Convenience foods you used to buy

[nacho]

breadcrumbs

spaghetti sauce

hummus

beans

stock

pizza

[jgm]

I find myself using a combination of homemade and storebought on just about everything.

I still use Hellman's mayo, because we just don't use enough mayo in our house to make up our own every time we want some. I would like to make our own ketchup and mustard, and other condiments.

I still use quite a bit of canned chicken broth, although I also do make my own a lot.

On the other hand...

I've never used a piecrust that I didn't make myself.

I've rarely used a cake mix, and don't now, other than to make my boss's birthday cake, which is a special concoction that starts with a white cake mix.

I'm looking for a bread recipe that I can make about 2 to 3 days per week. I'm looking for something French, or "rustic" (but not whole grain), I guess. Any recipes would be gratefully received. Bread machine recipes would be especially good; I work full-time and have to schedule risings, etc. around that. I also have quite a bit of arthritis in my hands, but I have a Kitchen Aid mixer that can handle kneading if necessary.

[Megan Blocker]

Definitely pasta sauce...I remember buying it quite a bit when I first moved to the city, and now I don't think I've bought a jar of it (gourmet or otherwise) in about three years.

Marshmallows. Once I made my own, I never looked back. They're so much better.

Salsa - it's so easy, and I find the chopping and mixing motions to be the most therapeutic and satisfying available in the cooking ouevre, so it would be torture to give up the chance to do them!

Puff pastry - this is a new one, and I'm addicted!

[gingerfreak]

Although I use bought stocks, I always make my own soups, mainly for sodium reasons (and they taste better )

Also: marinades, peanut sauce, chutneys, dressings, spice rubs, a lot of baked goods, etc.

I really don't buy much in the way of premade stuff..

[Rebecca263]

Bread, I make a bread of some sort every day excepting Friday and Saturday. We buy an egg bread on Friday and it lasts through Saturday. I used to almost always buy bread but stopped once I realized how easy, inexpensive, mindless and wonderful the process of making it yourself is. Last night the guests wanted to have 'subs' and I made the whole wheat dough into baguettes! Tonight we made the ends into croutons for our salad! I can't imagine going back to a steady diet of bakery bread now.

Pasta, I make a country style torn pasta, ravioli or coins myself whenever we want it, except when kiddle wants spaghetti. Since I don't have a pasta roller, I haven't been able to make spaghetti or a very thin noodle of any sort as yet.

Mayonnaise, we only eat it maybe once a year, and then in such a small amount, it's so easy to make a small batch and I am spoiled by the taste.

I see a lot of other foods that we make at home on other folks' lists, but I can't rightly count them as I've never bought those things ready made, and although we make pizza at home, we also order it at pizzerias, so I'm not counting that, either.

[purplewiz]

Brownies. The recipe I use is so easy, takes approximately 2.18 minutes longer than a box mix, and tastes infinitely better. I've made exactly brownies from box mix exactly once since I found my recipe, and that's because I'd bought it previously.

I've read over the rest of this thread, and most of the items are things I make from scratch sometimes - but I admit I like some of the commercial products enough to buy them sometimes, too. Or for things like soups - 95% of the time I'll make them from scratch, but I keep a couple of cans around for nights when we're both sick and need something fast and easy. So it's not I never buy them, it's just not all that often.

Marcia.

[MarketStEl]

I see a lot of other foods that we make at home on other folks' lists, but I can't rightly count them as I've never bought those things ready made, and although we make pizza at home, we also order it at pizzerias, so I'm not counting that, either.

←

Pasta sauce is one of those items in the former category for me--I've never bought pasta sauce in a jar. However: I have yet to make it from fresh tomatoes. (Shrimp Creole, on the other hand, I have.)

Hmmmm...mayo. I know there are recipes in Joy of Cooking for mayonnaise and blender mayonnaise. I have an immersion blender. Maybe I should give it a workout on this condiment sometime. (I use it to make a really tasty blue cheese dip.)

[Philanthrophobe]

Cake and ice cream. When I was growing up, I thought I hated cake--turns out I only hated boxed cake mixes. Same with mass-produced ice cream (and this was waaaay before the era of Ben & Jerry)--homemade ice cream doesn't even occupy the same food galaxy. (God, I hated birthday parties.)

