What will you never buy since you learned to cook? What can you cook but still buy from the store?
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I'm going through one cookbook recipe by recipe in order. I have made my own stock (still do!), made my own pizza and pasta (generally buy those now) and sauces (about 50% make, 50% buy. And if we're talking about sauces made from preserved/canned products like canned crushed tomatoes, I will definitely use them in my homemade sauces).
I think what it really comes down to is, I'm strictly kosher. If a product requires kosher certification (most flours and sugars do not!) and I can't find it near me, I will find a recipe and source the ingredients. So, kosher-certified seitan is hard to find in my neck of the woods. Nutritional yeast and vital wheat gluten? I can list three health/bulk stores that carry it and I buy those and make my own.
There was a time when it was hard to find vegetarian broth under certification. I got used to making my own. Now, although some of the kosher specialty stores carry it (apparently, Imagine is certified in the US, but no longer in Canada), I'm still making it because it's a good recipe and not too labor intensive.1 -
I can't do canned soup anymore. Just tastes way too off for me... but I'm ok with soup from the prepared food section when I'm too lazy to make my own.
I try to make my own bread but will buy some if I don't have the time to do it (I'm a SAHM but planning my days around proofing dough is a nightmare). I buy cookies because I have no self control with homemade ones, and it's for my kids' lunchbox anyway, and it's easier to moderate when they don't go bad within a week.
I make pizza dough as well.
I buy pasta, crackers (I make good ones though!), tomato sauce, pasta sauce (at $1 a jar, cheaper than it would cost me to make), cheese, yogurt, veggies, meat etc. Sausage too - can never make it to taste like sausage and not just like a burger.
I do buy prepackaged lettuce too because it lasts longer and it's just more convenient.
We have a garden in the Summer as well, although last year wasn't a good one. And we made a big batch of strawberry jam a couple years ago, but again, we paid for the strawberries, so... not sure it was really worth it cost wise.1 -
No longer buy:
Pizza - Ever since I started making my own from scratch (dough and sauce) it has ruined pizza for us. Now nothing ever tastes as good as homemade.
Soups - They are just too easy to make and I like to control the ingredients.
Bread - I am starting to make my own. I am finding that I can usually make my own for less calories (and additives!) and it tastes about 100x better.
Things I still buy:
Rotisserie Chicken - Like a PP said, I still can't roast a chicken to save my life, but I am still trying occasionally! That is my cooking Everest.
Pasta - I have made my own in the past, but the store bought is so much easier and less mess.
Flavored Water - I have a soda stream and can easily make my own sparkling waters. But, I can never get it to taste like my beloved La Croix water.
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No longer buy:
Pizza - Ever since I started making my own from scratch (dough and sauce) it has ruined pizza for us. Now nothing ever tastes as good as homemade.
It's interesting how people are different. I enjoy making pizza and do it sometimes, but the pizzas I like in various Italian or simply pizza places (like this one I went to the other day: http://www.robertspizzacompany.com/) are better than mine in some ways, mainly the crusts, which I think has to do with the oven.
On the other hand, I enjoy roasting chicken (and other birds) and like what I make as well as any restaurant (I still sometimes order roasted chicken, though, since I think it is up there among the perfect meals, when done right).1 -
One other thing that I never buy is pies and cookies. Not even from bakeries. Mine are so much better it's not worth the calories to eat store bought.0
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I never buy pies or cookies either. However, my assistant has a bakery side business and brings in cupcakes she's trying out, and those are better than mine -- I basically don't enjoy baking other than pies and cookies (and pie-adjacent things like cobbler).0
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(Heh, that makes it sound like I bake pies and cookies a lot, and I actually mainly just do for holidays. Luckily for me the cupcakes are concentrated around special occasions too, or when she's trying something new.)0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »I never buy pies or cookies either. However, my assistant has a bakery side business and brings in cupcakes she's trying out, and those are better than mine -- I basically don't enjoy baking other than pies and cookies (and pie-adjacent things like cobbler).
If we have cake it's store bought more often than not because the only time we usually have cake is for some type of occasion where people expect a decorated cake, and I suck at decorating cakes.0 -
I'm going try to work "pie-adjacent" into a conversation today.
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We make our own yogurt...super easy. Sometimes make cottage cheese, when we have extra milk. Also easy.
We have chickens and live in town so seldom buy eggs.
We make quick breads like biscuits, also pancakes and waffles all at home but mostly for the kids. We very seldom buy cereal.
We never buy beef at the grocery store, though we do buy chicken.
We buy giant bags of kale and frozen berries for smoothies. We also buy nut butters, but really could make that too I bet.
We also buy cheese, fruit, and fresh veggies at the store.
Fun to think about this!1 -
Pasta sauces... too easy to make at home. I've been making my own pasta lately as well. It's a little more labor intensive, and the flour makes a mess, but it just tastes super fresh. Unless it's ravioli. I haven't figure that one out yet.
