Rubell does not like processed food.

Jennifer Rubell: I don’t like processed food.  I don’t like ingredients that are already sort of cooked, you know?  I mean I . . . I . . . I . . .  That’s really it.  You know I mean if you’re going to cook chicken, just buy chicken.  You know don’t buy something that’s already, like, breaded or coated or whatever.  If you’re going to make . . .  If you’re going to make almost anything – fish, beans, whatever – just buy the raw ingredient.  If something takes too long to cook and it’s too much of a pain, just don’t cook it.  You know if you . . .  If you don’t wanna braise something for three hours, don’t make food that has to be braised you know?  Instead of . . .  For instance braised lamb shanks are great if you’re in the mood to cook for hours and let it simmer on the stove.  But if you don’t want that, you know take a slice off of leg of lamb.  I mean I have a two year old daughter and I cook dinner for her every night.  My favorite thing to do is to get any cut of meat, anything; take a thin, thin, thin slice off of it and sauté it quickly in the sauté pan.  And unless it’s the toughest cut of meat, it tastes great, and it literally takes 30 seconds to make her a meal.  So the key is to just don’t even bother cooking food that is . . . is long cooking or complicated.

Recorded on 12/13/07