Philosophy
Doing the dishes last night, it struck me how differently different people see food. To TheWife, for example, food is medicine. The purpose of eating is to change the body's chemistry and cooking is an apothecary's art, preparing something to correct and improve health. Foods make you sick or better and the point of cooking ought to be to create that which makes you better.
LilBro, on the other hand, sees food in a radically different way. He's a gourmet and to him food is an artistic medium. The point of food is to look and taste pleasing. Color, texture, presentation are all part of the experience in a way TheWife would not consider. The ingredients are paints on a pallet and the kitchen a studio.
A friend of ours in the army sees food as nothing but fuel. It's just what you put in he tank and he doesn't much care about the taste and isn't much concerned about the content. Eating is just something you have to do, so get it done.
Acquaintances we have at the organic co-op where we shop see food as a political tool. Eating is a way to change the world. When you buy food like non-organic produce or processed "food" like Kraft macaroni and cheese at a traditional grocery store from farmers who grow crops for major agribusiness megacorporations, they argue, it is tantamount to making a political donation to a conservative PAC. When you eat organic, local, and vegetarian or free-range non-vegetarian it affects the entire system and changes the state of the country.
For my Mom, food is a gift you give to someone you are cooking for or for yourself. It is a chance to pamper or indulge. It is an opportunity to take time out of your day to do something nice for yourself or someone you care for.
Other senses?
- Artificial Flavors
TheWife and I worked hard to keep the kids eating real food as long as we can before the larger cultural influences started exerting their unhealthy pressures. The less short of the short people had a class camping trip and on it, she tried soda. Come...
- Politics And Food
For our daughter's end of the year school picnic/pot luck I was making up a batch of hummus. As I was squeezing the lemons and limes (hint: for really good hummus, use both lemon and lime) , I asked TheWife whether she thought that the long-haired...
- Organically Grown Foods...big Rip Off?
I often thought it was a merchandising scheme. The Yuppies and nouveau riche bought it. "Organic food no better for vitamins and nutrients, suggests US study" Organic produce no more nutritious than regular food, say researchers, but it does generally...
- Organic Foods...no Better
Now science has offered an opinion regarding organic foods...no better and marginally nutritional as its counterpart. Was this nothing more than a marketing ploy? "Organic food is no healthier, study finds" by Ben Hirschler July 29th, 2009 Reuters ...
- Cooking...the Good And The Bad
"Cooking Has Been Both Boon and Bane for Humans" by Michael Wall February 13th, 2009 Wired Raw-food devotees take note: Your diet is not in any way natural. Humans are as adapted to cooking our food as cows are to eating grass, or ticks are to sucking...
Philosophy
The Meanings of Food
Doing the dishes last night, it struck me how differently different people see food. To TheWife, for example, food is medicine. The purpose of eating is to change the body's chemistry and cooking is an apothecary's art, preparing something to correct and improve health. Foods make you sick or better and the point of cooking ought to be to create that which makes you better.
LilBro, on the other hand, sees food in a radically different way. He's a gourmet and to him food is an artistic medium. The point of food is to look and taste pleasing. Color, texture, presentation are all part of the experience in a way TheWife would not consider. The ingredients are paints on a pallet and the kitchen a studio.
A friend of ours in the army sees food as nothing but fuel. It's just what you put in he tank and he doesn't much care about the taste and isn't much concerned about the content. Eating is just something you have to do, so get it done.
Acquaintances we have at the organic co-op where we shop see food as a political tool. Eating is a way to change the world. When you buy food like non-organic produce or processed "food" like Kraft macaroni and cheese at a traditional grocery store from farmers who grow crops for major agribusiness megacorporations, they argue, it is tantamount to making a political donation to a conservative PAC. When you eat organic, local, and vegetarian or free-range non-vegetarian it affects the entire system and changes the state of the country.
For my Mom, food is a gift you give to someone you are cooking for or for yourself. It is a chance to pamper or indulge. It is an opportunity to take time out of your day to do something nice for yourself or someone you care for.
Other senses?
- Artificial Flavors
TheWife and I worked hard to keep the kids eating real food as long as we can before the larger cultural influences started exerting their unhealthy pressures. The less short of the short people had a class camping trip and on it, she tried soda. Come...
- Politics And Food
For our daughter's end of the year school picnic/pot luck I was making up a batch of hummus. As I was squeezing the lemons and limes (hint: for really good hummus, use both lemon and lime) , I asked TheWife whether she thought that the long-haired...
- Organically Grown Foods...big Rip Off?
I often thought it was a merchandising scheme. The Yuppies and nouveau riche bought it. "Organic food no better for vitamins and nutrients, suggests US study" Organic produce no more nutritious than regular food, say researchers, but it does generally...
- Organic Foods...no Better
Now science has offered an opinion regarding organic foods...no better and marginally nutritional as its counterpart. Was this nothing more than a marketing ploy? "Organic food is no healthier, study finds" by Ben Hirschler July 29th, 2009 Reuters ...
- Cooking...the Good And The Bad
"Cooking Has Been Both Boon and Bane for Humans" by Michael Wall February 13th, 2009 Wired Raw-food devotees take note: Your diet is not in any way natural. Humans are as adapted to cooking our food as cows are to eating grass, or ticks are to sucking...