I'm amazed when I watch commercials from food chain establishments advertising for $7 bucks or even less you can get a great meal. Now, let's pause here. Ok, you'll be able to afford a meal for 7 bucks but what are you really getting. Let's see, If its meat, you'll probably get the cheapest grade of beef which is probably tough. Then the company or manufacturer add tenderizer or uses a contraption to break up the muscle tissue. So, in essence you'll be getting a cheap cut of beef, and for the manufacturer and retailer a great profit. Then they add a potato, most like genetic modified, a veggie, overcooked and a very sweet dessert, sugar not exactly good for you, then chugging it all down with a sugary drink. And to top it off, they may add cheese to make it taste better or a sweet sauce.
​You see, low grade products have no flavor!
​So, yes, you got a meal for $7 bucks, you're full and bloated and it taste good, so in all likelihood you'll come back.
​But with the media and documentaries telling us how unhealthy eating out is, the American public now knows that most of their food is full of preservatives and additives and way too much sugar and salt.
​The feeling is now I want to eat healthier. So droves of customers have stopped going out to eat, but some have made it a ritual to enjoy a nice meal out with family after a long week.
​The trend today is delivery, call in a get a meal delivered. BUT the question is can you tell good food from bad? Do you mind a meal made from scratch and are you willing to wait? Well, to my surprise, there are a couple of establishments that do. notably 5 Guys Hamburgers, Wendy's and some others. People are willing to wait for good food.
Gone are the days of standardization and speed.
​I went to a pizza joint the other day and order fresh garlic bread. I even watched them prepare it and I was waiting for the butter to be slathered on the Italian bread. Ok, a bottle of butter flavor was used. Got it home and it was terrible. So, what the heck!. It was terrible, taste institutionalized butter.
​Microwaving, , yes it get the food hot maybe a little over done, so why not cover it with cheese.
If, we take the time to cook and not look at cooking as a chore, you'll be able to appreciate the flavor and know its healthy for you.
​Did you ever wonder why diabetes is at an epidemic level, arthritis, dementia, heart disease,?
​I purchased a bag of fried frozen onion rings and baked them in the oven. Ok, I was slightly distracted but when I looked, the rings were all black, it was the coating, all sugar to make it more enticing.
So, stay away from prepackaged food, cookies, sauces and learn to make it yourself. You'll be glad you did.
​www.chefwoocan.com    

You may have thought that the food at take out places or restaurants are what the average Chinese person eats for dinner. Well, let me be the barer of bad news, its not. The food is American Chinese food designed to be tasty and appetizing to the masses. When the immigrants came to this country, they had to somehow with the produce available create as best they could, some semblance of foods they left behind in China. Examples of early creations were Chop Suey, Chow Mein, lo Mein. These dishes were a mixture of veggies over rice, or noodles with veggies.
Then the evolution of Chinese food moved from the ghetto of Chinatown to outside of Chinatown to the urban neighborhoods.
​So, those individuals that visited Chinatown, would see a variation of different foods brought from the old country. Nothing fancy, but so tasty and delicious, yet economical and easy to prepare.
​So in my Chef Woo Can Summer Recipes, you'll see some pretty simple recipes that will be very tasty and cooling. Like they say "Try it you'll like it"  
​check me at at www.chefwoocan.com