In the midst of the eating revolution precipitated by the writings of folks like Michael Pollan, I have read a flurry of articles and essays explaining that cooking is hard for working families. I find the pushback against the notion of a family table troubling. Setting aside the question of the means to acquire inexpensive, healthy ingredients, a real issue that I will address in a different post, I disagree that cooking real food is too difficult for working parents . In fact, for middle class families, the ability to put home cooked food on the supper table is less a question of time and more a question of planning and will.
I think that the problem is that many of us don’t actually know how to cook the sort of simple meals that will feed a family. Moreover, we’re so accustomed to letting our children be picky that we think putting together a family meal entails several different meals for the picky palates at our table. I am not immune to the picky eater syndrome and I like to cook creative meals. My solution is to always have on hand a few items that my picky boy will eat —— pasta with butter and cheese or tomato sauce; a quesadillas and refritos with salsa; noodle soup. I serve the picky-eater’s meal with piece of whatever fresh fruit I have on hand. It’s not going to make the cover of Gourmet magazine, but it will fill a hungry boy with a minimum of effort.
Since I lived in rural Nebraska and a large grocery store was 35 miles away, I’ve been a planner when it comes to the contents of my pantry. I go to the market each weekend. Before I head to the grocery store, I make a list of what I need and that list includes a plan for the week’s breakfasts and suppers. My plans take account of time. Sometimes, I’m home from work by 5 and have the time to make a more complicated meal. More often these days, I’m home later than 6 pm and we’re hungry. In both instances, it’s planning and the ability to create meals on the fly that ensure we get a home-cooked meal served at a table where we eat together.
I also use the weekend to my advantage. For example, a few weekends back, I had the time to make chicken noodle soup for Sunday supper. That leftover soup was later reheated and served with homemade corn muffins for a quick weeknight meal. If time had run short, the soup could be served with crackers, cheese, and fruit. Leftover corn muffins can be the next morning’s breakfast. These days, I use the weekend to pull together at least one meal for the work week ahead.
Though I know that cooking is not something that everyone enjoys, it is something that brings me pleasure. Getting a homemade meal on the table feels like a job well done. Homemade supper is a much better family meal than prepared food. As long as eating is not optional, I feel like it’s my responsibility as a parent to feed my family. I embrace that challenge.
