Things you'd be crazy not to make yourself

[nakji]

When I first moved to Asia, I was unable to find a lot of the staple products and convenience foods that grace a refrigerator in Canada - salad dressing, drinks from a mix, jarred salsa, jarred pasta sauce, bagged salad, and so on. One day, when my husband and I were lamenting the lack of commercial eggnog, a tiny little brain ripple - I don't want to call it a wave, because it was so obvious the whole time - but something at the edge of my consciousness whispered, "People had salsa before Tostitos made it. People drank eggnog before Farmer's Dairy started putting it out in cartons. Make it yourself."

I had seriously never, never questioned my reliance on processed convenience foods until they were taken away. After about three months, I wised up, and started to really introduce myself to the concept of a kitchen, and what it could produce, if asked to. You know, rather than just a place where packages are opened and dishes are washed. Even still, it took a whole three years, until I moved to Vietnam, and was introduced to western dishes being made fresh out of whole ingredients, every day, that I began to think - well, why do I need a jar? It tastes better this way.

When I moved to Japan, and was presented with a crippling variety of fresh produce and other quality ingredients, my head basically exploded, and I really, really started to cook.

Now I'm the sort of person who does know what duck confit is, and maybe is even considering making it someday. But there is still a tube of mayonnaise in my fridge. Because if you make mayonnaise from scratch, you get rather more mayonnaise than I would generally consider eating in one sitting. It's more convenient to buy bottled, and the taste is acceptable. For breakfast, I had biscuits with lemon curd. The lemon curd? Purchased. It's cheaper where I am than buying the butter and lemons. Not crazy to buy. Sure I could make it, but the valid reasons not (cost, availability of ingredients) to outweigh reasons to do it (freshness, curiosity).

But something like, oh, let's say jarred pasta sauce. The first time I made pasta with tomato sauce using only a can of decent tomatoes, olive oil, and a bit of garlic, I had on-the-road-to-Damascus conversion. What the hell had I been doing the whole time? Ragu? Was I crazy? And where the hell were the people that had been letting me eat jarred pasta sauce? Enablers!

I think that's the sort of "crazy not to make it yourself" type dishes to be considered.

I had another friend? She turned Tokyo upside down looking for "balsamic salad dressing"? I said, "Buy a bottle of olive oil, buy a bottle of balsamic vinegar, shake them together." She said, "No, I'm looking for balsamic salad dressing."

[Andrew Fenton]

For ages, I was convinced that pizza was something you'd be crazy not to make yourself. I'd make pizza once a month or so- homemade dough, the whole bit. And I got pretty good at it.

Then tonight, in the middle of making pizza, I realized: I don't really like making pizza. I don't like working with pizza dough. I don't like running back and forth between the kitchen and dining room as pizzas go in and out of the oven. And I don't like the huge mess that it makes. I think I was making pizza for bad reasons: because people would tell me that it's better when it's homemade, or because it's supposed to be a "fun" thing to do.

If I lived somewhere that you couldn't get good pizza, I might feel differently. As I said, my pizza is pretty good. It's definitely a hundred times better than Papa John's or whatever. But I live somewhere that has good pizza, and where the pizza scene is getting better. I don't think I'll ever be able to turn out pie that's as good as the pizza at Osteria. And even among delivery pizzas, I have some very good options.

So after tonight, I don't think I'm going to bother making pizza. And I'm okay with that.

[Fat Guy]

Yogurt: I've never been able to make yogurt as good as Chobani or Fage, so I buy those instead of making my own. If anyone teaches me how to make yogurt better than Chobani or Fage, I'll probably go back to making my own.

Hummus: Thus far, I've not been able to make hummus better than the Sabra brand available at Costco and many other stores. I only know of one restaurant that makes hummus better than store-bought Sabra. I certainly don't.

Charcuterie: While I've had some excellent examples of homemade charcuterie, the best I've tasted have been commercially produced.

Pizza: The pizza I can make at home is better than from the average New York City slice shop and not nearly as good as from Motorino, Keste, Co., or another top New York City pizzeria.

Bread: No contest, there are hundreds of loaves available in New York City that are better than what I can make.

Baked goods: Some items we make at home are better than their commercial brethren, some aren't. It depends. But it's not universal one way or the other.

[eldereno]

There are tons of "blender salsa" recipes on the web that use canned whole tomatoes, fresh hot peppers, fresh cilantro, onions, spices, lime juice that are tasty and easy. I like to add roasted poblamos and some finely diced habanero...sometimes garlic. Good tomato based salsa! I do a killer one with fresh tomatoes in the summer, though.

