Serious Homemade: Cooking (almost) Everything from Scratch
My latest cooking quest is to eventually make everything from scratch that's possible. At least once. Some things might become a regular, some I might make just that once.
For example, I'll seldom if ever again buy bread, filled pastas, or yogurt. Or sour cream or creme fraiche. Or fresh Italian or Polish sausage.
I've made butter, but I'm fine with buying it. I might make it again for a special occasion. Same with corned beef. I'll make it again, but I'm fine with buying it.
I've got home-made wine vinegar brewing. While I'll probably continue making it on an ongoing basis, I'll probably continue to also buy vinegar, since there are so many varieties and flavors.
I just finished a batch of ketchup, and I don't know yet if this will be an ongoing thing. We'll see. We don't use a lot of ketchup, so it might depend on how long it lasts and/or if it freezes well.
I want to try making some cheese (besides yogurt cheese) but I'm sure I'll continue to buy most types, even if I am successful.
Obviously, making some things at home are limited by ingredients and equipment required. And space. I'm really not interested in brewing beer or fermenting my own sauerkraut because of the odors. And I doubt I'll ever have the means to squeeze my own olive oil.
So now I'm looking for more of these sorts of projects that are doable at home. Any ideas?
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23 Comments:
It seems as if you've got the homemade cooking front covered, but what about the growing? Maybe you could try growing all of your own produce and then canning tomatoes and things of that nature so when you make homemade sauces, like marinara, you will have grown everything yourself. It's a step further in the "I don't need grocery stores" quest.
PumpkinBear at 6:44PM on 01/31/09
that's great d.b. - you're truly an inspiration .... and ahead of the game with the state of the economy - to be self sufficient as all of that....
i've done things like bread, pasta, yogurt cheese, sausage, sopressata, smoking bacon .... growing a garden and canning, jam, etc. love to do all of that hands on stuff.... the issue is always time.
but it's great that you've been providing such beautiful foods for those you love.... you should teach others to be as self-sufficient.... the more we all know how to take care of ourselves, the better off we are....
pooch at 6:50PM on 01/31/09
@Pumpkin, I grow mostly herbs and then a few tomato plants and peppers, but that's all I have room for. And some years are better than others as far as the harvest. One year I had so many tomatoes from one plant, it seemed like I was making sauce every other day.
It's not so much that I don't want to avoid grocery stores, but I want to know what's IN the foods I eat. Both from a health perspective, and just curiosity.
And some things are just soooo much cheaper to make at home. Like salad dressings. Even if I use the super-fancy olive oil, it's cheaper than buying it pre-made, and I can have a different dressing every night by changing the oil, vinegar and spices.
I was looking at some flavored syrups the other day, and it's just corn syrup, water and flavorings. Heck, I can do better by making a simple syrup and throwing in some vanilla beans and/or whatever other flavors I want to use.
Dried chickpeas are cheap. Hummus is expensive, in comparison.
And some things are just fun to tell people that you made them.
dbcurrie at 7:00PM on 01/31/09
@dbcurrie--that's awesome! It's great you've rediscovered so many 'traditions' that probably aren't even that old (just that a few decades of food manufacturing have caused us to forget them)!
I was at a party with some older women and they talked about how they always made their own jams and jellies, and canned their own tomatoes and pickles. They offered to give some of the jars to their children, who were less than enthusiastic about carrying on the tradition :P
HeartofGlass at 8:51AM on 02/01/09
Making your own is even better when you have like-minded individual to swap food with. The 5 members of my family get together every spring to decide who will make which preserves that year. Then we make extra-large batches and swap. Five kinds of jam for the effort of one! The same at Christmas with cookie exchange. This year we are adding savoury canning as well - pickles, chow-chow, ketchup etc... A great family tradition!
PeanutButter at 9:03AM on 02/01/09
Try making puff pastry at home but plan to dedicate a whole day to it and make enough to freeze in small quantities for use throughout the subsequent six month period. Homemade puff is AMAZING but there's a reason even pros use frozen. You can't take shortcuts with the resting time between "turns" and it's really only worth it if you make enough to freeze.
Make gnocchi at home. It's easy, fun and you can make variations on the plain potato type. You can do flavor combinations you won't see in the supermarket like sweet potato gnocchi or potato/saffron gnocchi. They freeze beautifully. You don't have to make enough for six months as this isn't nearly the process as puff pastry but I'd make a good sized batch for impromptu cravings.
