For the last few months I’ve been considering switching most of my diet to the meal alternative Soylent. I have an unusual relationship with food, and the general convenience appeals to me; however, I have not yet tried the unconventional nutritional replacement. With the start of the new year, I have been trying to kick my expensive take-out habit with a somewhat opposite approach, learning to cook. I’m giving conventional food one last chance before I jettison an established staple of human existence to live a little more like the Jetsons.
I began with multiple trips to the grocery. A challenge in itself, I considered space and spoilage while trying to create a string of meals which would keep me satisfied in the week to come. Once I had stocked my apartment to the brim with food, I started with a fillet of salmon. As the fish fried atop my stove I marveled at the ease with which the meal came together.
Proud of my accomplishment with the fillet, I returned to the grocer and decided to try my hand at a steak, while storing another fillet in my freezer for later. The steak proved just as easy to fry, a relief since I don’t have an oven. I surrounded the steak with some mixed fruit and vegetables then topped off the food pyramid with a bowl of black raspberry ice cream.
My next major endeavor into meal preparation was making some pancake batter, seizing the opportunity to finish off the raspberries before they spoiled. I made pancakes twice before finishing the batter, and while all the pancakes tasted equally good; the second batch looked better since I put the raspberry pieces into the pan first then poured the batter over the top, leaving them visible.
Having opened a pack of bacon for the pancakes, I had put myself in a race against rot with yet another ingredient so I made up some eggs, hash and bacon, crumbling what remained into a potato along with some green beans. Happily embracing any excuse to eat more bacon I finished what remained within a couple of days.
I enjoyed the variety of choices available to me right after a shopping trip. Eating whatever seemed most appealing, be that a granola bar from a well-stocked supply, or a bowl of hot dogs and beans. At the same time, I found myself obliged to eat many meals to avoid letting the ingredients spoil, or else at risk of being “part of the problem,” that is food waste: a consideration which spurred me to revisit the fillet still chilling in my freezer.
I attempted to outdo myself, flourishing the salmon with dill and lemon, while selecting the more appropriate green bean as a side. I overdid the dill a bit, but otherwise it turned out well so I rewarded myself with pre-made cookie dough cooked in my toaster-oven and a glass of chocolate milk. putting an end to my initial stock of groceries.
Cooking my own meals, I found myself able to appreciate the pleasure of eating more than ever before. I eat mainly to ward off the paralyzing effects of fasting, which is perhaps why I was so successful in my efforts to prevent food waste; happy to eat whatever meal would stave off my appetite I focused on using the most volatile ingredients first. Still, with almost every meal I discovered new ecstasy in every bite, inexplicably enjoying these simple meals more than food I had eaten at nice restaurants.
The past week or so I have reverted to old habits as the weather turned bad. I am however determined to resume a proper grocery regiment and continue giving conventional consumption a chance because of how well my first experience went. Although the effort involved in preparing and eating a meal makes a strong case for the efficiency of a product like Soylent; the physical and emotional boon I experienced well cooking for myself has convinced me to keep with the nutritional norms of solid food for the time being. Hopefully I’ll learn a few more recipes and be back in the kitchen soon.
The Life Programmable 