Homemade Food

[Sprout]

in fact, i'm making my own tomato sauce from scratch tomorrow, as well as freezing fresh basil ice cubes, and making my own chili powders.

Fresh basil ice cubes? never though of that. do you then just put them in the pan first & let the water evaporate out before adding other ingredients? I've tried to freeze basil in the past & it started tasting bad before I could use it all. This may be the idea I've been looking for...

 

[roadfix]

Does anyone make homemade food anymore or do most people cook from a box or frozen food?

Very interesting first post and question.

For instance, that's like asking members on a golf forum if they only play video golf or if they actually go out and play rounds of golf.

Perhaps you should rephrase your question. )

 

[Barbara L]

Very interesting first post and question.

For instance, that's like asking members on a golf forum if they only play video golf or if they actually go out and play rounds of golf.

Perhaps you should rephrase your question. )

I don't think it is necessarily a bad question. Like I tell people when I'm talking to them about DC, we have everything from professional chefs to people who can barely open a can (and that all are welcomed).

I do a lot of my stuff homemade, but I also do a lot of what I term "half scratch," like adding canned cream of mushroom soup to a meat dish to make sauce. My husband buys taco kits when they are on sale. I don't like to add taco seasoning to my taco meat, but I save it and add it to other things, such as chicken cooked with canned tomatoes, and served with rice.

Once in awhile I like to have a TV dinner or pot pie for lunch. Sometimes I make macaroni and cheese from scratch, and sometimes I use packaged macaroni and cheese. When we can afford it, we go out now and then.

I think I'm pretty typical of many of the people here at DC. I also know that I cook a lot more than most of the people I know personally. But I'm not going to feel weird about grabbing an occasional can of soup or a TV dinner.

Barbara

 

[Athometrixie]

in fact, i had to try hard to think of what boxed foods we use. shake-n-bake ...

You can make your own shake and bake for much less than the packets. The packets run about $2.85 here for two bags and the mix.

Here's what I use:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups bread crumbs (I used panko for a crispy crunchy)
2 Tablespoons salt (less if you don't want to use a lot of salt)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil. (I omit this and put a bit of butter in the baking dish instead).

Mix all this up and put it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use a quarter cup or a few tablespoons from the mix with your meat in a ziplock bag. Shake it up, bake at 450 F for 25 minutes or until done.

Like I mentioned, instead of mixing the oil into the mix, I will put a sliver of butter on top of each piece of meat just to give it a touch of fat to brown while cooking.

The main thing is to watch to make sure the coating mix doesn't get too browned.

You can add different spices and herbs to your basic mix to match your choice of meat and complement your meal. A pinch of oregano is nice, and rosemary would be nice. You can use a shot of hot salt to kick it up.
Once you make the basic mix, you've got a great base and it will last a long time in the jar in the fridge.

When I buy pork chops, chicken breasts in bulk, I split them into ziplock bags in meal-size portions and freeze. I just thaw them in the same bag, toss in the coating mix, shake it up and it goes straight in the baking dish.

 

[buckytom]

thanks atho. i think i'll give that a try. i normally don't like a lot of processed food because it always tastes so salty, but i've been addicted to shake-n-bake since childhood. your recipe looks good for a replacement, and i can control the amount of salt as you'd suggested.

sprout, i don't worry about the little bit of extra water when adding the basil ice cubes to a dish. i guess you could melt them and strain seperately if it really matters.

 

[joesfolk]

I make cilantro cubes. We only use a tiny bit of cilantro in salsa and it can be hard to find off season around here. So I use the cubes if I want to make a fresh salsa at other times of the year. I think this way I never need more than one good sized bunch of cilantro a year but none of it goes to waste.

 

[Sprout]

Thanks Tom & Joe! I think I'll start making fresh herb cubes. I happen to have a large amount of oregano right now, so this is perfect timing!

 

[LPBeier]

i've been addicted to shake-n-bake since childhood.

BuckyT, I would not eat pork chops no way no how when I was young. My Mom would make me eat 5 small bites and even that was torture....Then she got a sample of this new product (yes, shake and bake) and I never looked back. Funny thing is, I will eat them any way except WITH S&B now!

 

[Matt Kay]

You can make your own shake and bake for much less than the packets. The packets run about $2.85 here for two bags and the mix.

I replicate several mixes as well and keep them sealed up in the cupboard. I don't like all the salt and unidentifiable ingredients in products like taco seasoning.

Write the recipe down and tape it to the inside of a small tupperware. Fill it up with you homemade mix and seal it. It'll last you for quite awhile if you make a large batch and you won't ever forget where you put the recipe.

