The Chinsey Cook

Even the wealthy have had to forgo beluga in favor of sturgeon on the caviar market, so schlubs like us have to examine our food purchases carefully. Getting back to basics, cooking from scratch, and avoiding processed or instant foods are a quick way to save some money and not fall into the fast food fat-ass trap. True scratch cooking takes some time, but consider it an investment in family health, a potential decrease in medical bills, and nothing makes food taste better than the loving care of the family cook.

This hub will delve into the best ways to stretch the family dollar while not sacrificing everyone's health. 

I was making some biscuits this evening, part of the biscuits and gravy my wife will be taking with her to school tomorrow and I flashed on the memory of a documentary I'd seen. The film was entitled "How to Cook Your Life," and focused on Zen in the kitchen. The main subject of the film was talking about biscuits and how most folks think of the tube o' dough they can get at the market. Now I have used this myself, love hearing the pop when I smash the tube on the counter and the goo bursts out, but that was his point, what is the stuff in the tube? I is a gooey glop of machined food, man has distanced himself from the process of making the biscuits.

The biscuits I made were from scratch. They are easy to make, 3 parts flour, two parts fat, 1 part water will make a biscuit. Not a very tasty or light one, but it will do. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 4 teaspoons of baking powder, cut 2 tablespoons of shortening and two tabelspoons of unsalted butter into the mix and you'll have a great biscuit.

Beyond the ingredients there is getting your hands into the process, becoming part of the whole thing. Rubbing the flour into the butter and shortening quick as you can, before the butter begins to melt from the heat of your fingertips, wind up with a bowl full of crumbs, then adding a cup of buttermilk using a hand to bring the dough together. The textures, smells, and sounds are all part of the biscuit experience. Best of all you know where the biscuits came from, what went into them, and how clean the place was where they were made.

As a bonus rope the family into helping. All wash hands and then go to it, make a couple batches and freeze the ones you won't use right away. In too much of a hurry?  We're all busy, but the whole process only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, including the time I spent looking for the salt that turned out to be right in front of my face.Besides the biscuits taste better with all the love and care you put into them, the machine that ground out of tube of glop could give a tinker's damn about you or anyone. A little bonding time with the kids wouldn't hurt anything either.

Now, I am not asking anyone to convert to some Strange Eastern religion, or live in a cave eating only home grown lentils, just take a break from the Hamburger Helpless from time to time and put some of your soul into your food.