Rate This Recipe

Choosing the right roommate is important, especially when making decisions in the kitchen. Just like with being married, sharing the grocery bill and cooking responsibilities can save both of you money, while freshly cooked ingredients lead to better health.

Eat Fresh? No Thanks!

However, a recent online post reveals how living with someone who doesn’t value home cooking can be challenging. The original poster (let’s call him Mick) says his roommate (Ned, let’s say) refuses to see the point in home-prepared meals when you can just buy prepared, frozen ingredients or ready meals.

Frozen for the Win

Mick and Ned are good friends, though Mick tires of Ned’s insistence that frozen meals (which are sometimes great for cheat days, let’s be honest) are superior to cooking from scratch as they are “cheaper, easier, and just as good.” Not only does Ned prefer eating frozen meals, but he considers them superior.

Shredded Cheese Is Cheese

Mick cites several of Ned’s fresh food philosophies: “Everything has preservatives, including fresh produce.” I am not sure where Ned gets this idea, though I am sure it involved TikTok or YouTube Shorts. Ned also believes that “Cheese is cheese, no matter if you buy it shredded or shred it yourself.” Moreover, the controversial fellow hypothesizes, “If making from scratch really was better, everyone would do it.”

Why Bother?

However, insists Mick, Ned is far from a bad cook and even enjoys cooking sometimes. The issue for Ned is why people must put time and effort into buying, washing, preparing, cooking, serving, and cleaning all the ingredients when someone has already done it.

A Two-man Pack

Mick also preemptively rebuffs attempts to tell him to cook his own food, regardless of his Philistine roommate’s preference. However, Mick says he and Ned are a “two-man pack,” and they always eat together. He does much of the cooking but despairs when his buddy shows no desire to do the same.

Just Leave It

In any case, Mick has given up trying to reason with his stubborn living partner, which is probably for the best — I don’t see Ned letting go of this stick anytime soon. Furthermore, as one can imagine, the guests’ comments in the thread are full of enlightened wisdom; here are their takeaways.

It Is What It Is

“Honestly, it sounds like you probably should just each cook for yourselves; it will be less frustrating for both of you,” advises an observer. “Being good friends for years does not guarantee that you have compatible eating or cooking habits.” Yes, they aren’t married; they just share rent and utilities. Cooking for one stink, though.

A Big Bowl of Wrong

Others in the thread just cannot fathom why anyone would prefer frozen food, but if that is what they like, so be it. “Sometimes there is simply no accounting for taste,” replies a food-loving commenter. “Someone who thinks frozen food is just as good as fresh is just wrong, but it’s kind of their prerogative and their loss, isn’t it ?”

Oh No, She Didn’t!

“I brought my mother-in-law to my very favorite ramen restaurant, and she said it was good but no better than 99-cent Top Ramen,” announces a disgruntled Japanese food eater. “I’ve never wanted to fight someone so bad.” If she were to see the years of experience and hours of care that go into ramen broth, she might not be so dismissive.

Nurture, Not Nature

The next thread member argues that Ned was likely raised in a different environment than Mick’s. “Did he grow up eating frozen food a lot?” ponders the contributor. “Did he grow up with parents who did cook from scratch but were poor cooks?” Sometimes, growing up with bad cooking (or growing up in Britain like I had to) inevitably leaves bad food memories associated with using natural ingredients.

Source: Reddit.

AUTHOR: Ben Rice