That reminds me of the story of the woman who was taught to cook a roast by cutting off the ends. One day, her husband asks why do you throw away perfectly good cuts of meat, and she says her mother taught her that way. Questioning it, they go to the mother who says that's how grandma taught me. They go to grandma who says that's how great-grandma taught her. They go to great-grandma, who laughs and said "We couldn't afford a big pan so I had to cut the ends to fit it into the pan I had."
