Are we too keen on quick and easy?
The new crop of spring cookery books is out and as usual publishers seem to be convinced theyâre onto a winner with titles featuring the words âquickâ, âeasyâ and âsimpleâ. (âSlimming Worldâs Extra Easy All-in-Oneâ must tick every box going.)
Itâs the same with cookery mags and even estimable cookery sites such as this oneÌęhaveÌęendless links for 'quick and easy'Ìęrecipes of every type. The implication being that . . . well . .Ìę cooking is really a terrible drag, to be got through, like housework, as quickly as possible.
OK, there are some people who loathe cooking and - to my eternal bewilderment - prefer swabbing their work surfaces, but what are the rest of us saving time for? Ironically, it seems, to watch cookery programmes like Masterchef or where contestants take a lot more time and trouble making a meal than the viewers are prepared to.
Simon Hopkinson's Baked pappardelle with pancetta and porcini defers gratification by all of forty minutes - too long to wait?
Maybe weâre just too ambitious: overawed by the clever creations we see on telly we just give up. When I was brought up, my mother - not a great cook, admittedly - had a limited repertoire. Monday and Tuesday used up leftovers from the roast. There would be macaroni cheese another night (my favourite), mince another. If it was Friday we knew it would be fish - grilled plaice usually. It wasnât too demanding because they were all familiar friends.