Ask an expert: Does my dog need chef-prepared food? | Thingtesting

The power of convenience foods to insinuate themselves into some of our most precious memories—of family, of happiness, of childhood—should be a pressing concern for everyone who is serious about improving anyone’s diet, including their own.

Some people think that the practice is strongly associated with downmarket restaurants, while others believe that attractive photographs may raise expectations too high, leading to inevitable disappointment when the real food arrives.

I spoke to another neophobic woman who said that whenever friends suggested a meal out, she had to call ahead to the restaurant to confirm that they could cook her a plain hamburger with absolutely no fixings.

We only ever got pigs’ blood. This wasn’t because it was the only type of animal blood the butcher had. ‘Pigs are dirty,’ my mum said once. ‘It’s what your body deserves.’ But it turns out that pigs aren’t naturally dirty. Rather, humans keep pigs in dirty conditions, feeding them rotten vegetables, letting the mud in their too-small pens mix with

Alison Roman: “People are so brand-conscious now, and I think they’ve become that way about food. ‘Are those the Fishwife anchovies?’ No, it’s Cento. Or some Spanish brand you’ve never heard of, but it’s the same anchovies inside the tin. People are too conscious about choosing the ‘right’ thing that signifies their taste level, or who they are as