No, it doesn’t mean that, it means Home Meal Replacement, which sounds a bit like replacing your home with a plate of food but actually it is the trend in America and now, unfortunately, the trend in Europe. For so long I have loved mama talking about how the French and Italians love cooking from scratch, love their open markets, love going “bio”, as they call it here, love getting together to have Sunday lunch or any lunch, for that matter (lunch is big here, bigger than dinner, which is why Europeans were skinnier than Americans for so long), and today, well, this is what happened to make mama think that ready-foods are coming into fashion here:
Mama went to the huge supermarket near us to get basics and some coques (little clams) for a spaghetti and coques lunch, which is one of papa’s favorites (spaghetti with clams on most menus) and what did she see? A complete revamp of the market, thereby confusing both anthros as to where anything was since they were used to the old one for years and then whammo—CHANGE. But the worst part, in mama’s view, was that the take-out section looked as if it had tripled and not just in the supermarket but all over this part of the Pyrenees there seem to have sprung up rotisserie places where you can get roast chickens with potatoes at a very good price. But still…
Actually, I have to admit that when one of those chickies hits out table, I am drooling all over everyone including myself and mama along with me, haha. But seriously, folks, is the whole world turning to ready-made-foods and giving up learning to play the pots and pans?
Well, mama certainly hopes not, if only because of the joy she has felt cooking for friends and family. I don’t think mama would know what to do if she couldn’t cook every day and think up new things and whip up cold tomato soup in the summer and curries in the winter and make focaccia with fresh rosemary just to make the house smell nice!
Ah, well. To each his own. Some people love to cook and others just don’t give a hoot and would love to eat take-out every day. And there are some very, very good take-out places in all countries now, but still…
Stirring a fragrant pot of anything makes one’s mind work smoothly. And mama says she gets her best ideas in the kitchen.
Like how to give me a little special something later because I’m such a nice kitty. Things like that. Deep thoughts. Maybe I’ll help her with the roast chicken later that she did not buy at the store ready-cooked!!!
Mama’s naked lunch, ready for the oven! I’m waiting patiently…
Sort of…
We are drooling and we just ate a short time ago. That looks so yummy!
Well, I have to admit that mama does go for the already-roasted chickens sometimes at the supermarket. They’re cheap and really good.
Oooh, I especially love Italian and southern, but around the world is fine with me. Do let us know when your cookbook is out and how to get it! Please!
Well, you will certainly be one of the first to know. Thank you! I have to touch up the catnip recipes first…
The service that ships you all the ingredients in one box and instructions how to cook is: 1. expensive. 2. can’t really substitute ( ruins spontaneous cooking). 3. you can’t pick your own veggies, etc. and probably your own spices. Oh my, the list goes on and on. At least it gets people in the kitchen, but is about as boring as watching grass grow. And probably tastes like it.
There is something about your own veggies and meat in your slow cooker, your own bread baking, your own spices, your own recipes, some handed down for generations….
I’m sorry, it’s lunchtime and I need the kitchen!
Stop showing highly edible foods! Who am I kidding. MORE! MORE! You are inspirational!
Well, mama has two cookbooks under her belt and is working on a third with recipes that she feels are the best of their kind–meaning to mama, simple, easy, tastes better than any other recipe like it, etc. But it’s not out yet. You won’t need any cookbook but that one, she hopes. It covers Chinese, Indian, Italian, French, Japanese, and southern cooking. She has just tried to really simplify each of her recipes so that anyone could follow it and be successful. I help her all the time…especially with the fish things.