By this late in a week off my brain stops doing pretty much everything. While the calendar says I am house hunting today my brain is saying that I better shave off those experimental sideburns. My mind should be at ease. But it is not. Disturbing my brain as I slowly wake over my javais this article that says people want semi-prepared food:
"They have a need for convenience products but would still love to participate in the meal," said Anna Seymour, consumer marketing manager at Maple Leaf Foods Inc.YIKES!!! Look folks - pre-cooked roasts are clearly banned in the Old Testament...and in your Grannie's spinning grave and in every other measure of social propriety. With all due respect to our potting friend whose honourable dietary principles relieve him of all such judgements, if there is one skill any dopey guy can pick up and feel some pride in it is roasting a chunk of meat. No time? Do it the night before because then it tastes even better. Do it on the weekend and chuck it in the freezer. Throw a few totties and carrots and onions around it and you have spent ten bucks for about 27 meals. Pop open a bottle of ten buck wine and you are a genius. A genius, you dope. Buy a frozen microwave-in-ten -minutes one and you are a dope. Put one in front of a mother-in-law and, well, you are simply damned for all time. For all time."We continue to hear this in the focus groups." Maple Leaf's line of fully cooked roasts and meat strips has led a 400-per-cent increase in the category over the past three years. The success, the company says, is partly because users slash the most time-consuming part of dinner preparation (cooking meat) while still "making dinner."
For the roasts, users can make side dishes using a website that offers recipes that can be prepared in the ten minutes it takes to reheat the meat. Or in the case of the meat strips, customers can greatly reduce the time it takes to whip up stir fries or fajitas. With both products, what ends up on the table feels closer to a home-cooked meal, and according to Maple Leaf, that can ease the mind of mom.
Hmm...maybe I need to get back to blogging about these sorts of things. Standards are certainly slipping out there. Hey, it's been six months since a Ribs and BBQ category post. Must rectify. BBQ this weekend.
Comments
Michael Demmons - April 20, 2006 10:15 AM
...my brain stops doing pretty everything
Including writing complete sentences?
Alan - April 20, 2006 10:18 AM
Of cours
Gordo - April 20, 2006 11:25 AM
Clearly, we've entered the endtimes. We have pre-cooked roasts, cooked bacon that doesn't need to be refrigerated. For heaven's sakes, Uncle Ben's made two minute rice because people don't want to wait for the five minute stuff!
Jeez, I feel like a Roman sometimes. Civilization is falling apart around me.
Flea - April 20, 2006 11:38 AM
I picked up one of those pre-cooked Maple Leaf roasts. Big mistake. Horrible. Gristlefest.
Matt Fletcher - April 20, 2006 3:08 PM
Cooked my first roast (to be eaten by other family) with my girlfriend just this past Sunday for my Dad's birthday. It turned out perfectly and prepartion was good fun.
Who are these people who want their meat pre-cooked? Where's the respect for good meat? Meat needs to be savoured. The sooner the person cooking the meat gets involved in the prepation process the better. Buying fresh meat is a must. Buying large pieces from a reputable butcher even better. I'd grow my own cows if I had the yard.
Gordo - April 20, 2006 4:18 PM
God, it's not like cooking meat is especially hard. Holy crap.
We buy our beef from the in-laws. I'm going to get a nice big picture of a Blonde D'Aquitaine steer to hang over the BBQ.
Arthur - April 20, 2006 7:09 PM
Of cours
<h1>I THINK YOU FORGOT AN e THER, ALAN</h1>
Alan - April 20, 2006 8:27 PM
Dam
Gordo - April 20, 2006 9:38 PM
I'd like to take issue with Alan's description of that fatty slab of beef as "A good chunk of meat". Chunk of meat, yes. Good? Ecch.
Arthur - April 20, 2006 10:01 PM
<p><marquee behavior=slide>
<font color="red"><BIG>BREAKING NEWS: GORDO SLAMS ALAN WITH CHUNK OF MEAT. MORE TO FOLLOW...</BIG></font>
</marquee>
Alan - April 20, 2006 10:06 PM
<p><marquee behavior=slide>
<font color="red"><BIG>BREAKING NEWS: AL JUST LEARNS MARQUEE FUNCTION. MORE TO FOLLOW...</BIG></font>
</marquee>
Alan - April 20, 2006 10:09 PM
And fatty is good for slow cooking as it all melts away through the process but adds the medium of roasting deep into the meaty flesh. Don't make me break out a barding post. Give me porterhouse, damn you! Porterhouse, I say!!!
timesnewroman - April 21, 2006 2:58 AM
What bothers me is how these people who have no time to cook seem have plenty of time to eat shit.
Arthur - April 21, 2006 7:17 AM
<small>(Alan: Web 2.12 BETA)</small>