R.I.P. Gerry Thomas, Culinary God

My friend Joe points out, over at Libertarianism and Things, that a most important man has passed from our midst: Gerry Thomas, the inventor of the TV dinner.

When I was a kid, I thought there was something very cool and a little magical about those fried chicken or salisbury steak dinners that seemed to take forever to heat up in the oven. (It hasn't been the same since the proliferation of the microwave, but it's been quicker.) Ironically, my mom was (and still is) a very good cook, so it wasn't an edible meal I was looking for. Maybe it was just that, as a child, the novelty of the compartmented items (yes, with the aluminum foil over the dessert) was just as engaging as the TV I was allowed to watch while eating it. (We were otherwise a "sit at the table" kind of family, but when my mom was in grad school or teaching a late class, those little trays were a godsend.)

Joe's writing--insightful and entertaining, whether or not you're a Libertarian--is worth reading as always. Check it out.