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Original poster

Do your "people" cook from scratch?

360 replies

JohnSmithDrive · 26/12/2021 15:35

My mum did and I do mostly. If I have people round for a buffet, things like quiche and sausage rolls, cake are homemade. If it's for dinner it won't be particularly exciting, but I'd do a homemade chilli or lasagne, something easy to prep ahead and feed lots of people..

Among my friends no one cooks, to the extent that it feels pretentious to do so. They are all generous hosts, but everything will be from a packet or they'll suggest takeaway pizza or similar.

I worry that my cooking seems like showing off and also (sometimes) wonder why I bother!

OP posts:
Claudethecat · 26/12/2021 15:38

I don't know anyone who doesn't cook from scratch most of the time.

Hen2018 · 26/12/2021 15:40

Yes, though from your example I wouldn’t make sausage rolls from scratch.

Finfintytint · 26/12/2021 15:40

I cook from scratch. I try not to buy heavily processed food. My colleagues think I am weird. They rely on ready meals and takeaways. They are overweight but don’t see the connection with the type of food they choose to eat and their weight.

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Newfrontdoor · 26/12/2021 15:41

Cooking from scratch is really important in my circle. Even if it is just nibbles. eg crackers (possibly) and cheese may be bought, but it is genuinely not unusual to find someone putting a (simple) home made cheese on the table with (home made) dips and home made bread. All quite high flying, full time working people, so not loads of time on their hands, but fairly foodie. Hosting a full meal would involve lots of prep. It's isn't snobbery or showing off though, just that they all enjoy food and hosting. Quite often there will be a bought in desert like a lemon tart or something, just because they've found somewhere that makes an amazing one.

So, no. In my experience it is your friends who are odd, and you are completely normal!

Parker231 · 26/12/2021 15:43

Very rarely cook from scratch. Little time for it. Christmas dinner came from COOK and the evening buffet from M&S and Waitrose. Excellent food with minimal effort.

bigbluebus · 26/12/2021 15:43

I always cook from scratch as do my friends. I always make my own sausage rolls but in the event that I need to buy ready made (eg pork pie) it will be from one of the artisan pie/pastry shops in my local towns.

HoardingSamphireSaurus · 26/12/2021 15:44

I'm old enough that vast range of pre prepped foods we have now just didn't exist when I was a kid.

Want a cake? Make it. Or have those weird Mr Kipling type squares of sugar. Spag bol? Didn't exist. Not chilli con carne or curries, though Vesta did exist it wasn't a family meal. Chips were ways made, or bought from the chippy.

So yes, we all cook from scratch.

MrsPnut · 26/12/2021 15:45

I usually cook from scratch because I prefer it and then I know what it contains. I do have a good set of dishes that look impressive but are mostly assemble and bung in the oven then serve with a salad.
I do make my own sausage and cheese & onion rolls regularly and freeze them just in case we have a need to feed friends.

Parker231 · 26/12/2021 15:45

@Finfintytint

I cook from scratch. I try not to buy heavily processed food. My colleagues think I am weird. They rely on ready meals and takeaways. They are overweight but don’t see the connection with the type of food they choose to eat and their weight.
Although I don’t cook from scratch we rarely have a takeaway (if we do it’s usually Greek or Thai so very healthy). None of us are overweight or have any health conditions.
WorraLiberty · 26/12/2021 15:48

@Finfintytint

I cook from scratch. I try not to buy heavily processed food. My colleagues think I am weird. They rely on ready meals and takeaways. They are overweight but don’t see the connection with the type of food they choose to eat and their weight.
The connection is very often the portion size accompanied by lack of meaningful exercise though.

It's not always the actual food on its own.

Loads of overweight people cook from scratch too.

Blossom64265 · 26/12/2021 15:50

My day to day menu is full of shortcuts and restaurants menus. If I am hosting, everything is made from scratch.

Pinkchocolate · 26/12/2021 15:52

My friends and I are split on this. Half of us cook from scratch and the other half buy EVERYTHING ready. I definitely don’t think it’s a sign of showing off and definitely not received like that in our group. In terms of health and size there’s no difference either in us or our children.

StrongerOrWeaker · 26/12/2021 15:54

I cook from scratch...except desserts. I don't like baking!

LaurieFairyCake · 26/12/2021 15:54

I used to cook from scratch, I don't now

Stuff from Cook/M and S/Booths all fine to me

crispsinasandwich · 26/12/2021 15:55

I cook most things from scratch but rarely anything that involves pastry - I would usually buy sausage rolls, quiches, pies but most everything else I cook from scratch. Currently goose carcass is in the pot on the hob to make stick, made vegetable stock from veggie peelings for Christmas dinner. Didn't make Yorkshire puddings as too much faff with roast as well- bought ready made ones that heat up in 5 mins while dishing up.

That said - we are very lucky now that ready made food is available and affordable- if not always healthy. I don't think it matters whether you cook or not - some people don't like to or think they can't cook - but most of my friends who do cook really started when their kids were small so they knew what their children were eating. Don't get me wrong - all of those children have the occasional ( or more frequent) Macdonalds but most food is cooked from scratch in those households.

Finally - don't worry that people think you are showing off - everybody loves it when you have made an effort for them.

Parker231 · 26/12/2021 15:55

I find many of the ‘cook from scratch’ brigade act very righteous about it when in fact their meals are unhealthy and they would be better using short cuts, loosing weight and taking much more exercise.

HoardingSamphireSaurus · 26/12/2021 15:58

Mmmm! I bet there is something you do @Parker231

But I doubt I'd malign you because of it!

NotSoNewAndShiny · 26/12/2021 15:59

Cooking from scratch has always been the norm among my "people" and anyone I know, to the point that I never knew it's called "cooking from scratch" till I ventured online. It was/is just called 'cooking'.Smile

Prepackaged food wasn't the norm back then but I have no problem incorporating them into cooking to save time and energy.

HoardingSamphireSaurus · 26/12/2021 15:59

Bugger...

that I would find too time consuming, difficult to do

needs to be inserted I to that! Grin

icedcoffees · 26/12/2021 16:01

No, I very rarely cook from scratch. I just don't enjoy it - it takes too much time (shopping for all the ingredients, prepping, cooking and washing up afterwards) - there's just two of us at home (no DC) and frankly, I can't be arsed lol.

I can cook if necessary - my parents taught me the basics and the rest I figured out for myself, but I really don't enjoy it at all.

I cooked a roast dinner yesterday but we cheated and bought frozen Yorkshire pudding and the veg was just frozen supermarket brand peas and sweetcorn. I did do my own roasties though!

I can't see the attraction of spending hours in the kitchen when you don't have to.

FreeBritnee · 26/12/2021 16:01

Is this thread a script from a Catherine Tate sketch? Confused

PurpleDaisies · 26/12/2021 16:01

We aim for a split of 80/20 healthy vs not so healthy. That means cooking from scratch most of the time to fit that.

WorraLiberty · 26/12/2021 16:03

We tend to mix it up anyway. Sometimes we cook from scratch and sometimes we don't.

As long as everyone enjoys what they're eating and no-one's martyred themselves, there's no issue.

NutellaEllaElla · 26/12/2021 16:04

Yes definitely, I would struggle to feel ok serving something from a packet tbh. Like I'm not die hard about it, I don't bake my own bread or make my own pastry but most everything I make from scratch. Same with my family.

furbabymama87 · 26/12/2021 16:04

I cook homemade meals but I do sometimes buy ready made sauces and packet mixes just for convenience because I've got 4 young kids and don't always have the time to cook completely from scratch. I would never make home made sausage rolls or that kind of thing.