By LOGAN BETZEN
Recently, both sides of my extended family have not been able to agree with each other -- at all. Why, you ask? My mother’s family and my father’s family want to meet for a family reunion and, of all things, they can not decide where or how to do so. My father’s family wants to have ‘good food’ prepared by all of us, together, at home and my mother’s family thinks it would be best if we all went out for ‘good food’ at a fancy, gourmet restaurant together. I think that both sound like fun ideas, but, then again, my opinion does not seem to matter much to any of them. Who is right? What should I do to help resolve this dilemma that is tearing our family apart? The following is my quest to determine the winner of a home-cooked meal versus a meal at gourmet restaurant.
What do you think of when you hear ‘good food?’ For some, an expensive, gourmet restaurant comes to mind. For others, ‘good food’ conjures a scene of a family sitting down together for a meal. One may debate which scene offers the best ‘good food,’ but what it really comes down to is how well each of us appreciates our favorite food. We each appreciate our preferred ‘foodie culture’ in different ways. There are different levels of appreciation we all have for all aspects of our lives and food is no exception. There has been a contemporary surge of appreciation for food and there are various ways in which each of us determines ‘good food.’ The greater public seems to have become fascinated with cookbooks, food shows on television, food blogs, etc. How did this happen? When did this happen? And what does it mean for our modern culture?
The culture that each of us has grown up in has determined how we live our lives. Our individual cultures are impacted by the foods we consume and where and how we enjoy meals. Eating has always been a very social occurrence, but now it has become a truly popular, well-planned event. No matter what socioeconomic level each of us finds ourself a part of, we all enjoy eating out and creating lavish meals at home. However, each of us does so in a different way which is part of our unique culture. Even though one person may consider an expensive, gourmet restaurant the epitome of ‘good food,’ another probably would argue that truly ‘good food’ can only be found at home. Although socioeconomic status determines how one appreciates many things in life, the evolution of the accessibility of “foodie culture” has spurred a new and popular mass-appreciation of food by people of all walks of life.
From ancient times up to the early 20th century, traditionally families stayed at home to eat. Only the royalty, wealthy affluent people were able to eat out or eat gourmet dining. After the invention of the automobile and the end of World Wars I and II, people were finally able to go out and get a meal that was not cooked at home. Many people now had money to spend and became fascinated with going to restaurants and drive-ins. Families and friends were able to meet away from their homes over a ‘good’ meal. Fast food restaurants became prevalent as well and people were able to purchase hot food on the go. I would even argue that one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century was the fast food restaurant.
The existing ‘foodie culture’ of predominately classic, home-cooked meals evolved into new, endless dining opportunities outside of the home. Finally, people were able to drive within a few miles of their homes and be able to choose whether they wanted cheap, expensive, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, (etc.) food for dinner. These dining opportunities that we have developed are continually defining our culture as human beings.
Even though ‘foodie culture’ has changed so drastically in such recent years, people still appreciate good food at home. We are now able to enjoy gourmet restaurants and easy fast-food restaurants, but continue to build dining rooms in our homes. The dining room, itself, represents our ties to the ‘good old days’ when there were no restaurants outside of the home. Our ability to be able to gather as a family over a meal at home is still one of our greatest joys in life. One might assume that families that can not afford to ‘eat out’ frequently are missing out on ‘good food’ that can be found at expensive gourmet restaurants. However, although socioeconomic status may affect one’s way of life, one’s way of life does not necessarily affect one’s appreciation for good food. Lower income families appreciate their home-cooked meals just as much as affluent families appreciate the food they get at restaurants. We all need to food to live. It is not the food, itself, that really matters, it is the company one is with and how pleasant it is to converse with friends and family in an enjoyable environment.
Those that consider a home-cooked meal the best ‘good food’ feel so because they appreciate that their family has spent time and effort into making a ‘good’ meal. As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is,” and those that love meals at home, love home in general. It is not, necessarily that they eat at home because they have to, but because they choose to. Getting together for dinner also allows the family to stay closer. Home-cooked meals have love in them.
And then, there are those who prefer eating out in expensive gourmet restaurants. They most likely prefer eating out because the food has been prepared by a master chef who has studied his whole life on how create ‘good food.’ People who eat out prefer ‘professionals’ to prepare their meals. Eating out is almost like treating oneself. All we have to do is show up and we are served whatever we want -- like magic! Sometimes eating out allows us to break the routine of boring meals at home. And then, some people like to break their routine of eating out by creating a meal cooked at home. This juxtaposition of our modern “foodie culture” allows us even more freedom when it comes to being able to satisfy our need of eating, but also pleasantly satisfy our social needs.
