Transforming supermarket staples

I've never really understood what modern shoppers and home cooks mean by the term "convenience foods." Of course, I know the products that those words refer to: package foods that you quickly prepare simply by adding water or heating. And I know that you can even get very creative with some of them.

That isn't what I don't understand, however. Instead, I wonder why so many home cooks rely largely on convenience foods for their home-cooked meals when, to me, so many basic ingredients are really convenient and simple.

Take fresh, in-season produce, for example. I find it exceptionally convenient to rinse and cut up a selection of greens and other vegetables and toss them with a dressing that takes just moments to prepare, resulting in a great salad.
You can't get this kind of taste from a drive-thru; Wolfgang Puck's Chicken salad with Chinese mustard vinaigrette shows that tasty doesn't mean tricky. Photo by Bonnie Trafelet, Chicago Tribune.

Or vegetables can be saute