Is cooking going out of style
It’s summer, and that means the farmers markets are in full swing. So I was surprised recently when I read an article about the fear that farmers markets have maxed out and are selling less than they used to.
One theory is that home grocery delivery services are cutting into their business. There’s also the effect of home meal box delivery services that bring everything you need to cook dinner right to your door. The theory is that no one wants to cook anymore, or at least they don’t want to have to go to the grocery store.
This is nothing new to me. I have always subscribed to this behavior, because I never wanted to cook and I hate going to the grocery store. Of all the things that may actually tempt me to shop online, groceries may be just the thing to make me do it. If I can order my celery, chicken breasts and yogurt online then pull up to the curb and have a nice person plunk it down inside my car, well, that’s my little slice of heaven. The only drawback is that some stores charge an extra fee for this, but I just may take them up on it and give it a try. With competition growing, I’m starting to see stores that will now provide this service for free.
This whole resurgence of home delivery services reminds me of being a kid. I remember my parents putting empty milk bottles in the box for the milkman to replace with full ones. Doctors used to make house calls, and then we all started doing everything for ourselves. Now we want delivery again for convenience. I have a friend whose son works from home, has groceries delivered at home and has home meal delivery service. I’m sure he buys clothes online, too, but I’m not sure he would need them because it seems he never leaves the house.
If this is true that younger folks nowadays don’t want to cook, are ratings for cooking shows down?
Oh, wait.
I’m told that millennials don’t watch regular TV anyway but look up recipes and cooking videos online instead. I find it funny that advertisers are touting millennials as a generation that values “artisan” everything, craft beers and handmade soaps, etc. This is interesting because everything they’ve probably owned or been raised with has been disposable. Cellphones and computers are meant to be replaced every few years, and much of the furniture sold now is made of particle board instead of lasting wood. The value of antiques and collectibles has gone down in recent decades, and no one collects china anymore. One antique dealer wrote that he thinks this is because younger generations don’t want things that aren’t disposable. Then again, why do you need a set of china if you don’t cook anymore?
Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.