What really sucks about cooking from scratch...
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Food timing. Oh gosh I suck at this. I always end up with cold roasted veggies or meat while I wait for the potatoes to finish boiling or something
This is my biggest problem, too. I am getting better as time goes on, but I still am not very good at it. I might could do it if I had a huge chef's kitchen with dual ovens and tons of counter space.
I'm also really bad at judging when my food is going to be done, or how long it takes my oven to preheat. I'm not super fond of cooking so I always put it off. My husband and my oldest son like to eat earlier in the evening (5:30-6:00), and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to have dinner ready before 6:45. It's frustrating.
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I figured out the timing on most of my dishes. My dilemma is who's washing the dishes? lol0
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Crushing garlic. I LOVE garlic - would add it to every single meal if I could. But garlic crushers are messy and annoying, and I haven't mastered the chef's way of using the flat side of the knife blade. It's a good thing I don't mind getting bigger chunks of the stuff every few mouthfuls!
Oh, and cleaning up afterwards. Love planning, preparing, and cooking food. But loathe any form of housework, so the clean up is my most hated part of cooking. I do it. I just hate doing it.
I just buy jars of crushed and minced garlic.
Go to an asian market, buy a bagging of peeled garlic. Take it home and throw it in the food processor with just a little oil.
Bag it, freeze it. Have it for forever.0 -
ljallen2000 wrote: »My problem is that I'm not good at knowing what's missing, what needs to be added to make it taste better. I didn't grow up around any cooks.
This is a tricky thing to learn. I've been cooking from scratch without a recipe for several decades, and still I sometimes have trouble with this.0 -
It would take you two years to produce a batch of worcestershire sauce. That project was unrealistic.WednesdayJanuary07th2015 wrote: »What I hate about cooking from scratch, is when I search for recipes; not all of the ingredients are from scratch & so then I have to search for that separately as well. For instance I wanted to make Worcestershire Sauce but it said to add Soy Sauce, that's it; no recipe for the soy sauce was included. Obviously if I use store bought Soy Sauce, then the Worcestershire Sauce; wasn't made from scratch!
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mamapeach910 wrote: »I always set up my recipes with MFP and it all figures it out for me (as long as I can select the item with grams. I so hate it when an item is setup as "medium", "cup", etc. Can't trust any item that way). Then, I put everything with my name in the beginning of the recipe (i.e.: (DebzNuDA) Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple). It's so easy to find and log. If I find that I need to change a recipe then all I need to do is "Edit" the recipe.
Yes! This! I get sick of trawling through all the entries with 'cups'. Just put in the freaking grams, people! (I'm calm, I really, really, am.....)
I end up with some freakish diary entries because of this. I know how many grams are in the cup sometimes thanks to the food package, then calculate the percentage I'm using and end up with some weird fraction of a cup based on how many grams I'm using.
I really should be the unlazy one and add an entry that calculates a correct entry for these things.
Same here. But I'm too lazy to make so many new entries...WednesdayJanuary07th2015 wrote: »WednesdayJanuary07th2015 wrote: »WednesdayJanuary07th2015 wrote: »What I hate about cooking from scratch, is when I search for recipes; not all of the ingredients are from scratch & so then I have to search for that separately as well. For instance I wanted to make Worcestershire Sauce but it said to add Soy Sauce, that's it; no recipe for the soy sauce was included. Obviously if I use store bought Soy Sauce, then the Worcestershire Sauce; wasn't made from scratch!
I know, right? My recipe from yesterday called for salt, so I had to go grab a bucket of sea water and wait for it to evaporate. Could have saved me so much time by food prepping the day before if the recipe clearly detailed the salt making step!
Nice try but salt is only one ingredient of an ingredient, whereas Soy Sauce; has several ingredients.
I do frequently use a recipe that calls for seasoned salt...
Last night I actually made a single serve cake that needs applesauce. Ever since the first day I made the cake and didn't feel like going out to buy a jar of it, I've been making mine from apples, water and cinnamon. To me it's just a bit ludicrous to expect a recipe to have that level of detail. I would think it would be your responsibility to review the recipe and find sub recipes if you prefer not to buy common ingredients. I mean what if people prefer to grow their own potatoes and need a several month head start before they can make scalloped potatoes??
Actually the Soy Sauce & Apple-Cider Vinegar, to make Worcestershire Sauce take several months to make because some of the ingredients, have to ferment. Some people, especially children and/or new cooks whom want to even just try to make something simple from scratch, might not realize that a particular ingredient; isn't in it's natural state from the recipe. I am just trying to be as health conscious & processed free as possible, so if I could potentially substitute an ingredient and/or even reduce it, it makes sense to me; for all of the ingredients to be listed. There can be a lot of different things, that one might have to look up separately; for a single recipe. If I just type "How to make Worcestershire Sauce", I expect to get a simple list of ingredients but when I typed "How to make Vegan Worcestershire Sauce from scratch", I expect to get exactly what I asked for; which of course is a more complex list of ingredients.
Great info, I had no idea! It makes sense.
