Oudekki teadis Rentsi blogi kommentaariumis (otse linkida ei viitsi, järgnev jutt pole otseselt Rentsi teemasse) mainida, et USA's ei tee inimesed ise kodus algosadest toitu, kuna aega ei ole. See tõi kohe meelde Tom Laskawy jutu Not much convenience in "convenience foods", milles too vahendab ühe LA's tehtud uurimuse tulemusi.
Nimelt ei jõua poolfabrikaate kasutades lõuna lauale sugugi kiiremini, kui algosi kasutades. Või vähemalt ei ole vahe statistiliselt oluline. Ainus võit tuli niiõelda käsitöö, see tähendab algosade ettevalmistamise arvelt, kokku keskmiselt 10 .. 12 minutit söömakorra kohta. Sellal kui söömakorra valmistamiseks läks keskmiselt 39 minutit.
Laskawy poolt refereeritud uuringu üks põhilisi leide oli see, et toiduvalmistamine ise ei ole see peamine koht, millest inimesed ajasäästu ootavad:
This study illustrates, through observation of real families in real-life situations, that raw ingredients need not substantially increase preparation times. The menus and shopping strategies are likely to change with an increased emphasis on raw ingredients. Not all families (or individuals within families) want to prepare or eat such meals; they prefer the more complex menus that are possible, with the same time expenditure, using commercial foods. Others may find that fresh raw ingredients require more shopping trips or more planning than they can invest, or they may lack the cooking skills to prepare them.
That, my friends, is the very definition of “kitchen illiteracy.”
I draw a couple conclusions of my own from all this. First of all, education will indeed be an important part of any food reform. Increasing people’s comfort and familiarity with food, bizarre as it is to consider, is absolutely necessary. But there’s also this fact: if you offer consumers real, fresh food products which save 10 minutes in the kitchen, you just might change people’s cooking habits for the better.
Jõudsin Laskawy jutuni läbi Mark Bittmani blogi. Tema kommentaar, tsitaat tema kunagisest kokaraamatust, on ka üsna illumineeriv:
“’Convenience’ foods should, by right, be a thing of the past. Both preboxed macaroni and cheese and Pasta with Butter, Sage, and Parmesan take 10 minutes to prepare from the time the water comes to a boil. Both provide decent fuel for the body. One provides a genuinely delicious eating experience and a link to traditions older than collective memory. Why would anyone not choose the real thing?”
Mul on raske uskuda, et inimesed ei tee ise süüa ainult selle pärast, et neil ei ole aega. Seda enam, et Bittmani poolt mainitud või, salvei ja parmiesaniga pasta tegemiseks läheb tõepoolest kümmekond minutit. Proovitud, tulemus on täiesti söödav :P