Two facts about myself: I very much enjoy cooking; I live in downtown Detroit. Until very recently, these two things were at extreme odds with one another. Finally, in the last week of October a small, but very well stocked grocery store opened up not far from my home. It has changed my life significantly, no hyperbole intended. The fact is, many urban centers are so called "food deserts", places where one can't find fresh bread or produce readily and affordably.

Tonight, for example, I made french onion soup (my first attempt, which was amazing); this required several varieties of vegetables and herbs to make the stock, good quality cheese, fresh bread, and, not least, the the patience to attend cooking onions for ~1.5 hours. This was all made possible by the fact that I was able to go my local grocery store and buy ingredients after work. This simply would not have been possible for me even six weeks ago (for the last several years, I've mainly survived on Pizza, Chinese takeout and Jimmy John's--sad, really).

But there is another contributing factor, too, which is that I grew up in a good home, where my parents taught me some basic life skills. Many very delicious and healthy things are simple and cost effective to cook, but if you've never had anyone teach you some basic skills, then you may lack the knowledge or confidence to even try. I think for a lot of America, food comes from the grocery store in a pre-packaged box, or from a fast food window; it doesn't come from the ground or the stove or the oven.

Of course, there are a lot of reasons for this, but it is the case, nonetheless. It is easy to ridicule anyone who would buy toast pre-packaged, but I don't think we should be so quick to judge. Lack of access and lack of knowledge (combined with absolutely silly food policy) are what lead to things like reheatable toast, and it is a way bigger problem than anyone in most areas are aware of. I grew up in a suburb where I had no less than 8 grocery stores (by a rough count off the top of my head) within a few minute drive from my house, and I always took it for granted, as I'm sure anyone would.

Fortunately, the government has started to subsidize farmers' markets to accept food stamps, which often come on a debit card, requiring wireless access. This is a step in the right direction, but a small one, to be sure. I don't know a good solution, but I know that one can't just laugh at people who buy ridiculous things like frozen toast; there is a reason manufacturers make frozen toast, after all.