If I had to point my finger at the biggest problem that I see with modern society right now, I would first tell you that my perspective is extremely skewed and that I’m the last person to be judging anyone……..
But if pressed for an answer, which happened recently, I would have to say that we don’t have the daily meal anymore…………
Follow this train of thought with me for a second cause I think I have a point, or I might just be stoned and full of shit.
Think about it……
Since people first ether climbed or fell out ( the jury is still debating) of the tree of life and became “Human”, the center of our lives, our existence, has been the meal at the end of the day. Every culture, every civilization, food was the reason we came together, it’s how we connected with friends and family. You can learn more about a place and its people with one home cooked meal then you could ever learn reading about it on a website or a book. And for the first time in human history this tradition is dying, yet you fuckers are eating more than ever.
For most of history, cooking was a part of everyday life and even the village idiot knew how to make a basic loaf of bread. Now it takes a special occasion for you to boil water and I don’t know a single person that doesn’t work in a Kitchen who knows how to bake bread. This scares me as much as it pisses me off and not because I’m a Chef. It’s cause I’m a person who has to live on earth and see people who are disconnected and in pain.
At some point we got too busy and lost focus.
Everyone had shit to do and places to be. Instead of taking the time to stop and cook, we could instantly call for a pizza or go to a drive through and satisfy our bodies. But that type of life drains at the soul and most of us are used to it.
Due to this book, I’m cooking far more at home now than I ever have. That’s why I know this is the truth because for years, even as a Chef, I didn’t really cook much for myself and spent way too much time eating gas station burritos and Chinese take out. But now that I’m cooking at home more, my Apt feels like a home since at least once a week I have people over for dinner. It’s never anything fancy and that’s the point, it doesn’t have to be. It’s about the company and sense of community that comes from cooking and eating with other people and the connections that are made.
Really, when was the last time you got together and cooked with friends just because ? When was the last time you spent more than 30 minutes in you Kitchen? When was the last time you went all out on a meal because you wanted to eat great food, the way you like it.
I’m not saying you should stop going out, not at all, if you did I would be screwing myself out of a job. I’m also not talking shit about diets since I’m all about butter, salt, bacon and chocolate. And I’m also the type of person that pushes things to the extreme most of the time but there’s something to be said about moderation. I’ll let someone else say it…..
What I am saying is this.
- Real food is not made in a factory. It doesn’t need marketing or a jingle or a focus group
- Real food doesn’t have to be fancy or over the top. Screw the attitude and the pretentious fucks in fine dining.
- Cooking at home, cooking period should never be considered work, keep in mind that whatever you’re working with gave it’s life to give life to you.
- Real food comes from the hands and the heart, it’s not precise, it’s not something that can be calibrated. That’s why Grandmothers make the best food.
What can we do ? Well to start, you can start cooking at home. Go to the Farmers Market, take off your headphones and talk to the people working the stalls. 99% of those people are cool as hell and more than happy to answer any questions you have. Buy a bunch of really tasty stuff and let it inspire you. Then go get a few bottles of wine and call up some friends and tell em to come over.
Wash your hands, clear you mind, turn on your oven, turn up some good music and open your heart…….
Then it’s just a matter of following your instincts. Don’t stress about the end result. Play with the food, taste it, listen to it. You’re not stupid, this is not hard, you can do it, I have faith in you.
It’s funny that people spend next to no time cooking yet wonder why they can’t cook. Practice makes perfect. Want to know why I’m so fast with a knife? Cause I spend 10 hours a day with mine in my hand. If you spent 10% as much time in a Kitchen as most of you do looking at porn (this goes for the females as well cause I know my readers are freaks, and I love ya), you might figure out what you’re doing quicker than you think.
The main thing is DON’T STRESS!!! Smoke a bowl, have fun and cook from your heart. Pay attention to what you’re doing and you won’t burn it.
So please, I’m asking you to do your part. Just once a week, instead of taking the easy way and calling for takeout, call some people you haven’t hung out with in a while and cook.
Help save what’s left of your humanity one meal at a time…….