# A Plea for Culinary Modernism: Why We Should Love New, Fast, Processed Food



## GotGarlic

A Plea for Culinary Modernism, by Rachel Laudan, PhD, food historian.

Discuss.


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## PrincessFiona60

Thanks for sharing that, GG!


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## taxlady

Interesting history perspective. I hope she doesn't think I'm a Luddite because I want my food to be made of food.


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## PrincessFiona60

I don't think you would be considered a Luddite, you don't grind your own flour.  You order out at your convenience, you just pick the healthier alternatives.


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## Addie

taxlady said:


> Interesting history perspective. I hope she doesn't think I'm a Luddite because I want my food to be made of food.



I hear ya! I know, my kids think I am behind the times. But they never fail to ask for that apple pie when then drop off their apples that they picked themselves. 

I am one of those cooks who enjoy their time in the kitchen. Always have. Sure, when the kids were small, foods of convenience could be found in my pantry. But I knew if I started early enough in the afternoon, I could sit watching the soaps while shelling peas, or snapping green beans. But I also had frozen and canned ones on hand for those days when I started late. Baked mac n  cheese? Always made from scratch. My kids did not like the boxed stuff. Can't say that I blame them. Yeah, my family like food made from real food. Not chemicals.


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## taxlady

I have nothing against convenience food, as long as it's made of food. We have some Indian curries that just need to be heated. They are made of food and nothing else. Love 'em.


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## Addie

taxlady said:


> I have nothing against convenience food, as long as it's made of food. We have some Indian curries that just need to be heated. They are made of food and nothing else. Love 'em.



If I can find it in the refrigerator section of the supermarket, I can be pretty sure there are fewer chemicals or preservatives in the food. Foods like cream cheese, salsa, milk, cheeses, etc. Meats are a different story. I do buy canned sliced beets and petite peas. The only thing added is salt. (I hate unsalted canned veggies!) Ice cold from being in the fridge, drained, mixed together and some Hidden Valley dressing, and I have a great healthy snack. I do have some Wheat Thins, and other snack foods of the like. But I still have one box that I have yet to open. I bought it in July. I am not one to snack on carbs. But the snacks I do choose again, have very little chemicals. I presently have a box of Cheerios. I pour them in a bowl and eat them dry. 

Like you said, "I want to eat food!"


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## Aunt Bea

I guess I have a foot firmly planted in each camp.

I think that we have gone through the better living through science phase and now we have sufficient information to grow, harvest, deliver and if necessary preserve foods in as close to a natural state as possible.  Now it is time to start raising the ethical standards of the world's food producers and processors.  We also need to make a shift in our own priorities as consumers, nutritious food and clean water should be more of a priority than a 60 inch flat screen television or a pair of designer jeans.   We need to put the  quality and safety of our food supply ahead of price.  I think over time the increased costs for food would be offset by lower costs in healthcare.  These things always seem to take at least a generation to make a real change.  Look at the simple changes we have seen in our own lifetime, things like seat belts, helmets for bicyclists, ending smoking etc...

I'm done rambling and ranting, for now!


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## Addie

Slowly, but surely we are getting there Aunt Bea. Look at all the rivers we have cleaned up. Companies can no long just dump their waste material any place they choose to. We have learned about runoff of pesticides from farmlands into rivers. More and more farmers are turning to organic farming. Now if we could just get the beef industry to stop feeding corn and grain to the cattle, then we would have healthier animals for our meals.


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## bakechef

I for one think that it is a good thing that people are beginning to connect to their food again, being educated about what's in it.  

I have a friend that is a bit of a food snob, she buys all of her meat from whole foods, spends $30 on a single chicken from a local producer etc..  She preaches how much better her choices are, but never fails to mention that she's a stay at home mom with a wife making a six figure income.  I think that it is great that they can do this and easily afford it, but the attitude that everyone can and should shop like her is a bit off putting.

I worked with a lady that was in her late 50's and the thought of organic food disgusted her, she actually told me that she's rather eat food made with chemical fertilizer than poop...  She's from the "better living through science generation".  That's OK, but it shows how disconnected an entire generation has become from food.

