Intimidated by scratch cooking?

[DaisyKeymaster]

I’ve noticed that over the past few decades “scratch cooking” seems to be something that is a foreign concept for a lot of folks. They say “I can’t cook” like it’s a point of pride. Or they find it scary and intimidating because they grew up in a household where it just wasn’t done.

It’s so much easier than popular culture makes it out to be. If you find the idea to be intimidating but you really want to try, this article is for you 🙂

The Lost Art of Scratch Cooking

 

[Crow BarKeymaster]

Great article!

Will comment here later.

[Anonymous]

I taught myself to cook from scratch.  I had some guidance here and there along the way and lots of cook books and cooking shows.  When my mom died me and my dad lived off TV dinners for nearly a year.  I loved them and got lots of good memories from the deserts but it’s nice to make much larger servings now.

[Crow BarKeymaster]

I started out on packaged food stuff.  Add water, boil and presto!  Dinner!

But then I wanted to know the science behind cooking.  So I got a subscription to Cooks Illustrated.  A lot of good info in there.  But some contradicting.

I then moved towards cook books that focused on the not only how, but why.

I started a thread here about peasant food.  It holds true, be it French, Japanese, Polish, German, Italian etc.  A number of recipes are nothing more than peasant food, with a gourmet twist.  That gourmet twist is nothing more than basic cooking technique.

[DaisyKeymaster]

I love peasant food. 🙂 And you’re absolutely right about it being the basis for all sorts of delicious gourmet things.

What I’m not the best at is baking. I can do it but I just don’t really enjoy the whole measuring and closely following a recipe part. Plus, I must confess, my baked goods are not the prettiest. They taste okay but they look like Pinterest Fails.

[Peppy PParticipant]

Growing up we ate out a lot.  My mother does not cook unless she can pop it in the microwave.  I learned to cook once on my own and love it.  My favorite place is in the kitchen.

[OldMt WomanParticipant]

Grew up with not much interest in cooking.  Rather be outside or reading.  But I was in 4-H so every third year was cooking.  Hey, that got me out of taking the ‘mandatory’ Home Economics in high school.  🙂  So yeah, I knew the basics quite well.  I guess I’m lucky I married someone that learned to cook with his Grma….while he recovered from a bad injury.  Just a young boy and he caught the ‘bug’.  I can follow recipes …and I make up some good hot dish and soups/stews. And I do great variety of healthy pancakes!  [with mountain-grown black currants]  Not real talented with seasoning…cuz I don’t care that much about food.  But my man can cook…and bake!  We do a lot of Asian food too, which is easy.  What does interest me is actually making things like butter or cheese or mayonnaise.  That catches my ‘crafting’ interest, I guess.

I’m no “Julia” but I don’t do pre-fab meals either.

OldMtWoman

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  OldMt Woman.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  OldMt Woman.

[Red CarnationParticipant]

Most of my cooking is non-recipe cooking.  For example, I’ll cook beans, rice, and chicken to make burrito bowls.

Then I’ll roast frozen vegetables with olive oil and salt and add the leftover chicken to make the next meal.  We don’t mind eating the same thing two days in a row; therefore, I make plenty so that I am not cooking dinner every day.

[namelusParticipant]

Ever notice people.either like to bake or like to cook but seldom  both?

Everyone should know how to cook it is basis for.financial and health freedom, an I can cook is an instant not suitable for dating tag.

 

I can understand not making pasta from scratch each time but canned premade sauce is disgusting.

What is your favourite recipe?

[Crow BarKeymaster]

@namelus,

Funny you mention jar sauce.  My wife used to buy 3 or 4 at a time.  I hated it.

I then pulled out an Alfredo recipe from one of the italian cookbooks, used all of the best ingredients, and served it to her.

Now she says she cannot eat jar stuff!  HA!

[Anonymous]

I come from an Italian family. We have always cooked from scratch. I think as a teen I rebelled a little and ate microwave meals once in awhile, but nothing beats a home cooked meal. We have a few allergies to foods like milk protein and a type of corn, so we tend to make everything at home now today as well. 🙂

[OldMt WomanParticipant]

Red Carnation, I do that too.  Cook a big hunk of some meat.  Then the meals migrate into each other.  Saves time/energy.  Leftovers are fine too!

And store-bought pasta sauce?  Ack.  I thot I developed an allergy to tomatoes.  Went several years avoiding them.  🙁  Then my friend made her pasta with home made sauce [home grown tomatoes too].  I ate with trepidation….and had no reaction. 🙂   Couple more meals of pizza and other pasta that week….all delicious/successful for me.  Then we ordered pizza delivered.  Tasted great and hit my stomach like a sledge hammer.

>< Enlightenment ><  I’m reacting to something (preservative?) in prepared tomato sauces.  Yeaaaay…I can eat tomatoes!  I can even use store-canned tomatoes (with no extra stuff) without the reaction.  [Tomatoes don’t grow at our altitudes.]  So I make up large batches of tomato sauce for any number of dishes in crock pot.  Whew…someday we’re going to live where we can grow tomatoes again!

OldMtWoman

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