Ready-Made Products Can Be Bought
I am great at making lentils, but I never make lentils. Instead, I buy Trader Joe steamed lentils, which are more expensive than dry lentils, and feel oddly guilty about that. This feeling of guilt is, of course, stupid. Although pre-cooked lentils are twice as much as dried lentils, they still only cost three dollars. But it’s not about the price, it’s about the fact that, unlike dry lentils, I’ll end up eating those lentils .
Pre-sliced, cooked, and prepackaged foods have a reputation for being lazy, kitchen incompetent, and wealthy, but convenience is a grossly underrated kitchen tool. There’s a reason subscription food sets are so popular, and not because home chefs are bad and reckless.
There is no single right way to feed yourself. This is true in terms of diet and it is true in terms of food preparation. Any strategy that results in you nourishing your body at a lower cost is a valid strategy, and if it involves buying a tub of pre-chopped onions, that’s perfectly fine.
The reasons for wanting to buy pre-cut onions are many and varied. No matter how many bulbous YouTube videos some people watch, they might still find it bewildering. Plus, the bow hurts you physically! Chopping onions is a painful task and you shouldn’t be discouraged if you outsource it. It is the same with any other vegetables, fruits or animals. For example, have you ever peeled minced butternut squash? It’s horrible. Of course, there are things that can make things easier, but still it is not as easy as buying a pumpkin that has been peeled and sliced beforehand. If enjoying the hedonistic luxury of cooked vegetables makes you eat a vegetable – instead of, as in my case, McDonald’s – then that little extra money is money well spent, comrade.
Besides real money in dollars, there is time , and if life in a capitalist society has taught me anything, it is that “time is money” and that my time is best spent making money for other people. Another interesting thing is that for many of us, personal value has to do with how productive we are. While people need to eat to be productive, taking the time to peel and prepare healthy meals seems indulgent, and indulgence can lead to feelings of guilt. I say that even something as simple as feeding to stay alive can be difficult.
Then there is the question of personal pride. In this world of endlessly photographed food, making dinner may seem like a beauty contest, but it isn’t. I love culinary porn, but it helps to remember that the purpose of food is not to transcend the mutual, but to nourish you and (ideally) bring you joy in an increasingly unstable world. The aesthetics can be fun, but don’t be nervous about it – no matter how perfect the finish, you’ll just ditch it later.
At the end of the day, how you decide to cook dinner and which quick routes you choose are up to you. It is not a reflection of your skill. This is not a sign of idleness. It has nothing to do with your value as a person or as a home cook. It does n’t matter why you don’t want to peel pineapple, cook baby meatballs, or make your own tomato sauce. I don’t know why I don’t like to cook lentils, I just know I don’t want to. But I love eating lentils, and I also know that having pre-cooked lentils and pre-washed and sliced romaine in my fridge means I’ll be eating lentil salads for lunch, not Bologna sandwiches and American cheese sandwiches (which, honestly terrific, to say, but not the best in terms of nutrition). Eating at home is almost always a healthier and usually less expensive option, even if you don’t buy the cheapest possible iteration of each ingredient. So buy a bag of slough, bottled salad dressing, and frozen fries. They may be shortcuts, but they are shortcuts to happiness.