[senior citizen]

My honest impression is that most of the fast food or semi fast food “chain” restaurants use frozen packages of prepared meals which they simply nuke. You could do the same at home, purchasing frozen processed foods. Beware all of the unwanted additives.

There is no way they could be “behind the scenes” preparing 30 different appetizers and entrees “to order”.....

Years ago, we might have been fooled.........but truly “see the light” now re how most restaurants operate......

Obviously, the great New York City or other high end restaurants do have a league of sous chefs onboard preparing “to order” whatever the customer desires.

But most of these other restaurants could never make all of the stuff on the menu..........unless it’s a short order diner with an experienced cook.

Back in the 1990’s we’d frequent an “inn” in our town......lovely place for special occasions and even weddings.............beautiful Victorian home.

The elderly innkeepers were very nice people. They had on hand “one chef”.....the place had a lot of New England ambience. We'd ask for a table in front of one of the big old fireplaces.

However, they really pulled the wool over our eyes.........

We’d RAVE over the French baguettes that they brought to our table “warm out of the oven”........in small slices, with sweet butter in a small crock............envisioning the chef "baking" those French baguettes earlier in the afternoon.

If we were lucky, they might bring us another few slices of that delicious French bread.

After using Schwan’s food service which deliver frozen ice cream and such to the homes up here, I tried their French baguettes which you simply put in your oven for 15 minutes........guess what? We both recognised them as the same as the ones at the inn. They are prebaked and come out of your own oven PERFECT. Hard crusty exterior, soft interior.

In my younger married days , while raising the kids, I actually made my own French bread........it’s not hard and it is delicious......but not something I want to do now.........so Schwan’s is pretty good....and exactly the same as what that inn provided. (Schwans and Sysco Foods deliver to restaurants.)

Then they’d bring out a teeny tiny round of goat cheese on one little cracker. Following that was a teeny tiny cup of “mustard soup” which I would wager to guess was some chicken broth with a teaspoon of mustard stirred in and some herbs on top.

A nice fresh green salad was next. Yes, that would be natural.

But then came the main course and that was to die for................
BEEF WELLINGTON.

We would all rave (as we’d go with friends) about all the labor that went into that Beef Wellington........in small individual portions , one on each plate.

Tender filet mignon layered with a savory mushroom duxelles and then wrapped in a light flaky puff pastry and baked to perfection.....the filet mignon perfect.

YEARS LATER...........for a special occasion dinner at home, I purchased the same exact thing from KANSAS CITY STEAKS..........delivered to my door, frozen.

Follow the instructions and they came out perfectly and they do impress the guests. No bloody steak to contend with. Foolproof. Expensive but perfect.

So, if a small inn can fool us as well as others.........just think what the big chains can do. All of those MSG and glutamate and flavor enhansors can pass by simply known as “natural flavorings”..............I’ve done the research. (Ditto for big name frozen foods such as Stauffers....I’ve talked to them on the phone).

I’m even beginning to wonder about Chinese restaurants which I always assumed was stir fried to order..........for the longest time I’ve asked for no MSG and no soy sauce........last week I requested “no oyster sauce” and “no fish sauce” and he kept saying that it was already in it, etc., etc. and that’s how it comes..............????

That made me wonder if they don’t get some of their stuff frozen????
I know they must get their egg rolls frozen.

It’s always been mind boggling to understand how they can do a BIG ORDER for 8 different entrees in just 20 minutes??? Even with pre chopped veggies, etc.

Anyway...........all of what I ordered came with the unwanted oyster and fish sauce and the unwanted soy sauce and I’m sure unwanted MSG.

Anyone who is food sensitive.......will realize when they’ve had MSG. So, although basically healthy, my favorite Chinese foods are laden with MSG....

When traveling, we sometimes have had Applebee's and I can tell that their stuff is definitely FROZEN FOOD. Loaded with unwanted stuff.
I used to think Bob Evans was "home made" but the last time we had it, it was OVERLY SALTY and did not taste home made at all.

Again, the great restaurants of the world.........yes, they would make your food from scratch. But not the run of the mill restaurants we all go to today.