I can make ___ but I almost always buy it.
Pickles. I love all kinds of pickles, so I buy different types and brands. I could make them. I sometimes make them. But I always have store-bought ones on hand.
Jellies/jams. I use sooooo little of the stuff. If I open a jar to put it on toast, the next time I open the jar, there's fur in there. Now, I only open a jar if I'm planning on cooking or baking with it soon enough that I know I'll use the whole jar. No sense in making batches of it and then storing it forever.
Tortillas. There's a place down the street that makes them, and they're good and they're cheap. I've made them, and will probably do so again, but only when the tortillas are a star ingredient, or when I've got lots of time to kill.
That's a good start.
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24 Comments:
Bread. And homemade cinnamon rolls. Grew up on them (large family). When my own children were young I bought a bread machine, although kneading is great for relieving stress. But then the kids insisted on growing up and leaving for college. (Ungrateful, don't you think?) I can't make bread in small enough quantities to stay fresh for only two people. So now the bread machine left us, too, and I buy it at bakeries and grocery stores. So sad.
SaraGarrigan at 6:50PM on 11/30/08
Actually, mayo should probably be in this category. I often make my own, but I always have some store bought in stock.
Mustard. I've made it a couple of times more out of curiosity, and it was good, but there are simply too many kinds out there that I love (I probably have at least a dozen of different kinds of mustard at any given time), and I'm never giving that up.
brooke29 at 7:02PM on 11/30/08
Butter....I tried making it a few months ago while watching tv. It was super easy and tasted really great, but it's more economical to buy it. I'd probably only make it again if I want a knock out butter for a special occasion.
mepolo at 7:23PM on 11/30/08
Bread...I cannot make whole wheat bread to save my life.
hammondcheese at 7:27PM on 11/30/08
@Sara~I agree, the ungrateful wretches.
Egg noodles
Tortillas, corn and flour
Bread - sorry, my children eat about 6 sandwiches a day.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 7:37PM on 11/30/08
I love artisan breads, and pies. You have to admire the bread at Wegmans. I go there and constantly pay compliment to the people working in the bakery section. They make beautiful, tasty bread.
When I see fresh baked bread, rolls, bagels, anything baked I just say wow look at all that work.
JerzeeTomato at 10:18PM on 11/30/08
Pasta, phyllo dough, puff pastry are usually store bought. Really, no one knows the difference. I refuse to use store bought pie-dough on principle. I can go either way with stock.
I can understand why some might list butter in this thread, but really, why wouldn't you just make flour, sugar and salt, too? Those are staples, and I would never give my market purveyed a second thought. One COULD make several things, but I think my answers are closer to your intent.
Keight at 10:21PM on 11/30/08
Bread
Chicken Stock
Tortillas
Marinara Sauce
Pesto
Coffee
PumpkinBear at 4:39AM on 12/01/08
Chicken Stock
cinnamon buns (I'm sorry, those Pillsbury Cinnabon rolls-in-the-exploding-can are addictive and EASY!!!)
Ravioli
juliebugsmama at 9:17AM on 12/01/08
Salsa. And I know why. There is a little restuarant in Grand Forks, ND (where I grew up) that makes the world's most basic (and best - probably a memory association more than anything else) salsa in the world, and you can buy their mixes at their restaurant to make at home, which I have done for years, even while living abroad. Also, they now carry the salsa itself in my local grocer premade, so I buy the regularly. It's not the most elaborate, but there is just *something* about it!
Also, tortillas, like many of you (phew - I don't feel so alone anymore!)
Ketchup (it's just so much easier)
Whole wheat bread. Like @hammondcheese, I can make a lot of breads and other things, but for some reason, these never turn out...although I make a really nice rye bread and pumpernickel bread....go figure.
Traveller at 11:08AM on 12/01/08
cookies
muffins
bread
chicken stock
tomato sauce
5starfoodie at 12:30PM on 12/01/08
mayonnaise
pizza
salad dressings
chicken stock
caramel at 2:12PM on 12/01/08
I can totally make good pizza. But seriously NOTHING is better than Nick's a few towns over. I'll never be able to replicate that beautiful brick-oven taste.
Also glazed donuts.
-- Ashley
makemethod.vox.com
makemethod at 3:42PM on 12/01/08
@jerzee--you're right about Wegman's breads. My kids love the new pretzel rolls they're making. That said, I still make rolls and bread 5-6 times a week. But if I want a really great chewey, crusty loaf Wegmans is where I head. I will also make subs, but hey, one of Wegmans whole subs is enough to feed our entire family of four. Again it's about the bread.
I love pickles, and Klaussen's are better than mine. Too lazy to make mayo, I do make stock but I always have some on hand.
dhorst at 8:17PM on 12/01/08
Whole wheat english muffins/crumpets/mini bagels. I've made them before for fun, but seriously, I don't think I can work them into my regular schedule (the english muffin recipe produces what, six?) as I eat them all the time. Allllllll the time.
The same goes for bread in general - I'm a whole wheat addict but I'm fickle and I like to try new things. I think if I had a go to wheat bread recipe I'd get bored and go broke buying new ingredients.
jazzinx at 8:48PM on 12/01/08
Horseradish!
Way more convenient to buy than to make.
Gregory at 11:13AM on 12/02/08
Bread, chicken stock, pesto, and pollo asada (simply because I can walk to a pollo asado place, and I'm not talking El Pollo Loco...)
missvenuz at 11:28AM on 12/02/08
Pie crust. I can make it - heck, I bought a food processor to help me get over my fear of it, but when push comes to shove, I'm usually right there with the Pillsbury pie crust.
cyberroo at 12:07PM on 12/02/08
Pie crust
Bread
anything preserved
stock
pjracz10 at 1:26PM on 12/02/08
chicken stock
bessfour at 1:40PM on 12/02/08
chicken stock
pizza (honestly, I could make pizza, but why should I when there are so many great pizza places that will deliver to my door? And no, hold your horses, I'm not talking about Pizza Hut, although that fills a niche occasionally.)
nightowl at 1:49PM on 12/02/08
Hummus. I can make a decent one, but there's just something about the stuff the co-op by my house makes. I shamefully conceded victory some time ago.
TruckBoatTruck at 4:08PM on 12/02/08
Italian salad dressing. I do keep some bottles in the fridge to have for the rest of the family, since they don't seem to care if it's homemade or not. But on my own salad, I like to mix a concoction of lemon juice, olive oil, Greek seasoning, sea salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Then when I am down to the last of my salad, since I usually add cucumber and tomato, it tastes yummy--almost like gazpacho--and I use a spoon to get the very last bit!
gourmetgal at 1:24AM on 12/03/08
stock - I know it is sacrilege but the box kind is fine and always there for me in a rush. Tortillas are another thing I occasinaly buy because I don''t always have the time to make them.
luv2cook
love2cook at 9:50AM on 12/03/08