My husband is allowed to keep one, and only one, jar of Grandma O'Houlligan's Authentic Inuit Sad-Assed Spaghetti Sauce* on hand in case of emergency, which is defined as me being trapped under a combine or an earth-mover and incapable of reaching a stove. Marcella Hazan singlehandedly rescued me forever from using craptastic ready-to-use pasta sauce.

I've been making my own yoghurt, hummus, bread, and salsa for a long time. I also grow my own herbs whenever possible--cilantro and parsley reseed themselves every year, and Mediterranean herbs like oregano, rosemary, and thyme thrive here in the southwest. And I love the superior flavor and convenience of frozen homemade stock.

I also heart Gloria Bley Miller, whose book, The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, showed me that I didn't have to subject myself to the vagaries of restaurant dining to enjoy really really good hot and sour soup.

*I apologize for inferring that any self-respecting Inuit would stoop to using spaghetti sauce from a jar.

[teamboom]

Hummus, guacamole and pasta sauce.

Home made guacamole vs store bought ...NO CONTEST! I win!

It's much more vibrant and flavourfull when I make it versus buying from the deli. I don't know what they put in it...but there's always some weird aftertaste.

Same goes with hummus. I can't go back.

The fact that I can make twice as much for the same cost is very fulfilling as well.

[lesfen]

Hummus, guacamole and pasta sauce.

Home made guacamole vs store bought ...NO CONTEST! I win!

It's much more vibrant and flavourfull when I make it versus buying from the deli.  I don't know what they put in it...but there's always some weird aftertaste.

Same goes with hummus.  I can't go back.

The fact that I can make twice as much for the same cost is very fulfilling as well. 

←

I agree... but that doesn't mean that if I can't find a decent avocado around here that I won't slum it and buy a bag at Sam's Club and eat it out of said bag with the icebox door still open.

[Kris]

Last week I ventured into making my own hummus from scratch...there's no going back to the storebought stuff. There's just no comparison in the taste.

This summer I also made my own fresh pesto sauce. No need to buy the pre-packed stuff anymore either.

[deltadoc]

Pretty much everything I make from scratch now:

pizza dough

pizza sauce

hamburger

sausage

stock

demi-glace

glace de viande

All of the mother sauces and any minor sauces that I need

soups

tahini

tahini sauce

hummous

tabouli

schwarma (gyros)

stuffed grape leaves

falafel

kabob

marinara

spaghetti sauce

lasagna sauce

ricotta

creme fraiche

pickle relish

ketchup

vinagrettes

salad dressings

mayonaise

sourdough bread

whole wheat bread starting with whole wheat berries

regular breads

hamburger buns

mustards

worcestershire sauce

About the only thing I still buy is Hoffman House brand Shrimp sauce. I've just never been able to make a shrimp sauce myself as good as theirs!

doc

Edited September 17, 2006 by deltadoc (log)

[bouche]

I now make pretty much anything that I don't have to feed or can't grow. We have a few basic herbs like Basil and Mint growing out back, but the snow makes it very hard to grow herbs in Ottawa during the winter.

If I don't know how to make it, I won't buy it, and I'll wait until I learn how to make it while finding the best places to get the ingredients.

THanks to Chinatown, I just made an 8 liter batch of chicken stock. I used to buy stock to make soups, but when I discovered that I could get 3 chicken carcasses for 1 dollar at a market in Chinatown, I swiftly purchased a large stockpot and it's already paid for itself considering 1 cup of stock costs a buck at most supermarkets. I get about 30 cups for $2 now!

Edited September 18, 2006 by bouche (log)

[jayt90]

last

I now make pretty much anything that I don't have to feed or can't grow.  We have a few basic herbs like Basil and Mint growing out back, but the snow makes it very hard to grow herbs in Ottawa during the winter.

If I don't know how to make it, I won't buy it, and I'll wait until I learn how to make it while finding the best places to get the ingredients.