I can make bread, but we use it so sparingly that I'd rather just buy a loaf and be done with it. Fresh bread goes stale way too fast.1 -
12340
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I cook a lot, just so I can control the ingredients and I know for sure whats in it. That said, I still buy canned beans, canned tomatoes - the stuff that goes INTO the recipes that I make, like spaghetti sauce, or soups, or stuff like that. One thing that amazes me is that one can buy breadcrumbs in a store - who cant make breadcrumbs? Maybe if you dont have bread in the house but splurge a little, get a cheap loaf or a few buns and let it go stale, whiz them in a processor then viola! - breadcrumbs for months!!
I work outside the home still and my favourite "too pooped to cook" day is rotisserie chicken - so much can be made from it.1 -
Nothing I won't buy again just because i know how to make it. Just depends if I feel like making it or not and how quick I need or want to eat it.
The list of such things currently includes (but is not limited to: soups of all kinds, bread and pastries, sauerkraut, kimchi, beef jerky, roast chicken or turkey, jams & jellies, pickled beets or other veggies & ricotta.1 -
Cake, pancakes in particular. I can't make decent pancakes with premade mixes for the life of me.
Unless I need it right that second, I prefer to buy dried beans for recipes that call for canned.
Spice mixes because I usually have the individual spices already.
While I'll buy a small starter tub, I make my own Skyr as needed. 1.45 for half a gallon of whole milk, 1.97 for rennet tablets that have enough for 32 batches (.06 per batch?), and 1.50 for a small tub of Siggi's vanilla that's enough starter for three batches (.5 per batch, I'll also save some of my previous batch and use that if I remember). All in all, around 2 dollars for enough dairy to last me for at least two weeks (I usually just use 50 grams a day mixed with sugar free jello or cereal). I'll buy yogurt if something catches my interest, especially marked down Noosa.
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Interesting topic.
Since learning to cook and having more time I am gradually adding more from scratch things to my repertoire. We eat a lot of pizza here, so I've perfected my pizza dough. Also used to buy a lot of canned enchilada sauce. Homemade is a cinch and so much tastier. Same for marinara sauce. And cream of whatever soup that has always made so many casseroles inedible to me has been happily replaced by a simple recipe I found online.
I can cook beans, but prefer canned. And I still buy bread from the store unless I feel like baking. I make a lot of soups for family meals but still buy canned for when I want some for a quick lunch for myself.0 -
I haven't made anything that calls for that kind of soup in a while, but I have a basic cream of soup recipe saved for it.courtneylykins5 wrote: »Interesting topic.
Since learning to cook and having more time I am gradually adding more from scratch things to my repertoire. We eat a lot of pizza here, so I've perfected my pizza dough. Also used to buy a lot of canned enchilada sauce. Homemade is a cinch and so much tastier. Same for marinara sauce. And cream of whatever soup that has always made so many casseroles inedible to me has been happily replaced by a simple recipe I found online.
I can cook beans, but prefer canned. And I still buy bread from the store unless I feel like baking. I make a lot of soups for family meals but still buy canned for when I want some for a quick lunch for myself.
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What a great thread! I'm a culinary school dropout, and briefly worked professionally as a pastry chef before going into the IT field (allergies, lol). Cooking is still a passion of mine, and I love finding ways to make all our treats as free of allergens as possible.
So, I make my own candy and chocolates, since store-bought tastes like corn syrup and nothing else to us. I use either agave, honey, or molasses as the liquid sugar portion of any candy.
The same can be said for sauces, dressings, and anything that needs pickling. I had to learn to make a cherry sauce for the holidays to replace cranberry sauce since one of my kiddos is allergic
I may buy a new dressing to get an idea of the flavor, or if I need a bunch in a rush.
I love making my own bread, but if there is bread on sale, I'll buy it and freeze it to make stuffing or bread pudding with. I also enjoy making pastry dough for pies and tarts. Of course, staples such as biscuits, cakes and cookies are just a natural thing to make and freeze as well.
I prefer making my own salads, stews and hummus. We enjoy eating Latin/Southwestern/Tex Mex, so I always have homemade taco shells, tortillas, beans and salsa on hand. I find there is a lot of extra junk in prepared versions, or they are overpriced. I don't buy these at all.
I would love to master pizza dough, as my kiddos adore pizza as well. Until then, I still buy our pizza
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Thanks to youtube I can pretty much make everything at home now except for Monterey chicken panini. I like the flavor from my local Jewish eatery1
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lemurcat12 wrote: »No longer buy:
Pizza - Ever since I started making my own from scratch (dough and sauce) it has ruined pizza for us. Now nothing ever tastes as good as homemade.
It's interesting how people are different. I enjoy making pizza and do it sometimes, but the pizzas I like in various Italian or simply pizza places (like this one I went to the other day: http://www.robertspizzacompany.com/) are better than mine in some ways, mainly the crusts, which I think has to do with the oven.
On the other hand, I enjoy roasting chicken (and other birds) and like what I make as well as any restaurant (I still sometimes order roasted chicken, though, since I think it is up there among the perfect meals, when done right).
Oh we have a few pizza places that are fantastic around here and I'd definitely still eat there!Need2Exerc1se wrote: »One other thing that I never buy is pies and cookies. Not even from bakeries. Mine are so much better it's not worth the calories to eat store bought.
