The New Reality - The Empty Pantry

Many years ago, and I can say that, because I'm old enough, parents and homeowners and families had pantries or larders, filled to the brim. Bad weather and uncertain transportation made it a necessity, because families couldn't always get out to the store to purchase food. So pantries were filled with things like dry rice, pasta, flour and yeast to make bread, dry beans, canned fish, and canned vegetables.

Here it is, 2020, and we're in a time of crisis. A trip to the store will show you shelves that are empty. But empty of what? Aside from the obvious cleaning products and paper products, some of the biggest deficiencies are areas such as canned soups and frozen pizzas. At the age of 74, I'm old enough to remember the days when a pot of soup was one of the easiest things to whip up, from things in one's pantry. The famous Italian dish pasta e fagioli was a standard, right out of the pantry. A can of broth, dried beans, canned tomatoes, and some pasta. All household items.

Similarly, whipping up a homemade pizza used flour, yeast, canned tomatoes, and, in a pinch, grated Parmesan cheese, instead of mozzarella.

So here's the new reality. There are no more pantries. There are no more larders. And if there are pantries or larders, they are absolutely empty. America in 2020 seems almost incapable of whipping up a meal from supplies at hand, because there appear to be no supplies at hand.

Perhaps I'm overdramatizing. Perhaps I'm exaggerating. But frankly, the evidence is there, for people depending on ready-made foods, instead of using what's on hand. Sad, isn't it?

Comments

The "Nondiet Diet?"

At the ripe old age of 74, I've certainly seen and most likely participated in any number of diets. Including fad diets. Many fad diets. Lately, there's a lot of talk about something called intuitive eating. I still don't know very much about it, but it seems to be guided by logic, rather than mere number crunching. While most fad diets rely upon some measurement or distorted measurement of some nutrient or calories, intuitive eating depends more on good, healthful choices, eaten in moderate portions, guided to a great extent by mindfulness or slow eating, as well as a measure of hunger versus fullness. This last attribute is, perhaps, the most important. Many of us of my generation were taught to clean the plate. Much of that, of course, was generated by parents who did not have reliable refrigeration open to them. Food was prepared freshly, served quickly, and anything else needed to be thrown away. Nowadays, of course, we have reliable refrigeration, as well ...

Organ Meats

Before You make a face, consider that organ meats are never eaten in large quantities. Not only that, but they're also mixed in with potatoes and vegetables and other things.. Lastly, the way organ meats are prepared before cooking can make all the difference in the world. I'm not urging you to eat organ meats, but I am suggesting that you give them a try, if possible.Although I have always liked kidneys, I hadn't had them until recently at a local sichuan restaurant. That same restaurant also prepares things like tongue and tripe, pork intestines and beef tendon.They're all highly seasoned and absolutely elicious, in small quantities and only occasionally.

Men's Portions

You know, we all see life from our own perspectives. Like most people who watch TV and observe the media, I noticed that there is a lot of attention paid to issues that women have with dieting and healthful eating. And I think that's a really good thing! But men have issues, as well. One thing is men's portions. Our culture and the society in which it exists, associates men with larger portions. Words like king-size, for example. There are any number of cuts of prime rib. The largest size and the one that's most often ordered by men is the standard cut or sometimes double thick cut. Smaller cuts are named after female icons, such as the queen cut or princess cut. Men are associated with larger portions, even with frozen dinners. I don't know if it's still available, but one of the manufacturers of frozen dinners produced a line called Hungry Man. Not hungry woman, but Hungry Man. The serving sizes of each of the items was larger. Now I don't know if ...

Eating Better

Search This Blog