Convenience Foods

[pacanis]

I hesitate to jump into the fray here but here's an observation on my part.

The new poster came here looking for help making roux, and got some sound advice. I'm sure he/she has run for the hills by now. The last two pages have turned into a cat fight.

Holy SPAMoli!
I'd have to agree.
Didn't someone mention not too long ago about ten posts off topic was too much and would be split?
I was wondering how much could be said about a roux when this post was started a while ago.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

You are so right, this has gone way off topic and as such I have split it off.

 

[vitauta]

i find myself agreeing with some parts of what everyone has had to say in this thread. well, almost anyway. for me personally, that is something that just doesn't occur very often. i welcome and appreciate this sort of straightforward exchange of ideas, and would like nothing better than to see more of it.
this debate developed into something with some real meat to it, even if, or maybe because of, the fact that it went off-topic--which was, what again?

because the subject was allowed to develop beyond the concrete pros and cons of addie and puffin's initial positions, i think we were able to appreciate that each had some distinctly valid views to offer. not only that, but more people felt inclined to join in, further broadening the field of inquiry with contributions of their own.

let's have more lively conversations such as this thread encouraged....

 

[Zereh]

It wouldn't be so bad if all you brought home in that convenience bag or box was food. Instead they're full of non-food stuff and chemicals that don't belong in our bodies.

Spending $50 on crap in the grocery store is amazingly easy. Or one can spend $50 on produce, a couple hunks of meat, some cheese and rice / beans / polenta and make several delicious dinners (with the added bonus of great left-overs for lunch!)

I would get flustered if I had to rush in the door every night and start from zero to get dinner on the table. So I've learned over time that I don't have to cook everything at once. I pretty much cook a day or two ahead as much as possible and do sides & salads the night of. I spend a couple hours a couple times a week seriously cooking it up and the rest of the time it's just a matter of pulling things together or finishing them up.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

It wouldn't be so bad if all you brought home in that convenience bag or box was food. Instead they're full of non-food stuff and chemicals that don't belong in our bodies.

Spending $50 on crap in the grocery store is amazingly easy. Or one can spend $50 on produce, a couple hunks of meat, some cheese and rice / beans / polenta and make several delicious dinners (with the added bonus of great left-overs for lunch!)

I would get flustered if I had to rush in the door every night and start from zero to get dinner on the table. So I've learned over time that I don't have to cook everything at once. I pretty much cook a day or two ahead as much as possible and do sides & salads the night of. I spend a couple hours a couple times a week seriously cooking it up and the rest of the time it's just a matter of pulling things together or finishing them up.

How long did it take you to develop this habit? Back when I started out, I ran my rear off at work and ran home to run around trying to get dinner ready. Now I know about cooking ahead and have the leisure time and money to cook good food.

I know I am not the only person who had a choice between eating and paying rent at times.

 

[jabbur]

Since I only work part time, I often have the time to cook "from scratch" and have given up a lot of convenience foods for the most part. However, I HATE dicing veggies so those ones already chopped get bought on occasion. I kill plants on a regular basis so please don't ask me to grow my own herbs. I'll buy mine chopped, powdered, grated whatever, from the store. I have a large freezer so I do a lot of frozen veggies and meats. I don't know that I would buy premade roux since I don't find it all that difficult to make and when I want something that requires a roux, I plan to have the time to make it.

 

[MrsLMB]

There is a woman in N.O. who had a bright idea. It takes a looong time to make a proper roux. And a lot of stirring. So she decided to make some, place it in jars and sell it. She now makes it in her large factory kitchen in different shades of doneness and it has become a big hit. Good luck to her and her inventivness. Another success story.

It is true that some people don't have the time, or won't make the time, these days to do what seems simple and normal to other of us.

We have become a world of convenience.

Those who choose to indulge in that convenience have made the choice to go that route.

It's not the route everyone chooses but that does not make it wrong.

Regardless of what people think, I applaud this lady for going for it and taking her shot at the American Dream .. good luck to her !!

 

[Zhizara]

I will be looking for the bottled roux, simply because I cannot stand at the stove for the time required to make it myself, without causing back and leg pains that will last for days.

I've been wanting to make gumbo again for some time now, but it makes my back hurt just thinking about having to stand there long enough to make the proper roux.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I can see the point of convenience foods, and I don't have a problem with people who use them. However, I enjoy cooking from scratch. I also enjoy the challenge of making great food on a budget. If you look at French cuisine, one thing that stands out is that it evolved from peasant food. People took what little scraps they had and turned it into haute cuisine.

