I hope that someone somewhere will find this interesting or helpful. My biggest frustration with America today is that crap that people put into their mouths. I could spout on about the evils of HFCS or the 24 ingredients in Peanut Butter, when there ought to only be 3, but I thought I'd start simple. I'll add another section later called My High Horse for those that are interested in my point of view on things food. Bottom line is that you don't need a Michelin star and know how to flawlessly cook every recipe in the French Laundry cookbook. You should know how food is made though, and always take a stab at making it at least one time on your own. Feel a dough in your hands while kneading, separate some curds and whey, boil down sap to syrup (sugar). Get an appreciation for what goes into it and what may influence the flavors. Granted you will have some bad batches, but you will still see the process and appreciate the end results that much more. Then you won't accept the crap slung at you from the freezer section of your grocer or from some lazy chain restaurant. Then you'll know what many other countries have known for centuries and end the need for instant rice and instant mashed potatoes.