Thought #1

Remember: In the beginning, cooking was simply a way to preserve and make whatever eatable things one had at the moment, into something that would nourish one’s body, hopefully taste interesting enough to make eating relatively enjoyable, while keeping it safe to eat until it had been eaten all up. Think of it this way, in the beginning people found or grew their produce that they harvested once a year or they killed an animal that had to be preserved until it could be eaten, there were no refrigerators with a freezer,… no cans, bottles, or plastic bags… and obviously, no internet with every food item from all over the world available on a whim… even in the countries where they are still living the way they were in the beginning…the home cooks of the world continue to experiment with the food they have available everyday… just like those of us that have every modern kitchen gadget at our finger tips.

I enlisted Peter and Rochelle because I felt I had experienced a problem with the measuring utensils currently being sold in 2010 in the USA, and now had some practical insights that I felt were important enough to shout from the roof tops. So next we will start with…What every “Cook’s Book” or cooking class should begin with…

Thank you for setting this up and for posting on my dashboard! Peter and Rochelle live down a flight of stairs and around the corner, from my new midtown Manhattan apartment. They are helping me discover and negotiate the incredible possibilities of internet communication and the print media market, in trade for food. I’m so grateful I met Peter in our laundry room because now I’m eating better, because I’m cooking better, because I found 2 appreciative people, that are willing to eat just about anything… with whom, I can share what I cook. And at the same time they are saving me from 1. having to eat the same thing all week long, or 2. having to put something in the freezer until it is unrecognizable enough, I can throw it away, or 3. gaining back the 25 pounds I worked so hard to burn up and get rid of. The bottom line is: food is just so much better when it is part of a shared experience, even if it is just a text message, a knock on the door, and a quick hug after a steaming pot of stew has exchanged hands. And that is what Cooking with Joy is all about… sharing…all of it… the whole experience… I hope you enjoy our adventure. Peace Love Joy

USDA’s Mixed Messages: Lose Weight! Eat More Cheese!

Republishing this from my neighbor Peter’s personal blog. He doesn’t often write about food there, but since this post does touch on our favorite topic, he was glad to share it here as well.

The New York Times has posted a doozie of a story about a $140 million federal program funded partly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote consumption of cheese. This from the same agency that also has programs encouraging Americans to eat healthier and reduce fat intake.

Let’s see, how many people can one story possibly tick off? Right-leaning folks concerned about wasteful spending? Check. Lefty organic food/slow food/health nut types? Check. (Maybe I’m extra attuned to the latter group’s sensibilities today since I’m writing from the San Francisco Bay Area, which my friend and host Lawrence Patrick described to me as home to several varieties of “original, hard-core militant” foodies.)

Beyond this story’s political troublemaking potential, I’d also recommend reading the full version for its several weirdly disturbing factoids, like this one: Americans now eat an average of 33 pounds of cheese a year, nearly triple the 1970 rate.

Damn, that’s a lot of cheddar — and not the good kind!

Eureka!

I just set up this new blog for my neighbor Joy, who loves to cook. I’ll let her tell you more about that shortly. Hope you enjoy her stories and tips.