>It's virtually impossible to be a great cook at home;
I don't believe you.
I've eaten some absolutely mind-blowing meals made at home on mid to high-end consumer-grade equipment. Obviously, I wasn't the cook, and I'm no expert, but the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, as it were. I don't think restaurants can consistently match the better cooks in my family until they approach the $50/head range.
I am absolutely convinced that it's primarily skill and not equipment. I do think it is something I could get better at if I was willing to put a lot of effort into it. But it is a whole lot of effort, and it's not just the effort of learning, it's the effort of doing it every night. (In fact, putting the effort into /learning/ is on my to-do list. but even if I can, if I can pay $10 and avoid an hour of work, even if I can do that work well, I will.)
But if I could buy prepared frozen food (that took minimal effort on my part to prepare and clean up from) that was even just acceptable? I'd pay. It doesn't need to be mind-blowing, just 'good enough'
I mean, part of the problem is that it's a process; you have to plan what you want, then go pick out fresh food, then cook it, etc, etc. Which reminds me, I should set up the safeway delivery again. that was pretty cool.
>If you don't like what's in the freezer, I find that the deli section of most supermarkets has a variety of prepared dishes that are ready to reheat and eat.
Yeah... I usually get a rotisserie chicken once a week or so. Cheap and good. Most of the other stuff... well, maybe my standards are too high? but it's pretty hit and miss, and mostly miss.