Kitchen as obesity fighting tool?
There is an interesting discussion going on right now about homecooking as best tool for fighting obesity. (See http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/?8qa ) There are some comments that says "yes, of course! The homecook would use better ingredients and the food wouldn't be full of the evil trifecta of processed food, sugar and salt." Then, there are the comments that sound resentful or full of resignation about the reality of making it home in time and having enough energy to make a meal for the family. There is even a backlash against the proponents of home cooking, saying it is sexist since it is mainly women who are expected to deliver on the meals.
What do I think? I sympathize with both sides. I do think that it is healthier to eat at home. (It is not necessarily cheaper if you shop "organic" and "free range.") As much as we enjoy cooking, some days the idea of cooking and cleaning is just too much for us. And I don't even have a full time paying job! I'm a stay-at-home mom with a husband who participates fully in the maintenance of the house! What do we do on those days? We choose establishments that provide relatively healthy food. Other days, Dennis or I cook. We rely on our comfort meals a lot - meals that are relatively easy to put together and easy to clean up after. Other times, to liven things up a bit and for our entertainment and edification, we try out new recipes. In short, perhaps the way to get more people embrace cooking is not to guilt them into it (all you'll get is backlash) but to make available to more recipes that are simple and tasty. Also, really, perhaps too many people have too high standards for a home cooked meal. So often, our lunch consist of nothing more than pasta with broccoli (broccoli thrown into pot the last three minutes of the cooking time for the pasta and seasoned with nothing more than salt and olive oil).
Anyhow, I've decided to do a better job of recording the new recipes we try here (I haven't been very good, mainly because I use this blog as a way to not forget the recipes I made up). Also, I shall write down the recipe of some of our staples - Hainan Chicken Rice, for example. The stuff I grew up with that are relatively fast and east to throw together. Perhaps someone would wander into this site and find the recipes useful.
What do I think? I sympathize with both sides. I do think that it is healthier to eat at home. (It is not necessarily cheaper if you shop "organic" and "free range.") As much as we enjoy cooking, some days the idea of cooking and cleaning is just too much for us. And I don't even have a full time paying job! I'm a stay-at-home mom with a husband who participates fully in the maintenance of the house! What do we do on those days? We choose establishments that provide relatively healthy food. Other days, Dennis or I cook. We rely on our comfort meals a lot - meals that are relatively easy to put together and easy to clean up after. Other times, to liven things up a bit and for our entertainment and edification, we try out new recipes. In short, perhaps the way to get more people embrace cooking is not to guilt them into it (all you'll get is backlash) but to make available to more recipes that are simple and tasty. Also, really, perhaps too many people have too high standards for a home cooked meal. So often, our lunch consist of nothing more than pasta with broccoli (broccoli thrown into pot the last three minutes of the cooking time for the pasta and seasoned with nothing more than salt and olive oil).
Anyhow, I've decided to do a better job of recording the new recipes we try here (I haven't been very good, mainly because I use this blog as a way to not forget the recipes I made up). Also, I shall write down the recipe of some of our staples - Hainan Chicken Rice, for example. The stuff I grew up with that are relatively fast and east to throw together. Perhaps someone would wander into this site and find the recipes useful.
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