Food Rules #39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself

So, it's ok to eat "junk food"? "Yes", says Pollan, provided you make it yourself. What we consider junk food has become so cheap and easy to get that many people are eating it on a regular basis - and it's loaded with empty calories, carbs, sugar, HFCS and sodium. I just got back from an amazing BBQ in southern Tennessee where everything was made from scratch - the 24 slow-smoked pork shoulders with BBQ sauce, potato salad, cole slaw - even Jambalaya! I'm not sure if BBQ would be considered junk food or comfort food, but it was so good and not only could I taste the difference between what was served and the store-bought stuff, I appreciated the time and effort put into those dishes. I'll take that kind of junk food any day.

Pollan argues that if we all took the time to make our own junk food rather than buy it, we'd eat a lot less of it (not to mention all the extra "junk" we'd keep out of our bodies). Take mac n' cheese, nachos & pie for example. You can make versions of these at home so easily and I'll bet you'll enjoy these dishes so much more (and impress your friends & family!). Here's how:

1. Use our "Odds 'n Ends" or other small-shaped pasta with a quick bechamel http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Sauce-or-Bechamel-Sauce-40046 sauce and whatever odd pieces of cheese you have in your fridge. Cook the pasta, mix with grated cheeses and bechamel, and bake in a lightly-buttered oven-proof dish at 350 until cheese is melted and top slightly browned.

2. Put a layer of our El Jinete tortilla chips on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, top with any of all of the following, available at Provenance: shredded cheddar or manchego cheese, Rick's Picks heat seekers (pickled jalapenos), crumbled Dona Juana sobresada, pork rillette, sliced piquillo or red peppers, chopped piparra peppers, Tomato Mountain salsa. Put under broiler til cheese is melted & viola! Top with creme fraiche if desired.

3. Slice fresh seasonal fruit; mix together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar,
1/2 cup sliced almonds (2 oz), 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Put mixture over fruit in a lightly-buttered oven proof dish; bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Top with creme fraiche or Nice Cream.

How's that for easy junk food!?