There’s certainly nothing new about the idea of eating cheaply. My grandmother, it seems, could feed an army of kids with a cabbage, some potatoes, and a chicken. There were no “foodies” in her generation. They ate for nourishment and, occasionally, fellowship. As a society, largely dominated by a leisure class, however, we have lost sight of the fundamental principle that food is nourishment, not another manifestation of conspicuous consumption. One trade magazine stated that the proportion of the food dollar spent on food away from home rose to more than 46% in 2001, up from just 25% in 1955. (Restaurants USA, March 2001) This statistic doesn’t address the dollar amount spent on prepared or convenience foods which may add additional expense to the family food budget. The goal here is to reevaluate the way we look at food and its place within the budgetary realities facing families in uncertain economic times.
The so-called “Food-Stamp Diet” has been the subject of serious inquiry, empathy activism, and political grandstanding. Politicians, in an attempt to illustrate the plight of food stamp recipients, lived on crackers, cornmeal, and Ramen noodles for a week. They complained of feeling “lousy” and “tired”. No doubt! The author of one article observes, “If a recipient makes a single poor choice at the supermarket -- breaks a single jar in the kitchen -- she may go hungry for days.” A little melodramatic, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. (SF Gate, The Food Stamp Diet, June 8, 2007) Kat Kerlin does a much better job of planning than the politicians (no surprise) but still paints a very dim picture of her eating experiences. (Kerlin K., The Food Stamp Diet, Life on $5.00 a Day, Newsreview.com) These experiments, and others, have been done to illustrate the plight of the working poor with an eye toward reform. Laudable goals, but they do nothing to educate people on the mechanics of shopping, cooking, and eating within their budget.
I’m neither making an attempt here to address the problems of the working poor, nor do I hope to make any political statement. The goal is to educate people about good sound culinary principles, menu planning and execution, and maybe make my grandmother proud.
The so-called “Food-Stamp Diet” has been the subject of serious inquiry, empathy activism, and political grandstanding. Politicians, in an attempt to illustrate the plight of food stamp recipients, lived on crackers, cornmeal, and Ramen noodles for a week. They complained of feeling “lousy” and “tired”. No doubt! The author of one article observes, “If a recipient makes a single poor choice at the supermarket -- breaks a single jar in the kitchen -- she may go hungry for days.” A little melodramatic, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. (SF Gate, The Food Stamp Diet, June 8, 2007) Kat Kerlin does a much better job of planning than the politicians (no surprise) but still paints a very dim picture of her eating experiences. (Kerlin K., The Food Stamp Diet, Life on $5.00 a Day, Newsreview.com) These experiments, and others, have been done to illustrate the plight of the working poor with an eye toward reform. Laudable goals, but they do nothing to educate people on the mechanics of shopping, cooking, and eating within their budget.
I’m neither making an attempt here to address the problems of the working poor, nor do I hope to make any political statement. The goal is to educate people about good sound culinary principles, menu planning and execution, and maybe make my grandmother proud.
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