 

[Barbara L]

I have a couple of the "Make-a-Mix" cookbooks (can't remember the author offhand). There are recipes in them for all kinds of mixes, including baking mix (like Bisquik), cake mixes, taco seasoning, dry salad dressing mixes, as well as meat mixes, butter balls (you freeze them to make white sauce), etc. When my daughter was little, I made some of the cake mixes and divided them into small Ziploc bags for her to use with her little baking set.

Barbara

 

[Andy M.]

Things that make you go, Hmmmm...

Reading this thread reminds me of a Food Network show called "Semi Homemade".

 

[jet]

A $3 loaf of bread? That seems awfully expensive.

I was curious, so I checked some prices at the store and did some calculations. A loaf of sandwich bread costs me $0.898 (excluding utility costs).

 

[roadfix]

I don't think I'm capable of making food 100% from scratch.

 

[Andy M.]

I don't think I'm capable of making food 100% from scratch.

Carl Sagan agrees with you. No one is.

 

[buckytom]

lol, andy.

you reminded me of an old far side comic...

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

99 percent of my meals are made from scratch. My advice, learn the flavors of various herbs and spices. Learn to make the mother sauces. Try to deconstruct flavors in restaurant foods you like, and then learn to duplicate them at home. When you do these things, and when you learn techniques from the great cooks on this site, you are well on the way to eating more flavorful, more satisfying, and more nutritious food than you will ever get from pre-processed, or boxed meals.

To me, there are few things more satisfying than giving my best to my family and/or friends. And when I cook for them, I know they are getting the best food that I can give them, and often it's better food tan they will find in any restaurant in my little town. For instance, restaurants can't roast a turkey between two beds of glowing charcoal, with fresh sticks of maple sitting on top of the coals, cooked to a perfect temperature of 155, then taken off and let sit for 20 minutes before carving. And they can't economically afford to provide the sides that I include in that meal. And, I can tailor my food to the likes of those who are going to eat it, usually on an individual basis.

I'm not bragging, for anyone, or nearly anyone can cook like I cook. It just takes a little practice.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

i would say that when we cook at home (we eat out or get takeout about 3 times a week on average), 95% of it is not from a box or mix.

i would not consider frozen veggies to be part of this, btw.

in fact, i had to try hard to think of what boxed foods we use. shake-n-bake, pancake mix, bread mixes, canned tuna/clams/salmon, frozen fish sticks, store made ravioli or chicken fingers. that's about it. everything else is from discreet ingredients put together and cooked at home.

in fact, i'm making my own tomato sauce from scratch tomorrow, as well as freezing fresh basil ice cubes, and making my own chili powders.

BT! Whadaya mean pancake mix! I gave you the recipe for a perfect pancake batter. Just mix up the dry ingredients ahead of time. Double, or tripple, or multiply all ingredients by whatever multiplier you like. Put in a large, airtight container, and take out a cup or so when you need it, add an egg, milk, and a little cooking oil. In fact, I made the mix before and added powdered egg and dry milk. Then, when I went camping, I only had to add water and oil. And if you add oil ahead of time, it's like Bisquick, and you only need to add water.

Basic recipe of dry ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs baking powder.

If you triple the recipe:
3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 cup baking powder

See how easy that is. Even someone from Joisey can do it.

Wait. That wasn't me that made that Joisey remark. That was someone else who took over my body. Yeh. That's it. I was taken over by an evil spirit. Hey. G.W., watch out for snowballs commin' at ya from east by southeast. I here that B.T. stores 'em in his freezer.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[buckytom]

lol, gw. i haven't made your pancakes in a while. i think i'll make them this weekend.

dw is the one who uses the box mix.

that's my story and i'm stickin' to it.


btw, INCOMING!!!!

 

[Mel!]

Does anyone make homemade food anymore or do most people cook from a box or frozen food?

I think a lot of people who visit this site make homemade food, including me. I do buy some things from a box, when the packaging looks particularly attractive, but I make a lot of things myself too.

Mel

 

[Matt Kay]

BT! Whadaya mean pancake mix! I gave you the recipe for a perfect pancake batter. Just mix up the dry ingredients ahead of time. Double, or tripple, or multiply all ingredients by whatever multiplier you like. Put in a large, airtight container, and take out a cup or so when you need it, add an egg, milk, and a little cooking oil. In fact, I made the mix before and added powdered egg and dry milk. Then, when I went camping, I only had to add water and oil. And if you add oil ahead of time, it's like Bisquick, and you only need to add water.

Basic recipe of dry ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs baking powder.

If you triple the recipe:
3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 cup baking powder

See how easy that is. Even someone from Joisey can do it.

Wait. That wasn't me that made that Joisey remark. That was someone else who took over my body. Yeh. That's it. I was taken over by an evil spirit. Hey. G.W., watch out for snowballs commin' at ya from east by southeast. I here that B.T. stores 'em in his freezer.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

Don't perpetuate the "Joisey" stereotype. We all know that only New Yawkahs sound like that.