Chop Onion, Boil Water

Whenever we went out to dinner with my grandmother she would often look at the menu or the meal that came out and say something along the lines of, "I can make this at home for half the price and give you a portion twice the size." My father who wanted to treat my grandparents to dinner at a nice restaurant often felt like she did not appreciate the gesture when she would comment on the price of the meal. As a kid I laughed a bit at the situation, but as an adult I have adopted a similar attitude. I might not say it out loud, but I can't eat at a restaurant without thinking about how much cheaper I could make the same meal at home. 

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against restaurants, provided they are not some kind of corporate chain. I worked in restaurants when I was younger and I know many people who still do. I enjoy a meal at a good restaurant when I travel, or want to treat myself.

Although it seems like a very simple act, cooking has a great number of benefits. As my grandma Josie pointed out, it is simply cheaper to cook meals from scratch instead of getting them from a restaurant or buying processed food from the supermarket. The restaurant needs to make money to stay in business, so even if they buy in bulk they will still charge you more than the cost of the ingredients needed to make the meal because they need to pay for all the expenses that go into running a restaurant (wages, rent, utilities, promotions, etc.) and try to make a profit on top of that. When you buy processed food you end up paying for the processing, packaging, marketing, and advertising. Not to mention the huge markup that makes processed food so profitable for the big corporations that sell it.

If you cook the meal yourself you cut out the middleman and only pay what it costs you to buy the ingredients. Sure it will take some time and work on your part. But as I pointed out last week, contrary to popular belief cooking a great meal does not necessarily require a lot of time or effort. You can cook a delicious and nutritious meal in as little as a half hour if you know what you are doing. Like anything it takes some practice, but once you get a feel for the process you will find yourself cooking more and feel unsatisfied by takeout and processed food.

Some people might find this last statement hard to believe. If you usually pay someone else to make your meals, you might not have a lot of confidence in your culinary skills. But if you put in the time needed to learn, you too can make meals that rival what you usually order at a restaurant. My wife has little desire to eat in restaurants, because with few exceptions, she knows she can get a better meal at home. Unless it is a very fancy restaurant (think white table cloths and Michelin stars) or a very exotic cuisine, I can make it bigger, better, and cheaper at home. For instance, a lot of people like to treat themselves to a steak at a fancy steakhouse. But I can cook a grass-fed steak and some excellent sides for a fraction of what a piece of factory farmed meat costs in a nice restaurant. It is not cheap and I consider it a treat, but compared to what some steakhouses charge it is a bargain. This same principle applies to processed food. I used to buy granola bars for a quick snack. Since I started making my own I have not only saved a lot of money, but even the best store bought bars pale in comparison. My wife says I have spoiled her and turns her nose up at packaged granola bars (the recipe will be up in the coming weeks, so stay tuned). 

Cooking at home also gives you the opportunity to eat a lot healthier. For instance, my granola bars have a lot more oats and a lot less sugar than store bought granola bars. In fact they have less sugar than most homemade recipes I have tried. They also don't contain any preservatives or chemicals additives I can't pronounce.

Cooking from scratch puts me in direct contact with the literally raw ingredients of food. This has made me take a greater interest in where my food comes from. If you follow this thread as I have, you might find yourself joining a CSA, shopping at farmer's markets, eating local produce when it is in season, and growing or preserving food at home. All of this makes you less dependent on the industrial food system and more prepared for when it starts to become too expensive or disappear altogether. It also gives less money to giant corporations who sell processed food. 

I find cooking and eating an almost spiritual act. As omnivores, one of the major ways human beings interact with our environment is through metabolizing the things we ingest. All the foods we eat nourish us in different ways, just as these foods require different things to grow. Learning about these processes enriches our understanding of ourselves and our environment. It helps us better understand our interconnection with the rest of the natural world.

I leave you with a homework assignment:  think of an item you usually buy from the supermarket. Find out how to make it yourself, either from a book or from a recipe on the internet. Then make it. I'm thinking along the lines of condiments and fermented foods, but feel free to make whatever excites you.  

If you don't know where to look, or don't feel like sifting through recipes online I suggest The America's Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook. The book has condiments and pantry staples like ketchup, mustard, and siracha. It has dairy like cheeses, yogurt, and creme fraise. It has pickled foods, candies, jams, jellies, preserves, cured meats, smoked fish, crackers, and even recipes for brewing beer.