What's Cooking?

Watching the Food Network has certainly changed the way I look at cooking. Who knew that entire meals took at least thirty minutes to cook? And there's food that doesn't come out of cans or cardboard boxes?
Not that I don't have cupboards filled with all the latest appliances, and I use them too. The food processor shreds cheese for microwave nachos so fast that Jerry complains it take longer to wash than to use. True.
I need my electric mixer to make pudding. Just because it's 'instant' doesn't mean it doesn't take any effort. Once again, there's that washing complaint. The electric knife is only used for craft projects, but what else could it be for?
Cooking shows almost never use microwaves, and I don't understand that. In less than five minutes you can make anything from oatmeal to Hollandaise sauce. Mine is installed over the stove cook top so it also has a handy fan for sucking out the steam from boiling ramen noodles or smoke from frying pork. I love my microwave.
Watching all those television cooks shred, chop, marinate, steam and fry makes me appreciate restaurant food a lot more. Too bad that the town I live in is too small to have a variety of delivery options.
Nancy Sherer