Time, in my opinion, is what drives the American public's diet. Granted, there are those fortunate few (a lot of them are in this forum) who have time (and $) to go to lengths of finding "good" dining places or practice "good" dining habits (food and company that really feeds the soul more than the stomach). But for the average Joe, its all about fast food or convenience foods (TV dinners). As far as Joe is concerned, what they eat is decided mainly by a food scientist and a businessman more so than a chef. I'm a chef at a food manufacturing plant, and to be honest, it scares me what winds up in the stuff at fast food chains and grocery stores. Sure, I can make a fine Japanese vegetable bowl with shitake ginger sauce (coming soon to a "healthy food store" near you), but by the time all issues are addressed (shelf-life, deterioration of products/preservatives, the $ aspect), you get something loaded in artificial color, flavor, texture that is loaded with chemicals only a biochemist would understand. But.............it sells! It bothers my conscience so much that I'm going back to the hot kitchen life. But I'm sure someone else will take my place and keep the "American way of eating" going.
