Great Packaging: the Gift that Keeps on Giving

I'm in the packaging business. I love packaging. If it's useful, protective, plastic, logoed, beautifully colored, plain, fancy, paper, reusable, buttoned, zipped, tied with a bow or not, I love it all. Innovation in packaging has revolutionized the food industry and I especially appreciate the freedom that this great packaging allows us.

We recently visited our friend, Tom, who owns a specialty shop selling wines and olive oils and all kinds of foodie goodies that are out of the ordinary; not regular grocery store fare. Tom talked about his visit to a restaurant supply show where he viewed myriad new items that make food preparation simpler for restaurant owners. All of the items he mentioned are foods that would require very little preparation - just cook, arrange artfully on a plate and listen for the yummy sounds from your dining room.

Because of GREAT packaging, we now have juicy eight-ounce hamburger patties ready for grilling and fresh pastas any time we want, even soft-shell crabs out of season. Salad greens, deli meats, fresh bread, pulled pork, exotic fish, tender cuts of beef - whatever your palate craves, with delectable gourmet flavorings, ready to use with little or no preparation. I think back to the days when my Mom was feeding a family of seven at the end of an eight-hour work day, with exactly zero convenience food items - everything was fresh - washed, cut, seasoned, cooked and served by Mom the Chef. I'm especially grateful for Mom's skill in the kitchen, but ever more grateful for the freedom that is available to me, in the kitchen and elsewhere, because of innovative packaging.