"Home cooking is a catalyst that brings people together. We are losing the daily ritual of sitting down
around the table (without the intrusion of television), of having the opportunity to interact, to share
our experiences and concerns, to listen to others. Home kitchens, despite the increase in designer
appliances and cabinetry, are mostly quiet and empty today. Strangers are preparing much of our food.
And our supermarkets, which once considered restaurants and fast-food places the enemy, have joined
the trend by enlarging their delis and offering ready-to-eat food they call "home-replacement meals."
But bringing ready-cooked meals home is not the same as cooking in your own kitchen, where you are
in control of the ingredients you use, where you fill the house with good cooking smells, and where you
all share in a single dish, taking a helping and passing the platter on to your neighbor. Nothing can
replace that."
— Marion Cunningham, from the introduction to Lost Recipes.