Yes I do buy some processed foods, I have fairly strict criteria on what I'll buy and as others have said, they must contain only food.  I don't have the time to make everything, I really don't know anyone who does.  I don't have the grocery budget to get everything free range, local, organic, etc.  I really try to make the best choice within my budget.  I think that I actually do a lot better than a lot of people.


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## bakechef

Aunt Bea said:


> I guess I have a foot firmly planted in each camp.
> 
> I think that we have gone through the better living through science phase and now we have sufficient information to grow, harvest, deliver and if necessary preserve foods in as close to a natural state as possible.  Now it is time to start raising the ethical standards of the world's food producers and processors.  We also need to make a shift in our own priorities as consumers, nutritious food and clean water should be more of a priority than a 60 inch flat screen television or a pair of designer jeans.   We need to put the  quality and safety of our food supply ahead of price.  I think over time the increased costs for food would be offset by lower costs in healthcare.  These things always seem to take at least a generation to make a real change.  Look at the simple changes we have seen in our own lifetime, things like seat belts, helmets for bicyclists, ending smoking etc...
> 
> I'm done rambling and ranting, for now!



I agree.  It would probably shock people to know that today we spend a much smaller percent of our income on food compared to the previous generation.  I read somewhere that 50 years ago the average was 18% of the household income was spent on food, today the average is somewhere around 10%.  

We have a whole lot more luxuries today and food seems to have taken a back seat to those.  Monthly smartphone bills, lots of technology, families with 2 cars and 2 car payments, much larger houses, utility bills to keep them climate controlled etc...  Don't get me wrong, I really embrace a lot of these things myself, but I wouldn't start eating $1 pot pies and canned soup to maintain the luxuries!


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## taxlady

Aunt Bea said:


> I guess I have a foot firmly planted in each camp.
> 
> I think that we have gone through the better living through science phase and now we have sufficient information to grow, harvest, deliver and if necessary preserve foods in as close to a natural state as possible.  Now it is time to start raising the ethical standards of the world's food producers and processors.  We also need to make a shift in our own priorities as consumers, nutritious food and clean water should be more of a priority than a 60 inch flat screen television or a pair of designer jeans.   We need to put the  quality and safety of our food supply ahead of price.  I think over time the increased costs for food would be offset by lower costs in healthcare.  These things always seem to take at least a generation to make a real change.  Look at the simple changes we have seen in our own lifetime, things like seat belts, helmets for bicyclists, ending smoking etc...
> 
> I'm done rambling and ranting, for now!


I heartily agree.


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## no mayonnaise

taxlady said:


> Interesting history perspective. I hope she doesn't think I'm a Luddite because I want my food to be made of food.



I don't understand what you mean by "I want my food to be made of food."


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## taxlady

no mayonnaise said:


> I don't understand what you mean by "I want my food to be made of food."


It means I don't want a bunch of weird additives.


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## Mad Cook

Addie said:


> Slowly, but surely we are getting there Aunt Bea. Look at all the rivers we have cleaned up. Companies can no long just dump their waste material any place they choose to. We have learned about runoff of pesticides from farmlands into rivers. More and more farmers are turning to organic farming. Now if we could just get the beef industry to stop feeding corn and grain to the cattle, then we would have healthier animals for our meals.


It isn't the corn and the grain per se. It's what "they" add to them - growth hormones, antibiotics, etc., etc.


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## GotGarlic

Mad Cook said:


> It isn't the corn and the grain per se. It's what "they" add to them - growth hormones, antibiotics, etc., etc.



Preventive antibiotics are definitely a bad idea. Bovine growth hormone, though, has no effect on humans. When taken orally, it's broken down by digestive enzymes and rendered inactive. The U.S. government once performed an experiment using bovine growth hormone to try to treat dwarfism. It had no effect. 

