What do you find not worth it to make from scratch? And what is worth making from scratch?

[Anonymous]

I use cool whip when I get nostalgic once a year for what was called glorified rice when I grew up--red jello, rice, mini marshmallows, pineapple. Whipped cream separates if not eaten right away. I also like reddi whip for pumpkin pie--is it the nitrous oxide that gives it that special something??

Generally, except for high end desserts from a pastry shop, I definitely say from scratch for desserts--if I'm going to consume the calories, it might as well be really good. And brownies are so easy a mix is really no easier. I have never eaten a scone better than what I can bake.

Flour tortillas definitely best homemade although store bought work better for quesadillas (not into wraps).

I love homemade bread but it dries out quickly and I never manage to make it work well for sandwiches.

Soup, stocks, stews, of course homemade.

As for rice: a saucepan with a tight lid. One knuckle rice, 2nd knuckle water, some salt, bring to a boil, turn off or at most the lowest burner setting. Nothing easier.

When I was a kid I loved Miracle Whip (which is what my mom bought). Once tried eating a cereal bowl of it, but after a spoonful I realized NOPE. Can't stand the stuff now. I make mayo once in awhile but for general use I'm fine with a major brand of mayo.

[Anonymous]

Fresh whipped cream is good and there are times I prefer it like with fresh berries. There is something different about Reddi Whip/Cool Whip and it has its own uses where fresh whipped cream would be way too heavy - pumpkin pie, on top of ice cream sundaes. It isn’t an either/or thing, I don’t consider the two interchangeable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fresh whipped cream is good and there are times I prefer it like with fresh berries. There is something different about Reddi Whip/Cool Whip and it has its own uses where fresh whipped cream would be way too heavy - pumpkin pie, on top of ice cream sundaes. It isn’t an either/or thing, I don’t consider the two interchangeable.

I don’t understand why people are conflating Reddi Whip and Cool Whip.

One is whipped cream in a can.

The other is nasty white stuff made from random junk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fresh whipped cream is good and there are times I prefer it like with fresh berries. There is something different about Reddi Whip/Cool Whip and it has its own uses where fresh whipped cream would be way too heavy - pumpkin pie, on top of ice cream sundaes. It isn’t an either/or thing, I don’t consider the two interchangeable.

I don’t understand why people are conflating Reddi Whip and Cool Whip.

One is whipped cream in a can.

The other is nasty white stuff made from random junk.

I literally put a slash between them to indicate I know they are two different things. This is a ludicrously minor thing to whine about. Isolation has warped some of y’all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re rice: +1 on the rice cooker. The alternative seems to be frozen boil in bag stuff or the dreadful parboiled/“converted” rice. Blech.

Or....you could just cook rice in a pot! On the stove! You know like people have done for a very long time! Or over any kind of fire as people have done for centuries and millennia....How on earth is it that your only alternative is frozen boil?? Or a rice cooker!

Exactly. I make rice in a simple pot. Easy peasy.

Thank you! I’m so confused by this. We make rice in a pot, what am I missing about the appeal of a rice cooker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rice is literally just rice and water.

What is so difficult about making rice.

I make a lot of intricate recipes (handmade pastas, curries, maklouba (rice), tahdig (rice), risotto (more rice) but I find that plain white or brown rice is very difficult to make. Mostly because to make good rice (from observing MIL), you need to the leave the rice the eff alone and get the water ratio correct. There is a lot of trust involved in making rice. Unless I am doing something distracting like following a multi-part recipe, I will fiddle with the rice. I will open it up. I will worry it's not cooking and a bit of water from the electric kettle. Invariably I get dry or overcooked rice because I cannot turn off the stir stir stir in my brain. Good rice is an exercise in impulse control. When I put in in the rice cooker, it comes out sticky.

Yes - this. And sometimes it's sticky and sometimes fluffy and sometimes burned on the bottom. Maybe it is a trust issue like you said! just leave it alone. The baking works everytime for me, but it's getting too hot for me to want to turn on the oven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fresh whipped cream is good and there are times I prefer it like with fresh berries. There is something different about Reddi Whip/Cool Whip and it has its own uses where fresh whipped cream would be way too heavy - pumpkin pie, on top of ice cream sundaes. It isn’t an either/or thing, I don’t consider the two interchangeable.

I don’t understand why people are conflating Reddi Whip and Cool Whip.

One is whipped cream in a can.

The other is nasty white stuff made from random junk.

Says the ReddiWhip devotee. They are both store-bought wipped products. Homemade is superior. RW is convenient.

[Anonymous]

Not worth it: flour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Not worth it: flour.

That's a win!

Cranking up the stream engine to move those millstones. . . who needs it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Not worth it: flour.

That's a win!

Cranking up the stream engine to move those millstones. . . who needs it?

These little guys are pretty cool
https://pleasanthillgrain.com/appliances/grain-mills

And even kitchen aid mixers have grain mill attachments. Maybe try it, you might like it

[Anonymous]

Worth it: soup stock and broth; cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, popovers; meatballs

Not worth it: filo dough or puff pastry, flour, thai curry paste

Sometimes worth it but sometimes store bought is okay: homemade corn tortillas, bakery bread, brownie mix, mini quiches, potstickers, pasta (I also like the al dente of dried pasta, but sometimes fresh fits the bill), tortellini; pizza sauce; crackers

Would never think of not making from scratch unless camping or something: rice, quinoa

[Anonymous]

Not worth it - Cinnamon rolls because my kids love the pop from a can ones so even though home made are technically better they aren't what they actually want. Anything fried is not worth it to me because the oil is too messy. We even tried getting a deep fryer once but again the whole oil changing is a PITA.

Worth it - Ravioli, chinese food unless we travel to an area with excellent Chinese food, steak -just as good as the restaurant but less expensive.

[Anonymous]

My small ugly husband can't cook. He makes nothing from scratch for sure. Except farts. He makes those from scratch. A lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fresh whipped cream is good and there are times I prefer it like with fresh berries. There is something different about Reddi Whip/Cool Whip and it has its own uses where fresh whipped cream would be way too heavy - pumpkin pie, on top of ice cream sundaes. It isn’t an either/or thing, I don’t consider the two interchangeable.

I don’t understand why people are conflating Reddi Whip and Cool Whip.

One is whipped cream in a can.

The other is nasty white stuff made from random junk.

Says the ReddiWhip devotee. They are both store-bought wipped products. Homemade is superior. RW is convenient.

NP here. RediWhip is far superior. Look at the ingredients lists. Cool Whip is not nearly as good. I still use it sometimes.

[Anonymous]

All of you need to start making this 3 ingredient pasta sauce. Life changing and so easy. I lived in Italy for a decade and I am picky about jarred sauces. I only really like the super expensive ones and even Raos pales in comparison.

One can of san marzano tomatoes
4 tbsp of butter
Cut an onion in half and throw it in
Boil, then reduce and cook for 45 min

Remove onion, blend! So good.