Poll: The lost art of cooking?

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi I just thought of another thing that's borderline "from scratch".... I'll toss together a soup, fairly often, starting with pre-packaged chicken broth.... It saves time. While we do make soups from the chicken carcass - we have soup fairly frequently - more often than we make stock from the bird... If you start with a packaged/convenience broth is it from scratch?

My broth gets made once a month and is reserved for homemade soups. We'll get a couple of days eating from a batch.

Packaged low sodium broth I buy for cooking rice, quinoa, barley, freekah....

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi I just thought of another thing that's borderline "from scratch".... I'll toss together a soup, fairly often, starting with pre-packaged chicken broth.... It saves time. While we do make soups from the chicken carcass - we have soup fairly frequently - more often than we make stock from the bird... If you start with a packaged/convenience broth is it from scratch?

We trust you to make the right judgement...

If anyone wants to take a stab at defining "from scratch" beyond any shadow of doubt for everyone, be my guest. It's impossible...

If anything, some posts above are being too hard on themselves IMO. From scratch doesn't have to mean complex.

[Bestwifeever]

Fun fact: You can put heavy cream in a jar and shake it up until it turns into butter and buttermilk. We did that for my Girl Scout troop back in the day; then the jar broke, but that's another story.

If we're home, we cook. A can of chili once a month or so for DH is as packaged as it gets around here. I don't think scratch vs packaged is much of a big deal, though--there are amazing prepared packaged foods available, such as rotisserie chicken and artisan breads and bagged salads. Now I'm hungry.

[EastWest Gal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishingmn Breakfast - bowl of cereal Lunch - Almost always 2 peanut butter & honey sandwich's - been eating these for almost 50 years and still look forward to them. Does that count as made from scratch? Dinner - I'm into cooking so I typically make a really nice dinner. Examples in last 7 days - Chicken Cacciatore w/ Zucchini & Mushrooms, Burgundy Pork Tenderloin, Beef Chili, Chicken Milano w/ Asparagus & Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. I make the mess, DW does the cleanup. Agree with Senator that it probably costs more and certainly takes longer but the final product is restaurant quality good and is better for us with all of the fresh ingredients. Other than ice cream I very rarely get anything from the frozen aisle (I do love ice cream).

But it's cheaper than restaurant good and usually lower fat and lower salt. I also like fresh herbs. Growing them is simple and saves a ton of money. I have sage, thyme, two types of rosemary, oregano, and parsley that are in abundance in my garden. I'll be using the garlic I harvested in July all winter long. It hangs in a cold area of the basement.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

[Amethyst]

Although I don't enjoy cooking, I prepare almost everything we eat (Mr. A. does salads and sandwiches, and chops vegetables for me). We like our food more strongly spiced and flavored than most restaurants serve it. I'm also trying to limit salt and sugar in our food, which means nothing pre-packaged.

The last couple of times we went out to eat (good restaurants, too!) we didn't like anything. It all tasted bland and buttery to us.

Amethyst

[24601NoMore]

I voted 2..

The "from scratch" bread that I eat for breakfast every morning isn't just made with store flour. Nosiree - that'd be too easy! Instead, I buy 50 lb bags of wheatberries and grind my OWN FLOUR . Then I make fresh, "whole" grain bread from that..that's breakfast most days.

After buying a Big Green Egg several years back, we're totally turned off by most restaurant and store bought food. There's nothing like firing up the Egg and cooking a great from scratch meal for dinn..

In retirement, we'll probably do most all meals from scratch. I love to cook and have gotten better than halfway decent at it over the many years I've been trying (and failing - always learn more when that happens!)

We make "from scratch" pizza, pasta and a bunch of other things the same way - grind wheatberries..make the dough (even pasta)..it's a lot of work, but we've come to the conclusion that we just can't buy anything comparable in terms of taste and nutrition.

BTW, I had to eat at Olive Garden when traveling the other night (long story - was the only thing open nearby when I arrived late night). That stuff is SWILL! Totally inedible. Reminds me of how nasty some restaurant food can be. Manager asked me how my meal was and I politely told her. Guess cuz I was nice about it she wound up comping my entire meal..pretty thoughtful!

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireSoon I buy 50 lb bags of wheatberries and grind my OWN FLOUR

You have wheat?

We had to use plaster we scraped off the walls to make our flour. And dirty water from the roadside ditch to mix it with.

[Amethyst]

I bet that tastes fantastic! But I won't go that far ;^>

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireSoon I voted 2.. The "from scratch" bread that I eat for breakfast every morning isn't just made with store flour. Nosiree - that'd be too easy! Instead, I buy 50 lb bags of wheatberries and grind my OWN FLOUR . Then I make fresh, "whole" grain bread from that..that's breakfast most days.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireSoon BTW, I had to eat at Olive Garden when traveling the other night (long story - was the only thing open nearby when I arrived late night). That stuff is SWILL! Totally inedible. Reminds me of how nasty some restaurant food can be. Manager asked me how my meal was and I politely told her. Guess cuz I was nice about it she wound up comping my entire meal..pretty thoughtful!

We won't eat there either. I did eat there once or twice when traveling for work. But now that Frank and I are retired, with all the time in the world, we try to avoid national chains like that because our experience with them is always pretty substandard.

[Walt34]

Hey, I even grow my own spaghetti trees.

