In her Gastronomica article, "Grab and Go - A Restless Nation Tanks Up," Maggie Jackson quotes a 7-Eleven store manager whom she interviewed:
"We've taken the memories of home-baked banana nut loaf and turned them into a convenient on-the-go snack."
Reading this just about broke our home-cooking hearts. Hear more about Jackson's perspective - and tell us yours - after the jump.
Jackson's article primarily focuses on the idea that food in America is no longer really food - it's fuel. Not only is it designed and packaged for convenient snacking, but it's eaten on the go.
Jackson also points out the disturbing parallels between America's car culture and how we treat our bodies. That is to say, we treat our bodies like cars: vehicles that need to be occasionally refueled and that help get us from place to place. When the only function of food is to give us the energy to keep working, things like taste and pleasure become secondary.
While Jackson's observations aren't exactly new to us - Michael Pollan and others have been making similar arguments - these issues are always good to revisit, especially in light of Home Cooking Month here at the Kitchn.
Something we're still working to resolve for ourselves is this issue of eating on the go. While we're making the majority of our meals at home, we are still in the habit of eating it while doing something else: A bowl of soup in front of the computer, a home-made snack during our commute, a quick sandwich before a meeting. We have to ask ourselves how often we stop to appreciate the food we've taken the time to cook.
Some of this is unavoidable given the fact that, well, many of us are pretty busy people. But some of it isn't. We struggle to find the balance.
What do you think?
• "Grab and Go - A Restless Nation Tanks Up," by Maggie Jackson is in the Summer 2008 issue of Gastronomica, available at many bookstores. Subscriptions to Gastronomica are $48 and are available through their website.
Related: Reading Gastronomica: Economy, Gastronomy, and the Guilt of a Fancy Meal
(Image: Emmanuel Sougez, Still life with Lemons and Siphon, 1926-1928. Autochrome. 17.9 x 12.9 cm. Private collection, courtesy of Hans P. Kraus, Jr., New York, via Gastronomica)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
It's complicated.
I think it would be great to get people as excited about cooking as they get about watching movies or going for a walk.
But so many people are intimidated by cooking, have eating issues and don't want to make time to cook. Eating becomes a means to an end.
I'm happy that I cook mostly home style food at my job because so many of my customers have many of their nightly dinners there. It makes me feel good that I can give them a good meal and chat with them about food because I know that they feel more confident trying more cooking techniques at home.
view art's profile
The farther away people move from an agrarian lifestyle and the idea of growing their own food and eating it, the closer we come to mechanizing the whole process to "fuel" ourselves. When you have made the effort to make your own food, you are more likely learn how to use the product and cook. Many immigrants come from cultures where it is normal to farm or have your own garden, in order to save money and to have fresh food and familiar flavors. My own family is always happy and amazed when I pick herbs and vegetables from our garden to make a simple salad. It tastes much better than the pre-packaged bags from the store. Unfortunately, I know that it is not always possible for everyone to do this.
view jgphotomom's profile
This makes me sad. Granted from an evolutionary stand point we probably developed such refined taste buds to be able to tell when not to eat something, they are a blessing. Just because our lives are geared towards being on the go doesn't mean we have to eat tasteless and unhealthy food that is so difficult to have any appreciation for. I mean honestly, we could have evolved to eat dirt but we didn't. Even on the go food should not have to be reminiscent of homemade foods. Following that line of logic there will be no memories of homemade foods for the current generation to become nostalgic over and the next round of convenience food will only evoke memories of fast food from childhood and be even less appealing with every new cycle. Why do we need banana bread in a plastic bag that tastes like its made out of sofa cushion. I thought real homemade banana bread traveled pretty well to begin with? Even if you can't make your own, support a local bakery. Buying a product someone else made by hand is still a vast improvement over something that came vacuum-sealed from 7-11. Bring back Sunday dinners, even if they're out at a restaurant. Take time to sit and savor and respect and enjoy your food!
Even if we are treating our bodies as cars we can still be thoughtful about the fuel we give them. Taking fuel for granted in our cars hasn't done the world much good. What will taking food for granted do?
view roseslaw's profile
I haven't read Gastronomica for a couple years since a gift subscription ran out, but more and more I miss the fascinating articles. I may have to start up that script.
view alisa k's profile