Store Bought vs. Homemade

I had an "intelligent" conversation with my mother's husband this afternoon about the virtues of making things on your own. While going over recipes in the file, my mother and I were trying to think of something sweet to bake. There were cakes, brownies, and cookies in the desert section; unfortunately we had very few ingredients with which to make such things.

Having nearly settled on chocolate cake we discovered that we lacked a few key ingredients, like powdered sugar for the chocolate butter cream frosting. We then suggested going to the market to buy some of the things we needed. Bob unwisely chose to then suggest that if he was going to the market, he would just buy a cake instead of baking it.

Now before I go any further, please let me explain. I don't really like Bob. I'm not saying that he doesn't have important qualities; I always turn to him when something needs mailing or the cost of a stamp comes up, but all in all, we have nothing intelligent to talk about.

While I am by far no expert on food, I am deeply in love with it. Not just in the eating of food, but the preparation of a great dish, the buying of ingredients, and the look on the faces of those eating what I have cooked. It is an experience to be enjoyed. Cooking for me is a labor that takes effort, planning, and love. Even when my back is killing me, or my feet are sore, and sweat keeps finding its way into my good eye, I love what I am doing.

I try to articulate this. It is never better to buy a desert for a lazy Sunday afternoon if you can make it yourself. Something pre-packaged that is so simple to make like a cake, pie, or brownies just tastes better when you do it yourself and can control what is in it. When I make cheesecake, there are no preservatives added, it's all flavor. When I make a quiche, it is a fresh, home made pie crust - I don't like using pre-made crust when I can do it myself and have it taste amazing.

Then Bob, foolishly, says: "You think you're like a real cook or something don't you?" As if this statement alone is not ignorant enough, he then says: "I can whittle but I don't think I'm a carpenter."

Here's what I should have said: "Well, Bob. I'm glad you can whittle, but other than copious amounts of tools and woodworking magazines you have no real talent for woodworking beyond the useless owl house you built over the course of a year. Whereas I am passionate enough about food and everything surrounding it that I am prepared to make a career out of it for the rest of my life. But by all means, please go back to eating packaged cupcakes on your break at the Post Office."

He then tried to argue with me that there was no way my Chocolate Cream Pie was better than what he'd been eating for fifty years at the local bakery. Well the reason he is wrong is proved conclusively by half of my co-workers, and Mischa's mom, asking me how I made that pie. When was the last time you walked into the bakery and asked, "How did you make that?"

When we buy something in the store it is convenient and sometimes it is very necessary. What was missed by Bob was the personal touch. He has no capacity to interpret what an individual can add to even the most rudimentary thing like a chocolate cake. I think it always tastes better when you add something of yourself to the food you prepare. Perhaps you can see my point of view, perhaps you cannot. Perhaps you think that cooking and baking is not worth the effort. I simply disagree. And since this is my blog...I can!

Cheers