Food Safety Fact Sheet: Bovine Somatotropin in Milk



> Effect of BST on Humans
> An early test of bovine growth hormone was as a possible treatment for children suffering from hypopituitary dwarfism. Although the bovine hormone was injected in large doses, it did not affect the children. An extract from human pituitary glands was successful. There is not enough similarity between human and bovine growth hormone for bovine produced growth hormone to cause desirable or undesirable effects in humans.


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## Addie

Corn and grains are not natural foods for cattle. They are grass animals. When the cattle first enter the "fattening up system", they refuse to eat. It is only a week later when they are really hungry that the will approach the feed trough. If you hold a cattle in one of those pens long enough eating corn, they will die. And you would be surprised at how many do. They are quickly scooped up and sent to be processed. You would be surprised at how many cattle farmers only eat grass fed animals.


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## cave76

When talking about what cattle produce for our tables now (agribusiness) if labeled 'grass-fed' then it's supposed to be raised on pasture grass and never 'finished' with grain or corn. (I'm not sure how that's regulated, though---- just like cage-free??)

But back in the day----- range cattle fed on grasses that eventually matured and there was plenty of grain associated with those grasses: oats, rye, wheat etc. That was 'natural' food for them at that time.

Now, because animals raised on one type of food are suspicious of anything else----- I'm sure cattle in feed lots would avoid grain until they were really hungry.


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## taxlady

cave76 said:


> When talking about what cattle produce for our tables now (agribusiness) if labeled 'grass-fed' then it's supposed to be raised on pasture grass and never 'finished' with grain or corn. (I'm not sure how that's regulated, though---- just like cage-free??)
> 
> But back in the day----- range cattle fed on grasses that eventually matured and there was plenty of grain associated with those grasses: oats, rye, wheat etc. That was 'natural' food for them at that time.
> 
> Now, because animals raised on one type of food are suspicious of anything else----- I'm sure cattle in feed lots would avoid grain until they were really hungry.


You make some good points. How do we know it was actually grass fed. We could start certifying, but that's a real PITA for the farmers - ask any organic certified farmer. The certification also adds to the cost. I wish we could just trust them.

I hadn't thought about the fact that range fed cattle must have eaten some grain. It's probably better for them in smaller quantities.

And about animals being suspicious of a new type of food. I have the perfect example in my home. My cat won't eat raw food, even though he ate every mouse he caught and I sure as heck didn't cook them for him.


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## cave76

I was just reading (Internet) on certification for Grass Fed but a friend is going to drop by  so that's something that will have to wait. (Did I mention that I'm really nosy?)

Wild animals being 'suspicious' about new foods probably saved their lives. But a spoiled kitty? LOL But if you really loved your cat you'd cook the mice for it!

Talk about food and animals/fowl---- I had the enlightening experience of brooding some turkey eggs once. That was the easy part.

When they hatched I had to teach them to eat and drink water. (Turkey's aren't noted for their IQ) No mother hen around to teach them I had to wad up bits of aluminum foil and put in the water feeders. They would peck at the foil (too big to swallow) and discover---- Hey! this water is GOOD.

Same thing with the turkey mash. Oy, the joys of being a mother.


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## Twixmixy

I think that it is inevitable that we are beginning to look at all these chemicals and non-food substances in our food and getting p*ssed off about it being there when the front says "all natural".

I'm 28 years old and I've been sick since I was a teenager and in the past few years I've come to find that it is because of food that I've been sick. Chronic illnesses and cancers are not just for the elderly anymore. We are getting them at all ages and I honestly believe that the biggest reason for this is because of the food we are consuming.

It's pretty frustrating that we almost have to earn a degree in food/nutrition/science to figure out what we need to consume on a daily basis.

Anyways, I'm happy to be on the path of healing and enlightenment. If I had never gotten sick, I never would have gone down this path. So I'm glad because I love food and I love cooking and I love the passion that comes out of me when I get to cook for others.


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## GotGarlic

Twixmixy said:


> It's pretty frustrating that we almost have to earn a degree in food/nutrition/science to figure out what we need to consume on a daily basis.



You don't, really. Just eat more whole foods than pre-made or packaged foods and you'll be all right. Don't pay too much attention to media reports about food and nutrition research. In the end, most studies say they need more studies to be sure.