THanks to Chinatown, I just made an 8 liter batch of chicken stock.  I used to buy stock to make soups, but when I discovered that I could get 3 chicken carcasses for 1 dollar at a market in Chinatown, I swiftly purchased a large stockpot and it's already paid for itself considering 1 cup of stock costs a buck at most supermarkets.  I get about 30 cups for $2 now!

←

Thanks for the tip on chicken carcasses. I get frozen beef bones fom my Korean mart, and fish markets (even in supermarkets) are a good low cost source of fish heads and carcasses.

I am going to start making tabouleh now, having purchased too many soggy ones, made with concentrated lemon and dried onions. Parsley bunches are now priced as a commodity, all winter long.

Then there is that huge cabbage I got for a dollar. Sauerkraut? or kimchi?

Whatever I do, I know I can get good advice from egullet, just as in the refridgerator pickle thread in August.

[Kris]

Pretty much everything I make from scratch now:

pizza dough

pizza sauce

hamburger

sausage

stock

demi-glace

glace de viande

All of the mother sauces and any minor sauces that I need

soups

tahini

tahini sauce

hummous

tabouli

schwarma (gyros)

stuffed grape leaves

falafel

kabob

marinara

spaghetti sauce

lasagna sauce

ricotta

creme fraiche

pickle relish

ketchup

vinagrettes

salad dressings

mayonaise

sourdough bread

whole wheat bread starting with whole wheat berries

regular breads

hamburger buns

mustards

worcestershire sauce

About the only thing I still buy is Hoffman House brand Shrimp sauce.  I've just never been able to make a shrimp sauce myself as good as theirs!

doc

←

I must say that I'm rather impressed.

I'd like to turn my attentions to homemade tomato/pasta sauces. I've made a few attempts but they still don't measure up in my eyes. I guess I'm used to the sweetness of the pre-jarred ones loaded with corn syrup.

I also find that the homemade tomato sauces I've made (I've tried it twice) had a somewhat bitter & overly acidic taste.

I guess I'll just keep trying.

[Megan Blocker]

Definitely pasta sauce...I remember buying it quite a bit when I first moved to the city, and now I don't think I've bought a jar of it (gourmet or otherwise) in about three years.

Marshmallows.  Once I made my own, I never looked back.  They're so much better.

Salsa - it's so easy, and I find the chopping and mixing motions to be the most therapeutic and satisfying available in the cooking ouevre, so it would be torture to give up the chance to do them!

Puff pastry - this is a new one, and I'm addicted!

←

I can add stock to my list now...it used to be a once-in-a-while thing, and now it's something I do once a month or so.

[srhcb]

I'd like to turn my attentions to homemade tomato/pasta sauces.  I've made a few attempts but they still don't measure up in my eyes.  I guess I'm used to the sweetness of the pre-jarred ones loaded with corn syrup.

I also find that the homemade tomato sauces I've made (I've tried it twice) had a somewhat bitter & overly acidic taste. 

I guess I'll just keep trying.

←

Add a healthy (sic) shot of Ketchup to provide the sweetness, which is really a counter to the bitterness cooked tomatoes can aquire.

This should still qualify as "home made".

SB (or, make your own ketchup)

[dockhl]

I'd like to turn my attentions to homemade tomato/pasta sauces.  I've made a few attempts but they still don't measure up in my eyes.  I guess I'm used to the sweetness of the pre-jarred ones loaded with corn syrup.

I also find that the homemade tomato sauces I've made (I've tried it twice) had a somewhat bitter & overly acidic taste. 

I guess I'll just keep trying.

Kris~

sometimes I just drizzle in a very small amount of honey (I HATE sweet tomato sauces ) to just take the edge off. The ketchup idea sounds good, too !

[scubadoo97]

For sure salad dressings but also pasta sauce and soup. I was never big on canned soups, bleahh I also don't buy pre roasted coffee since I roast at home. Hummus is another thing that I never buy premade.

Edited September 18, 2006 by scubadoo97 (log)

[hosinmigs]

Humm...

Never buy

Ice cream

Pasta sauce

Noodles

Salad dressing

Sometimes buy

Pancake mix

Brownies

Bread

Already-roasted coffee

Always buy

All dairy (made cheese once)

Meat, etc

[deltadoc]

I guess I'm used to the sweetness of the pre-jarred ones loaded with corn syrup.

