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Is it good enough?

Posted at 9:30 PM on January 25, 2008 by Vera Schabicki (1 Comments)

I wonder if other people get this feeling, that the things they make are not good enough.

When I first started making bread it seemed obvious to me that what I made would be inferior to the stuff from the store or the bakery. I remember being vaguely shocked when we found that my bread was pretty good! (Of course, I have made some real duds over the years.)

We recently discovered some sweet potato volunteers in our garden. We were afraid to eat them. What if they were icky? (Nobody did eat them either; they are in the compost.)

Has a brainwashing occurred, convincing people that simply getting something from a store made it better?

Of course, there have always been clear sighted visionaries (like Alice Waters) who were not fooled by the hygienically sealed stuff at the store, but for many people this idea of safety and purity in a non-homemade item is so powerful. I have been peeling that feeling away for many years, yet it sneaks itself into so many of my choices … or maybe it’s just that I’m bummed that I can’t get the big prewashed box of organic (California) lettuce at Costco any more.

Well, I guess I’ll go try to start some sprouts! :-)

Best wishes, Vera

Comments (1)

Very interesting thoughts on packaged, mass-made food!!! I always wonder if people would like my food or if they toss it the moment I turn to leave their house!!! However, I do get my friends clamoring for my beef steak chowder. I I dearly love my friend spaghetti sauce. I always look at the breads and things in packages and wonder: What is in there? Is it hygenic? Who knows? But I love home-cooked better than package anyday!!!

Posted by mary f dunker | January 27, 2008 11:46 AM