In an earlier post, I made a throwaway comment about not using cake mix because not only is a cake not that hard to make from scratch, but because if you make it yourself, you know exactly what went into it. This brings me to some related things that have been on my mind for a while.
I recently watched and discussed with some friends the documentary Food Inc. It is available on Netflix streaming, DVD, etc. and if you have 90 minutes, I recommend watching it. In fact, make time to watch it. It is quite eye-opening, and while no one source has all of the answers, it should serve to start or continue a dialog about food sources in our society and the real costs of common foods in terms of individual health, environmental health, economics, politics/lobbying/corruption, and even something as straightforward as good taste.
One particular part of the film that sticks out in my mind is the interview with the family in the supermarket where the mother states that it is difficult for her to choose to buy broccoli at $0.99 per pound when a cheeseburger costs the same. According to the film—and I suppose not surprisingly—income is a leading indicator of a person’s weight and overall health; some simply cannot afford to eat healthy food, so they don’t.
Which leads to this TED talk from Jamie Oliver. Of note here is the kids that cannot even identify vegetables (even common things: tomatoes, beets) that not long ago were staples and still should be. This is basically because no one is cooking anymore.
Which leads to Michael Ruhlman’s post asking whether Americans have become too stupid to cook. An excerpt:
Heating is not cooking. Heating heats. Cooking transforms.
This is a good post, and I’ll add: stop buying kitchen gadgets! Invest in a decent knife, learn how to use it, and that will get you most of the way. For the record, I was of this opinion even before checking out these videos from Anthony Bourdain and others (via Travel Channel via Lifehacker). You should check them out too.
For my part, I love to cook and I care about what I eat and what I serve to others. I’m busy, so I eat out a lot, so perhaps I’m a bit hypocritical, but I’m really trying to cook at home more and to eat less garbage when I don’t. I’m becoming more careful about what I buy and where it comes from. And frankly, I’m far more concerned with quality than price. I suppose I’m voting at the checkout when I slide my card, and I’m willing to pay more to get less filler and more food.
I encourage you to check out the links and to judge for yourself and to have the conversations. Learn about food. Demand and cook and eat good food.
(And it doesn’t have to be a political thing. It can just be fun and satisfying and better-tasting.)
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