I need your best "from absolute scratch" recipes!?

Question

I live in China, and it's danged difficult to get any western type food, especially in my region, so if you would, please give me your best from scratch recipe!! Main courses, desserts, side dishes, whatever you have! Thanks!!

Answer 1

Most of your normal cookbook recipes used to be from scratch...I live in Spain, it's defintely more modern than China (as to food imports) but for years I couldn't even find canned corn, much less anything else.. Now we can even find imported mexican food, asian basic ingredients and even, kosher or Hallal. It's really great now!

Your main problem would probably be sauces that start with canned soups, such as cream of mushroom (used in umpteen american recipes.!) With something like this, just make your own... Start with some chicken stock (can you find bouillion cubes?.) clean and chop 3 ounces of mushrooms sautée with a little butter and pour in a cup of the stock. Allow to reduce a little, then add some fresh cream to your taste, if too thin, thicken with a tablespoon of maizena (or any feculant will do, rice or potato also). Dilute in a little cold liquid, milk or water, then add to your soup, and allow to boil a few minutes (keep stirring until thickened, then remove from flame).
Here's a basic chicken bouillon:

CHICKEN STOCK:
a chicken carcass, or any 2 pieces of chicken or hen.
1 leek,
2 carrots
2 turnips,
1 branch of celery (or 2)
1 potato
Salt and pepper.
Clean, peel and chop your veggies.
Throw all in a good sized pot with the chicken and plenty of water.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 3 hours....
Use the stock to make other soups (such as the mushroom one above).
You can chop up the chicken meat (or remove the flesh from the carcass) add noodles and simmer till done
Or you can remove the chicken, and put the rest through a grinder (minipimer, food processer) for a vegetable soup.
If you give me a list of what things you CAN find in your area, I'll try to send you recipes you can adapt to them.

Answer 2

My favourite recipe:
Marinate some chicken wings/drumsticks in chopped garlic and ginger, and soy sauce (add some water otherwise it would be really salty). Then roast with honey. This makes great finger food/starters/picnic food!

Answer 3

Check out this awesome food BLOG that has tons and tons of great recipes and methods.

Enjoy and Bon Apetit.

Answer 4

marthstewart.com has the best recipes from scratch.