[Canned Tuna]

Duck confit may be easy to make but the only duck I can find is a $20 frozen one! No confit for me.

Same here....actually, I'm lucky to find duck once in a while. I can't imagine my supermarket carrying confit.

I completely agree with stock, tomato sauce, bread and fresh pasta.

How about soup? Even with canned broth you can whip out a great soup in no time.

[Kim D]

I am lucky to have easy access to duck. And some times goose.

I recently bought two cases of duck legs and thighs for $125. And a goose for $15.

For less than $150, I made Duck Ragu with fresh duck one night, roasted the goose for New Year's Eve dinner, used the carcass to make Goose Carcass Gumbo, put up almost two dozen legs for duck confit using fat rendered from this batch and leftover fat from the last batch, rendered a jar of goose fat, rendered an extra jar of duck fat, and froze half a dozen bags with 6 ducks legs each.

With prices like that, it would be crazy not to make it myself.

[Moopheus]

Then tonight, in the middle of making pizza, I realized: I don't really like making pizza.

That does make a difference: I enjoy the process of baking. I like working with dough. I like making stuff. It's like a chemistry experiment you get to eat at the end. And whether it's "better"--well, that is relative--in most cases I could buy better, if I were willing to pay a lot for it. I'm usually not. Hummus is not just better than store-bought (even Sabra, which I agree is the best store brand) but cheap to make. I also like the control over what's in the food--I can leave out the crap that's in most processed foods, choose my ingredients, adjust the flavors to my own taste. Of course there are choices to make, and the choices are going to be different for each person.

[Darienne]

Many of the dishes that I make and never buy came from my upbringing, what my Mother made and bought and didn't buy. I didn't even know that you could buy salad dressings...I never 'saw' them in the store. Why anyone would buy Thousand Island dressing was beyond me.

And I made hummus and tabbouleh before it was available in any store where I lived. I've never tasted either commercially yet.

As for biscuits...that's another story. My Mother always made biscuits from Bisquick. Hockey pucks. One day, after being married a year or two, I found myself one day out of Bisquick. That's when I discovered that you COULD make biscuits from scratch yourself. I became a crazy biscuit lady, known far and wide for my wonderful biscuits.

[Fat Guy]

Hummus is not just better than store-bought (even Sabra, which I agree is the best store brand) but cheap to make.

I'm sure it's cheaper to make it from scratch, but a significant container of Sabra hummus is $5.99 at Costco. To make a similar amount at home, with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, oil, and whatever else, would cost what? Even if it's only $2-3 in product, when you factor in the labor (even at my low personal hourly time value) it's not necessarily worth it to me to cook the chickpeas, clean the food processor, etc. Especially since I've never had homemade that was better, not by me or anyone else. Especially if you serve it right -- let it come up to room temperature, garnish with paprika and olive oil and maybe a few olives -- the Sabra product is incredibly good. If someone teaches me how to make it better than Sabra, I may start doing it, but once Sabra hit the US market we pretty much gave up on homemade hummus.

[Jon Savage]

Of course there are choices to make, and the choices are going to be different for each person.

Bingo. For me any kind of pasta sauce from a can or jar is silly. Hummus I make when I want some even Sabra is way overpriced. Generally my wife and I utilize almost no prepared foods instead preferring to make things from scratch. Cooking is an activity we both enjoy though.

Assuming one has the time and minimal skillset required the cost savings are significant as well as the benefit of controlling what goes into your food.

[Fat Guy]

For me any kind of pasta sauce from a can or jar is silly.

This I agree with. Bottled salad dressings too, though Marie's blue cheese is pretty great in a pinch. But I hasten to add that when making tomato sauce I generally use Pomi tomatoes, which are a packaged product, or some form of canned tomatoes.

Hummus I make when I want some even Sabra is way overpriced.

If you buy Sabra at the regular supermarket, where a skinny container of it is like $4, it's expensive. But the big tub at Costco for $5.99 is a pretty good deal. Even if it costs double what homemade costs, I think it's better and the absolute dollar difference is just not so great.

[Moopheus]

Even if it's only $2-3 in product, when you factor in the labor

Feh. If I thought about that I'd never get to do anything. If you live every moment of your life according to rules of economics, you'll quickly find yourself not living your life.

