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DEL.ICIO.USWhen do you insist on homemade?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many home cooks are willing to take shortcuts here and there to save time. But for a lot of us there are a few items where packaged just doesn’t meet our expectations in terms of quality.
I know I roll my eyes when I read a recipe that insists on homemade mayonnaise for something like tuna salad. That, I can tell you, is not going to happen. But there are times that I do think homemade is better and so much cheaper.
I know this sounds crazy, but for some reason I don’t mind using a cake mix for cupcakes, but for a layer cake, I think from scratch is better. I used to be a homemade tomato sauce fanatic. Although there are now one or two on the market that I like, including Rao and Dave’s Gourmet, their price (some upwards of $7) is enough of a deterrent to encourage me to simply sauté some garlic, add canned diced tomatoes, stir in basil and oregano and voila, a fresh tasting sauce in about 20 minutes.
Another biggie for me is piecrust. To me, the frozen kind in the metal tin is the equivalent of eating a cardboard rock. I’ll use refrigerated, only Pillsbury (I have been disappointed in most store brands, but never at Thanksgiving. Then it has to be homemade.
Is there anything that you insist on making from scratch? Or is the difference too minimal to justify the extra work?
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment | Categories: Home cooking
Comments
By Stacey
October 8, 2008 1:58 PM | Link to this
Jeanne…I agree with you about cake mix only being used for cupcakes and even then I want homemade frosting. I don’t care for store bought cake either though I will eat a store bought flavored cake (such are chocolate or carrot) if I am just desperate for dessert. I don’t like store bought fruit pies either. My mother was a wonderful baker and would not dream of using baking mix (she thought it tasted like medicine). I can bake cookies & pies but not cakes nor bread/roll. My mother-n-law bakes good cakes but she said she doesn’t have the patience for bread so we buy that.
By itsmorenamorena
October 8, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this
Mac and Cheese. MUST be homemade. That stuff in a box will kill ya! So will boxed Mashed Potatoes. YUCK! Make those from scratch!
By HCR
October 8, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this
Pimento Cheese and Salsa.
By Nixon710
October 8, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this
EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER HOMEMADE.
I feel bad for people who don’t know how to cook. It is one of life’s simpliest pleasures.
By Sus
October 8, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
Potato salad. Don’t know exactly what is in the store bought varieties. Regarding cake mixes. Pillsbury definitely has a prepackaged taste; however I have found Duncan Hines to be very good. Most of the time I make a cake from scratch.
By Mattie
October 8, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
I agree with all those above, and would add “soup” to the list. Easy to make, and so much better without all the chemicals. Actually, everything is better homemade.
By cathy lee
October 8, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this
It has to be Mac and Cheese and Spaghetti Sauce so much better homemade.And please don’t forget ice cream.
By cathy lee
October 8, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this
It has to be Mac and Cheese and Spaghetti Sauce so much better homemade.And please don’t forget ice cream.
By cathy lee
October 8, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this
It has to be Mac and Cheese and Spaghetti Sauce so much better homemade.And please don’t forget ice cream.
By jess
October 8, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
BANANNA PUDDING.
By Perkle
October 8, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this
Everything tastes better homemade if you know how to cook. I do buy pre-made things sometimes or things from a box for the mere convenience factor. A lot of those things can be doctored to be made even better. (Cake mixes especially) My husband use to be a chef and although I am not at his caliber of cooking, I enjoy doing it as well. We rarely eat out either.
By Barbara in NY
October 8, 2008 4:22 PM | Link to this
Homemade clam chowder is such a huge treat. Not difficult to make, but very family pleasing.
Also, potato, corn, bacon chowder. So easy, a teenager can make it! Tastes wonderful.
By Linda in Atlanta
October 8, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
Meatloaf, nothing better than homemade meatloaf unless it’s chicken noodle soup or macaroni salad, I could go on and on. Yum
By Stacey
October 8, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
How did I forget Mac & Cheese!
By Noelle
October 8, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
Someone else mentioned soup. I eat low-sodium, so I don’t generally like soup unless it’s homemade because the prepared kinds are so overloaded with salt. Same with French fries, and a lot of other prepared foods, for that matter. The entire food industry uses WAY too much sodium.
I also prefer to make my own salsa or pice de gallo because I’m a spice wimp and even the “mild” kinds are too hot for me! (I’m also not a fan of cilantro.)
Of course, as others have said, almost everything is better made from scratch. I try to simplify cooking by buying ready to use ingredients, like pre-chopped fresh or frozen vegetables, rather than buying dishes completely premade.
By Becky
October 8, 2008 5:23 PM | Link to this
Potato salad, biscuits, salsa…As others have said, most everything..Cooking to me is so relaxing that it’s hard for me to believe that others don’t cook..Not that I’m trying to be ugly, so please don’t take it that way..
By MaggiesDad
October 8, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this
Biscuits, Cornbread, Yeast Rolls must be made from scratch.
By fer
October 8, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
Chicken soup, Thanksgiving dinner. Also agree w/ the ones who said macaroni & cheese and pimiento cheese.
By clyde
October 8, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this
Homemade bread,Scratch cakes,sweet potato pie.Fresh tomato soup.Definitely potato salad.Get a pasta machine and make your own pasta.You’ll never go back.My favorite has to be cherry pie,made with fresh,tart cherries.