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WednesdayJanuary07th2015 wrote: »
Dishwashing is a reasonable chore for a child.
In my opinion, raising younger siblings is NOT a reasonable chore or expectation. Sorry that happened to you, it really sucks. (Just one of the 8000 reasons the Duggars can bite me) But, kids do need kid-appropriate chores. Folding laundry, washing dishes, helping with sweeping/vacuuming....normal. "You've been assigned your little brother?" Not so much.
I agree. My kids all washed dishes when they were at home. In fact, every single one of them has asked why I waited till they were grown and moved away before buying a dishwasher. I assumed the question was rhetorical and just smiled.0 -
That's what separates the hobbyist from the artisan.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »ljallen2000 wrote: »My problem is that I'm not good at knowing what's missing, what needs to be added to make it taste better. I didn't grow up around any cooks.
This is a tricky thing to learn. I've been cooking from scratch without a recipe for several decades, and still I sometimes have trouble with this.
It can be learned to an extent, but you have to feel it. Like painting. Photography. Etc.
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WednesdayJanuary07th2015 wrote: »
Dishwashing is a reasonable chore for a child.
In my opinion, raising younger siblings is NOT a reasonable chore or expectation. Sorry that happened to you, it really sucks. (Just one of the 8000 reasons the Duggars can bite me) But, kids do need kid-appropriate chores. Folding laundry, washing dishes, helping with sweeping/vacuuming....normal. "You've been assigned your little brother?" Not so much.
I totally agree that children should have at least a chore but unfortunately, this is also how many parents begin taking advantage of their children. Other times it starts with a child, just wanting to be helpful. I wanted to help make a formula bottle for my brother, my Mother taught me how to; then I became the only one making them. Plus it also depends upon what that chore involves & the time that it consumes. I've seen little children being expected to lug large, heavy & nearly overflowing trash bags, to the dumpster; which isn't good especially for their back. I don't have children but I do have nephews & one that likes to help too much, so I am very strict about limiting his helpfulness; so that no one takes advantage of this. These are the same parents that preach to their children, about how they shouldn't be so quick to grow up; when they want to start wearing makeup yet have no qualms about forcing them to cook dinner and falsely label it a chore, to justify the work. Even an allowance doesn't justify the workload, if the supposed chore; isn't a choice.0 -
Kids don't want to work? Then they don't eat.0
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That's what separates the hobbyist from the artisan.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »ljallen2000 wrote: »My problem is that I'm not good at knowing what's missing, what needs to be added to make it taste better. I didn't grow up around any cooks.
This is a tricky thing to learn. I've been cooking from scratch without a recipe for several decades, and still I sometimes have trouble with this.
It can be learned to an extent, but you have to feel it. Like painting. Photography. Etc.
Hmm, I've never really looked at cooking as an art or hobby.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
That's what separates the hobbyist from the artisan.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »ljallen2000 wrote: »My problem is that I'm not good at knowing what's missing, what needs to be added to make it taste better. I didn't grow up around any cooks.
This is a tricky thing to learn. I've been cooking from scratch without a recipe for several decades, and still I sometimes have trouble with this.
It can be learned to an extent, but you have to feel it. Like painting. Photography. Etc.
Hmm, I've never really looked at cooking as an art or hobby.
A lot of people have not, because its accessible to everyone. It's why the term artisan has been so heavily bastardized as of late.0 -
Cooking is definitely a hobby for me. I did not sign on for this as a full-time occupation.
@Alyssa_is_LosingIt, you simply don't have enough time to have a meal ready on their schedule. Slow cooker meals might help; ready when you get home.0 -
Yup, that's what a lot of people think about it. It's incorrect, but whatevs. Raising a task to the levels of artistry does not require a lot of time investment, just commitment and creativity.Cooking is definitely a hobby for me. I did not sign on for this as a full-time occupation.
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When my kids hit their mid-teens I got thoroughly sick of cooking and went on "strike". It was very simple meals for a long time.
I imagine trying to eat from scratch without the help of the modern food industry would make cooking a necessary, daily chore.
As a hobby, I thoroughly enjoy preparing foods again.0 -
It would take you two years to produce a batch of worcestershire sauce.
And that right there is my biggest 'suck' for cooking from scratch - planning and time.
I developed some weird allergies to a few food preservatives, so I LITERALLY have to cook it all from scratch. I have salt and one brand of olive oil that's pre made, and that's it. If I want mustard, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, potato starch, vinegar - I've gotta make it.
The level of planning for this is really not what I'm used to. I have to think of things like, oh, that I'd like to use vinegar with the summer vegetables this year, so I'd better start making apple cider vinegar in December for that.
It's a level of cooking that I really dislike, because it takes so many hours a day, if you want anything but very plain fare, and it is a full time job to manage anything good tasting. If I'd wanted to cook this much, I seriously would have become a chef. At least then I'd be paid for it.
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Trust me, you wouldn't be paid well, which is why i'm not one anymore.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
That's what separates the hobbyist from the artisan.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »ljallen2000 wrote: »My problem is that I'm not good at knowing what's missing, what needs to be added to make it taste better. I didn't grow up around any cooks.