Kris~

sometimes I just drizzle in a very small amount of honey (I HATE sweet tomato sauces ) to just take the edge off. The ketchup idea sounds good, too !

←

I use brown sugar to take the edge off, and follow Lidia Bastianiach's recommendation to "fry" the tomato paste in the "hot spot" she's always referring to in her sauce pot.

I think Fat Clemenza also talked about frying it so it doesn't stick.

Anyway, it works for me, and despite those from Italy that have said they don't use paste, Lidia is from Italy and she uses it a lot. I've known many Italians that do. Perhaps its a regional Italian thing. I don't know, but I know what tastes good.

I wouldn't ever use ketchup or anything with corn syrup in it. I cut out all processed foods and commercial colas (and thereby all corn syrup) frpm my diet and over 1 year period of time, lost over 100 lbs. without doing anything else.

doc

[NeilMalek]

Definitely pasta sauce...I remember buying it quite a bit when I first moved to the city, and now I don't think I've bought a jar of it (gourmet or otherwise) in about three years.

Marshmallows.  Once I made my own, I never looked back.  They're so much better.

Salsa - it's so easy, and I find the chopping and mixing motions to be the most therapeutic and satisfying available in the cooking ouevre, so it would be torture to give up the chance to do them!

Puff pastry - this is a new one, and I'm addicted!

←

Wait - you can make MARSHMALLOWS?! I've never even considered that! I'm off to Google marshmallow recipes now... I'd love to get yours if you get the chance.

[Megan Blocker]

Definitely pasta sauce...I remember buying it quite a bit when I first moved to the city, and now I don't think I've bought a jar of it (gourmet or otherwise) in about three years.

Marshmallows.  Once I made my own, I never looked back.  They're so much better.

Salsa - it's so easy, and I find the chopping and mixing motions to be the most therapeutic and satisfying available in the cooking ouevre, so it would be torture to give up the chance to do them!

Puff pastry - this is a new one, and I'm addicted!

←

Wait - you can make MARSHMALLOWS?! I've never even considered that! I'm off to Google marshmallow recipes now... I'd love to get yours if you get the chance.

←

Of course! It's really easy, too!

I use this recipe from Ina Garten, but I usually leave off the coconut. There's also a whole eG topic on marshmallow-making...just click here!

[NeilMalek]

Definitely pasta sauce...I remember buying it quite a bit when I first moved to the city, and now I don't think I've bought a jar of it (gourmet or otherwise) in about three years.

Marshmallows.  Once I made my own, I never looked back.  They're so much better.

Salsa - it's so easy, and I find the chopping and mixing motions to be the most therapeutic and satisfying available in the cooking ouevre, so it would be torture to give up the chance to do them!

Puff pastry - this is a new one, and I'm addicted!

←

Wait - you can make MARSHMALLOWS?! I've never even considered that! I'm off to Google marshmallow recipes now... I'd love to get yours if you get the chance.

←

Of course! It's really easy, too!

I use this recipe from Ina Garten, but I usually leave off the coconut. There's also a whole eG topic on marshmallow-making...just click here!

←

I you.

Don't tell my fiance.

[Lapin d'Argent]

Pizza. Once you find a dough recipe you're comfortable with, it's as easy as...uh, pie. And it's hard to make a bad pizza at home. Somehow, it always tastes pretty damn good.

Tomato sauce, whenever decent tomatoes are available. I make an adaptation of a recipe Cooks Illustrated ran Sep/Oct 1993. I do seed the tomatoes, but never bother to peel them anymore. I use enormous amounts of garlic, and a decent amount of cayenne flakes. Fresh basil sprinkled on each serving. Never any leftover. And it always tastes really sweet!

Beef stock, thanks to Marcella Hazan. I had no idea you could just simmer a brisket in water with a few other items, get amazing boiled beef for salads and whatnot, and a ton of stock. Chicken stock I still buy -- I'm just not much of a chicken person, and I really like the Pacific Organics brand.

Almost all soups.

Still on deck: bread, cheese, charcuterie, pickles...