Here's a crazy idea -- stay in for dinner

Big cities are known for fine dining. Foodies scamper between trendy bistros, eating pan-seared tripe in a subtle wasabi glaze one night and spit-roasted artichoke tacos with froi gras the next.

Cathy Erway is so over all that. This is one New Yorker on strike against the endless sea of delis, brunches, and restaurants "all competing too hard with one another, that they managed to churn out the exact same things, for the same set price."

She started a blog called Not Eating Out in New York to chronicle her adventures in staying in for meals. This may not seem revolutionary in some parts of the country, but here in Silicon Valley, plenty of us subsist on take-out food while sitting at the computer. So actually cooking a tasty dinner? How novel.

The green side is that by making dinner at home, your meals can get a bit more healthy and definitely more earth-friendly.

You're in control of what goes into the dish, so you can eat low-fat, organic, local, even vegetarian, if that's your goal. You can also help control food waste, since restaurants are notorious for serving huge portions that nobody should finish in one sitting. You're also likely to save some money by eating in (another kind of green that helps).

Erway shares tips and lots of yummy recipes every few days.

For the holidays, she has a tangy, citrusy cranberry orange mince pie. Admitting a color prejudice, she went ahead and made a savory cream of cauliflower soup. And you'll get a heaping serving of Chinese philosophy along with a recipe for creamy sundried tomato rigatoni with peas.

So cancel those restaurant reservations and dust off the dining table. Let's eat at home for a change.