With the invention of the internet people began to grow accustomed to many new and diverse varieties of cultures and information. This “new wave” of media drastically altered the perceptions and accessibility of previous “foodie culture.” Not only were we suddenly seeking new and more interesting food, but new and more diverse food suddenly became available from all kinds of diverse store and restaurants. Cooking shows and individuals created blogs began to develop due to a new, intense passion for food shared by many people all around the world. Not only professional chefs but amateur food enthusiast were all able to share their experiences, thoughts and ideas, and recipes throughout the world. Commercials on television even contributed by beginning to excite more and more people about evolving “foodie culture,” and “foodie culture” turned into a multi-million dollar “foodie” industry.
The food industry slowly changed their focus from those families cooking their own meals using cook books and such, to now market to people who were now watching cooking shows and wanted to be able to prepare difficult meals themselves. An influential factor in the new “foodie culture” was the food industry that allowed home cooks to continue to make ‘good food,’ but also allowed those who wanted to know about certain restaurants, and cuisine they are not familiar with, experiment at home. Newly established food enthusiasts were now able to satiate their constant search for additional knowledge of food through websites and television shows that had not been present previously. The expanding pool of foodie culture was now accessible to almost everyone of all walks of life, and all foodie enthusiasts eagerly benefitted from being integrated into the world wide culture of food.
Throughout the ages food has been an important resource for all of humanity, and food will continue to be so. Whether one loves going out to fine gourmet restaurants or whether one enjoys staying home with the family and having a great home-cooked meal, the appreciation of food is the same. This appreciation of food has also evolved through the ages as mass media began to emerge, and the styles of different foods have been merged into a massive “foodie culture” that extends around the world. No matter what interest in food one has, there will still be someone else who can relate and someone they will be able to share their food experiences with. This massive culture of food has changed and will continue to change because people will never stop loving food.
This must be why the two sides of my family are not able to see eye to eye! Even though they have grown up eating at home as a family, they are constantly persuaded by the internet and television that there are more, endless options when it comes to having a meal. Just because my father’s family wants to have a meal at home does not mean they are wrong in their wanting. And the main reason my mother’s family would rather eat out is because they are bombarded by advertisements everyday imploring them to do so. Neither side is right and neither side is wrong, because, essentially, we all want the same thing -- a fun, relaxing evening where we can all get together. It seems as though we will just have to have two gatherings. We can have lunch at a fancy, gourmet restaurant (it will be cheaper anyway) and we can make a huge dinner at home.
Recently, both sides of my extended family have not been able to agree with each other -- at all. Why, you ask? My mother’s family and my father’s family want to meet for a family reunion and, of all things, they can not decide where or how to do so. My father’s family wants to have ‘good food’ prepared by all of us, together, at home and my mother’s family thinks it would be best if we all went out for ‘good food’ at a fancy, gourmet restaurant together. I think that both sound like fun ideas, but, then again, my opinion does not seem to matter much to any of them. Who is right? What should I do to help resolve this dilemma that is tearing our family apart? The following is my quest to determine the winner of a home-cooked meal versus a meal at gourmet restaurant.
What do you think of when you hear ‘good food?’ For some, an expensive, gourmet restaurant comes to mind. For others, ‘good food’ conjures a scene of a family sitting down together for a meal. One may debate which scene offers the best ‘good food,’ but what it really comes down to is how well each of us appreciates our favorite food. We each appreciate our preferred ‘foodie culture’ in different ways. There are different levels of appreciation we all have for all aspects of our lives and food is no exception. There has been a contemporary surge of appreciation for food and there are various ways in which each of us determines ‘good food.’ The greater public seems to have become fascinated with cookbooks, food shows on television, food blogs, etc. How did this happen? When did this happen? And what does it mean for our modern culture?
The culture that each of us has grown up in has determined how we live our lives. Our individual cultures are impacted by the foods we consume and where and how we enjoy meals. Eating has always been a very social occurrence, but now it has become a truly popular, well-planned event. No matter what socioeconomic level each of us finds ourself a part of, we all enjoy eating out and creating lavish meals at home. However, each of us does so in a different way which is part of our unique culture. Even though one person may consider an expensive, gourmet restaurant the epitome of ‘good food,’ another probably would argue that truly ‘good food’ can only be found at home. Although socioeconomic status determines how one appreciates many things in life, the evolution of the accessibility of “foodie culture” has spurred a new and popular mass-appreciation of food by people of all walks of life.
From ancient times up to the early 20th century, traditionally families stayed at home to eat. Only the royalty, wealthy affluent people were able to eat out or eat gourmet dining. After the invention of the automobile and the end of World Wars I and II, people were finally able to go out and get a meal that was not cooked at home. Many people now had money to spend and became fascinated with going to restaurants and drive-ins. Families and friends were able to meet away from their homes over a ‘good’ meal. Fast food restaurants became prevalent as well and people were able to purchase hot food on the go. I would even argue that one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century was the fast food restaurant.
