If you’re a cook from scratcher….

[CurlewKate]

…What one convenience thing do you buy and love? Mine is microwave pouches of puy lentils. So quick and delicious.

I always wonder about the definition of “from scratch” especially when seeing things like tinned tomatoes mentioned.

I cook from scratch most of the time, but I’ve always used tinned tomatoes. It just wouldn’t occur to me that that would negate the home-made element. How far do you take it? Am I “allowed” to use shop bought fresh tomatoes or do only home grown count? 😂.

I don’t see tinned tomatoes as a shortcut or a convenience food, they’re an ingredient. Fresh tomatoes are a totally different ingredient.

Mashed potato, Yorkshire puddings and cauliflower cheese. I’m a really good cook but these are the add ons I can’t be bothered with.

One meal a week is lazy so filled quick pasta, a pieminster pie or pizza but could be scrambled eggs. All the spice pastes and tins of tomatoes or pulses are just ingredients, surely?

So many things (maybe this discounts me as a cook from scratcher? - there are plenty of things that sometimes I make from scratch eg pizza and sometimes I buy when it’s for a busy weeknight):
frozen chopped onions, garlic, ginger, shallots,
sofritto
stock pots, bone broth
custard
frozen puff and/or filo pastry - I make homemade shortcrust but don’t have time to faff about with puff pastry

there’s a lot of similarities in these lists. Generally speaking I prefer the taste of homemade food, but I’m all for some shortcuts when it comes to weeknight dinners so I def have things like frozen chips and scampi for Fridays, sometimes we’ll have a Spice Tailor curry or maybe a Bighams or Cook for the odd evening we know we’re going to be late and tired. But I do also make stuff to go in the freezer.

With the person who said about mince pies - I’ve never had a bought mince pie that I like, I think homemade are a completely different proposition.

Jars of roasted peppers and knorr stock pots

Tinned tomatoes, low salt stock cubes and frozen diced onions cos I got fed up with crying!! 😄

Mine is pastry. Simply cannot master it.

Oh yes and puff pastry!

Most supermarkets do it. Sainsbury's call it vegetable base.

I get it from Waitrose

I buy those Puy lentil packs too!
Also puff pastry - I make all other pastry but draw the line at that!
I used to buy Yorkshires but now make one giant one (the Jamie Oliver one) and it's so easy.
Frozen ginger cubes. I used to buy the frozen garlic as well but now I mince up three bulbs at a time and store it in a jar with oil in the fridge.
Chillies I freeze and use from frozen - easier to deseed.
I buy canned Mutti Polpa tomatoes.
Washed spinach

Stock pots. I don’t have enough bones for all the stock I use.
Custard, I don’t really like it and it’s an extra faff when I’ve already made the main and pudding.
Grated cheese, if I’m needing it in large quantities.
Curry paste, every time I’ve tried making my own it tastes exactly like the ones I buy so seems a bit pointless.
Chips, McCain gastropub for fat chips or those shakey bag ones for fries. Mine are better but bought is just easier and less smelly than the fryer.

Noooooooo!😅🤣😅🤣😅
Seriously though-can you tell the difference? Does it contain much salt? Asking for a friend..

Frozen veg including chopped onion and chopped garlic

Food of the gods

That typo made me chuckle 😆😆😆
🥰

Leon's pouches are good for a vegetarian lunch - better than Merchant Gourmet IMO

Only lists milk and potato

Patak’s curry pastes (not sauces)

Same here! It always turns out too dense. I can make choux pastry though.

I get mine delivered by Waitrose, along with their frozen peeled and chopped butternut squash

Frozen peas, fresh pesto from Waitrose, hummus, Mutti tomatoes, Helmans mayo. Greek yoghurt, Opie cherries in kirsch I have a low tolerance for repeat meals - so even if I find something I like, I tire of it very quickly. That’s why I cook from scratch - I need the variety.

M&S roast pepper paste. It just adds a bit of something to pasta sauces and things like that.

Scampi 😋

Microwave brown rice, waitrose custard, plain oven chips.
I justify the rice and chips because they're resistant carbohydrates and I justify the custard because it's the food of the gods 🙂

Stock and curry pastes