On The Go...Or Slow Go

A few months ago in this space, I served up a recipe for a full Thanksgiving dinner that could be fully prepared in a total of 9 minutes. I did this as a service for the new generation of “on the go” chefs who have become accustomed to routinely delivering quick meal solutions. I received several responses from fellow bloggers who were dismayed and taken back at the idea of a quick serve Thanksgiving meal. But what I found most interesting was that no one seemed to think THEY were an “on the go” chef. In fact, many seemed a bit angered at the thought of being lumped into this group – especially on Thanksgiving.

Nonetheless, the “on the go” cooking lifestyle has been driven by the needs and desires of consumers for many years. It is not a new trend at all. More than ever the food industry continues to innovate towards products that offer maximum convenience and ease of preparation, while maintaining “made from scratch” quality. And we all know this trend is not going to change. It is just going to become more accelerated thanks to advances in food technology and brand innovation that is focused on making products better and easier to use.

And guess what. These industry trends and product innovation may be transforming you too into an “on the go” chef. It may have already happened and you just don’t know it. Okay, maybe you are not ready to accept this classification on special holidays just yet, but you may already be closer than you think based on your everyday cooking approach.

So to determine if you are an “on the go” or “slow go” chef, I have created a short quiz. Try it. It’s as easy as boiling water (assuming you remember how to do that!).

Questions 1-10: please answer “Yes or No”.
1. Have you ever broken open an egg? (and dropping one on the floor doesn’t count!)
2. Have you ever purchased “Standard” Quaker Oats Oatmeal?
3. Did you even know there was a “Standard” Quaker Oats Oatmeal?
4. Do you ever worry that you left the house and forgot to turn off the oven?
5. Have you ever opened the Joy of Cooking?
6. When you feel like making mashed potatoes, do you check first to see if you have any potatoes?
7. Do you own a mixing bowl?
8. Have you ever simmered anything?
9. Have you ever made Macaroni and Cheese from scratch?
10. Did you know that preparing Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is not considered “making it from scratch”?

Questions 11-15: please choose A, B or C
11. A rolling pin is: A) something that occurs after a nice shot at the bowling alley, B) used in the kitchen to roll dough, C) something I saw my mom chase my dad around the house with once when I was young.
12. The last time I turned my oven on was to: A) heat up a left over slice of pizza, B) cook a meatloaf, C) take the chill out of the house.
13. There is nothing worse than arriving home at dinner time only to realize your: A) flat screen TV is not working, B) dog has run away, C) microwave is not working.
14. Dice is: A) a gambling game played extensively in Las Vegas, B) cutting cube-shaped pieces especially of meat or vegetables, C) what you roll to play Monopoly.
15. On average, the time I spend making dinner is best described as A) around 30 minutes but I wish it could be longer, B) a minimum of 60 minutes to ensure proper preparation and attention to detail, C) where can I get a copy of that 9 minute Turkey recipe mentioned earlier?

Scoring:
· Questions 1-10: add 3 points for every “Yes” and add 10 points for every “No”
· Questions 11-15: add 5 points for every “A”, 2 points for every “B”, and 10 points for every C

Results:
· 40-75: you are the classic “slow go” chef, both Emeril and Betty Crocker would be proud of you, please invite me to your next holiday dinner.
· 76-114: you are like the middle dial setting on your stove top, somewhere between fast boil and slow simmer.
· 115-150: you think Minute Rice takes too long to cook, welcome officially to the “on the go” club!

Don’t worry if you find yourself in the “on the go" club because you are not alone.

It actually makes a lot of Brand Sense..but for the traditionalists, it feels like Brand NonSense.