I grew up in an Italian family. My mother worked half of the time. Dinners where quick and tasty. There is something about traditional Italian cuisine that is efficient and good. Perhaps it's a tradition of peasant foods and recipes. You could do much of the heavy lifting on the weekend and that would get the hard work out of they way during the week. In the old days they jarred, preserved and had root cellars. In the modern age a freezer can go a long way. My wife who is Northern European and very American didn't grow up with these practices. As a result and for many other reasons I'm the cook of the house. My mother taught me the basics and I can follow a recipe so that has carried me through. I run an efficient inventory, I don't waste food, I cook proper portion sizes, I have great knives, good pots and pans, a thermometer, I run multiple timers and I buy good ingredients. Stop ordering out. Stop going to restaurants. If you go to a restaurant more that once a month it's excessive. (Who is going out to dinner during the pandemic anyway?) Take an online cooking class. Get a good chef's knife and learn how to keep it sharp. (Victorinox.) Buy good ingredients. They are not expensive especially when you cook for correct portion sizes. Stay out of the center isles of the supermarket. That's where all the processed food are. Don't buy any processed foods. Learn simple Italian or French dishes and build from there. It can be done with a little thought and preparation.
I'm only a recent subscriber but this was my favorite piece so far. I really appreciate the exposure to the sociological view here; without really giving conclusions about What Is The Truth about society but enabling me to question my assumptions about what I've been observing and experiencing. Thanks!
I grew up in an Italian family. My mother worked half of the time. Dinners where quick and tasty. There is something about traditional Italian cuisine that is efficient and good. Perhaps it's a tradition of peasant foods and recipes. You could do much of the heavy lifting on the weekend and that would get the hard work out of they way during the week. In the old days they jarred, preserved and had root cellars. In the modern age a freezer can go a long way. My wife who is Northern European and very American didn't grow up with these practices. As a result and for many other reasons I'm the cook of the house. My mother taught me the basics and I can follow a recipe so that has carried me through. I run an efficient inventory, I don't waste food, I cook proper portion sizes, I have great knives, good pots and pans, a thermometer, I run multiple timers and I buy good ingredients. Stop ordering out. Stop going to restaurants. If you go to a restaurant more that once a month it's excessive. (Who is going out to dinner during the pandemic anyway?) Take an online cooking class. Get a good chef's knife and learn how to keep it sharp. (Victorinox.) Buy good ingredients. They are not expensive especially when you cook for correct portion sizes. Stay out of the center isles of the supermarket. That's where all the processed food are. Don't buy any processed foods. Learn simple Italian or French dishes and build from there. It can be done with a little thought and preparation.
I'm only a recent subscriber but this was my favorite piece so far. I really appreciate the exposure to the sociological view here; without really giving conclusions about What Is The Truth about society but enabling me to question my assumptions about what I've been observing and experiencing. Thanks!