In giving several lectures recently, it became apparent that very few people cook now–a–days. They think they cook, but, primarily all that is done in terms of food preparations is "heat and serve." Or, call out for something from a diner, or use a few basic foods to make a quick meal.

    One does not seem to have to know much, such as how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon; or, 4 tablespoons are in 1/4 of a cup. In terms of making substitutions, the situation is even worse. To make a soft, tender high rising cake, oftentimes cake flour is called for. However, for those who have made preparations, cake flour may not have been in the provision package. Thus, it behooves one to know that 1 cup of all–purpose flour (that which is generally stored) minus 2 tablespoons equals 1 cup of cake flour.

    We are going to have to get back to basics again as there may not be the fast food restaurants nor quick and easy meal preparation that came after the great war. What happened to our food preparation in the home? For this answer, let's consider the follow from The Official Presto Pressure Cooker Cookbook:

"...in December 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed. After only a few years of prosperity, Americans found themselves at war. Sacrificing, food rationing, and 'making do' were once again commonplace.

Commentary from Chembio Update Editor:

These last three items are upon us. We will learn to do these things again...and soon. We need to be ready in 6 months—no less!

"As women marched off to work in the defense plants, and meal preparation had to be simplified, the pressure cooker contributed to the war effort by becoming the homemaker's best ally in the fight against waste and inefficiency."

    Because of the war effort, pressure cookers disappeared, as manufacturing went into the war effort. In 1946, after the war, pressure cookers began to appear again. The Presto Cookbook continues:

"With the decade drawing to a close, food was once again abundant and better than ever. Chocolate, coconut, pineapple, and bananas were back on the menu. Fancy new supermarkets replaced the little independent grocery stores and offered more services and specialty items. For the first time, consumers could buy chicken by the parts."

    Pressure cookers were back. But, by 1951, pressure cookers were on the way out again. Startling new discoveries were being presented: Instant foods. "Consumers were absolutely fascinated by the idea of 'instant.'"

"As early as 1951, supermarket shelves were overflowing with boxed mixes for batter and dough, bottled salad dressings and sauces, dry milk products, pie crust mixes, packaged soup mixes, and canned meats. First introduced in the forties, frozen foods, such as vegetables, fruits, meats, juices, and desserts became essential to quick and enjoyable meal preparation."

    People in America no longer really cook. They mix, stir, bake and serve a full course meal. Many, suprisingly do not know how to read a cookbook. Even worse, many do not know how to increase or decrease the ingredients by a third or a fourth, to serve four people or three.

    Interestingly, a little while back, a sociologist did a study and found that many to most do not know how to follow a recipe correctly. Ingredients were added in the wrong order. The participants thought they could just as easily use the new "dump" method that made its debut at that time for cakes and other products. This was the process whereby one dumped all the ingredients into a bowl and beat the "fire" out of it and produced a finished product when taken from the oven. Slowly, people lost cooking skills and the ability to read and follow recipes correctly.

    One maker of an extremely fine Pressure Cooker/Canner say plainly in two places in their manual "Never cook foods such as ...beans...rice, split peas, noodles, macaroni, ... or spaghetti. These foods tend to froth, and sputter, and may block the pressure release devices."

    One website that sells pressure cookers had a new user actually give the following in the Product Reviews section. He wrote that he made a certain dish that he has cooked many times in his sauce pan, but this time, this special named dish was a disaster, in that he left the room (first mistake) and went to watch TV for an hour. He was riveted to the TV set when he heard an explosion from his kitchen. He wrote to raise "holy hell" about the manufacturer's pressure cooker, that it was not worth a "expletive deleted." The pressure cooker had been left unattended, and he cooked a rice dish in it!

    Obviously this user was ate up with the dumbass, as he obviously did not read the manual, and if he did, he did not follow directions for cooking rice in a pressure cooker.

    We can understand why the manufacturer of Pressure Cooker/Canners give the admonition "Never cook foods such as...." It is much simpler than having to explain that the cereal cannot cause an explosion if you follow directions for use of the device and the recipe correctly.

    However, ignoring the directions in the manufacturer's manual would lead to the type of explosion by such an individual as given immediately above. The manufacturers must have been informed by their engineers and home economists to simply put the above warning about avoiding all such foods in the Pressure Cooker/Canner. As we have noted before, the schools have succeeded in completely dumbing down some people; they don't even read the manual.

    National Presto Industries, Inc., in their manual for 4 and 6–Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cookers, gives complete instructions for preparation of dry beans and peas for pressure cooking. They also follow with Cooking Time (Minutes) and ...oh yes! Recipes. Presto even gives Cooking Time in minutes and preparation for Grains to be pressure cooked in the aforementioned sizes of stainless steel pressure cookers.

    This French Chef followed their preparation directions for Pinto Beans. They were cooked in 3 – 6 minutes tonight and were truly delicious.

    Wow! We have repeatedly said to store certain beans, but watch for Navy and White Beans; they take an inordinate amount of water in cooking. This is somewhat true for pintos.

    But, this French Chef soaked the beans for 4 to 6 hours in water and a little lemon juice; or, overnight if so desired and in no hurry, then the soaking solution poured off and retained and used in another preparation of foodstuffs, the same as the rinse water. Fresh water was then placed into the Presto Pressure Cooker and the pintos added. Voilà! In 6 minutes the beans were every bit as good as cooking in lots of water for 2 to 3–1/2 hours.

