sparked this posting. I've actually thought of writing this exact post after each time I've had take out from Amrikko's. There seems to be an expectation from staff when paying that a tip be included when all I'm doing is picking up food. No service as been offered and from what I've now seen they'd have to pay me a tip to eat in the restaurant. I'd always be wondering if I was going to slurp up my straw a shard of glass from my drinking water or walk away with the cold the young woman at the front counter had and was spreading on everything she touched. 

There is always a feeling I get when they look at the approved bill rolling out of the interact machine that they're annoyed and disappointed that I haven't included a tip. I didn't always have this feeling. It started after a time I went and the young woman at the counter took it upon herself to fill out the beginning of my transaction on the handheld machine for me. She asked me what I wanted to leave for a tip. At this point I hadn't realised what she was doing and I confusingly said "uh, none?". She certainly wasn't happy about that. I took the handheld machine to okay the amount and punch in my pin etc only to find that she had done most of the punching in. I continued and just hoped she was charging the right price. Ever after it seems the "cheap no tipper" became my stigma much to my amusement. 

I have actually tipped for take out food in the past but after some conversation about it with friends realised how silly it is to tip like I would if I was eating in but without getting any of the service you tip for. Amrikko's is the only restaurant in Nanaimo I've been to that seems to expect a tip with take out. Perhaps they don't pay their employees enough that they must rely heavily on this extra gratuity.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone eligible to vote will get out there tomorrow and cast your ballots in the Federal election!

I'm making turkey supper tonight. I'm making entirely too much and am considering seeing if anyone doesn't have plans tonight to come over and help us eat this feast! Who doesn't have plans though?

I'm making my turkey Elton Brown style starting first with brining it overnight. For the brine I brought to a boil 1 cup cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 16 cups vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1/2 tablespoon allspice berry (I omitted because didn't have on hand), 1/2 tablespoon candied ginger. Simmer and stir occasionally. When all dissolved (the ginger doesn't totally) remove from heat and cool. Add 16 cups of cold water and the turkey. Brine overnight or the morning of cooking. Turning halfway if it's not fully submerged. 

To make cranberry sauce bring to a boil 1 cup orange juice (or water) with 1 cup sugar. When it's simmered for about 5 minutes add a package of cranberries and simmer another 5 minutes. Let cool and put in the fridge until supper time.

I start the giblet gravy in the mid morning by adding the neck and giblets to a pot of water, bringing to a boil and simmer most of the day or until much of the water has evaporated. Later when the turkey is cooked I'll add this liquid to a roux (a couple tbsp of butter melted and mixed in a couple tbsp of flour stirred on stove until slightly browned) and turkey drippings. From there I'll season it with pepper, garlic powder and other seasonings adding more stock if needed.

To prepare for the turkey I simmer in a small pot 1 chopped red apple, 1/2 small onion, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cup water. Assuming we eat at 6pm and baking the stuffing after the turkey (6.5 kilos) I'll be putting the turkey in the oven at 3pm. Before this time I preheat my oven to 500' and take the turkey out of the brine (throwing that away) and give the bird a good rinse before putting it on a carrot and celery rack on my roaster. Then I pour the apple/onion aromatic mixture with 6 sage leaves, a few sprigs rosemary into the turkey before popping it in the oven to cook for 30 min at 500'. After the 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and cover double thick with tin foil and turn the oven down to 350' for another 1.5- 2 hours or until it reaches 161 degrees.

After the turkey is in the oven I make the stuffing (this can also be premade ready to be cooked). Butter a 15 x 10 baking dish. Melt 3/4 cup of butter in a deep skillet and add 2 chopped med onions and 3 chopped celery stalks sautéing for 3-5 minutes. Add 4-6 cloves of garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cracked pepper, 1 tsp of each thyme, rosemary and sage, 1/2 tsp savory and 1 tbsp poultry seasoning. Mix well. Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans). In large bowl add about 9 cups bread crumbs, mixture from skillet, 2 beaten eggs and 1 cup warm broth. Continue to mix and adding broth (at least 4 more cups) until mixture is moist. It shouldn't be too dry because it still needs to bake. Transfer to baking dish and cover with buttered foil for 45 min when turkey comes out on 350'. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

I'm also making mashed potatoes, peas and possibly maple glazed carrots. Mmmmm.... so good!

