Ready Meals

[Chairman Meow]

Two equally proficient cooks, working to the same recipe, will turn out different dishes. Some of this will be down to material variables, to be sure. I reckon some of the difference will also be down to the intangible differences between the cooks as people.

This is so true. I'm crap at pastry and my mate, who is a professional cook, can't bake to save her life. We tried to teach each other, and using identical recipes and techniques, my pastry was still crap and so was her cake.

 

[xenon]

Moroccan lamb.
I could go a big plate of that right now. Was my favourite dish in the college cantene.

 

[story]

Slight derail

I was in America recently and helped myself to some sunflower seeds that were in the cupboard of my host's kitchen. I was so unpleasantly surprised by the taste that I spat out the seeds, and looked at the label. I was astonished to see the listed ingredients: Sunflower seeds, sugar, salt, MSG, oil, flavours, preservatives etc.

 

[pogofish]

To be fair I didn't see any of the things in your list in the ingredients of the Moroccan lamb and chickpea casserole that I purchased.

In some circumstances, they can be considered as "production aids", not ingredients. In these circumstances, they don't need to be listed at all in the UK.

 

[Roadkill]

In some circumstances, they can be considered as "production aids", not ingredients. In these circumstances, they don't need to be listed at all in the UK.

Also, several of them can be subsumed under one name. 'Flour treatment agents,' or 'flour improvers,' for example, can cover a multitude of sins...

 

[mr steev]

Heinz for one. Many other brands also contain pork byproducts.

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure Heinz Baked Beans have 'suitable for vegetarians' on, which means they shouldn't contain cochineal. I've emailed them

 

[og ogilby]

you haven't once considered what someone has said which suggests what you want is for us to say "nooo that's fine, we're all kidding ourselves that our cooking is better than ready meals"

If that is what I have done, then I appologise to all the people who spend time cooking for the good of themselves and their families and have taken the time to try and explain to me why I should do the same.

I don't live off ready meals but I tend not to bother making anything that requires much preperation.

Tonight I will make myself baked fish, mash with no milk butter or salt added and a good helping of frozen veg. The ready meals are just handy for when I can't even be bothered to make something as simple as that, or I have run out of spuds etc.

I'm still not convinced though that the Moroccan lamb and chickpea casserole I bought wasn't reasonably good for me but I do concede that it would be even better if I had taken the time to prepare it myself.

 

[pogofish]

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure Heinz Baked Beans have 'suitable for vegetarians' on, which means they shouldn't contain cochineal. I've emailed them

They are listed as using Carmines on at least one of the food monitoring sites, although yes, as far as company policy on additives/production aids etc goes, Heinz are one of the best out there, with a longstanding commitment to natural products. They fairly cleaned-up Linda McCartney's act when they bought that line.

 

[pogofish]

Also, several of them can be subsumed under one name. 'Flour treatment agents,' or 'flour improvers,' for example, can cover a multitude of sins...

Yup, this too.

 

[story]

If that is what I have done, then I appologise to all the people who spend time cooking for the good of themselves and their families and have taken the time to try and explain to me why I should do the same.

I don't live off ready meals but I tend not to bother making anything that requires much preperation.

Tonight I will make myself baked fish, mash with no milk butter or salt added and a good helping of frozen veg. The ready meals are just handy for when I can't even be bothered to make something as simple as that, or I have run out of spuds etc.

I'm still not convinced though that the Moroccan lamb and chickpea casserole I bought wasn't reasonably good for me but I do concede that it would be even better if I had taken the time to prepare it myself.

Try making your mash with olive oil. It is teh win of yum.

 

[Chairman Meow]

Tonight I will make myself baked fish, mash with no milk butter or salt added and a good helping of frozen veg. f.

Well that sounds blandy mc bland! No wonder you're so keen on your Moroccan Lamb. Why don't you add some seasoning - if you are avoiding salt,why not add some herbs or something to make it a bit more interesting?

 

[aqua]

bake the fish with some lemon rind, some fresh ground black pepper and some parsley at least

potatoes won't mash the same without milk (why no milk?), you'll have crushed potatoes instead

frozen veg is OK, but I don't like lots of it as the texture can change, much prefer fresh

 

[og ogilby]

Thanks for the helpfull tips on how to make my food less blandy mc blandy but I have no problems eating it without any added flavours or spices. I can't see that the meal would be any better for me even if it would taste better.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I can't see that the meal would be any better for me even if it would taste better.

Well that's just it you see - food is not only about nutrition. It's about enjoyment and relationships with other people and all sorts of emotional things that go way beyond just fuelling your body. You can fuel your body with horrible "space meals" but it would be a miserable life

 

[mrsfran]

It makes me sad that you're not bothered about the taste

Back on the first page you said

The only real point to eating is to get nutrition out of the stuff you are eating. Otherwise you are just indulging yourself for pure pleasure.

You're absolutely right! It's one of life's greatest pleasures! And unlike some of life's other great pleasures, if you do it right then this one isn't going to kill you or get you pregnant. Why not take some joy from food and add some guilt-free good feeling to your life?

 

[mrsfran]

*stands next to Mrs Miggins*

 

[Chairman Meow]

I agree - how sad not to get pleasure out of food. That's like not enjoying sex, or nature or something.

 

[og ogilby]

It makes me sad that you're not bothered about the taste

And it makes me sad that food producers put all sorts of nasty shite in their products to cater for people who won't eat it unless they get an explosion of pleasure giving taste in their mouth.

Please don't get me wrong, I can and do get pleasure from eating but I know that pleasure can be dangerous if you're not carefull.

I'd love to have 20 creme brulees for my tea and then eat a full packet of chocolate buscuits with my brew every night of the week.

 

[mrsfran]

And it makes me sad that food producers put all sorts of nasty shite in their products to cater for people who won't eat it unless they get an explosion of pleasure giving taste in their mouth.

But home-cooking is joyous and pleasureful, and yet you seem to say you're not bothered if the fish and mash you cook is bland. That's what makes me sad. Why not take pleasure from the food you cook? That fish could taste wonderful with some lemon, the mash could rock with some herbs added - neither of which are going to make the food any less healthy. It's not dangerous when you know exactly what's in it because you've cooked it yourself. Why not take some pleasure from it?

 

[pogofish]

If you were eating that, I'd be worried about your health & suggest you get your blood glucose checked.

Your would probably never leave the toilet n'all!

 

[mr steev]

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure Heinz Baked Beans have 'suitable for vegetarians' on, which means they shouldn't contain cochineal. I've emailed them

I have just recieved a reply from them... a proper letter, on paper, with a signiture in ink and everything!
They confirm that they do not use cochineal/carmine in their baked beans. Not sure about their non-veggie products, but that doesn't concern me