I know there are two Costco stores in Alaska now.
Three, actually. There’s two just in Anchorage.
In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
31–40 of 140 posts
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#32>Although this was a gourmet meal, in many ways it was just as great as the store-bought hot dogs and macaroni salad we had eaten together hundreds of times before; the quality of a meal is really a reflection of the company you share it with as well as the long process and coordination it takes to get everything on the table. This is such a strange phrase to me. I'm in the UK and it is always the case that processed…
> I'm in the UK and it is always the case that processed, mass manufactured food is looked down upon. UK food (with the exception of dishes imported from India) is some of the blandest cuisine I have ever tasted. I would probably prefer store-bought hotdogs, and boxed macaroni and cheese.
Seriously, though. There are Thai, Chinese, Mexican, indian, moroccan, Italian etc restaurants all within a few minutes from me. I've never seen a British restaurant. The closest you get is a UK themed pub, which just serves American bar food plus Guinness.
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yup. Exhibit A, found on this very site [0]: Cooking for one in the US with ingredients that aren’t laced with preservatives is incredibly expensive, especially if you live in a city. I found it to be the case even 6-7 years ago that it was cheaper to eat out every night than it was to cook. I was scratching my head at how so many people in the thread could possibly believe this, until I realized that they’re probabl…
If your sole metric is price, there is some very cheap takeout out there. And, yes, it may well be as cheap or cheaper than meals in the supermarket freezer section. But while some planning and a little work is needed, stick to cheaper proteins (chicken/pork), vegetables, and things like rice/beans and home cooking, even for one, can be pretty inexpensive and doesn't need to mean eating the same leftover stew for a w…
Yeah, I think people try to optimize their budget a little too much. I doubt everybody is barely making the cut to get any food. A lot are just lazy. Me included sometimes. Spend a few extra bucks, and get something that's less likely to give you cancer. The end result can be very satisfying when you're finished making it, and you don't feel like a pig afterwards.
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I was scratching my head at how so many people in the thread could possibly believe this, until I realized that they’re probably not actually cooking, but rather buying prepackaged meals and heating them up. I don't think that's the case. When a person can have an entire dinner meal at Taco Bell for less than $5, or jumbo hot dog + drink at Costco for $1.25 ... cooking at home is definitely more expensive. https://…
Buy ground beef, beans, rice, and tortillas in bulk (or even cheaper, make them yourself—it’s not hard!) and be smart about planning to use vegetables and other perishables efficiently across multiple dishes, and you’re going to be making Taco Bell menu items at home that are far superior to Taco Bell for much less than $5. Buying hotdogs, buns, and soda in bulk will probably cost ~$1.25 per meal, if not less. You ca…
We do cook at home a lot, but genuinely, if I have a lot of work of just have activities with kids outside of home, it adds overhead I don't want to deal with. I am not even sure it is more of mental overhead or time overhead, but the more I am stressed at given period the less I want to deal with counting and "being smart" about buying perishables.
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this has more to do with the breakdown of family. My family growing up (and now as the parent) ensure we sit down and eat together for breakfast and dinner. Home cooked from scratch 3-4 times a week fresh and left overs the other nights. I eat totally different foods than my parents cooked, but the community is key. My Wife and I got really good at making a few dishes from various cultures (Greek, Mexican, Ir…
Blaming "the breakdown of family" is a rather privileged view. Consider that in the US, wages for lower income families haven't kept up with inflation for decades. That means even when a family consists of two parents, there often isn't enough money to make ends meet, and one or both parents often end up working a second (or third) job. When you have both parents working more than 40 hours a week, are you really surp…
I don't know anybody's advocating for people to stay in abusive relationships. Maintaining the family structure means keeping a close bond with the people you love as much as possible. If they don't respect you enough, and you can't work it out, leave, and find someone who does respect you. And build a family bond there.
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
If your sole metric is price, there is some very cheap takeout out there. And, yes, it may well be as cheap or cheaper than meals in the supermarket freezer section. But while some planning and a little work is needed, stick to cheaper proteins (chicken/pork), vegetables, and things like rice/beans and home cooking, even for one, can be pretty inexpensive and doesn't need to mean eating the same leftover stew for a w…
Yeah, I think people try to optimize their budget a little too much. I doubt everybody is barely making the cut to get any food. A lot are just lazy. Me included sometimes. Spend a few extra bucks, and get something that's less likely to give you cancer. The end result can be very satisfying when you're finished making it, and you don't feel like a pig afterwards.
I admit there are evenings when I just don't feel like cooking at all--although a lot of the time I then realize it would be more effort/time to hop in the car and get takeout. I also admit that if I lived in a city and had good takeout options like decent Chinese within a 5 or 10 minute walk, I'd probably get takeout more.
I've been mostly working at home (or traveling) for years now but when I was going into an office, a had a repertoire of quick and easy weeknight meals--and others that I could make on weekends and give me one or two meals of leftovers.
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yup. Exhibit A, found on this very site [0]: Cooking for one in the US with ingredients that aren’t laced with preservatives is incredibly expensive, especially if you live in a city. I found it to be the case even 6-7 years ago that it was cheaper to eat out every night than it was to cook. I was scratching my head at how so many people in the thread could possibly believe this, until I realized that they’re probabl…
If your sole metric is price, there is some very cheap takeout out there. And, yes, it may well be as cheap or cheaper than meals in the supermarket freezer section. But while some planning and a little work is needed, stick to cheaper proteins (chicken/pork), vegetables, and things like rice/beans and home cooking, even for one, can be pretty inexpensive and doesn't need to mean eating the same leftover stew for a w…
[deleted]
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is nuance to all of this obviously, as with anything cultural, but in short - yes. Large swaths of the US population have been deprived of food culture for several generations now. There are many exceptions of course - Latino family bbqs in Southern California, or Cajun crawfish boils, are examples of food culture that’s well and alive that I’ve experienced personally. But you also have many Americans for whom…
Exactly this, I know many adults who almost never buy raw ingredients to cook for themselves. It is common & accepted to consume exclusively frozen food, packaged snacks, and takeout.
Not representative I'm sure, but early in the pandemic with offices closed, I saw more than one "Woe be me" comments from large tech employees bemoaning how they were going to manage with their office cafeterias closed.
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#39[deleted]
Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is nuance to all of this obviously, as with anything cultural, but in short - yes. Large swaths of the US population have been deprived of food culture for several generations now. There are many exceptions of course - Latino family bbqs in Southern California, or Cajun crawfish boils, are examples of food culture that’s well and alive that I’ve experienced personally. But you also have many Americans for whom…
Yup. Exhibit A, found on this very site [0]: Cooking for one in the US with ingredients that aren’t laced with preservatives is incredibly expensive, especially if you live in a city. I found it to be the case even 6-7 years ago that it was cheaper to eat out every night than it was to cook. I was scratching my head at how so many people in the thread could possibly believe this, until I realized that they’re probabl…
I live in NYC and you’re wrong. If you are cooking with meat and you insist on buying organic, then it is cheaper to go to a food truck than to cook for one.
Additionally, unless you meal plan very well, some of your ingredients are going to go bad; you can’t really purchase enough celery for just one meal.