I'll give you one example, just because it's fresh in my memory from this week. We had French onion soup a couple of nights ago. I made the beef stock myself with a leftover bone given to me by my MIL. Add water, carrot, an onion, and a few herbs from the deck, and put it in the oven for 6 hours. I could've even made it in the crockpot while at work. Cost for ingredients: less than $1. My time: about 10 minutes (I don't count the time it was in the oven because I didn't have to do anything). Tuesday I bought a bag of onions, sliced them in the food processor and cooked them for 30 minutes on the stove top until they were caramelized. Mix it with the stock and you have soup. Delicious soup, too. The total cost to make 2 quarts of soup was somewhere around $3. And I froze half of it. So there's two meals without much time or money involved.

If I had bought the same amount of soup at the store, it would've probably cost closer to $15. In a restaurant, I've seen it selling for $8 a bowl.

 

[GrillingFool]

We are all foodies, cooks, chefs and generally people who love to cook here.
There are a LOT of people out there who don't share our love of cooking;
they think chopping onions, peppers and celery is a chore, not a joy.
They have no interest, and take no pleasure in the long process of making
a nice roux....
But for those of them who want to cook, things like pre-chopped veggies,
roux in a jar, Kraft breadings and cheese, pizza crust in a tube are HEAVEN-SENT!
With these convenience products, they can quickly and fairly easily create real
meals that don't come from a box, are more healthy and taste better!
And for those who have busy lives, it can give them time to make a meal
for their family, instead of living on take-out and frozen meals.

 

[bakechef]

"I am afraid Puffin doesn't have much faith in the ingenuity and abilities of the American people."
You and I grew up in a time when most people had to fend for themselves...and we did. We were called "the greatest generation" for a reason. I am referring to young people who have been raised to assume 'someone else' will always be there for them. Basic life skills are 'so fifties'. When the **** hits the fan economically it's those people who never learned how to tie shoe laces because they have always worn 'velcro' who will be leaving the cities and headed by the tens of thousands to your relative's farm who grows a garden in the country.
You are correct. I have no faith in today's young people because they don't have the collective "ingenuity" to start a lawn mower. I see them every day trying to figure out how to use a bicycle pump. They can't read or write. The worst part about that is they believe they don't need to. They have pretty much given up any hope of having anywhere near the lifestyle of their parents. A 'well paying' secure job? Ever buying a house? A new car? A holiday in Spain? Not so much. Just another day with the latest 'shoot em up' video game'. Maybe 'borrow' another fifty from mom when the old man isn't looking.

Well you're hanging around the wrong young people.

The "young people" that I am associated with are not "foodies" but they all know how to cook from scratch, many of them sew their own clothing and knit their own stuff. One couple has bought a farm and is raising much of their own food, have chickens for eggs and eating etc.. This christmas, the gift exchange was 100% homemade/handmade gifts. Nobody said that they had to be homemade, it's just that everyone used their talent. These aren't people that would stand out in society as anything but normal, they aren't back to the earth hippie types.

I see a resurgence of "young people" learning to do more for themselves. The under 30 set, in particular.

Young people don't corner the market on convenience foods, I actually see the opposite in the grocery business. The young people buying the most convenience foods are usually college students.

 

[bakechef]

I agree to an extent. I can afford to order from Penzey's on occasion and get my fresh spices. However, some cannot afford it and they have a choice between different seasoning packets at $1 each for five meals or buying one jar of "spice" for the same $5...been there and had to do that. There was a time I was too busy trying to make a living and didn't have the time or money to eat the best of foods.

I am glad that now I have both and am able to enjoy cooking.

BINGO!

If someone is starting to cook and doesn't have a well stocked pantry, just making a single recipe and having to buy the spices can break the bank. Grocery store spice prices are horrible, but when just starting out, you are less likely to know about alternative sources such as ethnic markets etc...

And yes, I do buy Taco seasoning mix, from Penzy's, I like the blend, it comes in a big bag without any unwanted additives and I use it for multiple things. I'm not at all ashamed to admit that. Yes I have made it myself, but I see no reason why I should!

 

[powerplantop]

I will be looking for the bottled roux, simply because I cannot stand at the stove for the time required to make it myself, without causing back and leg pains that will last for days.

I've been wanting to make gumbo again for some time now, but it makes my back hurt just thinking about having to stand there long enough to make the proper roux.

Zhizara, I have friends who use this pre made cajun roux and are happy with it. Not the same as making it your self but you might give it a try.