Seriously, I rarely eat anything that comes out of a box. Some snacks once it a while but I'll make a huge salad and eat that for days, or in winter make an 8-quart crock pot of beef stew and eat that for a week or so, depending on how much DW consumes.

DW is much more likely to eat prepared meals out of a box.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack We trust you to make the right judgement... If anyone wants to take a stab at defining "from scratch" beyond any shadow of doubt for everyone, be my guest. It's impossible... If anything, some posts above are being too hard on themselves IMO. From scratch doesn't have to mean complex.

+1
Can't define "From scratch" anymore than I can "clean food", "real food", or another 12 cute phrases passed around in food bloggers blogs.

For us we try to buy foods that are like what our Grandparents would have recognized. Ingredients that an average fifth grader would easily pronounce. As I started reading ingredients I discovered all the garbage I didn't know people still eat. Bisquick, good old fashioned bisquick has transfat! That garbage is in all flour type products you don't need to add fat to. Right next to bisquick is a brand that doesn't have transfat, but you have to add oil. If you know that it's a no-brainer to know what to buy.

[2017ish]

DW and I love to cook and built a 2-cook kitchen to make it fun.

But, as long as we are working, we don't get to do it from "scratch" as much as we'd like. Say Tuesday and Friday nights most of the time as long as DW schedule permits, and usually Saturday and Sunday dinners. The other three dinners are usually out of the box/bag, with fresh salad on the side.

(All other "meals" are fruit and tea/water/coffee/cola, so not really fair to vote either way. Basically, half our meals are homecooked/scratch.)

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2017ish DW and I love to cook and built a 2-cook kitchen to make it fun. But, as long as we are working, we don't get to do it from "scratch" as much as we'd like. Say Tuesday and Friday nights most of the time as long as DW schedule permits, and usually Saturday and Sunday dinners. The other three dinners are usually out of the box/bag, with fresh salad on the side. (All other "meals" are fruit and tea/water/coffee/cola, so not really fair to vote either way. Basically, half our meals are homecooked/scratch.)

I was ready to throttle DH one night when we both got home late from work and started cooking dinner at 9:00, and he started by making a salad that required 12 ingredients in the dressing, sectioning a grapefruit, etc., etc. We would have been eating by 10:00 pm. Sometimes food needs just to be fuel, and that was one of those times!

[haha]

I think that perhaps have never eaten convenience foods. My former wife is an excellent and fancy cook. I am not half bad, though nothing fancy. Lately I doing homemade soups often. Make it big, heat it to the boil daily, add new ingredients as it gets depleted, and I have excellent tasting and I believe healthy meals without much trouble.

Ha


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

[unclemick]

I have a wife. And I lived 30 years in New Orleans - er men are chefs women are cooks or live to eat not eat to live and all that.

Sometimes there is a lively discussion. Also as foodie's we eat out a lot. KC has plenty to offer.

heh heh heh - it's not all about BBQ anymore.

[rodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2017ish DW and I love to cook and built a 2-cook kitchen to make it fun. But, as long as we are working, we don't get to do it from "scratch" as much as we'd like. Say Tuesday and Friday nights most of the time as long as DW schedule permits, and usually Saturday and Sunday dinners. The other three dinners are usually out of the box/bag, with fresh salad on the side. (All other "meals" are fruit and tea/water/coffee/cola, so not really fair to vote either way. Basically, half our meals are homecooked/scratch.)

We redid our kitchen while we were still working. We designed it for function not resale... So... stainless countertops, new gas range/oven plus kept the old electric wall oven (better for baking). It's an L shaped galley kitchen - so one can be prepping on one part of the L and not be in the way of the person prepping on the other. Extra plugs and spot lighting along the counter and behind the stove for when you need a mixmaster, grill, food processor, etc all going at once.

We'll be putting all the function to full use tomorrow night when we do our 7 fishes Christmas eve dinner... Everything but the shrimp platter will be from scratch.

[Amethyst]

I would consider frozen vegetables "scratch" ingredients unless they are the kind with built-in sauces. Perhaps some people would expect us to grow our own peas for it to qualify as "scratch."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg I make two meals a day . A late breakfast made from scratch and dinner which is also made from scratch sometimes with a little help ( Frozen vegetables , packaged salad dressings ).

[MichaelB]

DW does all the cooking in our home, so I'm not really sure how to respond. She prepares 3 meals a day from scratch for herself, one for me. Usually I reheat one meal a day that was originally made from scratch. So, on average, that would be 2.5 meals per day from scratch.

[Amethyst]

I know! I was chagrined when I found that out. Even my Mother, who during the 1970's taught me all the 1940's ways to do things, used Bisquick.

Fortunately, it's not hard to duplicate Bisquick by using flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, and salt. Just takes a few more minutes and being handy with measuring cups/spoons.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG +1 Bisquick, good old fashioned bisquick has transfat! .

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst I know! I was chagrined when I found that out. Even my Mother, who during the 1970's taught me all the 1940's ways to do things, used Bisquick. Fortunately, it's not hard to duplicate Bisquick by using flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, and salt. Just takes a few more minutes and being handy with measuring cups/spoons.

Who needs pancake mixes when you have this recipe? It's just as easy to make them from scratch provided you have the ingredients on hand.

Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe & Video - Joyofbaking.com *Video Recipe*