Claire
Master Chef
OK. I'll admit it. I eat lots of frozen and canned foods. I eat a lot of vegs and fruit shipped up from other continents.
I'm rather sick of hearing this. I would really, really like to know what lettuce grows under a foot of snow in NYC (where so many cooking shows originate)???? I know I can get fresh bay leaves (which aren't as good as dried, I might add) and rosemary (which my neighbors call me up for regularly) from my bathroom (sorry, that's where the sun is!!). But tomatoes, green beans, lettuce --- even winter veggies such as cabbage and brocolli --- in February, in northern Illinois (or for that matter NYC)? who are they kidding? No, of course a tomato I buy at my grocery this month isn't going to taste like the one from my garden in September. But I only get that tomatoe for 6 weeks or so, otherwise I freeze it, and used canned. Are they telling me I should never eat a green bean except for the two months I can get them fresh? Peas, even shorter.
I think the reason that we don't die from starvation in winter time is that we've come up with wonderful ways of preserving and shipping produce (when was the last time YOU knew someone who had scurvey? Or a goiter?). So why do some chefs (again, I'm talking northern ones) pretend that they only use local produce in season? When it is there, yes, of course you should use it. But ..... help me here. Am I missing something?
I'm rather sick of hearing this. I would really, really like to know what lettuce grows under a foot of snow in NYC (where so many cooking shows originate)???? I know I can get fresh bay leaves (which aren't as good as dried, I might add) and rosemary (which my neighbors call me up for regularly) from my bathroom (sorry, that's where the sun is!!). But tomatoes, green beans, lettuce --- even winter veggies such as cabbage and brocolli --- in February, in northern Illinois (or for that matter NYC)? who are they kidding? No, of course a tomato I buy at my grocery this month isn't going to taste like the one from my garden in September. But I only get that tomatoe for 6 weeks or so, otherwise I freeze it, and used canned. Are they telling me I should never eat a green bean except for the two months I can get them fresh? Peas, even shorter.
I think the reason that we don't die from starvation in winter time is that we've come up with wonderful ways of preserving and shipping produce (when was the last time YOU knew someone who had scurvey? Or a goiter?). So why do some chefs (again, I'm talking northern ones) pretend that they only use local produce in season? When it is there, yes, of course you should use it. But ..... help me here. Am I missing something?