“It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car”

I picked up a strange little book at “work” (see end of this post for details of my “job” and some wonderful bargains if you live near me!) …

Looking it up on Amazon I see that this booklet is basically the salient points from a far more comprehensive and attractively illustrated version but the points in the little book are good enough for me. 

Michael Pollan’s rules are very much the kind of thing I’ve been trying to say, for instance, and very apropos to this post, for instance ...

“It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car”

and

“It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language (think Big Mac, Cheetos or Pringles …)”

I think it's old news but I’ve just read on Facebook that so called “Hamburger chef” Jamie Oliver successfully challenged McDonalds about the use of pink slime, i.e. the fatty parts of the beef ‘washed’ in ammonium hydroxide, in their burgers. Apparently they no longer do this thanks, at least in part, to Jamie. I started looking into this but there was loads to read and I’m not really that interested. 

What I am interested in is …

Why, apart from convenience for people on the road and in a real hurry, why would anyone choose to have a takeaway (or eat in) burger (or other meal) from McDonalds or other fast food outlet?

Do you know how easy it is to make a burger? If not, see here.

My “Work”

I’ve written before about this – two days a week I help sort out vast amounts of books that have been donated to Cornwall Hospice Care.  They are divided into books that are good enough to sell on Amazon and those that can be sold in the many shops around Cornwall. Some books don’t make the mark and are sold for pulping – heartbreaking!

Naturally I am often tempted to buy a book (or ten) myself, so I do, hence the Michael Pollan book mentioned above.

Bargains in Cornwall

I volunteer at the warehouse at Holmbush which is behind their great shop selling pre-loved furniture and stuff. There is also a clearance outlet where phenomenal bargains are to be found including clothes for £1 and paperback books at five for a pound.  So if you are in the St. Austell area head over to St. Austell Furnish, their largest store  and get yourself some reading matter!

Speaking of Books

I've written quite a few of my own, mostly self published but my leftovers cookbook, Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers is properly published, like a grown up, and into its second edition. 

See here for my all my cookbooks.