Help me cook with anchovies

[BADGE OF HONOR]

[nostalgicBadger]

Seconded.

I haven't made Mac&Cheese from one of those blue boxes since my freshman year in college. I use a blend of either provolone and swiss or cheddar jack with bread crumbs and this stuff called 'Crazy Salt'. I have no idea what the average American family is doing, but everybody I know assembles most of their own food themselves.

[Bruno]

"Most Americans" may be a little bit of an exaggeration. The trend is definitely heading in that direction though.

[LMNO]

What trend?  The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?

[Bruno]

What trend?  The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?

No, the larger trend against which that trend is attempting to resist.

[LMNO]

I don't think I know about that trend.  SAUCE?

[East Coast Hustle]

What trend?  The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?

that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.

[Bruno]

Citation Acquired

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/foodreview/sep1997/sept97c.pdf

OSHI, September 1997. I'll try to find something more recent.

[LMNO]

What trend?  The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?

that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.

Does that include the State of New York, which banned transfats?

[BADGE OF HONOR]

There's a huge margin between food in a box and green fresh local organic free trade.

[East Coast Hustle]

What trend?  The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?

that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.

Does that include the State of New York, which banned transfats?

trends, as far as I know, are more a "from the bottom up" phenomenon rather than a state-imposed "from the top down" thing.

now, if other states follow NY's lead you could make the case that there was a trend of states banning transfats (I'd be more general and just say there was a trend towards nanny-state bullshit, but that's just me) but the reality is that aside from the upper-class and the upper-middle-class, most americans care more about convenience and price than things like "organic" or "free-trade" or "slow-food".

It's not a mindset I'm defending by any means, but there are alot more of them than there are of us.

[Triple Zero]

capers and anchovies seems a little redundant. I mean, how much salt do you need?

maybe we're talking about a different kind of thing, because capers are pickled flower buds (the small ones) or berries (the larger ones) depending on which part of the plant is used. there might be some salt in the pickling liquid, but to me they mostly taste sour, and perfectly complement fish in a pasta sauce.

(another good one is capers, canned tuna, sour cream, white wine and black pepper, for a pasta sauce. maybe a pinch of salt too)

(and yes ECH i know you think canned tuna is for heathens. i wouldnt ever compare it to fresh tuna, its just a different thing to me)

[Jenne]

What trend?  The "No transfats, organic, slow food, bio-organic, green" trend?

that trend is, unfortunately, confined to the approximately 3% of americans who not only can afford to shop like that, but who also give a shit.

Does that include the State of New York, which banned transfats?

trends, as far as I know, are more a "from the bottom up" phenomenon rather than a state-imposed "from the top down" thing.

now, if other states follow NY's lead you could make the case that there was a trend of states banning transfats (I'd be more general and just say there was a trend towards nanny-state bullshit, but that's just me) but the reality is that aside from the upper-class and the upper-middle-class, most americans care more about convenience and price than things like "organic" or "free-trade" or "slow-food".

It's not a mindset I'm defending by any means, but there are alot more of them than there are of us.

Sooooo much fuckin' tr00f.  Sad thing is, Everyone, that most people really reheat or unfreeze something godawful and fill their bellehs if they're eating "at home," and if they're NOT, then they are going out.  Period.

If you really think there's millions out there in US, poor and rich alike, who are cooking fresh, organic, etc. up a storm...well, got some bridges to sell you.  Don't believe me?  Look at where our health in general, and younger and younger mind you, is going.  We are fatter and have shitty hearts, and yet we have better health care than we've had in previous generations.

It's the cooking.  Or simply, the lack thereof.  The preprocessed, prepackaged CHEAP crap that people make in bulk and stuff down their gullets til they are near to puking is really the norm here, NOT the exception.

I'm amazed so many of you think it's quite the opposite.  Working people with kids just don't ALWAYS (and in fact probably do so less and less) take the time anymore to cook anything resembling good food that's good for you these days. 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/cookingtrends/cooking.html (old survey link 8 years ago marching the US towards eating out more often)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/10/earlyshow/health/health_news/main1034475.shtml (article saying Americans TRY to eat better, but usually fail)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/23/sunday/main4628085.shtml (article stating that only 57% of our meals are made at home)

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Not only that, but I've had some crazy conversations with people who don't seem to understand that cooking with nutritious whole foods doesn't require shopping at an overpriced organic hipster store. Safeway may not have organic everything, but they have raw whole foods that you can cook from scratch, and doing it that way is not only nutritious and tasty, but cheap cheap cheap.

Just like our foremothers used to do.

[Jenne]

It really amazes me how little effort actual cooking can TAKE, but I realize why folks are also just so tapped out of energy they can't even contemplate even trying or learning.  I think that's really the crux of it, actually:  the skills are not taught much anymore.  You have to really learn on your own, or fogeddaboudit.