African Bean Soup

This is one of my favourite hearty soups to make. I've tweaked the recipe my dad shared with me years ago. I've never been that good at following recipes anyway. I had this for supper tonight!

It might seem strange to cook these vegetables with peanut butter and curry but I assure you it's a wonderful blend.

In a large pot pour a large splash of tamari and some water (maybe a few tbsp each). Add 1 chopped onion and 2-3 peeled and chopped yams.


Cook over high heat for about five minutes and then add 2-3 chopped carrots, 2-3 chopped celery sticks, 1 chopped red pepper.


Cover and cook another few minutes. Add a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, 1.5 cups (dried but cooked previous to making the soup) chickpeas, 1 bunch chopped cilantro and at least 4 cups of water or stock. Sometimes I add more water/stock to make the soup go further.

[I'll soak my chickpeas for 3-4 hours and cook in my pressure cooker for 13 min or I cook from dry in my pressure cooker for 40 min. For soaked I add 3 cups of water per 1 cup dried beans and for unsoaked I add 4 cups of water per 1 cup of dried beans to the pressure cooker.]





Add a couple tsp of curry powder and a couple big spoonfuls of peanut butter (maybe 1/3-1/2 cup) and stir in.


Let it simmer until finished. I like to serve with homemade naan bread which I'll take pictures and share soon.

Lovely Evening Last Night

This was supper last night. Corn on the cob with marinated and barbecued veggie kabobs. 

It certainly was lovely last night and today looks like it will be as well. Hope everyone enjoys the day!

Trout Slapped and Falafel Heaven

Further to this posting...

Why put needed sidewalks on busy roads where they don't exist when you can just redo perfectly satisfactory sidewalks you already have? This is the corner of Albert and Kennedy downtown Nanaimo and not the only sidewalk getting a facelift. 

I don't even know what more there is to say about this.  

On a more positive note, while walking downtown to get some groceries from Thriftys last night we stopped and had supper at the Thirsty Camel. It was as fantastic as ever. I see that the Thirsty Camel is now making speciality coffees and more quick breakfast type items. The muffins sound amazing! 

Here's a shot of our supper- a Falafel Patter and a Chicken Platter. Best falafel I've had (and I've long made a great falafel!). The chicken is always so fresh and delicious. It probably has to do with the fact that it's locally grown and non medicated chicken from Piper's Meats. The tahini, the hummus, the olive oil... it's all so good! My stomach is starting to growl for more!

Perfect Night For Sushi!

What a perfect beautiful night for sushi! 

I'm not sure if what I make would be considered 'real' sushi since I don't use seaweed to roll with and I don't always use fish but it's damn tasty. I actually don't care for the taste of seaweed much so use rice paper instead. 

For those interested in making sushi and haven't given it a go yet I'll add my basic recipe!

Sushi rice is best to make earlier in the day so it has time to cool all the way through. I usually make one and a half times this recipe so we have enough for lunch the next day as well.

Put 2 cups of sushi rice in a pot with 2 cups of water. Cover and cook on low for 15 min. Remove from heat and let stand 10 min. In small bowl stir together 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Transfer rice to large (non metallic best) bowl and pour vinegar mixture on top and toss to cover rice. Set aside to cool.

I warm some water in a frying pan on the stove on low. I put a rice paper in the water until softened (not too soft) and then place it on my cutting board. I spread some rice (not too much) on most of the rice wrap leaving the top bare so when I roll it up it's not too thick and will all stick together well. I then lay across the bottom of the rice wrap matchsticked cucumber, carrot, green onion, avocado, red pepper and some toasted sesame seeds. You can put whatever you like in it! Fish, smoked salmon, mango... I even have a friend who's tried apple. Then I carefully roll up. When I'm finished rolling all the sushi up I cut in inch wide pieces. 

I'd love to hear if you try this and like it or please share your own sushi recipe with me! I'm usually willing to try something new!