Quality vs. Quantity

There is something about The Dave Matthews Band mixed with sandalwood incense that just makes me feel good... maybe it's just me, I don't know. But anyway this blog is not intended to be about my music and scent preferences. For the last couple days I have been musing on the issue of quality vs. quantity. On average Americans spend significantly less on food than say the French or Italians. And we even make more money than the French or Italians! Why is it that the average American is willing to feed their family cheap food substitutes that are bad for your health in the name of convenience? Being that food is literally the fuel for your body, you would think that people would take a little more time to carefully plan healthful meals and provide their bodies with the best! And the thing is, it is not a hard thing to do and it can even be fun. When did cooking go from a necessary but joyful exploration of colors and flavors to a dreaded thing to be done as quickly and mindlessly as possible? And where are we spending all that other money that is not being spent on food? Can it really be so very important?

I have often found that I can easily spend my entire paycheck at specialty food stores and fruit stands. Nothing excites me more than coming home after discovering a new little grocery store and preparing a simple meal with my findings. Nothing can compare to the satisfaction you feel after taking some fresh pasta and some herbs and turning it into a healthy and beautiful lunch. Not only is it pretty to look at, but oh how tasty when it is fresh! I often refer to food magazines as my favorite "porn" and I get such a kick out of trying new flavors. Now tell me, why would you not want to spend a little more for something so delightful?

Beau and I were able to explore a really fun little market today when we were trying to think of things to do. It is called Market Hall and you can explore their website (www.markethallfoods.com) but the experience is not the same as being there in person. It is this fantastic store and when you first walk in there is a bakery and a coffee stand. Two of my favorite things so I was instantly drawn in. Then there are rows and rows of imported olive oils, salts, spices and they even carry my very favorite brand of chocolate! I was in heaven and we spent quite some time sampling cheeses and looking at jars of fancy mustard and spices. In the end we had to leave with a bar of my dark chocolate that I usually go all the way to San Fransisco to buy (it is that good!) and some fresh pasta with a little tub of creamy garlic sauce. And this is what started me thinking... I would love it if there were more little European markets like this one! But would the American public go for it? The market was certainly busy, but it was nestled in Berkeley after all which is known for being inhabited by foodies. The rest of America seems ot be less excited by expensive cheese, probably thinking it is just not worth it when you can go to Costco or the regular grocery store and buy whatever yellow cheese is on sale. And did you know that most yellow cheddar cheeses are yellow becuase they are dyed?! That just can't be good for you! Wake up America, we are eating crap!

And then the question was brought up again: quality vs. quantity? when it was time for Beau and I to go grocery shopping this afternoon. I had a basic list written down with some of the usual stuff- some meats, veggies, and a few staples like milk and cereal. So the question was, where to shop? Safeway is the obvious choice for being on a budget. And I don't usually mind shopping there, but most of our list was veggies this time and to be honest, I just can't see spending any money at all on Safeway produce! It is tasteless and even though it is cheap, why buy it if it doesn't taste good? So we decided we would go to a produce stand where the veggies are pretty cheap and get our staples at Safeway. Ok sounds good... but then we got to the meat counter and we were going to buy fish for dinner tonight. One look at the butcher counter and we were grimacing at each other. Go for the cheap stuff or spend a little more for something that looks a whole lot more fresh? We opted for fresh and ended up going to Whole Foods to buy some cod and organic milk. (I hate to be stingy but I refuse to put any dairy into my body that is not organic.) All in all the extra money for better quality adds up to be not so much more than if we had just bought everything at Safeway. I did not actually do the math, but I would say we spent maybe an extra $10.

If you have not read French Women Don't Get Fat, I really suggest that you do. I have read it numerous times along with her other books and I can often be found on her website looking for dinner ideas. It is not a "diet book" as the title implies, but really just a look at the differences between American and French culture and ways to enjoy food with a more "French" attitude. I love to read it and remind myself to slow down and really savor the art of not only eating, but living as well. I love reading about the ways French women think of food and their little "secrets" as to how they keep from getting fat while still enjoying all kinds of foods that some Americans have sworn off forever for fear of their figure. But have you noticed that while Americans are absolutely obsessed with certain foods, we are so terribly unbalanced? We swear off carbs, eat only frozen foods or even eat only cabbage soup all in the name of dieting, and we are still some of the fattest and most unhappy people in the world! We have some serious issues when it comes to food and I have my own personal theory that it is because we forgot how to cook and how to eat. As far as I am concerned, food effects everything from your sex life to your school grades and everything in between. And I am not just saying all this because I am a chef. Food is a huge part of my life and I get immense joy from it. Maybe I should have been French... So here is a challenge for you. Ditch the fast food and frozen dinners for a while and find a specialty store in your area. Spend a little more money on quality ingredients and make yourself something fabulous!

And while you are doing that, ponder this little quote I found in French Women Don't Get Fat:
"French women don't get fat because they have not allowed new attitudes and modern theories of how the body uses food to overrule centuries of experience."

The French don't let modern science get in the way of food... why do we? We deserve better than that. Modern science has its place, but they place should not be in your pantry or in your food. As far as quantity vs. quality... I'm going to stick with quality and I hope I can convince more people to do the same.