    Fuel was saved; time was saved; and the soaking softened and removed most of the gaseous carbohydrates. When the going gets rough, time, fuel, and food saved will be enormous factors in cooking good meals.

    We also cooked a wild rice dish tonight, one that also contained long-grain brown rice. Again, following the manufacturer's directions for cooking rice, and it took between 5 and 12 minutes. The brown rice added the extra time differential.

    Many chefs—including this one—disdained the dump method as it taught one nothing for when they need to produce a fine, nutritious product. And now, we are soon going to need those skills that have been discarded.

"In 1953 the frozen dinner made its debut, dramatically changing America's eating habits and expectations. Suddenly quality and taste took a back seat to convenience, as the country set off on a culinary course that made meals at the drivein or in front of the TV more the norm than Mom's home cooking."

    And we might add, this started the breakdown of the family as they no longer ate together, but separately, in their rooms watching the TV program of their choice; or did not eat at home all together. The strength of the family tie was methodically and slowly being dismantled. And no one noticed; nor, gave a "hoot." Now, look what we have. Disrepect for parental authority.

"The relaxed expectations and easy–going lifestyles of the Eisenhower era did not last long. When 1960 rolled around, with it came an almost frantic urgency to try new things—to try everything.

"Mass communications made the world smaller and exposed us to other cultures and cuisine. Travel broadened and ethnic cooking boomed. Exotic international ingredients found a new home in the stateside kitchens of self–proclaimed 'gourmets.' Hippies began preaching the benefits of health food, and 'soul' food found new converts.

"At trendy restaurants, nouvelle cusine paired the unusual with the commonplace in intriguing, though somewhat minuscule, proportions. Meanwhile, home entertaining became a group activity, as everyone gathered around the fondue pot or the hibachi grill.

"Over the next two decades this frenetic pace of experimentation slowed down and consumers settled into a new food sophistication. Having satisfied their curiosity, they began to appreciate simplicity and authenticity—pure, natural foods prepared by basic, less gimmicky cooking methods. Though the life–styles they chose were progressively more hectic and high–tech, ironically, they also felt a growing nostalgia for the past. So, they actively sought ways to make their homes more homey, their celebrations more traditional and their foods more satisfying and comforting."

    Through all this change, millions of pressure cookers made their debut for a short while. Only to wind up sitting in a closet and eventually passed down to a child in the family. "I have my mom's cooker," your WebMasters hear. "Only too sad that they never learned how to use it and the manual never made it down to them also." Hence, what they really inherited was a potential bomb!

    The microwave oven made its appearance and has stayed strong as more new meals emerged as "from the freezer to the microwave." Real home cooked meals that made a comeback with the pressure cooker again gave way to "instant meals."

    As more people (and familys) wanted things, busy cooks entered the work force too. Cooking reverted to "heat and serve" again. And with this change, back to basics in cooking took a back seat to culinary skills.

    Soon, people will have to cook again...but, more often than not—from their provisional preparations. As you probably well–know, much food is wasted. It stems from not knowing a serving size (a serving size is now defined by the U.S. government as 1/2 cup), Substitutions, Equivalents, and Equivalent Measures. Instead, we now hear of "food fights." Many, if it does not smack of famous fast food outlets, dabble at what is presented before them and then turn their noses up at the rest, wasting still more food.

    This, my friends, is all about to change. The change will come hard and swift. People have no discipline regarding food choices and sizes. "Super Sizing," when food was plentiful, was the norm, and the populace—for the most part—no longer became disciplined eaters with choice for healthy fats and amounts of food–stuffs. They overstuffed and ate often.

    The forced change coming upon us all will modulate our attitudes towards foods and wastefulness. The change, however, will be harsh. It will seem that overnight large amounts of food supplies disappeared and one now has to make intelligent choices and decisions. One will have to take what they can get, and at an exorbitant price, if available.

    People will have to understand How to Make substitutions; how and what are Equivalent Measures of teaspoons to tablespoons, tablespoons to cups, cups to pints, quarts to gallons, and also the relationship or ratio of ounces to cups and pounds. If not, the people will waste...and this time it will cost them dearly. Foodstuffs will go much faster and one will be hungry sooner.

    One of your WebMasters has said: Starvation is Coming to America. This can greatly be alleviated through:

• Developing discipline towards food and eating times.

• Learning Substitutions, Equivalents, and Equivalent Measures will provide variety and make your foods last longer.

• Growing a family garden.

• Getting a small flock of laying hens.

• Getting a pressure cooker(s) (they fight against waste and inefficiency). Tough cheaper cuts of meats and other foods can be tenderized and made more digestible. Consider the fuel and water saved with cooking beans. And what have most people stored? Starches, like beans and rice, and flour. Your pressure cooker makes excellent dumplings in half the time, and with half the water.

• A pressure cooker can sterilize your foods and water whereas just boiling will not cover all bases. A cooker covers most, if not all, except prions and possibly S. aureus.

• Get necessary supplies and learn how to do Hot Water Bath Canning and Steam–Pressure Canning This will tend to insure you of having foods or something to eat year round and when certain foods are out of season.

• Get some means of Self–protection for when someone or ones come to see what you have to eat and will take it by force from you if you do not project strength and confidence in the defense of what is yours and what you have gone through to have it.
  This item is as important as all the other items. If you have done the others and not this one, you have worked for another for their hard times that is right upon us and not yours.

    Because of the above and the coming hard times which will place a stress upon food supply, Chembio Update WebMasters have given the following to help you economize, save on waste, and get through all this.

In An UpComing Issue:
Food Microbiology: Part I