One of my small passions is watching infomercials on Saturdays. There is something simply mesmerizing about the sheer enthusiasm of the salespeople that are promoting various gadgets.
I never even buy anything that is pitched on an infomercial, I just enjoy learning how awful my life is without [insert product] and how much better it could be if I had [insert product].
Unsurprisingly, many infomercials are geared towards selling cooking gadgets. It makes sense really, everyone has to eat on a daily basis, and the ability to cook things well has been steadily diminishing ever since your mother didn't want to listen to your granny's cooking advice. Either that, or our fast-paced 21st century lifestyles just don't allow us to slave in the kitchen for hours to cook a glorious meal.
Cue a entire industry of scientific innovation geared towards giving average people like you the ability to cook wonderful things. Great, right?
Well, I think not. Join me in my thought process of infomercial watching this past Saturday.
The product being advertised the other day was a sort of George Foreman Grill type thing that "could sense the type of meat being cooked AND the thickness, cooking it perfectly EVERY TIME!!!"
You know what else can cook things perfectly? Pretty much anything.
Photo Credit Gloria Cabada-Leman
Of course, this peaked my interest, because I've definitely overcooked a chicken breast (or two or three) into a dry, flavorless bicycle seat, and I'm sure you have as well. The ability to get moist, succulent chicken EVERY SINGLE TIME would no doubt be God-like.
Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that this product actually works (spoiler alert, products in infomercials seldom work as advertised). Would you pay 6 easy payments of $39.95 for a device that could give you perfectly grilled meat every time?
Maybe, right? That sounds pretty good. Sure, it's a tad pricey, but think of all the money you would save and the weight you would lose by cooking great meals yourself!
The thing is, if you suck at cooking now, then you will still suck at cooking with this magic device. Even if it does work as advertised, you will still probably stop using it after the initial "new toy" period, and go back to warming up take-out.
Cooking is one of those things that, in my mind, you shouldn't take the easy way out. Really, I don't think there are many things on which you should take the easy way out.
When you apply quick fixes and instant solutions, you aren't really gaining anything yourself. You are getting the results without the character building that happens along the way. You're still one of the sheep lost in the flock. It's like winning the lottery: you have the money, but you didn't do any of the work to get the money. That's why lottery winners often don't lead great lives after winning, because they aren't prepared to deal with overnight richness (or they aren't prepared to deal with crazy family members asking for money).
Learning to cook is a process, not an overnight solution. It takes patience, it takes experimentation, and it takes a bit of bravery. It may seem like a lot of effort, but when you finally sear that steak to perfection or make that perfect brunch, it all feels worth it. Why? Because YOU did it, not some gadget.
Wanna know what the best cooking gadgets are? A sauté pan, a pot (preferably a Dutch oven), a cutting board, and a sharp knife. If you invest in quality items of those types, you can conquer the kitchen (and the world). Sure, you'll need a few different sizes depending on how many people you usually cook for, but those are the only real gadgets you need to make amazing meals.
When it comes to cooking (and other things), the simplest tools are the most versatile. You can cook pretty much anything in a stainless steel pan, from searing meats to sauteing veggies to reducing glorious pan sauces. It and my cast iron skillet (another great addition) are how I cook around 80% of my food. It's also good to have a few deeper saucepans for things like sauces and rice and stuff.
But that's it. No need to get all these fancy scientific gadgets. Go with the tried and true, it will last you a lifetime.
"But cooking is hard and I don't have the time." Yeah, so are a lot of things. Start simple and work your way up, don't try to be a gourmet chef overnight. Check out a few of my recipes for inspiration.
Nothing worth having in life comes without challenge, but it's in the challenge that we find a better version of ourselves.
So that's my rant for the day, think twice before buying appliances: the very core of your character could be compromised!