 

[pacanis]

We are all foodies, cooks, chefs and generally people who love to cook here.
There are a LOT of people out there who don't share our love of cooking;
they think chopping onions, peppers and celery is a chore, not a joy.
They have no interest, and take no pleasure in the long process of making
a nice roux....
But for those of them who want to cook, things like pre-chopped veggies,
roux in a jar, Kraft breadings and cheese, pizza crust in a tube are HEAVEN-SENT!
With these convenience products, they can quickly and fairly easily create real
meals that don't come from a box, are more healthy and taste better!
And for those who have busy lives, it can give them time to make a meal
for their family, instead of living on take-out and frozen meals.

EXACTLY! Well said.

As someone who rarely gets take out, or takeaway as some people call it, and cooks every single day for myself, the convenience of opening a package or can of something is my way of taking it easy on cooking that day.
It has always amazed me how insulting some people are to others for not eating or cooking their way, yet if you posted seven take out meals or restaurant meals a week nothing would be said

And lets keep in mind there are different forms of convenience. There are probably folks out their snubbing their noses as those people opening a can of San Marzano tomatoes for their Sunday Gravy instead of a jar of tomatoes they grew and canned themselves. At least they are cooking.

 

[Zhizara]

Zhizara, I have friends who use this pre made cajun roux and are happy with it. Not the same as making it your self but you might give it a try.

Thanks, PPO. I should be able to find it here in New Orleans. I really have a hankering for some gumbo.

Another advantage for me would be consistency of flavor. That's why I like my taco seasoning mix. I need a couple of things from Penzey's so I'm going to try their taco seasoning when I place my order. Thanks for the tip bakechef!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Thanks, PPO. I should be able to find it here in New Orleans. I really have a hankering for some gumbo.

Another advantage for me would be consistency of flavor. That's why I like my taco seasoning. I need a couple of things from Penzey's so I'm going to try their taco seasoning when I place my order. Thanks for the tip bakechef!

The Penzey's Bold is perfect, nice middle of the road, not too mild or too hot.

 

[pacanis]

I'm going to try Penzey's taco seasoning as well next order. I said before in another thread, the recipes I have made myself give me some serious indigestion/heartburn. But I actually like the taste of Ortega seasoning and their mystery ingredients, lol. Penzeys will have to top that ;^)

 

[CWS4322]

I can understand the convenience offered by a jar of spaghetti sauce, etc. I learned to cook from scratch and have always done so. I don't buy convenience food. I buy food that I then I have t prepare. I have almost always worked from my home office, so did not have to commute to and from a job site. My idea of convenience food is something I make ahead, have in the freezer, thaw and reheat or a stir-fry that doesn't take long to cook...or popcorn when I'm too tired to cook. Now, my parents rely on convience foods. They are in their 80s. My mom has dementia, my father never learned how to cook. He can, however, read instructions on a box or can or jar.

 

[bakechef]

I like to use the Penzey's taco seasoning for marinade too. I just put some in a zip top bag, squeeze in some fresh lime juice, fresh garlic, and olive oil. Squish it around and drop in some chicken, let sit for at least 30 minutes then grill. I use this for chicken tacos.

I like buying it in bulk, that way you can use it for lots of other things.

 

[Addie]

Well you're hanging around the wrong young people.

The "young people" that I am associated with are not "foodies" but they all know how to cook from scratch, many of them sew their own clothing and knit their own stuff. One couple has bought a farm and is raising much of their own food, have chickens for eggs and eating etc.. This Christmas, the gift exchange was 100% homemade/handmade gifts. Nobody said that they had to be homemade, it's just that everyone used their talent. These aren't people that would stand out in society as anything but normal, they aren't back to the earth hippie types.

I see a resurgence of "young people" learning to do more for themselves. The under 30 set, in particular.

Young people don't corner the market on convenience foods, I actually see the opposite in the grocery business. The young people buying the most convenience foods are usually college students.

There are more than 500 schools of higher learning in Massachusetts. If Puffin thinks young people do not know how to cook, come here. For those of you who attended college, did you eat expensive foods at a restaurant during your college days? College kids are known for creating meals with next to nothing in the larder. Puffin has never seen a bunch of college kids get together and create a meal for 10 or more of them. They can take a box of the orange macaroni and turn it into a meal that any one of us would be happy to eat. They can create more meals with Ramen noodles than anyone we may know. A can of Spam, Ramen noodles, some seasonings and other foods added, and they consider them a gourmet meal. And happy to have it. Buy a premade pizza dough and use what they have on hand for toppings can make for a very interesting meal while studying for tomorrow's exam.

Our young folks learn how to cook not only from hunger, but from the fun of sharing it with friends. I have great faith that when their income increases, they can produce some of the best meals we would ever taste and savor.