Does anybody REALLY cook anymore?

Question

How often do you make dinner each week from scratch (i.e. no prepared foods as an ingredient). An example of what i mean is chicken with a can of cream of mushroom soup. No frozen pizza or hot pockets, no jarred tomato sauce.

I can sympathize with the survival cooking and am guilty myself, so I am not being critical. Just trying to get an idea if anybody has successfully established a routine of scratch cooking.

Answer 1

I cook six nights a week .......... I like a takeaway at least once though. It stems from my childhood when takeaways were a luxuary and not the norm as they appear to be today. I have friends who have takeaways 5/6 times a week and the art of preparing and cooking from scratch is dying out. There are so many processed foods available these days it is too easy to use them ........... along with the microwave of course.

Answer 2

I cook daily. I rarely eat out. I even tote my lunch to work.

I normally have one day I do my major cooking or prep to freeze for just putting in the oven later. I look to see whats on sale and go from there. I just finished boiling 9 chicken leg quarter. With them I plan to make a small amount of chicken salad, some Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya ( Some will go in the freezer for another week) and chicken with rice soup. The chicken quarters were 59 cents a pound. I purchased 3 packages of "yesterdays "ground beef at 79 cents a pound. I made 2 small meat loaves for the freezer( thaw and bake), I put some patties on the grill for sandwiches for work and the remainder I browned. With the meat done it's quick to make some spagheti sauce, chili etc. After a few weeks I have enough in the freezer that I don't have to cook at all, just defrost in the microwave.

My Mother taught me to make a menu for the week which has always been a great help. Especially when I was raising kids. All they had to do was look on the fridge at the menu to know what was for dinner.

When I do go out for dinner with a group of friends I get what ever I want as I feel I saved money cooking at home. Naturally the left over meat comes home to put in the freezer bag of meat left overs for the eventual fried rice ( naturaly I made the rice on cooking day. LOL

WHat's a hot pocket that was mentioned?

Answer 3

I cook from scratch almost every night of the week. I just choose recipes that take less time to cook, that's all. I leave the complicated meals like roasts for the weekends. To me, survival cooking is like, tacos or spaghetti.

And for the record: I am the last one home, usually by 5:30. Twice a week I have yoga, so home by 6:30. I still cook those days too. If I need help getting something ready my boyfriend is always willing to lend a hand.

I don't like eating out all the time; it gets expensive and I get bored with it really fast. In my house my mother worked full time and would still come home and cook a meal for everyone. We'd all pitch in and help, of course. So it's just natural for me to cook all the time.

Answer 4

When I was married, I cooked from scratch at least 5 nights a week. Now that there is only me, I usually don't cook much except when people are coming over, or I cook a big batch of soup, chili, or casserole that will last for several days.
If I had someone to cook for, I would cook every night!
Love to make my own cakes, pies, sauces, well about everything from scratch if possible.

Answer 5

I wouldn't say that I cook everything from scratch using convenience items like canned spaghetti sauce is a lot better than completely giving up and eating fast food or microwave dinners every night. Probably at least 3-4 times a week I will make a meal that is completely convenience free.

Answer 6

On my one day off...I cook enough stuff for the week. My husband helps. I try so hard to cook homemade...with love. It is so much more soul satisfying than chicken with mushroom soup. Let me tell you...I cook for a living and the last thing I want to do sometimes is more cooking, but I feel so much better knowing that when I am not home, my best friend is eating something that is delicious and good for him.
Don't get me wrong here...we order pizza once and a while, but homemade is so much better. I think convenience foods are the dredge of society...sure they are easy, but they are loaded with crap. I couldn't give my loved ones food I couldn't pronounce...you know?

Answer 7

I home cook and use old style/long cook recipes mostly Even stocks from baked bones. My house always smells just right I have a good ventilation/range hood system. Something feels (just right) if the dish requires multi day prep, Like Dry Rubbed Ribs, Brined Pork Shoulder ,Salmon Gravadlox with a (Cognac Dill Cure), Dry Aged Standing Rib Roast,Even slow cooker stuff with Browned off meat and sauteed vegetables etc And (no) there are not many of us left You are a 1%er Praise the Chef in you! Good Luck.

Answer 8

I probably cook from scratch 3 or 4 nights a week, at least one night of leftovers... but I am a super big fan of ragu spaghetti sauce. Have never even tried to make my own, but I don't really feel the need to since spaghetti with a jar of sauce is my easy "don't feel like really cooking" meal.

Answer 9

I cook 4-5 nights a week. The other 2 or 3 we eat leftovers, and once or twice a month we order take-out. Cooking is my hobby, so I am forever making new things from scratch. I even bake my own bread!

Answer 10

Scratch cooking is easier if you have plenty of time and children who are of "helper" age!

A famous chef once said, "Don't ask why Great-grandma never wrote the Great American Novel. She was too busy cooking for her family!"

I wouldn't call myself a from-scratch cooking purist, but my family eats well and at home 95% of the time. I can bake breads without a bread machine and cakes from scratch and my pie crust is superior to anything I've had in a restaurant.

My scratch pasta sauce is the family favorite and I've been making it for 22 years.

Brag, brag, brag...I have to laugh! Never had a Hot Pocket!