I wasted many dollars, easily persuaded by the colorful sales and promotions of prepackaged pasta and neatly wrapped white chicken meat. Then, one day, at last, the professionals at HeatEatReview told me what to eat. Exit the Better Business Bureau,  enter Abi Jones.

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DB: How did you make a leap from art studies, volunteering and other social projects to frozen food?

As you gain knowledge about a situation, you have a responsibility to inform others involved in that issue. Some people protest the World Trade Organization, but we'd like to impose tariffs on the rusty sauce coating South Beach Diet's Garlic and Herb Chicken meal.

DB: Do you remember your first hot pocket and how many stars would it get?

My first Hot Pocket was in 1992 and the scalding sauce and cheese mixture was ambrosia in my mouth. At the time, it would have earned five stars. Now that my tastes have matured I only consume Hot Pockets for the purpose of research. And when I feel too lazy to stir things.

DB: I buy the frozen food with the brightest label. What essential qualities make the ultimate, five star, frozen meal?

As a consumer, consider that frozen meals are cooked first by the company and then in your microwave. Then look for foods that would make good leftovers: Indian cuisine, casseroles, enchiladas, and lasagna. Bad leftovers: fish sticks, hamburgers, shrimp fettuccine alfredo. A quick glance through our Five Star category will reveal the truth in the "Leftovers Philosophy".

DB: I read that more and more Americans turning to fresh organic food brought alive home and slaughtered with a kitchen knife despite USDA recommendations. How long till the industry stops producing prepackaged dinners?

Just about every time I go into a Whole Foods, I have to fight through a crowd of people hastily swiping boxes of Amy's Organic Macaroni and Cheese off of freezer shelves. We're finally seeing a surge in truly tasty, filling, and nutritious convenience foods and with that sea change, you'll see a lot more "Natural Foods" folks in the microwave line at work.

DB: Well, I am at least glad to hear that your blog hasn't committed you and your contributors to eating Nancy's quiches three times a day. What are your favorite fresh things to cook at home?

I'm really lucky to be half-Mexican and to have grown up eating delicious and authentic Tex-Mex foods. When I have the time, I cook up a pot of chili or sauté a huge pan of fajita fixings. I'm 3,000 miles from my family, but it feels like less than that when I'm feeding my friends the same foods I ate growing up. There's some magic in a pan of sautéed onions seasoned with comino and chili powder: it's the start to many wonderful meals. Oh wow, I didn't know I could be so cheesy. I guess some girls have Calgon, I have sautéed onions.

DB: I heard that the food industry employs men in black suits driving cars with tinted windows. Has one of them visited you after you gave a whopping zero points to the Lean Cuisine Hunan Beef and Broccoli?

I've started traveling with bodyguards. In nearly 200 reviews, we've only awarded 4 meals the dreaded "Zero Stars". All of the reviewers on HeatEatReview.com use a rubric of quality, quantity, and cost when rating meals. Unfortunately, the number of Zero Star meals will rise to six by the end of the month when I delve into the Banquet $1.00 meal line and Trader Joe's Soba Noodles.

DB: The original microwave pattern was entitled "Method of Treating Foodstuffs" and the first prototype was 750 lbs. What role does technology play in your life and what is the high-tech future of prepared foods?

I'm an information architect and interaction designer, so my entire work life depends on the existence of technology. In terms of eating, I'm curious about Homaro Cantu's edible photos and the New Harvest cultured meat venture. Cantu is undertaking an artistic endeavor that means nothing in the grand scheme of life and actually uses more resources than necessary. New Harvest's work could revolutionize farming practices, economies, and the state of stomachs all over the world. And yes, I would eat cultured meat; it has to be better than Lean Cuisine Hunan Beef.

DB: Thanks for the interview! I have to move my fridge and microwave to make some space for the thanksgiving dinner. What are your plans?

With the holidays approaching, I'm in full baking mode. There's a lovely pan of 7 layer bars cooling in my kitchen right now and I'm mulling over a chocolate cheesecake recipe for Thanksgiving. I'm the evil person in the office that spoils other people's diets. Actually, I'm not sure that my coworkers even realize the immense amounts of butter they consume because of me. I tried to tell them once, but Jess put it best "I don't want to know what is in a pan of your cheesecake brownies, I just want to eat them."

You can find Abi on FoodCandy and on HeatEatReview.com.