Quora.com is a site where people ask questions for others to answer. Recently, someone asked, “Why do some people cook all the time when it’s time consuming and sometimes recipes don’t turn out good?”
I was surprised by the question, and after thinking about it for two minutes I gave the following answer.
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People, such as I, want to control the quality of the food they eat. Prepackaged food is convenient for a quick bite, but when I prepare my own food I determine the amount of salt, spice, and everything else which goes into the dish. Amounts aside, when I cook I control the quality of the ingredients I use.
Take chili for example. In a can of Hormel Chili with Beans there's (Water, Beef and Pork, Beans, Concentrated Crushed Tomatoes, Contains 2% or less of Modified Cornstarch, Textured Soy Flour, Corn Flour, Salt, Chili Powder ((Chili Peppers, Flavoring)), Sugar, Flavoring, Green Chiles ((Contains Citric Acid)), Onions, Spices, Jalapeno Peppers, and Vinegar).
First of all, I have no idea what cut or grade of beef they're using, or why they're adding pork, sugar, & soy flour. Plus, “flavoring” could be anything.
If I make my own chili, I can make it with:
3 lbs ground beef or ground chuck
3 fresh Poblano peppers
2 medium onions
3 10-oz cans diced tomatoes
4 1/2 Tbsp Chile powder
1 1/2 tsps ground comino (cumin seed)
1 1/2 tsps paprika
3 cloves garlic
Brown the meat. Add finely chopped onions and garlic. When
onions are clear, add tomatoes and spices. Add water to barely cover, and
simmer until meat is tender. Add chopped Poblano for last 20 minutes of
Simmer.
No sugar, flour, pork, or “flavorings" are involved, and I can make sure to use Grade A meat. If I want maximum flavor I can use a 70% - 30% grind, but if I’m watching my weight I can use a 80% - 20% grind.
The point is, by cooking, I'm controlling the flavor and healthiness of my food.
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