[at-l] Y2K food finally comes out of the closet..

[texas12step@hotmail.com (Texas Twelve-Step)]

SaraSW@aol.com wrote:
> texas12step@hotmail.com wrote:

>> The microwave oven is what makes convenience foods convenient.
>> They're only really useful for quickly heating prepared (i.e.
>> precooked) foods and leftovers. There are few unprocessed foods
>> that you can actually "cook" by microwave.

> I've cooked all kinds of "real" food in my microwave for years.
> It's true I don't cook rice or beans in it, but I do cook meat
> and veggies. I particularly like cooking fresh veggies in it
> because I can use less water.

Vegetables? Okay, I suppose you can steam them. But meat?
That's just sounds nasty. I'll admit that the Fulminatrix
used to make passable bacon in our microwave.

>> So instead of doling out inexpensive bulk foods such as
>> canned meats, dry beans, sacks of flour and the ever-popular
>> brick of welfare cheese -- things from which a good balanced
>> diet can be derived with a little effort and cooking skill -- 
>> we now get to pay retail for single-serving microwaveable 
>> spaghettios, pizza pockets and Fruity Pebbles.

> But the problem here seems to be the overall American
> diet, as you point out in your comments about MacDonalds,
> not food stamps. People who are not on food stamps don't
> go in much for dry beans and rice either. They like the 
> pre-packaged microwaveable stuff too. So if we want to 
> encourage the art of cooking, we need to change the whole
> American diet and attitude, not just that of food stamp
> recipients.

What people choose to buy and eat with their own money is
of no concern to me so long as they stay downwind. If people
want to turn into greasy balls of meat from a steady diet of
the Devil's scouring pad, more power to 'em. What I object
to is food stamp recipients being extravagant with other
people's money.

If you want more of something, you subsidize it. Right now
governments are subsidizing poor folks to purchase what are
basically luxury items. You can't really blame them if Uncle
Sugar is willing to foot the bill, but they can at least try
to *pretend* to be frugal in their poverty.

>> Food stamps and microwave ovens discourage home economics
>> and theart of cooking in general. 

> I suspect the real culprit--if "culprit" doesn't carry the wrong 
> connotation--is not food stamps and microwaves, but the fact that
> women are working outside their homes in unprecedented numbers. 

Let the record show that I didn't write this. I considered
making a similar point about women leaving the kitchen in
my original message, but I'm not the type to post things
with such flame potential.

> A person who get up early, hits the road for work, spends the
> day on a job, picks up the kids from day care, runs errands,
> and finally gets back home after 12 hours or so away doesn't
> feel much like organizing a home cooked meal--especially if the 
> evening includes soccer practice and homework and whatever else
> she has to do.

Tough darts, though, if they're on assistance. Learn to
cook big meals and refrigerate the leftovers. I know it
sounds cold-hearted, but there it is. 

> BTW, some KY food programs do provide bulk foods, and
> instructions in cooking them, and a cookbook designed to
> give instructions especially for those foods.

I suspect that most states have similar programs. I saw
cases of government cheese and canned salmon (among other
things) lying around the local community center the last
time I went to register my vehicle. 

-TXIIS