| | Can I just say that cooking is probably one of the most evil vices that has resulted as a result of the fall. Think about it before the fall, Adam and eve just had everything there and they ate and that was that. It never says and then Adam sautéed his asparagus and made some honey Dijon dressing for his salad and then had eve do the dishes. Alas, I suppose this is what we get, but I am convinced that if there were to be food in heaven it would always be in a state of prepared perfection. Anyway, I am slightly getting away from the point at hand.
Basically, I am writing this as a rant more than anything, because I have decided that officially I am taking the stance that I hate cooking. This is not to say I hate food, it is simply to clarify that I despise anything to do with food preparation. Why, oh why do you ask or more likely why are you currently leaving this particular xanga post because this is again a pointless rant of Seth’s. Well stick it out and I will let you in on the complexities that actually have led to such a powerful statement.
Ok first reasons you should hate cooking:
1) Cooking takes time, no matter how simple the meal you have to put time and planning into cooking. There is no way around this.
2) Cleaning up, when you cook there is always inevitably clean up. Generally speaking, the greater the meal the more clean up is required. I find that I spend almost as much time cleaning up a meal as making it.
3) Cooking is not worth it when you are always cooking for 1 person. This is two-fold. 1) There is no one to share a meal with once you’ve finished putting time into a good meal. Lets face it food is communal; food without community isn’t a meal it simply becomes sustenance, and 2) you can’t make good meals in small 1 person amounts, and so inevitably you end up having to eat the same meal repeatedly before it goes bad and then you just get sick off eating it. There is a significant decline in ones passion for food, no matter how well prepared.
So as a result of these more notable points cooking and myself are locked in a vicious feud. Of course let’s face it we can’t escape cooking unless we are millionaires who can hire cooks. I think the real key here is to really go back to what cooking is all about, and that is food. For myself I think I can’t stand cooking because we as a culture, and subsequently myself, have lost are connection to food. Where it came from, what it means to have good food, and why these points are important. A striking example comes from my own experiences growing the vegetable garden here at Au Sable. When I am actively participating in the propagation of my own sustenance, I can’t help but feel a strong connection to that meal and wanting to see the fruits of my labor provide nutrition for myself and others. The delight I get from munching on a fresh cucumber is phenomenal. (Seriously, I think it should be on the 1000 things to do before you die list) In today’s society, we get most of are food from thousands of miles away, and as a result of that detachment there is no real motive to take any pride in what one eats, it is impersonalized. Through this fact again you see that elements of community are vital to the process of eating.
So how do you reconcile the fact that today most everything related to food is about convenience, how quickly can my food be prepared, how easily can it be consumed and disposed of. An emphasis on eating well has simply been thrown out the window by the fast food and processed foods sector. Reconnect with food: even if you can’t grow your own garden or afford to buy exclusively from the local community just simply try to decrease the distance in which your food has traveled. Maybe this will only involve maybe once a month buying locally. Honestly, I don’t even want to hear that paying a little extra for local is too expensive, because I make jack squat and I am still able to comfortably be able to buy a number of items locally on a regular basis. It is possible; don’t simply throw it aside as out of the realm of the ordinary individual. A second theme that I believe needs to be addressed is the essential nature of community towards the food process. To be able to not only grow food with others, but then to prepare and partake of food together almost has a sacramental value to it. We see Jesus used food as a tremendous means of establishing a sacramental covenant with the disciples, and subsequently us, during the last supper. The imagery of food in this and other context throughout the bible clearly point to the enriching communion that is created when food is present. Not only is physical nourishment addressed but spiritual nourishment. So basically, food can be so much more than simply a random conglomeration of amino acids, and proteins, and other elements. Of course this does not mean we should start deifying tomatos or hamburger helper either.
So, in the end, I think I am writing this more for myself than any other of those who might come across this entry, but I hope that you will take the time to consider your relationship to food. It is such an essential part of our lives, so perhaps we can actually begin to treat it in such a manner. Try and find ways to really create a means of knowing your foods and establishing even little things that create that sense of community and connection to your meal. Cooking, growing foods, and even thoughtful purchasing can all be accomplished when real thought is directed towards achieving great meals. If you are really curious to delve into some really powerful thoughts on food and the human connection to it one should check out Michael Pollan’s, “The Omnivores dilemma.” Well apologies for the considerable lapse of time between posts. Thanks to those who have hung around long enough to actually see I do still make the occasional entry here on xanga. I will leave this post off by saying as the band the arrogant worms so aptly state, “Give peas a chance.”
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| | Posted 3/13/2008 2:36 AM - 56 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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