This is a tricky thing to learn. I've been cooking from scratch without a recipe for several decades, and still I sometimes have trouble with this.
It can be learned to an extent, but you have to feel it. Like painting. Photography. Etc.
Hmm, I've never really looked at cooking as an art or hobby.
Cooking can be both and it can be quite utilitarian - boiling an egg say.
As a hobby - bread - beer - cheese (ok so it was first time)
- I do all three.
As an art - making a meal presentable for guests or just for you.
Everything gets easier with practice.
Edit - no idea why it posts pictures upside down.0 -
I agree that cooking can definitely be a hobby.
I just wish I had any kind of creativity when it comes to it... I just follow (easy) recipes, pretty much.0 -
I always set up my recipes with MFP and it all figures it out for me (as long as I can select the item with grams. I so hate it when an item is setup as "medium", "cup", etc. Can't trust any item that way). Then, I put everything with my name in the beginning of the recipe (i.e.: (DebzNuDA) Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple). It's so easy to find and log. If I find that I need to change a recipe then all I need to do is "Edit" the recipe.
But it's not your recipe, and it's someone's recipe you're editing... I don't get this.
How is the recipe not mine?? I added all of the items, decided what, how much, etc. I quite often set up the nutritional info from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 27 since I believe it is the true info instead of the items (i.e. chicken breast, roasted of serving a cup, a container, etc.) database set up by members. While cooking or baking I will find that now and then I add or delete an item so, them I "edit" MY RECIPE. SO yes, THEY ARE MY RECIPES AND I KEEP THEN TO ME and ME ALONE.0 -
Mine are:
- trying not to get stuck in a rut by making the same things all the time
- Trying something new that I am not sure I will like at the same time investing time and money in it
- buying unfamiliar ingredients that I may never use again0 -
What I'll admit to, is that when I'm playing with a new technique, like sous vide, the failed attempts.
Irksome.0 -
OP - just count backwards. If your roast takes 1 hr 30 to cook, and your rice takes 40 (20 for the water to boil and 20 for it to cook), don't start your rice until the roast has been in there for 50 minutes.
That and practice.
The worst thing about cooking is 10000000% the dishes. hate hate hate hate hate0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Me too. I figure in my mind what the longest component is, start that the second I get home, and then do the others as appropriate. Practice has made me really good at this except for huge multi part meals like thanksgiving where I make lists of what to do when starting days in advance.
I agree lemurcat but i do have thanksgiving down to a science. It is my favorite meal to cook.0 -
Kids don't want to work? Then they don't eat.
Pretty much. I have 4 kids. They are expected to keep a moderately tidy room and bathroom, plus do such chores daily as feed the cats, scoop the cat litter and vacuum the laundryroom after, load/unload the dishwasher, clear and wipe the table after dinner, wash pots/pans, vacuum kitchen & eating area. In addition, it's my 12yo son's job to pull up the trash cans after school on Thursdays, my 11yo daughter's job to pull up the recycling bin on Wednesdays. My 9yo daughter gets the mail M-F. My 14yo watches one or more of her siblings as needed. Oh, and they do their own laundry, from washing, to drying, to folding and putting away. They are all old enough for responsibility. Everyone who lives in this house has a part in keeping it going, not to mention it teaches them things. My three oldest can also cook, though that is not a required chore for them.
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Learn how long everything takes to cook and time it. Alternatively keep whatever's done first warm in a 100 degrees celsius oven.0
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Crushing garlic. I LOVE garlic - would add it to every single meal if I could. But garlic crushers are messy and annoying, and I haven't mastered the chef's way of using the flat side of the knife blade. It's a good thing I don't mind getting bigger chunks of the stuff every few mouthfuls!
Oh, and cleaning up afterwards. Love planning, preparing, and cooking food. But loathe any form of housework, so the clean up is my most hated part of cooking. I do it. I just hate doing it.
Maybe I'm crazy for this, but I use a finely-sized cheese grater and just grate my garlic. Super easy and no mincing or crushing OR large chunks of garlic in my finished product!0 -
How do you hold garlic cloves while you grate them?Susieq_1994 wrote: »Crushing garlic. I LOVE garlic - would add it to every single meal if I could. But garlic crushers are messy and annoying, and I haven't mastered the chef's way of using the flat side of the knife blade. It's a good thing I don't mind getting bigger chunks of the stuff every few mouthfuls!
Oh, and cleaning up afterwards. Love planning, preparing, and cooking food. But loathe any form of housework, so the clean up is my most hated part of cooking. I do it. I just hate doing it.
Maybe I'm crazy for this, but I use a finely-sized cheese grater and just grate my garlic. Super easy and no mincing or crushing OR large chunks of garlic in my finished product!
I smash garlic cloves with the heel of my hand over the flat end of a big knife, remove the paper then chop it more finely. It's not my favorite part but the pre-cut or even pre-peeled stuff just doesn't have the flavor of freshly chopped, to me.
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