My family has been doing something rather unique in this day and age: we cook dinner together every Thursday night. Granted that’s the way it was 15-20 years ago, but somehow it drifted away life an untethered boat. Everyone was too busy to make food, or too exhausted, or both.
It’s nothing grandiose. No, we’re not that skilled; I’m not that skilled. My roux is embarrassing. We have to rely on gravy starters and other cheats to get it done within an hour because of work. On the other hand, it’s much more wholesome than buying Subway, Quizno’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Captain D’s, KFC, Hot Head, Penn Station, Jersey Mike’s, Chipotle, Whattaburger, In-N-Out, Culver’s, Jimmy John’s, Lee’s Famous, Tim Horton’s, Sbarro, Wendy’s. Arby’s, Pizza hut, Papa John’s, Long John Silver’s, Steak and Shake, Arthur Treacher’s or even my beloved Chick-fil-a. I know I’m leaving some out, but you get the picture.
I peeled a simple white onion last night, and have yet to get the scent off my fingers. It has taken me decades to tolerate Allium Cepa in my food, and I’m still not totally thrilled with its sharp, sourish nature but it went into the roast preparation last night. I decided to go for a baked sweet potato, instead of mashed because I simply won’t eat instant anymore and don’t want to go through the rigmarole of making it.
Even with the mishaps, this is something worthwhile. It’s too easy to get tired of life.
Corvidae in the Fields 
One of my favorite things on earth is making dinner and sitting at the table for hours talking with people I enjoy. I was made to live in Europe, where everyone does this. MTM and I do it here, but it’s hard to have dinner parties and find people who like to do it, too. A great tradition, with a sweet onion smell. 🙂
Our family doesn’t stick around after mealtime. I know that’s more of a European thing, but would this be all bad for Americans? It might help with the isolation methinks.
It is a good thing to do, even if one’s family is crazy. I guess that’s all of us. Real food is better than your list.
The cashier at Kroger of all places told me that her son-in-law flipped out when he saw potato skin in the mash. Up until that point he had only had instant. It blows my mind.
You sure Honey Boo Boo isn’t filmed there? That’s like when Jamie Oliver (chef) asked the kids in West Virginia what vegetable their french fries came from, and they couldn’t answer. Skins are better in the mash! And isn’t that sad that we are so disconnected from the earth? I remember reading that it takes 5 oranges for us to equal the nutrients that just 1 orange would have provided our grandparents,due to soil nutrient depletion.
Wait, wait, what about getting Jersey Giant hoagies?
Out of Lansing? I think I’ve passed one before driving around up there, but I was caught up in the Fleetwood and Theio’s at 3:00 in the morning. Is this recommendation?
I love cooking. LOVE! I sit down every month and pick a labor intensive dish that I can freeze like perogies, samosa’s, meatballs and pot pies. I usually make enough that it lasts awhile, so I can always impress someone with my ability to come up with a fantastic meal in no time flat. I sure miss the small town dinners I used to do for friends. We’d all trade off who did it and every Friday we’d go to someones house. It was easy cuz it didn’t come around to you all that often. Just every couple of months and we would eat and sit and talk and talk. And where else can you try venison teriyaki or moose roast?
I know I’ve never met a samosa I hated. Moose roast sounds interesting, and I’ve had venison before. There’s some pride in turning simple ingredients into a full meal.