Cooking from scratch

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Here is Myrtle’s Swedish meatball recipe ( despite her being —gasp—Norwegian.

Note, I use a lot more allspice, along with a bit of dry ground coriander and a bit of garlic powder.
Ah, the soup is for the sauce / gravy. I was imagining the soup in the meatballs. This makes better sense.
 
I used to make a chicken mushroom strudel in a sauce supreme. Haven't done it in a long time. I'm overdue. Somehow, I don't think it would be the same with Cream of Something soup.
Chick strudel 3 - Copy.jpg
 
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Im actually facing a similar situation this week. My wife decided she wants a tater tot casserole this week for dinner. One of the ingredients is canned cream of mushroom soup. Being vegan, I basically have to make my own substitution. Ive done it before. Ill just make a thick mushroom gravy- like ingredient and sub it in for the soup.
 
I think we'll find most products we use to make "Cooking from Scratch" to be processed to some degree anyway.
I once made an "authentic" chicken korma (for my lovely mum) from "scratch". It took all day. (Except it wasn't from scratch, because I didn't make the yoghurt.)

You can take "from scratch" too far. (And my (Irish) mum loved the Chicken Korma by the way.) She had resolutely refused to try any of the Indian takeaways that were presented to her and had no taste for anything "spicy". Needless to say, there are a ton of spices in a Korma. Just not hot ones.

I have no regrets about spending that day cooking for my mum! (And no issues about not cooking from "scratch" either!)
 
Check out Andy's quote "if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." compliments of Carl Sagan.
So pick any point in time to make something from "scratch".
 
Sad to say, from talking to young work colleagues, cooking is not happening at all.

25 year olds are proud of getting a jar of sauce, heating it in a microwave and plonking it on top a packet of pre-cooked chicken. This is their version of "cooking" compared to just dialling up a delivery.

I can't be critical, because I want them to realise that it isn't cooking, so I do talk about actual cooking in hopes some of them might be listening.
 
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I wish I had some of that finesse. I probably would have just laughed and said "That's cooking?" Then, of course, I would immediately feel guilty but then the damage is already done.
 
My mum had no interest in cooking, so I had no inspiration from her. (I loved her to bits though.) I was just so very lucky at school in the UK at a time when "Home Economics" was on the curriculum. It wasn't just about "how" to cook, it was also about nutrition. After English, it was my favourite subject! As teenagers, we were taught the science of cooking, and the theory, and we also made meals! I took home cakes, stews, pies. (Our parents had to supply the raw ingredients and financially, that was a struggle for them.) My brothers had the same tuition at the same school and didn't get so engrossed, but my older brother will never forget his "perfect" Victoria Sponge.
 
If our Home Ec's taught more than baking a cake or cookies, I honestly don't remember. I learned more from my eldest sister and mom. I would rather have joined the wood working class - but in the 60's that wasn't allowed.
Luckily, when the time came for my daughter, it was!
So she's the handy man and her husband is the cook. LOL (usually)
 
Cooking with mostly ready made ingredients is at least a step in the right direction. For some people, it may be as much as they will likely ever cook. But, for people who might have leanings towards real cooking, it can be a start.

Rather than criticize their "cooking" or meal, making a suggestion for an easy improvement is what I would do. Of course, you have to think of the easy improvement while on the topic of that meal.
 
Im actually facing a similar situation this week. My wife decided she wants a tater tot casserole this week for dinner. One of the ingredients is canned cream of mushroom soup. Being vegan, I basically have to make my own substitution. Ive done it before. Ill just make a thick mushroom gravy- like ingredient and sub it in for the soup.
Tater tots are at the bottom of my food pyramid. I love them ! I’ve only made/eaten it once or twice
 
If our Home Ec's taught more than baking a cake or cookies, I honestly don't remember. I learned more from my eldest sister and mom. I would rather have joined the wood working class - but in the 60's that wasn't allowed.
Luckily, when the time came for my daughter, it was!
So she's the handy man and her husband is the cook. LOL (usually)
Honestly, I must have had an education at the right time! I had Home Ec (with a truly brilliant teacher, and woodwork with a wonderful teacher - I built my guinea pig's hutch!) I wasn't so great at metalwork... nor art. And as for science.... yeeks. (Except I maintain that cooking is actually science.)
 
Tater tots are at the bottom of my food pyramid. I love them ! I’ve only made/eaten it once or twice
Tater tots have reached Britain! I first encountered them in the US (obviously) and man, so delicious! (and so unhealthy!) I am basically trying to avoid them.
 
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