Make jams and chutneys in flavor combinations you don't generally see but would enjoy. Variation on a theme - your own BBQ sauce!
The whole homemade ketchup thing - I've become so curious about it. I saw an ep of Jamie At Home and he did homemade ketchup that looked outstanding.
therealchiffonade at 1:27PM on 02/01/09
@chiff - just last night we had butternut squash gnocchi that I made and froze back in November or October, and were talking about how even if we wanted to buy them at a supermarket, we wouldn't be able to, at least round here.
I've made puff pastry from scratch several times when I was younger (both my Mum and my Gran always made my own), and at this point, I'm perfectly content with buying it.
Other than bread, rolls, salad dressing, barbecue sauces, filled pastas, gnocchi and sausage, I've completely stopped buying pickled anything (I make gherkins, cornichons and aubergines), jams, chutneys and preserves. Oh, and candied ginger! I also made my own sauerkraut, which turned out unbelievably good - I do have a cool basement, I'm not sure I'd have done this without it.
I really enjoy being self-sufficient. Even more than that, I enjoy making our food with my own hands and knowing exactly what we're eating.
@db - I envy you with your herbs, peppers and tomato plants! Whatever it is that is the opposite of a green thumb - I have it. It upsets me to no end, but I've proven unable to grow anything. I want to take a drive to NY this spring and buy a couple of currant bushes (they don't ship them to NJ). I'm really hoping they don't die on me!
brooke29 at 1:53PM on 02/01/09
@PeanutButter, I wish I knew someone else who wanted to cook like this, but just about everyone I know thinks I'm daft to cook dinner every night, much less spend a whole day making pickles or tamales or whatever.
Anyway, just because I've tried making some of these things doesn't mean I'm going to continue. So don't imagine me as too much of an earth mother. Some days I'm more of a mad scientist.
dbcurrie at 2:21PM on 02/01/09
After I read Barbara Kingslover's Animal Vegetable, Miracle I started making my own yogurt on a weekly basis. I also have made mozz and ricotta cheese. I make english muffins almost weekly, I often make other bread as well but not often enough to stop buying altogether (though I don't think I can remember the last time I bought a loaf of italian/french/ciabatta type bread, only sandwich) I made croissants once but don't know if I will do it again. I had a small garden last year and have done herbs for years, I hope to do a much bigger one and may try some canning/preserving.
You have me beat by a mile so I really don't have any new ideas for you but I am also very interested in becoming more and more self sufficient. I don't really have any friends who do the same and though think I am crazy they are mostly impressed and enjoy the end results!
mrsmoosie at 3:40PM on 02/01/09
@mrsmoosie, I'm with you on the croissants. I'll probably make them again when the mood strikes, but they're never going to becomes a regular item on the menu. I've made English muffins a few times, but we don't eat them as often as regular bread, so every time I make them, a bunch go into the freezer.
I am so in love with homemade yogurt, it's silly. And I like it thick, so I always strain it. A half-gallon of milk gets me almost exactly a quart of yogurt and a quart of whey. I use the whey in breadmaking, so nothing goes to waste.
I've got to say that there will probably always be things I buy because I don't use them in sufficient quantity for it to be worth making a reasonable-sized batch of whatever it is. Like jams and jellies. I use maybe one or two jars a year when I make cookies at Christmas, and then I'm always trying to think of what to do with leftovers. But I've made jellies before, so it's crossed of the list of things that I could make if I wanted to.
I think delving into more cheese products is the next step, and maybe after that some smoked meats. I've done a few things, years ago, but I think it's time to try that again when the weather gets better.
dbcurrie at 4:40PM on 02/01/09
After ketchup, how about mustard? It takes some time, but it's dirt simple.
Make a big batch of dumplings and/or samosas -- they freeze well and are great to have when you don't know what else to have for dinner.
Also, nthing the pickling and canning suggestions. I finally moved to a place with a good (tiny, but up to date) kitchen and cannot wait for jam-making season.
misha at 7:08PM on 02/01/09
I spent nearly forever in graduate school getting a PhD in Biochem. We were very poor. Rarely ate out, and cooked everything we could.
Learned to make a really nice loaf of bread, made our own pasta.
Later when I got out, and had a nice salary, i bought everything only to realize that I confused poverty and wealth.
If you keep food simple, then there are really few things you need.
