On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:53:30 GMT
"Vox Humana" > wrote:
> >
> > I salute you for a fine response, RJ. Drinks are on me That recipe is
> > nothing that would prompt me to make it, but the poor OP sure got
> > lambasted for what I'm guessing she thought was a swell idea. What a
> > way to encourage a person. Keerist!
> > --
>
> Unfortunately the response didn't address the issue. The person who
> bakes from a mix is quite likely to already have the ingredients that are
> in the box. He/she already has the technology (measuring devices, bowls,
> oven, utensils, etc.) because you still have to prepare the mix and add
> other ingredients such as butter, oil, eggs, milk, and water.
<lots of good points removed for brevity>


It's an interesting sociological question. Some people blame it on the
haste in the modern world, which is obviously bull. If you can find time to
watch the evening news you have enough time to bake most anything. Some
people blame it on our impulsive, must have instant gratification society.
Which is also bull. Some people say it's just for convenience. Which is
probably bull. Some people blame it on daily stress and weariness, which is
a believable but poor excuse, and a symptom of another, related problem.

I almost bet it all on a girl who's experience with home cooking
involved margarine spread and 'eggs' in little plastic jugs. This family
did not so much cook food as assemble it from high level components and
apply heat.

I think she resented my look of bewilderment when she exclaimed that
what she had planned to make was not possible because the service deli at
the grocery store was closed and thus flattened chicken breasts were not
available. Just to offer an example.

Needless to say, next time i go meet some girl's parents (or visit her
home), I'm looking for an herb garden, evidence of tomato cultivation,
presence of a well worn stand mixer, an oven that will never truly be clean
again, that sort of thing.

I think these people just aren't interested in the craft or art of it
all. Some of them believe themselves too stupid to understand processes
that were in daily use 500 years or more ago, some of them just don't want
it.

They find themselves in a situation where they can't afford to eat out
every night and they're getting tired of the same frozen foods and macaroni
& cheese and -helper and bottled spaghetti sauce and cold cut sandwitches,
but they don't want to learn anything or develop any skills.

There is a resentment they feel toward us for the attitude and
sometimes condescension we show them. Can't blame 'em. But that doesn't
stop me from thinking of them as wimps.

Or, like my paternal grandmother, they were just sick of it after 40
years of cooking every day. No grandparent ever cooked me anything more
complex than an omelet. Granted, I feel like I'm a decade or more away from
matching that quality of omelet.

I'm tempted to recommend the 'recipe' to a vegan girl I know who makes
'brownies' by combining brownie mix and water. I can't decide if that would
be condescending or helpful of me.