The concept of Learning to Eat came from my true desire to learn how to cook – not just cook,  but also experience and understand – food and to share that experience and inspiration with others.  Learning about real food – the stuff we used to see before Food TV became a reality television network.  Food that takes time.  Food that takes effort.  Food with history.  Julia Child said something like “nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should,” and that is exactly the attitude I believe we all should have when feeding ourselves and our families.

Much of the food knowledge we are now able to so easily access and use was made available by the poor, the underprivileged peasants, farmers and working people throughout the world who had to make something edible in order to feed a family.  Cultures with the least available resources often created the most satisfying food.  The toughest meats made tender by braising for hours.  The scraps used for stocks and sauces.  The blood and guts and bones made into meals.  That is real cooking, and it took guts and creativity to do some of the things the real innovators did so many decades and centuries ago when they figured all of this stuff out.

Since the 1950′s, the supermarket and the fast-food chain have ruled America.  We have become comfortable with the mediocrity of a fast-food meal or a frozen dinner because it is easy and engineered to taste satisfying, even addictive.  We know it’s not really good, but we keep eating it because we are too scared to make a change.  Food network has become a joke, another great American fantasy for people to watch (cake competitions, reality shows) and never actually take part in.  We’ve forgotten the simple pleasure of making good food.

This is a blog for people who, like me, are ashamed that the typical American grocery is stocked with 80% junk food, prepared and instant meals.  And for those who want to do something about it in the kitchen.  Who find nothing more satisfying than trying new things, spending time thinking about food and making the really good stuff.

So let’s cook real food.  Let’s make real stock, homemade sauces, and prepare our own ingredients.  And let’s eat well.  Let’s make time even when it’s difficult.  No time spent cooking is wasted time.  Food is the ultimate pleasure.

In order to learn how to cook, we must first learn how to eat.

Regards,
Jon Van Dalen