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## Twixmixy

cave76 said:


> When talking about what cattle produce for our tables now (agribusiness) if labeled 'grass-fed' then it's supposed to be raised on pasture grass and never 'finished' with grain or corn. (I'm not sure how that's regulated, though---- just like cage-free??)
> 
> But back in the day----- range cattle fed on grasses that eventually matured and there was plenty of grain associated with those grasses: oats, rye, wheat etc. That was 'natural' food for them at that time.
> 
> Now, because animals raised on one type of food are suspicious of anything else----- I'm sure cattle in feed lots would avoid grain until they were really hungry.



Actually they will go for the grain first, I believe, just because it has a higher sugar content and is more "satiating" - however they would mostly eat grass because that's what was mostly around. If there is grain in the next field they will often push against the fence so they can reach the grain (or if it's a more delicious grass, etc.)

Just like all of us. We will go for what FEELS like we are getting more nutrition out of first. That's why we've generally become a culture that pursues grains and sugars. It really does feel better to eat those things. Our brain tells us "YESS more of that!!", when in the past we would have rarely had access to these things so we would have to return to veggies, meat/game, etc.


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## Twixmixy

GotGarlic said:


> You don't, really. Just eat more whole foods than pre-made or packaged foods and you'll be all right. Don't pay too much attention to media reports about food and nutrition research. In the end, most studies say they need more studies to be sure.



And that's really where I've landed with life  because I don't trust the processed foods out there. But I like to know WHY about these things, so I read up on as much as I can.


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## GotGarlic

Twixmixy said:


> And that's really where I've landed with life  because I don't trust the processed foods out there. But I like to know WHY about these things, so I read up on as much as I can.



I do, too, and there's certainly a lot to read!  I do try to make sure my sources are reliable, though. There's a lot of junk out there.


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## Addie

Mad Cook said:


> It isn't the corn and the grain per se. It's what "they" add to them - growth hormones, antibiotics, etc., etc.



When our cattle are delivered to the feed lots, it is to fatten them up for slaughter. They are fed corn which all the additives are added to. Corn is not a natural food for beef animals. When they are first put in the pens and the truck comes along to fill the feed troughs with corn, they don't eat for the first few days. It is not their natural food. They are grazing animals. And they don't graze corn. It is only when they really become hungry that the cattle will start eating the corn. It is too expensive to feed thousands of cattle in the pens alfalfa and other grains. And they don't fatten up as fast as when fed corn. 

The lucky folks are the families that have only a couple of cattle that they raise for slaughter. Those cattle are strictly allowed to graze for a longer time and then slaughtered for their freezer. Then they purchase a couple more calves from a farmer or rancher that is culling his herd and start the process all over again. Every animal on that farm or ranch serves a financial purpose for the family.


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## AnthonyJ

taxlady said:


> I have nothing against convenience food, as long as it's made of food. We have some Indian curries that just need to be heated. They are made of food and nothing else. Love 'em.



Masala, apple sauce (ingredients: apples, cinnamon.) and chopped garlic are the only processed foods I buy. 

Pro tip for the younger guys: Learn how to prepare (from scratch) and cook food. It's a great way to spend quality time with a woman and (BONUS) will earn you a big bag of brownie points. 

We make a big deal most of the time about meal prep, excluding times when my son hasn't napped. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Then again, I grew up in a household where most meals were made fresh, especially at Nana's house.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sp-VFBbjpE


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## Cooking Goddess

Coming to a store near you, SLoB!






https://www.soylent.com/


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## Aunt Bea

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sp-VFBbjpE




I wonder if Lincoln knew what was coming!  _"of the people, by the people, for the people,"  _


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## creative

It's possible to have/cook/eat fast food without it being processed..._stir fries_ spring to mind with chinese noodles (the noodles taking all of 3-4 mins).

Pizza is another one, e.g (for fast food) spread topping on bought bases.  

I don't use them but microwave ovens make unadulterated/fresh food available fast (i.e without it being processed).


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