Better Would Have To Be Better Than I Can Imagine

I was trying out a frozen steak and potato pie dinner the other night that my wife bought me. It had three sets of directions. For best results, I was supposed to cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes. For better results, I was supposed to microwave for 2-3 minutes and then oven for something like 10-20 minutes. The lowest down option said to just microwave for 2-3 minutes.

I microwaved for 2-3 minutes.

Frankly, it was pretty good. Unless I knew that the microwave only directions would be inedible, it wasn’t likely that I’d choose either the microwave/oven combination or just the oven directions. Particularly the oven directions. Better? Best? How much better could it possibly be that I’d go through all that to cook the pot pie? Personally, it’d have to be better than I could possibly imagine before I’d consider taking all that time. I certainly didn’t consider doing that.

30-40 minutes was right out. Once I get hungry enough to cook something, I can no longer wait 30-40 minutes…certainly not when 2-3 minutes is a viable (if perhaps not quite as good) option. 10-20 minutes is even pushing it. It’s like Mitch Hedberg’s bit about baked potatoes: ” It takes forever to cook a baked potato in a conventional oven. Sometimes I just throw one in there, even if I don’t want one. Cause by the time it’s done, who knows?”

Seriously, better and best aren’t enough to convince me to spend the extra time. As long as 2-3 minutes in the microwave still works, I’ll never find out how much better a microwave/oven combination or oven could be. I’d certainly have to imagine it was going to be much better than I think in order to decide to go through that effort.

I just don’t have that kind of time.