Let's take a look at the three most common excuses people use to not cook for themselves shall we?
- IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME
- IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY
- IT'S TOO HARD
IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY
I admit, there is some truth to this. It does take a little money to get started cooking. You will need some equipment that is specific to your kitchen, and while there is a way of doing it quite cheaply, I don't recommend it. The end result of using the cheapest gear that can be found in a mega-mart households section will be burnt food, hurt hands, and a pure unadulterated hatred for one's cooking space. So yeah, spending up is a good idea.
But it doesn't have to be ridiculously expensive either. You shouldn't have to be on a first name basis with the people at Williams Sonoma or anything. Take a moment and think about the people working at your favorite local restaurant. Now, unless you're regularly eating at Le Bernadin or Alinea, chances are good that restaurant isn't using top quality stuff either. Most restaurateurs simply can't afford spending $100+ on a single pan, and most hired cooks can't afford to outfit themselves with those sparkly big name knives and digital thermometers either. They make do with decent equipment that's within a functional budget. And you can do the same.
As for ingredients, well they can also be pricey. Artisan breads, specialty cheeses, and things like fois gras can break a budget in a single meal. Even the fluffy big toothed celebrities on Food Network, despite their claims of keeping things inexpensive, throw a few high cost items into the mix. It's almost like the powers that be are trying to force you to spend a lot just to eat right.
Well, I find that mentality completely unnecessary. My budget doesn't permit me the luxury of eating Filet Mingon every night either. In fact, if I'm eating Filet Mingon once a month, then it's been a pretty prosperous month. But I still manage to eat very well with the same inexpensive ingredients that you have access to. The idea here isn't to make food that looks as shiny and glorious as Emiril's the idea is just to make something.
IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME
Yeah, I get it, you have a job. And you've probably got a spouse/roommate/significant other, and chances are good they've got a job too. This means that you come home after a long day, most likely after a long fight with traffic, feeling completely exhausted. And this doesn't even factor in kids. So, you might feel it's safe to say that you don't have the time to prepare a home-cooked meal.
Well then, let me ask you this: What do you do with the free time you do have?
If you've answered, "watch TV," then guess what? You have time to cook for yourself. Seriously, in the era of Tivo, there's nothing out there that you just can't watch a little later. And even if you don't have Tivo, most kitchens are conveniently built living room-adjacent, so it's not like you can't just sneak a peek from time to time. There are few dishes out there that involve your constant presence in the kitchen. So, it comes down to this, is American Idol really so important, that you'd stuff preservative rich quick foods in your gut just so you won't miss a second? If you answered yes to that question, I fear there may be little hope for you.
I think a lot of the problem is that going into the kitchen for a lot of people sort of feels like punishment. The cook has to go into this hot messy dungeon to slave away making food, while everyone else gets to have fun with their time. And I can see how this would be very discouraging. But I'm not an advocate of this lifestyle, I figure if I'm going to go into the kitchen to make a meal, then I want everyone to come with me.
The kitchen is the ultimate communal center. It's where people do away with formalities, stop being so darned polite, and just talk to each other. The kitchen has this unmistakable power to make something feel casual and fun. Perhaps it's the warm casual atmosphere of the kitchen, perhaps it's the comfort of being fed that the kitchen brings, and perhaps it's the fact that we all subconsciously know that no matter how clean the rest of our house is, blood and fat are mutilated often in this part of the home. Whatever the case may be, people like hanging out in the kitchen. I know that during the holidays, my family all hang out in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and laughing about nothing. I'm going to guess your family does things the same way.
So, the idea isn't to isolate yourselves alone in the kitchen while a hungry mob entertain themselves and wait for you to finish. The idea is to bring the mob with you. Bring your spouse/roommate/significant other with you. Assign them tasks to do for the meal, have them dry dishes while you wash them. Basically, cut your workload in half. And while they're there, it'd e a fine time to talk about your day, maybe trade a joke or two. If you've got kids, have them help you with the cooking. Not only will you be involved in their lives, they'll actually learn something in the process.
Either way, the goal is to make the time you spend in the kitchen fun.
IT'S TOO HARD
Nobody's asking you to whip up Michelin-grade food people. We needn't employ time intensive, gourmet-class techniques every time we set foot in our kitchens. There are tons of dishes out there that are no strain, easy to assemble, and also happen to taste really good. As I said before, the idea here isn't to whip up stuff that you'd expect to see in some high class restaurant (although you're more than welcome to if you're willing,) it's just to do some cooking. And of course, to make that cooking taste real good. None of these things are hard people.
Still not convinced? Do you still blankly stare at the local mega mart meat section and find yourselves in a panic because they don't know what all these different cuts of meat are?
Well, that's what this blog is here. Stay tuned.
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