This is probably the best argument of all for both home cooking, and for my recipes in particular. I was raised on this info, it is all true, and the real truth is, home cooking doesn't have to be hard. Yes, it takes some learning. No, it doesn't take talent to learn. Just talent to write down ALL the steps, for the recipe writer. Well, you do have to be good at following directions, but the person writing the recipe should say more than, "Use 1 C sifted sugar." What kind of sugar? How do you sift sugar? What equipment will you need? And, should it be further stirred, or was that packed sugar? Etc.
This cooking blog is here for those who are first learning, step by step, even if it does contain some advanced cooking techniques. Why do I throw in, and then properly explain, advanced techniques to beginners? Simple. There's really no such thing as advanced cooking. There is, however, such a thing as shoddy cooking. And there's no sense in penalizing new cooks by teaching them methods that they don't need to know later on, just because it sounds less "complicated." Really? It's not complicated to have to spend an extra 2 hours fixing up a botched recipe because poor techniques were used to achieve it in the first place? Or worse: it's somehow "ok" to convince newbs that the product of stupid recipes is somehow fabulous? I'm sorry, but "push bits of pie crust into the pan to form a pie shell" is SHODDY. That's not even a legitimate technique. Ok, it's "edible" food that sort of holds together in the end. But it's NOT teaching anyone true culinary craftsmanship.
But, the main thing, is healthy cooking that tastes like food worth eating - for real. I think probably the only real splurging in this cooking blog has to do with some sweets. Even then, I still look for healthier alternatives to some of the worst travesties to hit the world of food. There's a certain logic that I feel people should employ: just because it can be eaten, doesn't mean that it should be, nor has to be. Also, it's a good idea not to let everyone, from TV to friends or even family, tell you what "good" tastes like. Yes, there are a few things on planet earth that most people just don't like to eat. But really - it's alright to redefine what tastes good to you, and the earlier you start, the fewer problems you'll have with it later.
There's one other reason that home cooking is important. It's cheaper. Everything from cheap produce at local farm stands (just hose it down outside before bringing it indoors to prevent fruit-flies and their eggs), to cheap baking ingredients in local bulk bins and freezing/canning options... These all make up an easy to use kitchen that saves close to 50% on a person's or a family's food bill. These days, there's almost never an excuse to buy pre-packaged or canned foods, particularly baked items and vegetables. Some fruits, such as lychees can't be sold in the US without being canned. Ok, drain them well, rinse them, re-drain them, and either make a stevia-based water-bath for them (if using them up right away) or freeze them in air-tight freezer bags. Anyway, you don't have to sell yourself short because of excess calories, nor do you have to spend excess money on food.
Yes, cooking takes work. And a bit of time. That's what days off are for - if you get two per week, in a row, then take one day to rest and the other day to cook. Those who are religious, well, take your religious day of observance to do what your religion tells you - and then take the other day to make a better life for yourself and your family in the kitchen. The thing is, you'll burn a small number of calories while cooking, and you'll actually save yourself all those hours during the week that you normally spent thawing and defrosting and whatnot. Even TV dinners take time to "cook" and they're so crappy for your system that you're whole body will complain. You might be so used to that "complaining" that you don't even realize there's a problem. Are you accustomed to having to depend on Metamucil but don't have a real "condition"? Or on antacids? Or Pepto? And your Dr. hasn't actually prescribed that you take these? Are you overweight, or is your brain often "clogged"? Are you tired most of the time?
Yeah. I suffer from these things too - because I didn't always know the stuff in the link above, or understand what it all meant at any rate, and I didn't always cook and eat like I'm working towards now. I am a work in progress. I'm not some gym instructor or exercise freak. I'm of a Germanic build, I'm 5' 1", and currently weigh 190 lbs. I've had, and beaten, both poly-cystic ovarian disease, insulin resistance, and irritable bowel syndrome. I used to get a lot of acid reflux.
That's all been changing for the better since I started doing more home cooking and eating fewer pre-packaged items. Essentially, I'm healthier, I spend less, and I worry less - not because of some false sense of "I can eat as much as I want because it's 'good for me'" but because I understand my food, I know what's really in it, and what effects each meal will have on me in what serving sizes and so on. And I don't "splurge" in most of my recipes, nor do I turn a blind eye to the hidden truths about most common, modern-day foods/cooking/recipes out there, even the "healthy" ones. If I do splurge in a recipe? I TELL YOU that I splurged, I tell you what you should know about it, and then let you make up your own mind about it.
The thing is, I know how to make a LOT of recipes out there in very tasty but healthier and less expensive ways, with just a few simple tricks. That's the main reason these recipes matter. At least to me.
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