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!

*palate

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth making from scratch - falafel. The mix is just as good, more tender, much easier.

What mix are you using? Every mix I've ever used has been awful.

The Knorr one that’s available most places ... maybe my falafel plate isn’t especially refined though. I tried Mark Bittman’s homemade recipe and was disappointed. I think he’s overrated in general, actually.

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

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you have a rice cooker, rice from scratch is definitely worth it.

How else would you make rice, other than from scratch?

I never made any weird rice...but frozen rice bowls from TJ are all the rage on dcum. I thought it was some kind of rice and veggies and meat bowl, but was told it is plain frozen rice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Mayonnaise and whipped cream taste completely different, and MUCH better, when made by hand at home. You haven’t had mayo or whipped cream unless you’ve tasted homemade.

Cakes and pies as well because I make them less sweet.

Bread and yogurt ate too much work, although I’ve liked my attempts.

Usually I cook from scratch.

Whipped cream is a good one. I always bring real whipped cream when my ILs host Thanksgiving because I refuse to put Reddi Whip on my pie. My MIL always makes such a big deal out of it, like I’ve done something soooo fancy and complicated, when it literally took me less than two minutes to whip up.

+ 2 on whip cream. That cool whip is nasty. Real heavy cream is the way to go. But, back in my home country some patisseries have an even more awesome whip cream than the one I make here. I should ask next time I go how to they make it.

I actually find beans worth it. I make a great white beans soup/stew with smoked pork. Canned beans taste like crap compared to home made. Now, re fried beans are fine from can, imo. I don't like them much anyway..

Anonymous wrote:
Mayonnaise and whipped cream taste completely different, and MUCH better, when made by hand at home. You haven’t had mayo or whipped cream unless you’ve tasted homemade.

Cakes and pies as well because I make them less sweet.

Bread and yogurt ate too much work, although I’ve liked my attempts.

Usually I cook from scratch.

Whipped cream is a good one. I always bring real whipped cream when my ILs host Thanksgiving because I refuse to put Reddi Whip on my pie. My MIL always makes such a big deal out of it, like I’ve done something soooo fancy and complicated, when it literally took me less than two minutes to whip up.

I like some jarred tomato sauces, but making it from scratch is totally worth it and it’s easy.

Mayonnaise and whipped cream taste completely different, and MUCH better, when made by hand at home. You haven’t had mayo or whipped cream unless you’ve tasted homemade.

Cakes and pies as well because I make them less sweet.

Bread and yogurt ate too much work, although I’ve liked my attempts.

Usually I cook from scratch.

Soups. Soups are worth it.

Anonymous wrote:Not worth it: butter, deep fried foods, rice
Worth it: breads and pastries, salad, pasta, seafood, sushi

I don’t think you understood the question.

Worth it: soups, cakes, most things with meat
Not worth it: pasta sauce, pasta, bread

Worth it for me are most baked goods, since they either turn out better (scones, biscuits, tarts) or I make healthier versions that are hard to find commercially (brownies, eg).

Not worth it - tomato sauce. I’ve tried the all day version and Marcella Hazan’s version, and none of them are worth it provided I can just find high quality jarred sauce with few ingredients.

Brownies are worth it to me. Most of the time bread isn’t.