I was flipping through a very old cookbook last night. It had come with me all the way from South Africa, many years ago. It was one of the Afrikaans Huisgenoot ones, and I love those old recipes.
Of course they wouldn't go over well these days - not a thing about low fat, high carb, dieting, calories. No one worried about such things then. You just ate delicious, home cooked food, spent days doing lots of exercise without even realising it, mostly walking everywhere for everything, and knew absolutely nothing about packaged convenience foods, because they didn't even exist. Most folks didn't have weight problems. |
Then the housewife would offhandedly remark she’d made too many cakes, or soup, or other food, and it would be a pleasure for her if you'd have some with them. It would be considered quite rude if you didn't accept the offer. She would also always serve some dainties with coffee, and that would be churlish indeed if you didn't have some of them. Children learned in this practical way from their mothers, and to adopt this same welcoming attitude towards others.
Although it seemed effortless, there was a lot of skill attached to this ability to be so hospitable. Quite often housewives were confined to very few choices of ingredients when they went into a village or town on their weekly, often monthly shopping forays. But their foods were always absolutely delicious, usually made in large quantities so they could mix and match later when they needed to. |
Women of those days were actually masters of convenience foods that could be brought out and used at any time. Those children who grew up learning these skills benefited greatly, knowing they had survival skills, no matter how limited the budget, or the ingredients.
These are the convenience foods of today
Check out your favorite deli
There's something about home cooked meals that's very special. It's the warmth in the kitchen, the conversation, the taste. And the best kept secret is your own convenience food is satisfying, easy and reliable. Want some easy recipes? Find them by clicking here.
Food preparation is a heritage. The only way it can't be passed down to another generation is if they're fed commercial convenience foods and fast foods. And oh dear, what will happen to their children?