Following on from the 'shit cooks' thread......All you amazing cooks out there, what do you make from scratch?

[Boogalooblue]

I never use stock cubes or powder and always make my own stock.

This goes as far as to get free beef marrow bones from the local butcher to make beef stock - our food tastes yummy .

So how far will you go when it comes to from scratch?

sounds great, many thanks clueless!

ooh just seen the curry link - will check that out too.

Norksbride shoots game?! [boggles]

mmm soup. i got a new hand blender so we've gone a bit soup crazy round here lately. i will still buy covent garden soups for my lunch though.

yep mpw prize twat. not stock cubes, comes in a tin...

i can tell you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting for the secret is evaporated milk

made jaffa cakes with ds at the weekend.
ingredients
1 doz eggs (3 for the recipie 3 to smash on the kitchen floor and go "pow", 3 wasted cos ds added flour to mix at wrong time. 3 wasted cos squelching them between your fingers just feels nice)
3 oz sugar
3 oz self raising flour
2 packets of green and blacks chocolate, (well its open so might as well have a taste)
slices of orange jelly

ended up with something not nearly as nice as the jaffa cakes we found it the cupboard later!

tell me about the falafel, puppy.

ooh yes, want to hear about falafel

and LOL at witch's jaffas.

lolol at making jaffa cakes, why would you bother they're minging

Abu Shanab's Falafel recipe: (does for 4-6 depending on how greedy)

bag of dried Chick Peas
some Garlic
some Onion
some Parsley
some Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander, and Cayenne
teaspoon baking soda
Salt to taste

Sok the chick Peas in water for at least 8 hours. Grind (i.e. food processor) the Chick Peas, Garlic, Onion and Parsely together, with a small amount of water, adding the spices, baking soda, and salt. Leave set for at least one hour, (roll into balls w/wet hands) then deep-fry in hot oil for about three-minutes, or until brown.

vague quantities as original recipe is restaurant one - equal amounts garlic & parsley, double this of onion. spices as you like.

my HARD WON TIP is this: fry in small batches (i use a wok, about 6 at a time) make sure oil is DEEP enough to cover WHOLE falafel as it goes in. if you use shallow oil they disintegrate, but if the whole thing hits the hot oil together it makes a hard crust and they don't fall to bits.

MG I have a smallish freezer too, I just reduce the stock right down and freeze in ice cube trays so takes up virtually no room

We make most things from scratch. All bread, cakes, pastry, biscuits etc. We grow a lot of our own veg and a fair amount of fruit.
Stock - we do both. We make veggie and meat stocks, but also keep in Marigold or Kallo 'just in case'. Pasta we make sometimes, more often buy it.
Would never buy soup or jars of curry paste or bolognaise or casserole sauce or similar.
Nearly always make tortillas, have been known to buy them. Same with yoghurt.

We make ice-cream, but also sometimes buy a gorgeous locally-produced one from our farm shop. Mayonnaise sometimes make, again sometimes buy from said farm shop. Always make salad dressings, white/cheese sauces etc, yorkshire puddings (thinking of other thread now!).

I suppose the things we do that are perhaps the most unusual are to 'grow' our own eggs and our own chicken meat. It's great when we have a meal that is 100% home-grown!

I grow my own cows and massage them daily in Jo Malone, then have a really smashing bumpkin bloke give them a gentle overdose of paracetamol and booze so they die peacefully. The whole family respectfully helps portion them into wonderful steaks that even the toddler loves to wolf down with our hoemgrown spinach and borlotti beans

etc etc until explodes in wankdom

I asked the chef once in a very respected thai resturant in London how they made their Pad Thai so delicious

msg he said proudly

I make stock and also use marigold. I make pesto occasionally but usually buy. I make tomato sauce occasionally but usually just buy tins of tomatoes. I don't makre ice-cream, pasta or bread. But I always make pastry and christmas cakes and jam adn chutney and mincemeat.

/ponders point of joining in thread then gives in.

I do bread, cakes, biscuits (but not always), short crust pastry, yogurt, soup, gravy (usually, sometimes bisto hits the spot perfectly for bangers and mash), curry, pizzas (usually), hummus

Its funny, in general the more I make the less I like convenience foods. Can't stand most tinned soup now. I do love crap takeaway pizza far more than my worthy homemade job though.

rofl @ jaffa cakes

There is so much I would doubt if I hadn't found mn

Ah yes, forgot I don't make my own pizza either. Tried to, and I can't get my oven hot enough to get a crispy crust, and my pizza stone is in storage.

Thanks for the hint about reducing stock and freezing it. Mighty handy tip.

In terms of home-made pasta, it's DS who is the one who insists on it. It really doesn't take long, and he has a blast making it.