The key is not making everything rather to keep the list of what you need short.
senojjones at 7:24PM on 02/01/09
@Brooke, once herbs get growing in a spot they like, they're more like weeds than delicate garden plants. And the haphazard trimming they get seem to make them even happier, which is a good thing. As for the sauerkraut, I have nowhere to make it -- no basement here. I'm sure that I don't want fermenting cabbage in my living room.
@senojjones, I'm interested in making all these different things because I find it enjoyable, not because I'm living in a hut and can't afford ketchup. I certainly don't need croissants, home made or otherwise, but it was fun to make them anyway.
@chiff, I know what you mean about the gnocchi. I love squash gnocchi in particular, and it's so handy to have a ziploc bag of those in the freezer. I should probably go for some other flavors, but the squash ones are soooo good.
dbcurrie at 9:12PM on 02/01/09
@db - no, you certainly don't want sauerkraut fermenting anywhere near your living or dining or any other "livable" room, you're very right about that. And my basement was only a good place for it because it can also be ventilated - it has a separate outside door and a window. Otherwise, I wouldn't want it there either as I wouldn't be able to get rid of the smell, ever.
I'm going to give herbs another try - especially considering that I pretty much can't cook without herbs! I can, of course, but you know what I mean.
brooke29 at 9:35PM on 02/01/09
db
I also love to try to make things at least once. I don't make jams (except habanero pepper) like I used to because we don't eat them much anymore and our local bakery makes them better! However, I've been making zucchini relish every fall for about 40 year and have a long list of people who expect a jar (or more) every year. It makes a ton--about 15-20 pints. It's so good on burgers and makes great tartar sauce when mixed with mayo.
I will post the recipe if you're interested.
pielady at 12:44AM on 02/02/09
@pielady, it's a long way from zucchini season, but I'd love the recipe. If I'm going to be pickling anything, it might as well be something different.
dbcurrie at 3:08AM on 02/02/09
Here it is--zucchini relish
6 quarts chopped zucchini (I use my Kitchen Aid attachment)
3 green peppers, chopped
12 onions, chopped
Mix together and add 1/2 cup salt
Cover and let sit overnight.
Next day: Strain, removing all salt water (as much as possible)
Add:
6 cups sugar
1 quart white vinegar
2 Tblsp mustard seed
1 jar pimiento, chopped
2 Tblsp celery seed
1 Tblsp turmeric
Stir and bring to hard boil, stirring often
Pack in hot sterile jars, cover with canning lid and ring
I have never processed this and have never had a problem. I just make sure that they seal.
I usually use 10 oz jars and it makes 18 to 20 +
pielady at 10:23AM on 02/02/09
@pielady -- thanks! I'll have to try this one. Every summer, there are people giving away zucchini that need good homes :-)
dbcurrie at 2:11PM on 02/02/09
Baking my own hamburger bun/sandwich rolls was a revelation to me. Ridiculously easy, relatively fast and makes all the difference in the world taste-wise.
GirlintheCurl at 6:31PM on 02/02/09
Homemade pasta is a requirement in my household, with more homemade items being added daily.
pksmash at 9:18PM on 02/02/09
d.b. - I like your thinking. I've started to make more and more at home - same reason, I like to know what's in it, and just out of curiosity. I'm cooking for the family this weekend for a birthday, so we're doing hamburgers. I'm grinding the beef, making the ketchup, baking the buns, as much as I can. I try to make a meal like that, with plenty of leftovers, once every couple of weeks.
jason at 9:49PM on 02/02/09
@jason, the more you make meals like that, the easier it gets. I may go a little over the top with some of what I make, but the more I stick to single-ingredient items at the store, the happier I am.
A while back, I was at the grocery store and picked up a package of ground beef, and there was an ingredient list that included "flavor." I'm sorry, but I just wanted beef, ground. I don't want to pick up a package and see 3 or 4 things that aren't beef.
Beef from the local butcher shop, where they take a hunk of meat and they grind it, is a completely different color from what's sold at the grocery store. If I don't have the time to grind my own, that's where I buy. And it doesn't have an ingredient list.
dbcurrie at 1:41PM on 02/03/09
This is way obvious and you probably already do it-- pickles? My great aunt in Hungary makes the BEST ones on the planet. She also makes her own sauerkraut. Can't blame you for not wanting to do you own.
Mayo?
meg3j at 1:48PM on 02/03/09