Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Why be concerned with what anyone else thinks of what you buy? You pay for your own groceries, you consume them in the portions you appropriate, and you are responsible for their impact on your health. So, go, buy your potato buds for whatever purpose you intend, and hold your head high.

Beth1, I agree with what you've said, but I remember going grocery shopping with my mom and being horrified at the amount of processed, pre-packaged crap she would buy. It truly embarrassed me and this was before I was at all interested in cooking. We never had fresh vegetables or fruit growing up when my mom was doing the cooking. I guess that's why I'm always embarrassed to be seen with any type of processed crap in my cart. Even if it's just for a one time snack or as an ingredient in a much healthier recipe.

I've bought those potato flakes for feeding a sourdough starter, actually works well. Have to try it in bread dough, what are the rough proportions you use?

Context, again.

And timing or history, perhaps.

I look at Hungry Jack and think of how he (ha, ha!) created in the minds of our society the notion that women did not have to stay home and peel potatoes but rather could go out and do other things if they wanted to - like have a career.

That a mere lumberjack in a red plaid shirt could do this (apparently it is the thought of his strong arms mashing the potatoes that is so appealing) is (or was) a most excellent thing. And it's not nothing, though it may seem to be if one is not old enough to have seen this change shift over some years of time.

If it now has happened that women can have it all - a professional well-paying career, a good marriage, charming and brilliant children, a clean house, while also managing to cook three meals of delicious things from scratch in a twenty-four hour day (while of course maintaining a decent haircut which is paramount) how marvelous!

But for every woman who is not a paragon of perfection (and for even more women with little or no support systems to help her which can actually happen surprisingly enough), Hungry Jack is quite a decent guy. As is The Green Giant and all the other characters who stepped in to help where help was needed or wanted, aside from where the haute experience reigned or where the Aspirational Diner and Cook barked in aspirational hunger together at the glittery moon in a land where every person was the perfect artisan-chef in their own home kitchen, able to snort with knowing derision at the little red box that others might use either from need of time, lack of knowledge, the surprising thing that may be not really liking to cook or of course . . . the worst thing of all . . . lack of style.

I don't use Jack but I appreciate his existence hugely in the greater scheme of things.

You worry too much ;)

I personally have wretched associations with instant mashed potatoes, because I literally lived on them (made with hot tap water, to make it even worse) the winter when I first went off to university, and was completely broke. They were the horrible store brand ones, and the most food purchasable for the money.

But I can't imagine seeing instant mash (or anything else, for that matter) in someone's basket or cart, and passing some sort of judgement on them. Unless that was the ONLY thing they were buying... in which case I know I'd hope they weren't going through a rough patch like the one I'd been through.

Sometimes I buy Kraft mac-n-cheez.

Frozen burritos. I love 'em.

*hangs head in shame*

Velveeta. And even with that, I only experience the most fleeting sense of embarrassment, being a FTITCTAJ kind of girl.

If non-ancient, non-shriveled, unsprouted heads of good quality garlic were available in my stores on an even somewhat reliable basis, I'd be a little embarrassed about the jars of chopped garlic I buy to ensure I always have fresh-like garlic on hand.

But they aren't. (This, even though I live only about 350 miles south of the garlic-growing capital of the USA. Pathetic.)

So I'm not.

(still WAY better than garlic powder, which I also keep on hand)

Hebrew National hot dogs .. my husband loves them, even though I don't let him have them very often.

Also, Trader Joe's Truffle Brownie Mix .. 99% of the time, I make brownies from scratch, but I like to have a box on hand b/c it is seriously a one-bowl, 2-minutes and into the oven; no measuring needed.

O.K...the Kraft Mac n' Cheese....only a couple times a year.....and bologna...about the same. Every once in awhile you get those cravings you can't deny.
On the none grocery shopping front, I haven't been able to give up my Mickey D's....every once in awhile a one of their double cheeseburgers hits the spot!

This definitely inspired me to post on my blog. I know the temptation is to judge ourselves, as serious cooks and eaters, on what we buy, but everyone should loosen up. If you like it and it works for your lifestyle, I see absolutely no reason why is shouldn't go in the grocery cart with pride. Consenting adults, right?

I took photos of the inside of my fridge last week to post online and was kind of embarrassed about the Tofurkey sausages. I figured that I regained some "cool points" with the bottles of Guinness. I'll try anything healthy once, and I don't mean the Guinness.
(mmmm... Guinness.)

Once in awhile (maybe once a year if that) I'll buy Kraft Dinner or Alphaghetti as nostalgic comfort food.

Potato Buds are a Thanksgiving tradition. The kids love the "change of pace" from the real deal. Works for me once a year!

@PerkyMAc....I live in Philly, so scrapple is EVRYwhere.If someone told me it was a healthy eat, I think I'd eat it all day. Like you said, 'bout a quarter inch thick and super crispy. My dad ,who is 79, likes to make a
scrapple sandwich sometimes with egg sometimes not. I am a scrapple purist.

If you're ever in town, The Dining Car does everything right. They wre just on the Food Network,Diners,Drive Inns, and Dives.

Where are you?

@donnie......NW burbs, as they call us on the weather reports. My daughter just moved from Philly to the wrong coast, so I won't be there as often. My friend is PA Dutch from coal country and the scrapple is a real treat to him. His wife has to eat gluten free, so I make something else for her while we feast.

Nice to meet you!

@honey_bumper, I don't measure when I'm baking bread, I just go by feel. Well, I usually measure water (1 cup) and yeast (1 spoon) because that keeps me in check as far as how much bread I'll end up making.

I keep a little scoop in the plastic container where I store the buds, maybe it's about a quarter cup, and I'll put one or two scoops into a one-loaf batch that's got about 2 1/2 - 3 cups of flour. When I'm thinking about it, I put it in first, so it softens in the water, but I've also put it in at the end, and it kneads right in and disappears.

Another interesting addition is mashed squash, like butternut squash. It does the same thing as mashed potatoes, as far as making the bread softer, but it also gives it a pretty yellowish color. It doesn't taste squashy at all.

@perkymac....Just found out my nephew needs to eat gluten free. Maybe you can help me pass some recipes on to my sister.

Have an old friend who lived in Ashland.

Nice to meet you as well.

@donnie......You nephew has a tough road ahead. Do children ever outgrow it? Here is a great website:

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

Wegman's has a great selection of gluten free products and I buy gluten free flour online, but I'll have to check on the brand. I keep it in the freezer.

My name might give you a hint as to my location. ;)

@perkymac... Thanks for the info. My sister said some kids do outgrow some things. This poor kid is also allergic to dairy,and poultry. My sis is
trying to be really creative with soy, etc.

thanks for the link. I've passed it on and let's hope it helps some.

I'm guessing you're upstate

Oddly, I've never found Spam to be embarassing to put in my basket. lol

Love is blind.

Growing up kosher, no wonder I never heard of scrapple!

Would a cart half full of Bagel Bites and premade French Fries be embarrassing? A little bit...:)

Hillary
Chew on That