And like, I reblogged it when I was a young thing and didn't know much about Andy OR cooking, but now... holy shit, I'm laughing. The PROJECTION.
No, you don’t actually need sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and saffron in your basic pantry. Those are for cooks. If you’re reading this honestly because you need to learn, you’re not one yet.
I don't know a single person who is simultaneously at a basic "I have no idea how to buy food" level and thinks that saffron is a basic pantry ingredient. You know who is? Andy!
Search “3 ingredient meals” or “4 ingredient meals” or “super easy dinners,” and then just see what looks tasty to you, putting priority on things that 1) have a lot of fruits and veggies, 2) don’t use a lot of super-processed foods or stuff you’ve known is unhealthy since you were six, 3) use mostly things from your pantry list, 4) doesn’t look like it’s a difficulty level for actually making that’s beyond your skills, and 5) don’t use things that are out of your price range like lobster.
(emphasis mine)
This post is aimed at people who have essentially no cooking skills, the kind of person who, in Andy's mind, just go straight for takeout when left to their own devices. People who default to takeout are not going to immediately jump to making their own lobster bisque. You know who would? Andy "roast guinea pig" Blake!
Also, maybe this is just me, but speaking as someone who both likes cooking but also lived in a small apartment with three roommates, a lot of the stuff he denotes as "basic" is actually not basic or easy at all. A "sixteen herbs and spices" kit at Walmart? Bare minimum $20. That would have been a third of my biweekly food budget, and I'm not a terribly poor person. Onions, carrots, and celery together go into a mirepoix, which is only basic if you're regularly cooking stuff that requires a mirepoix. If, like me, you don't, the onions might be useful, but the carrots and celery are only helpful if you want carrot and celery sticks. (He also assumes everyone has the same tastes that he does: ketchup and mayo aren't "basic" if you don't eat them)
And the whole thing is in this twee excited-fan-talk, so you never notice that it's condescending as hell.
Just remembered I had this...
http://fuckingrecipes.tumblr.com/post/48970876311/achievement-unlocked-grocery-shopping
And like, I reblogged it when I was a young thing and didn't know much about Andy OR cooking, but now... holy shit, I'm laughing. The PROJECTION.
I don't know a single person who is simultaneously at a basic "I have no idea how to buy food" level and thinks that saffron is a basic pantry ingredient. You know who is? Andy!
(emphasis mine)
This post is aimed at people who have essentially no cooking skills, the kind of person who, in Andy's mind, just go straight for takeout when left to their own devices. People who default to takeout are not going to immediately jump to making their own lobster bisque. You know who would? Andy "roast guinea pig" Blake!
Also, maybe this is just me, but speaking as someone who both likes cooking but also lived in a small apartment with three roommates, a lot of the stuff he denotes as "basic" is actually not basic or easy at all. A "sixteen herbs and spices" kit at Walmart? Bare minimum $20. That would have been a third of my biweekly food budget, and I'm not a terribly poor person. Onions, carrots, and celery together go into a mirepoix, which is only basic if you're regularly cooking stuff that requires a mirepoix. If, like me, you don't, the onions might be useful, but the carrots and celery are only helpful if you want carrot and celery sticks. (He also assumes everyone has the same tastes that he does: ketchup and mayo aren't "basic" if you don't eat them)
And the whole thing is in this twee excited-fan-talk, so you never notice that it's condescending as hell.