Boy, do I have some Tales to Tell...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
 
When it comes to food, I wonder why a lot of people just have no clue about how to prepare a meal. I don't really expect most people to cook an elaborate meal. But I do think that you should have an inkling of how to open a can of tuna and a can of white beans, how to chop some herbs, and how to mix that all together, season with salt & pepper, add some lime juice and olive oil to taste, and serve on a green salad or with a crusty loaf of bread.

While sampling some tuna and white bean salad today, a few people asked me where I sold the salad. I had stacked cans of the tuna we used and cans of the the white beans we used next to a bottle of the olive oil we used. I told them that they could make it themselves using the ingredients in front of them. Most of them declined to make the salad because they did not know how to cook.

HOW TO COOK?!?!?!?!? There is no cooking involved. There's some can opening. Some mixing. There's also some tasting and seasoning. But true cooking? Not so much. How can anyone not know how to throw a bunch of things together to make a meal? You claim that you love food but you have no fucking idea as to how to put food together? How do you fucking survive since you can't think enough to add?

My friend Samara said that most people have no idea when it comes to food. I told her that it irks me that people say they love to eat. No you don't. Eating involves having some interest in the food you put in your system. You don't even know where half that stuff comes from or how it is produced. You love to consume. But you don't love to eat.

Since I do teach some cooking classes, I often wonder what people expect by coming to these classes. There is a very large percentage of attendees that have little to no experience in a kitchen. And by that I mean, their home kitchens. I sometimes look at the recipes we are going to prepare and second-guess myself because of their simplicity. Then, I remember that some of these people can barely open a can. I wonder if they will go home and even try to prepare the recipes they received. Or if they just came for what is being termed "edutainment".

How can anyone get by in life without ever having to cook a meal. Warming up prepared foods does not count. I mean cook a meal from "raw" ingredients. I stare at these people who openly say that to me sometimes and wonder how exactly they plan on living the rest of their lives. Are you going to constantly order in? Are you hoping that you meet a partner who knows how to cook? How does it work? I wonder.

I think cooking is so simple and visceral. You have to eat to survive. In order to eat, you have to prepare food. How can you not know anything about food preparation? And claim that you love food? You don't. You love consuming. You have no idea about food. As a matter of fact, you are kind of a food idiot. Maybe not. Maybe just an idiot. Later.
 
Comments:
Tim,
It looks like a few things have been going on with you lately what with the new job. I so hope it goes well for you.

I know what you mean about people who can't (or won't) cook. I think it's more about laziness than not knowing how to cook. People will say no time to cook because i have a busy work schedule or i've got to look after the kids or do the shopping etc....rubbish. Our lives are far less busier than they were 50 years ago (ie longer working weeks and they had fewer cars to zip from A to B) and yet more people prepared their own food then. Food isnt a thing that inspires me as such but even i like to rub a few herbs together with some olive oil and try the taste that suits me....AND no mass produced stuff ever tastes better than when you produce it yourself dont you agree?

Tim, all is good with me here in NZ. The winter months are with us now so it's cooling down but all is fine. I hope you are well and we both often talk about you and wonder how you are. You definitely symbolise New York for both of us and in a good way. I hope you are having a good memorial day.

Did you know Tcho (a fellow NY blogger) is coming to NZ in 2008? Apparently United Airlines are having specials on. I often wonder how New Yorkers will find the much quieter New Zealand.

Oh, and if you have got any good New York recipes that are simple and easy to do, do drop me a line with them and i'll give them a go.

Hugs,
Kev in NZ
 
omg, i completely know what you mean. I met a guy once for a date, and he told me he abhored cooking. He was very vehement about it. And i was like, "dude, chill. We're at a restaurant, aren't we. You don't have to cook our dinner."

On a related note, I get really impatient with picky eaters too.
 
Hey Kevin and Terrence, I want to come to NZ. Definitely a goal in the next three years.

Yes, I do start my new job on Monday. Same company. Different position. Slight promotion. More money. It's all good. Plus my current position leaves something to be desired. I'll leave it at that.
 
oh congrats on the new job!

yes, we should definitely meet! i have to visit the new Whole Foods anyway. :-) i'm getting tired of columbus circle. Lol.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home
I'm just writing down some of the things that run through my head.

My Photo
Name:
Location: New York, New York, United States

Eating up the City before it eats me up. I'm a freelance cook who spends his free time working out, cooking for "my man", and wondering why the Right is so concerned about my bedroom.

ARCHIVES
September 2002 / October 2002 / November 2002 / December 2002 / January 2003 / February 2003 / March 2003 / April 2003 / May 2003 / June 2003 / July 2003 / August 2003 / September 2003 / October 2003 / November 2003 / December 2003 / January 2004 / February 2004 / March 2004 / April 2004 / May 2004 / June 2004 / July 2004 / August 2004 / September 2004 / October 2004 / November 2004 / December 2004 / January 2005 / February 2005 / March 2005 / April 2005 / May 2005 / June 2005 / July 2005 / August 2005 / September 2005 / October 2005 / November 2005 / December 2005 / January 2006 / February 2006 / March 2006 / April 2006 / May 2006 / June 2006 / July 2006 / August 2006 / September 2006 / October 2006 / November 2006 / December 2006 / January 2007 / February 2007 / March 2007 / April 2007 / May 2007 / June 2007 / July 2007 / August 2007 / September 2007 / October 2007 / November 2007 / December 2007 / January 2008 / February 2008 / March 2008 / April 2008 / May 2008 / June 2008 / July 2008 / August 2008 / September 2008 / October 2008 / November 2008 / December 2008 / January 2009 / February 2009 / March 2009 / April 2009 / May 2009 / June 2009 / July 2009 / August 2009 / September 2009 / October 2009 / November 2009 / December 2009 / January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / June 2010 / July 2010 / August 2010 / September 2010 / October 2010 / November 2010 / December 2010 / January 2011 / March 2011 / April 2011 / May 2011 / June 2011 / July 2011 / February 2012 / March 2012 / April 2012 / May 2012 / June 2012 / July 2012 / August 2012 / January 2013 / February 2013 / March 2013 / April 2013 / August 2013 /


READ THEM


Powered by Blogger