No stoves needed…

A stock picture of a new condo in Toronto…there’s no stove. A matter of convenience? a matter of saving space? a matter of limited time? According to the Globe and Mail and other news sources, home cooking is on its way out.

Services like Skip the Dishes, Just Grub, and Uber Eats bring the food to your door. No need to spend time with all that annoying peeling, prepping, and don’t get started on the time spent in cooking. When the meal arrives, sit down and eat.

It sounds wonderful? No more shopping for ingredients. The practice of skipping buying ingredients for cooking (another time saver) is also touted as a way to cut waste…that asparagus you didn’t get around to using, that plate of leftover chili you forgot about, that wilted celery at the back of the fridge- all those kinds of things that would hit the landfill, won’t. Besides saving the environment, you’re saving money. Except that all the food brought in needs some sort of packaging. There’s the cost of the delivery, be it cab, included in the service, or by drone.

I’m old and funny and this just doesn’t sound like a good idea. I’m going to take it a step farther and draw a completely un-researched conclusion. Services like Skip the Dishes will contribute to our growing problem of obesity. Restaurant food is higher in fats, hidden sugar (because it’s cheap), and salt. Unless the portions are smaller than normal, more calories then needed are delivered. You won’t select your portion size, it’s done for you.

Home cooking does take some time but it’s healthier and with a bit of practice tastier. You have to re-train your taste buds to the subtlety of less sugar, less salt, and fat. Simple recipes and meals can be as satisfying as the latest trend in sauce-laden and fusion foods. Give it a try.

Googling kitchens without stoves results in a lot of pictures of the ranges you can buy. Some of them look like the deck of the Starship Enterprise. Perhaps no stove, no cooking, and ordering in is not a new way of life. I hope not but I am apprehensive. I understand the pressures of work, and limited time. Still there must be a better way.