Great article by Michael Pollan in The New York Times called “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch.” It is a discussion of the notion that while the Food Network and TV cooking shows are watched by millions, it may not be translating into more home cookery. That is a shame indeed. I continue to be both flummoxed and despairing at the constant drive toward “fast, easy and cheap” in today’s kitchen.

We have found time to devote hours to boxes with screens–computers, iPhones, iPods, televisions, etc.–but can’t seem to find the time to make a simple homemade soup?

I’ve said this before…COOKING is what separates us from the animals. It’s what makes us human. What are we losing when cooking amounts to opening a can here and tearing apart a box there?

My favorite quote in the article was this:

{Julia} Child was less interested in making it fast or easy than making it right, because cooking for her was so much more than a means to a meal.

I completely understand and empathize with that attitude. The article goes on to say that cooking, for Julia, was not about pleasing or impressing anyone. It was about the actual joy of cooking. I find cooking to be almost meditative. It requires your attention, your focus and your patience. And while I can be completely exhausted after preparing a meal, it’s a sense of satisfaction I get from few other things in life.