Does anyone cook anymore?

Inspired by the new film "Julie & Julia", Michael Pollan wrote a long essay for the NY Times magazine last Sunday in which he basically argues that despite the popularity of "cooking" shows (which includes both the traditional "how-to-cook" format introduced by Julia Child and reality TV programs featuring chefs competing at their craft in less than ideal circumstances), Americans are spending less time preparing food (just 27 minutes on average) than ever. What is even more distressing about the trend is what now qualifies as "cooking." The food marketing researcher who Pollan interviewed for the piece, Harry Balzer, explained that "people call things 'cooking' today that would roll their grandmother over in her grave - heating up a can of soup or microwaving a frozen pizza."

Americans rely so heavily on fast food and takeout meals (from restaurants and supermarkets) when dining at home that putting the slightest effort into feeding themselves and their families is a big deal. Simply tossing pre-washed chopped lettuce with salad dressing or making a ham & cheese sandwich qualifies as "cooking from scratch" for research purposes. The marketing research firms have to draw the line somewhere; so they might as well allow the companies that spend billions of dollars advertising "meal solutions" define what it means to put dinner on the table.

As long as there is some degree of "assembly of elements," consumers just have to follow the directions on the back of the package - ie. add milk and butter to a mac 'n cheese mix - and they've successfully made a meal "from scratch." It's no wonder that a good percentage of people in my cooking classes do not know how to read a recipe or properly measure ingredients (dry and wet measuring cups are designed differently for a reason). I don't mean to say that "real cooking" requires opening up a cookbook and following a recipe, but the basic knowledge of cooking is sorely lacking. The people I've met in the kitchen classroom corroborate Pollan's thesis that Americans watch cooking shows sheerly for entertainment sake. They love to talk about their most and least favorite Food Network celebrities, yet they're afraid to cut an onion.

I try my best to explain and demonstrate culinary techniques in class. However, if a person doesn't have the confidence to pick up a knife or turn on the oven; my efforts are for naught. He or she is unlikely to become a cook (I'm talking about a basic home cook, not a professional). Julia Child's quote from the episode when she drops the potato pancake all over the stove while trying to flip it in one piece has been repeated many times since the release of her biographical film: "When you flip anything, you just have to have the courage of your convictions." I couldn't agree with her more.

One of the things that I admired most about Julia Child - at least as she was portrayed by Meryl Streep in the movie since I never got the chance to meet her - was her determination to teach Americans how to cook. I feel a kinship to her because of my similar enjoyment for cooking and sharing my delight in the effort with others. Julia was motivated by her love of butter and all things French. My number one intention, on the other hand, is to reverse the deleterious trends in Americans' cooking & eating habits. I attempt to teach French culinary techniques, which I learned at the Culinary Institute of America, in a fun and "you can" way so that people will try them at home.

While some people sign up for cooking classes as a form of recreation - a fun evening out with friends or coworkers. And others who fancy themselves "foodies" rely on classes as an alternative to eating alone in a restaurant. I have to disagree with Harry Balzer, the food marketing researcher, who holds out little hope for the future of home cooking. He feels that Americans are too "cheap and lazy. And besides the skills are already lost. Who is going to teach the next generation to cook."

Thanks to the recession, more attendees of my classes are genuinely interested in applying what they learned and recreating my recipes in their own kitchens. It also seems like more young adults in their 20's are interested in cooking. There is definitely a segment of the up-and-coming foodie population (at least in the Boston area) who are experimenting with trendy exotic ingredients at home. They may be motivated by a desire to impress their friends, but they are cooking none the less. Even younger folks have become interested in "home economics." Vocational schools that teach cooking are having to turn high schoolers away while savvy entrepreneurs have created models to profit from the parents of kids who like to cook.

I believe that "The Julie/Julia Project" was the beginning of a whole new microtrend in the way young people look at the food they put in their mouths. I'm not sure how many people are cooking just because the subject matter affords them something interesting to blog about; but, if you do a search, you'll find thousands of amateur food and cooking blogs. Plus, think of all the people who don't cook (or at least, not that seriously) but are reading them. Thanks to Julie Powell and others, I do have faith that terms like bearnaise, chiffonade and deglacer will once again be spoken in kitchens across the United States.