The existing ‘foodie culture’ of predominately classic, home-cooked meals evolved into new, endless dining opportunities outside of the home. Finally, people were able to drive within a few miles of their homes and be able to choose whether they wanted cheap, expensive, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, (etc.) food for dinner. These dining opportunities that we have developed are continually defining our culture as human beings.
Even though ‘foodie culture’ has changed so drastically in such recent years, people still appreciate good food at home. We are now able to enjoy gourmet restaurants and easy fast-food restaurants, but continue to build dining rooms in our homes. The dining room, itself, represents our ties to the ‘good old days’ when there were no restaurants outside of the home. Our ability to be able to gather as a family over a meal at home is still one of our greatest joys in life. One might assume that families that can not afford to ‘eat out’ frequently are missing out on ‘good food’ that can be found at expensive gourmet restaurants. However, although socioeconomic status may affect one’s way of life, one’s way of life does not necessarily affect one’s appreciation for good food. Lower income families appreciate their home-cooked meals just as much as affluent families appreciate the food they get at restaurants. We all need to food to live. It is not the food, itself, that really matters, it is the company one is with and how pleasant it is to converse with friends and family in an enjoyable environment.
Those that consider a home-cooked meal the best ‘good food’ feel so because they appreciate that their family has spent time and effort into making a ‘good’ meal. As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is,” and those that love meals at home, love home in general. It is not, necessarily that they eat at home because they have to, but because they choose to. Getting together for dinner also allows the family to stay closer. Home-cooked meals have love in them.
And then, there are those who prefer eating out in expensive gourmet restaurants. They most likely prefer eating out because the food has been prepared by a master chef who has studied his whole life on how create ‘good food.’ People who eat out prefer ‘professionals’ to prepare their meals. Eating out is almost like treating oneself. All we have to do is show up and we are served whatever we want -- like magic! Sometimes eating out allows us to break the routine of boring meals at home. And then, some people like to break their routine of eating out by creating a meal cooked at home. This juxtaposition of our modern “foodie culture” allows us even more freedom when it comes to being able to satisfy our need of eating, but also pleasantly satisfy our social needs.
With the invention of the internet people began to grow accustomed to many new and diverse varieties of cultures and information. This “new wave” of media drastically altered the perceptions and accessibility of previous “foodie culture.” Not only were we suddenly seeking new and more interesting food, but new and more diverse food suddenly became available from all kinds of diverse store and restaurants. Cooking shows and individuals created blogs began to develop due to a new, intense passion for food shared by many people all around the world. Not only professional chefs but amateur food enthusiast were all able to share their experiences, thoughts and ideas, and recipes throughout the world. Commercials on television even contributed by beginning to excite more and more people about evolving “foodie culture,” and “foodie culture” turned into a multi-million dollar “foodie” industry.
The food industry slowly changed their focus from those families cooking their own meals using cook books and such, to now market to people who were now watching cooking shows and wanted to be able to prepare difficult meals themselves. An influential factor in the new “foodie culture” was the food industry that allowed home cooks to continue to make ‘good food,’ but also allowed those who wanted to know about certain restaurants, and cuisine they are not familiar with, experiment at home. Newly established food enthusiasts were now able to satiate their constant search for additional knowledge of food through websites and television shows that had not been present previously. The expanding pool of foodie culture was now accessible to almost everyone of all walks of life, and all foodie enthusiasts eagerly benefitted from being integrated into the world wide culture of food.
Throughout the ages food has been an important resource for all of humanity, and food will continue to be so. Whether one loves going out to fine gourmet restaurants or whether one enjoys staying home with the family and having a great home-cooked meal, the appreciation of food is the same. This appreciation of food has also evolved through the ages as mass media began to emerge, and the styles of different foods have been merged into a massive “foodie culture” that extends around the world. No matter what interest in food one has, there will still be someone else who can relate and someone they will be able to share their food experiences with. This massive culture of food has changed and will continue to change because people will never stop loving food.
This must be why the two sides of my family are not able to see eye to eye! Even though they have grown up eating at home as a family, they are constantly persuaded by the internet and television that there are more, endless options when it comes to having a meal. Just because my father’s family wants to have a meal at home does not mean they are wrong in their wanting. And the main reason my mother’s family would rather eat out is because they are bombarded by advertisements everyday imploring them to do so. Neither side is right and neither side is wrong, because, essentially, we all want the same thing -- a fun, relaxing evening where we can all get together. It seems as though we will just have to have two gatherings. We can have lunch at a fancy, gourmet restaurant (it will be cheaper anyway) and we can make a huge dinner at home.
I have to say that your begining really attracted me. A funny story rather than a statement made the whole essay so different. However, the arguement is kinda distractive. You kept talking about making own food and going out to eat, but I failed to see how they are related to economic status.
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