One thing we know for sure is that more and more people either don't know how to cook or just don't cook. I think this is a loss greater than we realize. Home cooking is a catalyst that helps to bring people together at the table. We are losing the daily ritual of being seated together, of having the opportunity to learn to interact, and share our experiences and concerns, to listen to others. Home kitchens, despite the increase in designer appliances and cabinetry, are mostly quiet and empty.
Strangers prepare much of our food.
There are of course many reasons, but there is one above all others. Home cooking in America has always been considered menial drudgery. This sentiment is not hard to understand. Struggling immigrants did not want to see their children, in this land of golden opportunity, spending their lives hidden in kitchens and cooking for others. They had big dreams.