A basic culinary theology...

I pay a lot of attention to food and cooking. It's a very large part of my life. It means a lot to me.

Unfortunately, I've spent a majority of my time lately hammering out shitty food in a cafeteria setting. Sure, you can try to ensure the quality of what you are serving. You can attempt to take pride in your work. But ultimately, it's hard to be enthusiastic about a strata made from day-old biscuits, or a prepackaged perfectly round veggie-burger. So when I talk about the food that actually means something to me, make no mistake, this isn't the food I'm talking about.

You would be wrong to assume, however, that I'm passionate about high-end ultra-modern food either. I couldn't care less about what is occurring in the world of fine dining. Frankly, I find it to be pretentious and asinine. Granted, new ideas and cutting-edge trends are somewhat interesting, and I do try to keep up with what the big-name people are doing. Yet I don't foresee myself ever embracing that style as my own. It's not my thing.

Truthfully, what more can possibly be done? How many proteins can be seasoned with out of place spices like cardamom, chocolate, or coffee and delicately placed atop some random puree of fruit or vegetable? How many "paints" or "glues" can we make from assorted food items and artfully drizzle or brush around a plate? At a certain point, doesn't the fine-dining scene just become a fashion show? Where we can all see WHO can afford freshly imported langoustine lobsters served atop organic salsify, confit of Peruvian potatoes, and a roasted walnut gremolata?

You have to keep it honest.

Food is a human staple. A universal art form. Every culture on Earth has a cuisine witch reflects it's environment, history, and personality. Much as all cultures have music, dance, language, religion, story-telling, and social structure, they also have food. Cooking and eating are beautiful and special things. Many of us have lost sight of reality.

Spare me the molecular gastronomy and the imported luxuries. I don't need my plates to be "composed". If I can't eat the garnish, get it out of my face. I don't need any smoke blown up my ass.

Likewise, all chicken-nuggets, hydrogenated whatever-it-is, frozen meals, fish sticks, and general prepackaged poisons can be done away with also. No one needs to eat this nonsense outside of emergency situations.

Fresh. Seasonal. Local. Organic. Free-range. These are the things worth eating. Just don't get too excited and try to make visual art work. Solid cooking techniques and good seasoning will work wonders. Avoid the corporate food-monster and cook like humans have been cooking for centuries. That's all you need, and that's all I ever aspire to cook.

Study the traditional cuisines of South America, Spain, Italy, Northern Africa, and Southeast Asia. Study India if you are a vegetarian. All of these cultures excel at making delicious, one pot, family style meals which use available ingredients and excellent cooking technique. Many of them also use the entire animal being consumed, rather than just one specific portion of it as we Americans so often do.

Brazilian pumpkin stew. Spanish paella. African potjie or tagine dishes. Savory vegetable-based curries from India, sweeter rice-based curries from Thailand. Delicious Vietnamese Pho. I could name several from every region in the world, but you get the point.

I firmly believe that the best food is relatively simple, yet carefully and skillfully prepared. It should be served in a large quantity to a group of people. People who can laugh and love and enjoy the company of one another. And teach the children of the group to make the same things. This is the beauty of food. It can bring joy in the most somber of times, it can give us emotional relief, it can link one generation to another.

Food is a staple. A foundational part of culture and humanity. What does it say about a culture when they eat as Americans do? Walk through the isles of your local grocery store, and look at what surrounds you. It's a reflection of us. A painfully accurate reflection.

I'm not going to get too preachy. I'll let you all answer for yourselves. These are the questions at hand:

1) WHO is selling this to us?

2) WHAT is their motivation?

3) WHEN and HOW did this begin?

4) WHERE can we find an alternative?

5) WHY are we tolerating this?

I certainly have my answers...