Monday, November 20, 2006
Sometimes It's Not Just About Getting To The End
A few days ago I was having a conversation about Thanksgiving dinner with a certain friend. She was rather bent out of shape, justifiably so, because it was suggested by a certain guest...insisted upon even, that Thanksgiving dinner in it's entirety be purchased from the local grocery store and "just reheated" for the enjoyment of everyone rather than go to the "trouble" of cooking anything. Now, being of like mind, I COMPLETELY felt her pain in this situation and was more than happy to participate ad nauseum in this little vent, because...well...
I don't care if the reality is that this is what we have devolved to as a society and that if it weren't for this little "convenience" people wouldn't do Thanksgiving at all. I think it's ridciulous and sad and that it's time for a reality check.
I mean seriously......are we all so detatched from living that we can't be bothered to stop, take a deep breath and stir and chop a little even ONCE in a year?
We seem to have learned to dislike anything in this life that involves THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS is beneath us. We just want it NOW to the point that even Thanksgiving has become a fast food event.
Now I'll admit that when it comes to some other things, I'm not exempt from this thinking by any means, but when it's about food and cooking, I am like the process police. People seem to have forgotten that a large part of the whole Thanksgiving "thing" happens to be about THE PROCESS, and by that I certainly don't mean the process of going to the store and buying an entire prepackaged meal to be "reheated" ten minutes before you're ready to sit down to eat. Puhleeze.
Anyway, fast forward to last night.
My phone rings...and rings.
A voice mail is left.
"Hi Splatgirl, this is BoysMom. I think I told you that I'm going to have Thanksgiving. I was planning to go to the store and buy everything already made....."
Ironic, no?
But wait...it gets better.
Today, BoysMom: "So I was thinking I was going to get that whole dinner from the store, but I decided not to, because, you know, you still have to defrost it and heat it up."
I can't even discuss it any further. It's raising my blood pressure.
I don't care if the reality is that this is what we have devolved to as a society and that if it weren't for this little "convenience" people wouldn't do Thanksgiving at all. I think it's ridciulous and sad and that it's time for a reality check.
I mean seriously......are we all so detatched from living that we can't be bothered to stop, take a deep breath and stir and chop a little even ONCE in a year?
We seem to have learned to dislike anything in this life that involves THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS is beneath us. We just want it NOW to the point that even Thanksgiving has become a fast food event.
Now I'll admit that when it comes to some other things, I'm not exempt from this thinking by any means, but when it's about food and cooking, I am like the process police. People seem to have forgotten that a large part of the whole Thanksgiving "thing" happens to be about THE PROCESS, and by that I certainly don't mean the process of going to the store and buying an entire prepackaged meal to be "reheated" ten minutes before you're ready to sit down to eat. Puhleeze.
Anyway, fast forward to last night.
My phone rings...and rings.
A voice mail is left.
"Hi Splatgirl, this is BoysMom. I think I told you that I'm going to have Thanksgiving. I was planning to go to the store and buy everything already made....."
Ironic, no?
But wait...it gets better.
Today, BoysMom: "So I was thinking I was going to get that whole dinner from the store, but I decided not to, because, you know, you still have to defrost it and heat it up."
I can't even discuss it any further. It's raising my blood pressure.
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Good grief!
I'm having about 20 people over and I have a little bitty kitchen, so I am using a few crockpots set up around the house. But everything is made from the beginning. I don't think I could do it any other way. I don't get the 'fast food' people at all.
I'm having about 20 people over and I have a little bitty kitchen, so I am using a few crockpots set up around the house. But everything is made from the beginning. I don't think I could do it any other way. I don't get the 'fast food' people at all.
I don't understand it, either. I hope I'm making up for at least some of those "let's buy dinner from the store" people by cooking a far-too-elaborate feast for just a few people.
So what is she planning to do if defrosting and reheating is too much work? What is happening is that we have a society of people who have no clue how to cook. There are plenty of people out there who have no clue where their food comes from beyond the supermarket.
I have to work a fire hall fund raiser for Thanksgiving but I am still coming home to cook for my parents and myself.
I have to work a fire hall fund raiser for Thanksgiving but I am still coming home to cook for my parents and myself.
hahaha
i'm sorry -- but the absurdity of that last message makes me laugh.
i'm lucky enough to get invited, but half the fun of thanksgiving is hanging out in the kitchen and taking part in the preparations. i'm in charge of a couple of dessert items and i'm tempted to show up early so i can make them there with everyone.
anyway, i'm sorry.
i'm sorry -- but the absurdity of that last message makes me laugh.
i'm lucky enough to get invited, but half the fun of thanksgiving is hanging out in the kitchen and taking part in the preparations. i'm in charge of a couple of dessert items and i'm tempted to show up early so i can make them there with everyone.
anyway, i'm sorry.
Seriously? No I mean it? Seriously?
I have never had anyone even suggest this to me, and I typically have 20-25 people for the holiday.
Now, not to say that sometimes I don't daydream about everything just being done, but that's usually when my feet hurt and my brother is being annoying. So, I just pour myself another glass of wine and sit down and wait to catch one of my nieces or nephews raiding the cookies.
I have never had anyone even suggest this to me, and I typically have 20-25 people for the holiday.
Now, not to say that sometimes I don't daydream about everything just being done, but that's usually when my feet hurt and my brother is being annoying. So, I just pour myself another glass of wine and sit down and wait to catch one of my nieces or nephews raiding the cookies.
Thanksgiving is pretty much my favorite holiday. It was the time of year I moved from Wisconsin to California many years ago--definitely something to be thankful for! So through the years I always had some sort of big feast. In the early days, lots of singles with no place to go, I think my folks came out once or twice. Lately though its a smaller and smaller group--now just my Siggy and me.
I'm totally with you on the process thing, I would start days ahead making stocks and pie dough and brined turkey and working like a maniac to get the "mise" done. It was a real feast. I'm not complaining, I love doing it. Everything from scratch.
This year I'm getting the takeout from Whole Foods. Why, you ask? The last few years its just been me and my Siggy and his teen daughters come over. They are "pizza-terians" (vegetarians that don't like vegetables.) I have tried in past years to accommodate to not much success. (No, we're not having pizza and nachos on Thanksgiving) Short of becoming a short-order cook (on a day the kitchen is slammed) I was at a loss. This year, I just really didn't want to do the whole thing for just us two. I suggested we dine out but our choices were already booked. So we're doing the Whole Foods thing. I'll let you know how it is.
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I'm totally with you on the process thing, I would start days ahead making stocks and pie dough and brined turkey and working like a maniac to get the "mise" done. It was a real feast. I'm not complaining, I love doing it. Everything from scratch.
This year I'm getting the takeout from Whole Foods. Why, you ask? The last few years its just been me and my Siggy and his teen daughters come over. They are "pizza-terians" (vegetarians that don't like vegetables.) I have tried in past years to accommodate to not much success. (No, we're not having pizza and nachos on Thanksgiving) Short of becoming a short-order cook (on a day the kitchen is slammed) I was at a loss. This year, I just really didn't want to do the whole thing for just us two. I suggested we dine out but our choices were already booked. So we're doing the Whole Foods thing. I'll let you know how it is.
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