[Fat Guy]

But if you expend three hours every time you find a way to save three dollars, you're not really saving. So you shouldn't do that as a way of saving. The value has to come from elsewhere or you're wasting your time.

[paulraphael]

Of everything mentioned, the one that seems universally silly to buy is salad dressing. I'm kind of amazed bottled dressings exist.

Edited January 3, 2010 by paulraphael (log)

[Jaymes]

Maggie mentioned lemonade, so I would add iced tea. The sums being spent on the bottled stuff are staggering, and they taste of chemicals or are overly sweet.

Boy, I'm sure with you on any kind of commercial iced tea. My neighbor buys big tins of instant iced tea. I think it's ghastly. And expensive. And does taste of chemicals.

How hard is it to pour boiling water over some teabags?

[mkayahara]

How hard is it to pour boiling water over some teabags?

But wouldn't that make hot tea, not iced?

[Moopheus]

If you buy Sabra at the regular supermarket, where a skinny container of it is like $4, it's expensive. But the big tub at Costco for $5.99 is a pretty good deal.

But I'd have to drive to get to the nearest Costco. It's in the middle of some huge suburban mall. Double feh.

[andiesenji]

Many of the dishes that I make and never buy came from my upbringing, what my Mother made and bought and didn't buy. I didn't even know that you could buy salad dressings...I never 'saw' them in the store. Why anyone would buy Thousand Island dressing was beyond me.

And I made hummus and tabbouleh before it was available in any store where I lived. I've never tasted either commercially yet.

As for biscuits...that's another story. My Mother always made biscuits from Bisquick. Hockey pucks. One day, after being married a year or two, I found myself one day out of Bisquick. That's when I discovered that you COULD make biscuits from scratch yourself. I became a crazy biscuit lady, known far and wide for my wonderful biscuits.

I am totally in agreement about the biscuits. I may spend a few more minutes in measuring the ingredients and mixing the dough but the rewards of light, fluffy biscuits far outweigh the "convenience" of biscuit mixes, not to mention the "ice-box" packaged biscuits that have several ingredients that I can't decide are preservatives or explosives!

[Jaymes]

How hard is it to pour boiling water over some teabags?

But wouldn't that make hot tea, not iced?

Oh, you're right! It does make it a LOT more trouble to pour that strong hot tea over ice.

Now I get it.

[Jon Savage]

Ready made mirepoix @ $4.95 for maybe 2 cups (seen next to the bagged salads @ the market today).

That boggles my mind.

Edited January 3, 2010 by 6ppc (log)

[agray]

Oh, and pancakes. I know several people who assume the only way to make pancakes is from a box or bag of mix. I actually had to explain to one friend that there's no magic extra ingredient in a box of Aunt Jemima - you just need flour, baking powder, salt, milk, egg...

And I'll see your mirepoix and raise you plastic cartons of pre-chopped onions, mushrooms and peppers, all for a significant extra cost.

[David A. Goldfarb]

And I'll see your mirepoix and raise you plastic cartons of pre-chopped onions, mushrooms and peppers, all for a significant extra cost.

Have you seen those individually washed and shrink-wrapped potatoes sold for baking in the microwave for about a dollar a piece? I'm not sure if you have to pierce them with a fork, or if they do that as well.

[Jon Savage]

Hard boiled eggs! Only a dollar each...

[melissafitz]

How hard is it to pour boiling water over some teabags?

But wouldn't that make hot tea, not iced?

Oh, you're right! It does make it a LOT more trouble to pour that strong hot tea over ice.

Now I get it.

ahhh --- not a southern, i presume!

miso soup is one i would add. kombu + bonito flakes + miso = best miso soup ever.

[divalasvegas]

I'd like to add the following:

Guacamole

I've never purchased store bought since it's so criminally easy to make and you can add or leave out ingredients to suit your taste or mood.

Gravy

The best, of course, should be made from the pan drippings and/or fond of whatever protein you've cooked, but one can also make a quite tasty gravy from a roux and stock. Again, so very easy.

Tartar Sauce/Cocktail Sauce

Not cooking really; more a combining of ingredients that anyone with a halfway decent pantry can make. Buying this stuff jarred is totally taking that off ramp into crazytown.

Already mentioned, but I have to add:

Blue Cheese Dressing/Dip

Sorry Marie, but mine kicks your ass!

BTW, I have a house mate whose cooking philosophy can be summed up with one phrase: too much trouble. So for her guacamole always comes frozen, gravy is from a packet or a can, and all condiments and salad dressings come from a bottle.