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In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

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Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#41

Post by freedomben »

tallanvor wrote: post #28
lettergram wrote: post #24

Earlier 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…

> Even in the case of "broken" families, a mother and her children that escape domestic violence are probably still better off overall, even though it's harder for them to make ends meet. I'm sure you wouldn't advocate that they stay in a harmful environment just to maintain the family structure?

I think you're reading into GP's comment a lot that isn't there. I didn't even see a value judgment in their comment, let alone a suggestion that a mother and child subject to domestic violence should stay in that environment purely for maintaining the family structure.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#42

Post by shagie »

MontyCarloHall wrote: post #17
belugacat wrote: post #13

Earlier 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…

The cost for cooking for one becomes evident when buying meat and produce (things that aren't shelf stable) in units small enough to do meal planing without significant waste.

There are things like the difference in the cost of a single, reasonable, serving of chicken. Buying a chicken breast is more expensive in price per pound than the family pack of chicken breasts or an entire chicken. Similar things with carrots (I only need 2 or 3 carrots for the meals I have in mind for the week) but instead have to buy the bag for $1 or $2 and rather than one of them for $0.10.

Next there's the issue with single meal variety. Back when I was living with my family, a meal would consist of several different items - some beans, a meat dish, something else. Cooking alone I can't prepare a wide enough variety for a single meal and hope to eat it all (and have the portions be something that is healthy to eat). If I want mashed potatoes to add some variety, I can't make it in the quantity that brings down the price to that of a potato... and so I'm getting single serving cups of instant mashed potatoes. The five pound bag of potatoes is difficult to eat before things start getting funky and buying potatoes in in the "select and bag" tends to be the organic variety which is much more expensive than that 5 lb bag per unit weight.

When buying meat and produce in units that a single person is going to cook before food waste occurs (and causes the effective price to go up) gets to the point where prepackaged frozen (and even weekly delivery!) meals become competitive on price and start having more of an advantage on individual serving variety.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#43

Post by jart »

belugacat wrote: post #13
SilverBirch wrote: post #9

>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…

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…

Have you ever been to a WaWas? It's like 711 in China. Gas station food is awesome in the U.S. As much as I love old country, for their wonderful culture, manners, and accent, but the worst food I ever ate in my life was in England. It's no wonder they chose an Indian dish as their national meal.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#44

Post by dkarl »

belugacat wrote: post #13
SilverBirch wrote: post #9

>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…

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…

It's amazing how strong this mental erasure of food is, to the point of overriding individual tendencies. I recently lent my car to a guy who is the epitome of do-it-yourself. He lives in a tiny house that he built himself, complete with electricity, running water, and sewage. He drives ancient cars because he would rather know how to fix every part of them than have an actually reliable car. He doesn't cut his own hair, but he does odd jobs for a friend in exchange for amateur haircuts. He works construction because making commitments longer than a month or two out undermines his sense of independence. He avoids getting medical care because it's something he doesn't understand.

So what's in my car when I get it back? A 7-11 pizza slice container. This guy doesn't cook -- at all. The guy who connects his own sewage line, who is so obsessed with relying on his own understanding and judgment that he won't go to the doctor, will put anything into his body, from any source, without question, as long as it's an easily recognizable form of food.

I wouldn't put too much stock in traditional foodways, either. The people who practice them are happy to do so on weekends and special occasions and are grateful for the easier option that fast food and frozen food provide them, because traditional foodways tend to assume that the people executing them are not working full time.

Traditional foodways that are resistant to change are a small step up from fast food anyway. With few exceptions, they're just as deadly to people who have sedentary lifestyles. The physically strenuous lifestyles and financial restrictions that made them make sense in the past are mostly gone.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#45

Post by thatfrenchguy »

MontyCarloHall wrote: post #17
belugacat wrote: post #13

Earlier 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…

This is not true, I’ve never been to a city in the US where cooking is more expensive.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#46

Post by ip26 »

lettergram wrote: post #24
belugacat wrote: post #13

Earlier 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…

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…

More broadly I point to the disappearing stay at home parent. It turns out young kids need to be in bed between 7:30-8:00 for enough sleep. Good luck cooking from scratch when neither parent is home before 6:00. (Ask me how I know)

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#47

Post by mhb »

burntsushi wrote: post #27
MontyCarloHall wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

This is roughly what I do (in the sense that I buy in bulk and freeze stuff), but note that it essentially requires you to not only purchase an extra freezer, but also run it and have the extra space for it. So this strategy does require some capital investment. It's not much, but I have friends that just couldn't do this. (Not necessarily because of the capital required, but because there is just no space for a free…

You really don't need an extra freezer to buy 3/5/10 pounds of chicken instead of 1/2 pound.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#48

Post by jandrewrogers »

belugacat wrote: post #13
SilverBirch wrote: post #9

>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…

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…

FWIW, when I lived in various parts of the rural US, the schools frequently served seasonal ethnically-congruous cuisine from local ingredients. By "ethnically-congruous", I mean reflecting the historical ethnicity of the population. When I lived in a small town in the middle of the US that was ethnically Czech, a fair bit of the food at school was also ethnically Czech, even though none of them were immigrants. Often made by local grannies. Same situation when I lived on the Palouse, where the local schools often featured the local agricultural ingredients. Notably lentils and peas; not common in schools generally but ubiquitously grown in that part of the Palouse.

However, when I lived in the cities, the bad school food you mention was endemic.

There is quite a lot of local cuisine and food culture around the US, most people don't bother to find it if they are just passing through.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#49

Post by jefftk »

shagie wrote: post #42
MontyCarloHall wrote: post #17

Earlier 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…

The cost for cooking for one becomes evident when buying meat and produce (things that aren't shelf stable) in units small enough to do meal planing without significant waste. There are things like the difference in the cost of a single, reasonable, serving of chicken. Buying a chicken breast is more expensive in price per pound than the family pack of chicken breasts or an entire chicken. Similar things with carrots…

> There are things like the difference in the cost of a single, reasonable, serving of chicken. Buying a chicken breast is more expensive in price per pound than the family pack of chicken breasts or an entire chicken.

This is something a freezer handles very well. Chicken that's been frozen before cooking isn't quite as good, but it's very nearly, and for many dishes you can't tell.

Re: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything

#50

Post by jefftk »

alberth wrote: post #21
MontyCarloHall wrote: post #17

Earlier 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…

> 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://…

Our household spends ~$670/month cooking for two adults, two children, and an infant (all meals). [1] That's $5.50/person/day ignoring the baby, and we're not trying to minimize costs (fresh fruit and veg, meat, etc). Cooking at home is more expensive if you count the time of the cook, sure, but not if you just compare dollar costs.

[1] https://www.jefftk.com/p/spending-update-2022

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