dsi1 wrote:
> The non-ironic
> title should be more properly be "The Joy on Having Some Other Person
> Cooking for You the Recipes in this Cookbook Cookbook."


Years ago, before I knew better, I was involved with a group that sought
to help people eat more healthily by giving lessons in cooking natural
foods. Silly me, I went with the idea that I'd teach people how to
cook. Little by little, it dawned on me that the other teachers all had
restaurants. They'd demo how something was made in their restaurant,
but the real agenda was advertising. It wasn't about teaching people to
do something for themselves. It was about convincing people that it
would be easier to have some other person cook this recipe for you.


Since then, I've seen the concept everywhere. All those do it yourself
shows on DYI and HGTV? It looks like they're showing people how to
simple and not so simple things at home. The reality is that people
watch the shows, then go to farm stores to demand the items ready made.
Martha Stewart? All advertising.


Me, I was naive enough to believe that the classes weren't supposed to
be advertising, but I suppose enough people have grown up with the
concept that they expect any book of instructions to be advertising.
They see the real Joy of Cooking and look around for the pre-prepared
product. I mean, for them, what else would a cookbook be for?


--Lia