That creeping food puritanism

What’s wrong with opening a jar?

My daughter told me that a couple of contestants on the reality cooking show were canned because they used a pre-prepared curry paste? Hope I’ve got the facts right.

If they did, so what?! Most people use convenience foods, not just here but all over the world.

Have we now reached the stage where it’s become a crime against humanity to reach for a jar of Pataks, Leggo’s or Mae Ploy? Crikey, these products were designed to make life a bit more convenient.

I make my living cooking so I have a rusted-on mistrust of any pre-prepared food product but that doesn’t mean I judge anyone else who does use them.

Because I make my own spice mixes, pastes and sauces professionally I’m fortunate to have access to them in the home environment. Many home cooks have the skill to make their own but just as many don’t and many others don’t have the time and some just can’t be fagged.

“Hmm I feel like curry tonight, oh wait a minute, it says here that I need fresh galangal and coconut! Oh well its snags and mash again!”

The people who can’t be fagged cooking or have zero interest in it have found lately that it’s become akin to having leprosy in many circles. In fact, not having an interest in koo-zeen, wipes out much of the morning workplace chatter and social intercourse that make up much of our idle or awkward ice-breaking banter. Where can you go when someone asks you about the latest ep of Masterchef or when to add the ‘drizzle of oil’ when ‘plating –up’? Nowhere, that’s where.

Don’t bother trying to fake it either. That’ll illicit a worse response.

Saying you like ‘raspberry jelly’ hopefully when a foodie is babbling about spherification gel techniques is more likely to damage your reputation than if you were just to say ‘I have no idea what you’re on about’

It’d kinda be like trying to chat chummily to a BMW 7 series driver when you’ve got the level entry cheapo 1 series beemer-you’re just not on the same planet.

Another aspect that I find amusing is this silly notion that everyone’s dinner must be made from scratch or it isn’t any good. In fact you are harming your family by not doing so and being unethical in the process.

Yes some convenience products are of dubious quality and provenance but not all of them are. For instance, if I were to by some locally made chutney, jam or spice paste at the local fair or market, that’s the same as using a convenience product isn’t it?

That’s just ridiculous.

If you use the same logic, we wouldn’t get around in cars because it’s ‘too convenient’ and ‘we’re taking the short cut’. Also what about this question that keeps bobbing up in Vox Pops: 'Whats you most embarrassing pantry item?' Food which is embarrassing? Give me a break, it's food not not flatulence! Also the term 'Junk Food' irritates me, its not 'Junk' as such, it's food that has been deemed below-parr, low rent and declasse.
The only time it is permitted to be consumed by the uber-foodie- is when they are deliberately slumming it, on a road trip or hungover-sometimes all three but never as a serious choice unless they are non compus mentis.

Finally, many disciples of the DIY cult preach with a piety that borders on fanaticism which is really quite out of touch with the reality of modern living. Don’t know about you but I don’t always want to wait for my butter to churn, my hen to lay an egg or my dough to leaven-sometimes I just want to eat.