"Home cooking", "Soul Food", Processed Convenience.
By nuffsed
@nuffsed (1271)
February 7, 2007 1:32pm CST
Quote (http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0207-20.htm )Who Stole the Soul?: The Decline of Food in America
by Bob St.Peter
(An extract from the article.)
"While here in America we are still burdened by an underclass of farmers and food workers, the modern day serfs, slaves, and peasants, it is hard to compare the food that has come to dominate the American landscape to the food of Italy, Thailand, Mexico, or just about any other nation on earth that still has food traditions intact. For the first time in the history of our civilization, people who are connected to the land and sea for their livelihood are no longer the creators of food culture and tradition. Whereas diet was once determined by what the land and sea produced, food in America today is determined by what can be produced cheapest, in the highest quantity, and that can be packed so full of artificial ingredients that it can be shipped thousands of miles and stored for weeks, months, or even years. Worldwide, cultures built upon fresh, nourishing food are being replaced by an extractive industrial food system that is based on the narrow values of progress, efficiency, and profit. "
Are you cooking tonight? Or is it "Boil in the bag"?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
8 Feb 07
I am a full blown country girl. I grow my own. I have a veggie garden, herb garden, and fruit trees. I have my own milk and eggs. I get cheese and yogurt from another organic farm. We raise organic, beef, chickens, turkeys and pork.
I make bread, pasta and do all my own baking. We have bees for honey. None of these make themselves into dinner on their own. I just give them a helping hand.
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
7 Feb 07
It is not just in America that food traditions have been lost. Hardly any place in the world is what the people eat determined by what the local land and sea can produce. Artificial ingredients and/or preservatives are added to many of the products used in lots of countries, this is mainly for convenience in Ireland. As more and more women work outside the home and as the working day increases in length, less people have the energy or creativity to cut up fresh ingredients for a meal.
Having said the above, I am cooking more and more from fresh ingredients having taken a sabbatical from work! Also I feel I must show good example to my son, I would like him to develop good eating habits which is most unlikely if he sees his mother tuck into a takeaway every night.
1 person likes this
@nuffsed (1271)
•
7 Feb 07
Yes it is harder everywhere, we are wise to fight it though and teach our young ones to cook real food. Many English kids don't know where milk comes from or that real Motzarella cheese on their pizza comes from buffalo!
I like to think of kids being able to cook outdoors for themslves without tins. Not a lot can I'm sure.
@coffeechat (1961)
• New Zealand
11 Feb 07
Cheap fuel (even at $200 per barrel it would be cheap) helps this process along. Munching on chips made from Idaho potatoes while watching the sunset in Mekong - Vietnam is either a sign of progress or the perversity of the econimic imperative and squandering of our legacy. The pollution caused by packaging further adds to the what we leave for future generations to deal with in our landfills.
We bake our own bread, make fresh pasta and cook as much as possible "from scratch". We use as many seasonal, local veggies as possible.
Our two boys, 5 and 7 are quite delighted with the antics of Polluto on http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies.
No - we do not do frozen dinners, soups from the packet or can and avoid processed food as much as possible. The extractive industrial food system has one less customer family - ours!
@coffeechat (1961)
• New Zealand
11 Feb 07
5.30 p.m. on school days and 6.30 Friday to Sunday. Bring your appetite and good cheer along! Any allergies and such we should watch out for?
How does kiwifruit flambe sound for desseert?
Cheers and thank you.
@flagbabygirl (891)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I cook eerynight I always have , My mother did , My grandmother did. I buy top notch quality ingredients and cook for my family. I was roomate with and Italian Girl for a while , I taught her some of MMy familys amazing dishes anf she taught me hers. I now make authentic dishes from around the world everynight a meat, starch and vegetable, also sometimes 2 vegies and a bread, and dessert. We are all in good health and not overweight! but, yes it is diminishing in this country! I think it's quite sad. My own siser eats Fast food everyday ith her family and if she does cook its conveinence stuff! not the real deal most of the time. She does knoe how to cook though my mother taught all of us!
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