By PJ
October 8, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this
Lasagna!! Mine is to die for!! :-)
By Davis
October 8, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this
Of course, most everything tastes better homemade if the one preparing it knows how to cook, BUT, I agree, most all of those deli salads, potato salad, cole slaw, chicken salad, pimento cheese, etc are NOT good, they taste awful!, REAL homemade bananna pudding, the cooked vanilla pudding, the homemade meringe, and Nabisco nilla wafers, cant be beat!, I could go on but one more thing, fresh fried fish, with bones IN, ah the memories of my mother’s craft, you cant find fish in any restaurant to compare to fried fish, homemade cole slaw and hush puppies, ok, off to dinner….LOL
By atlgamecock
October 8, 2008 8:13 PM | Link to this
My wife Mary’s LASAGNE and MACARONI and CHEESE…Baked heaven in a pan !!!
By FCM
October 8, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this
LOL—-I read the title and not the comments and only one thought came to mind… I toss my hat in with the rest the best homemade comfort food hands down is Mac and Cheese and not that lame stuff from a blue or yellow box.
Homemade biscuits (thick and fluffy) which I have yet to master. I love a homemade yeast roll, but Sister Schubert is sublime so I let her do the work.
My mother swears that homemade meatloaf is a must. I am not big on meatloaf myself.
I can deal with the Pillsbury crust (even for Thanksgiving) but the Pecan Pie filling better be scratch. Also, at that time of year the Sweet Potato Souffle (with nuts and cornflakes not marshmellows) should be homemade too. Both of those passed down from my Grandmother to my Mom (who Grandma says perfected them).
By ron
October 8, 2008 10:19 PM | Link to this
CHILI CHILI CHILI
Those nasty, pasty, acidic chili’s you get at most restaurants are awful. I love Ted’s Montana Grill, but the only item to avoid is their chili.
homemade chili is better because you use real chilis, peppers, onions, and garlic instead of powders.
Homemade chili is the best homemade dish, followed by biscuits, sausage gravy, apple pie, and lemonade!
By Magenta
October 8, 2008 10:54 PM | Link to this
Lasagna. Years ago it took hours to properly cook the noodles, mix the ricotta, brown the meat, and layer layer layer. But it was well worth it.
Unfortunately, the lovely man to whom I am married refuses to eat ricotta cheese.
And I refuse to make lasagna without it. …Sigh… I guess it’s another good day for Stouffer’s.
By HS Teacher
October 8, 2008 11:12 PM | Link to this
The following items are always home/hand made.
MORE, but this list is long enough. I am getting hungry just reading it.
By justine
October 9, 2008 6:06 AM | Link to this
My mom was a great cook and she made most things good. I still hate lima beans and meatloaf because of the financial crisis we often found ourselves in. However, I must say that any and all foods, taste better when cooked at home. If you think about it, even the burnt meals hold a lot of good memories. It is unfortunate we have become a society that does eat at home. It may sound uneducated to some but I don’t like to eat out because some of the restaurants and the people in the back don’t look clean. don’t every waitress take offense but it is true in certain cases* I love making chili because each time it is just a bit different. Also, you can freeze it and the longer it stays frozen the better it taste. I love to cook. I love to cook even things I mess up. But most important, has anyone ever noticed the closeness between couples and families that cook together.
By ebaby
October 9, 2008 7:50 AM | Link to this
It looks like most people have agreed that everything tastes better home made. I think mashed potatoes is the dumbest thing to make from a box- it really is SO quick and easy to make.
Perhaps the question should have been- Is there any food that you would rather eat store-bought, ready made than labor over?
By Chris
October 9, 2008 7:54 AM | Link to this
BBQ and Mac and Cheese. I also bake homeade bread that is a lot better than anything at the store. All three items take time and a little dedication to master but all three are well worth it in the end. Paula Dean’s Mac and Cheese recipe is pretty bullet-proof and can be found online. Give it a try and make it your own. The results are well worth it. As for the BBQ, I control the amount of smoke and seasoning and know exactly what is coming off the smoker. Nothing like sitting down to BBQ pork loin, chicken, brisket with Mac and Cheese and homeade wheat bread on the side and knowing my hands made it all.
By gourmetgirl
October 9, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
Under no circumstances should pie crust ever be storebought. The packaged stuff tastes terrible and no amount of preservatives will make crust flake like homemade. And after all, scratch crust has four ingredients, and takes about 5 minutes.
I feel the same way about pasta, so I make mine from scratch.
By chkent
October 9, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
Fried Chicken!! I wish I could buy southern fried chicken with milk gravy that tastes as good as homemade. Because it’s a lot of trouble to make, it’s time-consuming and it messes up the whole kitchen. I use my mother’s recipe and we skin the chicken first and double dip it in self-rising flour, milk, then flour again, and the only seasonings are salt and pepper. Then you fry it, taking time to lower the heat in the middle and let it simmer, then removing the lid so it gets crispy on the outside and is completely done and tender & moist inside. When I crave it too much, I break down and cook it and then I remember why it’s worth all the trouble. Yum!
By Layne
October 9, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
Have the best of BOTH worlds and go to FLYING BISCUIT and enjoy homemade biscuits w/o having to make them yourself!! DELISH!
By Layne
October 9, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this
Have the best of BOTH worlds and go to FLYING BISCUIT and enjoy homemade biscuits w/o having to make them yourself!! DELISH!
By FCM
October 9, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this
I do not do Mashed Potatoes from a box…I do them from a bag…Ore Ida has the potato cubes that cook in 10 min (nuke) and then fluff up with your own liquid/fat combo. They were well worth it since cleaning and dicing the potatoes can take 10 min plus 10-20 to cook (nuke). I do this on the weekday so I can spend more time with kiddos.
On weekends I am willing to go all out to cook ‘homemade’ not ‘semi’ for the fam.
By TLB
October 15, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
Anything smothered in gravy with a side of rice can’t be bought and if it is the taste of it only disappoints you enough to go home and make it like you should have in the 1st place.