I really don't like making cookies but I never buy those from bakeries either (plus frankly I haven't found a bakery with cookies worth the calories anywhere around here). And I'm with you on pie, not worth the cost even for the good ones because mine are delicious.
For the other stuff... I'm extra picky about my bakeries. There are 6 or so in the area, and only one I'd really buy from over my own stuff - but their stuff is REALLY good. That's actually where I learned to make my own croissant/brioche and pie dough...But when I do buy baked goods, it's typically because I don't want to make a whole batch anyway (I have no self control). But I'm really super picky...
Whoever mentioned the cream of mushroom or whatever soups as ingredients - I just don't bother with those recipes at all.
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estherdragonbat wrote: »I make my own soup stock and seitan. (I haven't been able to find kosher-certified seitan where I live and didn't want to miss out on some recipes). I also make my own non-dairy ice cream and sorbets. I prefer to make my own hummus, but on rare occasions, I'll pick some up.
Have you tried Whole Foods for your seitan? I am pretty sure I bought some kosher there before. But I don't usually buy it either it is way cheaper to make from scratch and less salt and crap.0 -
I haven't, but I'm not walking distance from a Whole Foods, so that's not too surprising. If I have occasion to be in one, I'll check it out.0
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I cook all my own baby food! I've never bought baby food at the store.2
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Canned biscuits are not allowed in my kitchen.1
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ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Canned biscuits are not allowed in my kitchen.
Do you have a good replacement recipe? I'm in Australia and miss canned biscuits like crazy but haven't ever been able to replicate them.0 -
I bought powdered buttermilk and want to make biscuits but the recipes I've seen kinda make me nervousThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Canned biscuits are not allowed in my kitchen.
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CooCooPuff wrote: »
I bought powdered buttermilk and want to make biscuits but the recipes I've seen kinda make me nervousThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Canned biscuits are not allowed in my kitchen.
I have never used powdered butter milk. But I have considered it.
You know, biscuits are easy. You just need to get your oven hot enough. Make sure you don't work the dough too much. I use 2 cups of flour (use self rising if it's easier for you) 1/2 cup each butter and crisco, about a teaspoon salt. make sure you rub the fat in pretty good, no big chunks should be left. Then make a well in the mixture and add about a cup of buttermilk, stir until all the flour is wet, add a little more buttermilk as needed. Not too much though, you don't want it to be runny. Turn it out on to a floured surface, add enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and cut out the biscuits and place into your greased pan. Or you can drop the biscuits by the spoonful onto the pan. Bake at about 450° about 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Easy peasy! Start with a half batch if you want to get your technique down pat before doing a larger batch.
@CooCooPuff @Alatariel751 -
Also.. hash browns
i think i forgot there was such a thing as non-homemade hash browns. potatoes really don't freeze well, ime. i've started skipping the pre-made perogies and just doing hash browns instead with bacon and onion; same thing just without the pasta capsule.
soup, like most people . . . although i do like some of the ones that are available.
i usually buy bread since 'bread' to me is those multi-grain baguettes that are hard to replicate at home. any other kind of dough though, i tend to make for myself. and i won't buy pizza 'kits', ugh. if i want any kind of pie i'll make that myself too since i'm picky when it comes to fillings.
barbecue sauce though. i like the basic kraft stuff, so never felt much like trying to make my own.0 -
ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »CooCooPuff wrote: »
I bought powdered buttermilk and want to make biscuits but the recipes I've seen kinda make me nervousThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Canned biscuits are not allowed in my kitchen.
I have never used powdered butter milk. But I have considered it.
You know, biscuits are easy. You just need to get your oven hot enough. Make sure you don't work the dough too much. I use 2 cups of flour (use self rising if it's easier for you) 1/2 cup each butter and crisco, about a teaspoon salt. make sure you rub the fat in pretty good, no big chunks should be left. Then make a well in the mixture and add about a cup of buttermilk, stir until all the flour is wet, add a little more buttermilk as needed. Not too much though, you don't want it to be runny. Turn it out on to a floured surface, add enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and cut out the biscuits and place into your greased pan. Or you can drop the biscuits by the spoonful onto the pan. Bake at about 450° about 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Easy peasy! Start with a half batch if you want to get your technique down pat before doing a larger batch.
@CooCooPuff @Alatariel75
Thank you! Copied and emailed to myself, ready for trying out on the weekend.1 -
williams969 wrote: »I can't roast a chicken. At all. It always turns out terrible. I buy hot rotisserie chickens from the deli. Worth the extra expense.
I make my own dressings (mayo, vinaigrettes, and ranch). Worth the time and effort. Actually, it's pretty simple with a stick/immersion blender.
Roast chicken is sooooo simple. Take a 3 to 4 lb chicken. The night before wipe the chicken dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil (1 tbsp maximum). Next sprinkle evenly over chicken with 1/2 tbsp kosher salt and 1 tsp dry thyme. Leave uncovered in fridge overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. place the chicken on a rack, breast side down. After 30 minutes flip the chicken and cook another 30 minutes or until the juices run clear and internal temp in thickest part of thigh reaches 165F. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving. The brining insures a very juicy chicken.1
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