Although I've had better sourdough and pizza from other establishments, I persist in making my own (pretty happy with my sourdough but pizza is enormously frustrating and I admit I've ben coveting an Ooni). Things I don't make myself tend to be condiments. Though I've tried my hand at making my own ketchup, sriracha, and Worcestershire sauce, in the end it's so much effort and store bought is often superior! I'll always make my own mayonnaise, though! (Following your tips in Substack!) ;-)
Agree with all of the above Fiona. And I also take what I believe is the French approach when having friends for dinner and buy a dessert. Not having a sweet tooth it’s not a big priority for me.
I'd be interested to know how the nutritional value of restaurant chips compared to air fried chips. I'd suspect that most would be much unheathier for most of the UK population are contributing to the huge rise in obesitiy and type 2 diabetes
Not surprisingly, I enjoy making stuffed pasta. I find it a meditative process and always feel a sense of accomplishment when I’ve filled a tray or two with homemade tortellini. One pastry that I feel is best left to professionals is sfogliatelle. Paper thin dough that has to be stretched and rubbed with lard and rolled up tightly, then sliced, shaped and filled before baking. Makes croissants seem easy 😅
I remember one Christmas when my late uncle found a way to put pepper slices into olives. It was the 1st & ONLY time that I remember him ever doing anything culinary.
I love Greek food, but the only place that made Greek where I live now closed about 10 years back. I need my BAKLAVA !!
My stepsis did it once & it was pretty close to the genuine article. A Greek Orthodox church had a festival once a year & they had to get a liquor license. I've checked & the main alcohol emporium acts like they've no clue what ouzo or retsina are.
I'm expecting one of those indoor electric grilles so I'm " in the market " for recipes.
One thing that I always love to eat in Rome is “fiori fritti” (fried courgette or squash flowers) but I always thought that making them myself would be far too much of a faff until this year when we found ourselves with a glut. So I screwed my courage to the sticking place, got out my deep saucepan and jam thermometer and had a go. Honestly much easier than I had ever suspected but so far I have drawn a line at trying to stuff them as they do in Rome - I simply have no idea how to stop the mozzarella oozing out of the flowers. So to misquote Ms Conran, life is too short to stuff a squash flower.
As conversation-generating posts go, this one is *genius*! Having tried more than half of the foods you list, I'm obviously possessed of stoical patience/tenacity. I did rather enjoy the lockdown comforts of sourdough baking, and I also think my shallow-fried chips are incredibly good (and with no real restaurant equivalent). My dad used to cook his thinly-sliced chips in lard, and my daughters love his spin, although I certainly couldn't keep the family alive if I cooked them any more regularly than a bi-monthly treat! It's also been a privilege to be around many great cooks and chefs to witness all of the above being done as well as it's possible to do them (except perhaps chips!)... it does make you think to defer or refrain from your own efforts!
Bagels, made them once but never again. Making the dough, bathing them in boiling water and then egg washing and baking, there are so many opportunities to go wrong!
Yep, chips. I’ll have a go at making most things, and don’t mind complication, but I have never, ever, mastered the chip. Like yourself I think it could be down to the equipment but really it’s just easier for me to go down to our really good local chippy after I’ve dealt with the complicated stuff like perfectly cooked rare/medium rare steak. Takes me 8 mins, there and back, and in that time the steak is resting.
Unfortunately our local chippy isn’t that hot but there’s a local restaurant, Little French, in Bristol that does great chips (with a whole roast Guineafowl!)
I’ll make stuffed pasta several times a year. It’s such a joy to create your own fillings with something fresh and abundant. And chips - I use my wok (only cooking for 2), and mostly in potato harvest season because need another way to get another potato into dinner!
I enjoy baking the way some people enjoy knitting etc. I find croissants, Viennoiserie and sourdough fun. And puff pastry. Wouldn’t care to have to make them as routine to keep people fed every day though. Pizza I could do as routine. Definitely can’t be bothered to make pasta or strudel pastry, or anything deep fried
Loved Shirley Conran and her books ! I am almost 70 but I remember one about surviving on a desert island? Using bras and knicker elastic to survive. Dear Lord the things one remembers !!!!
Sounds super lazy but oatcakes are something I crave cos can't buy them in France, and have resorted to making them myself, a bit hit and miss and sole spectacular failures. So it's my go-to request for any visitors from UK. Especially Nairn's cheese oatcakes ☺️
I think getting the right textured pinhead oatmeal is a bit of a challenge here so I had to spend time adding extra to get it to a texture I could roll out and shovel into rounds for baking 🙄 patience obvs not my strong suit
Sourdough every time and also experimenting with different flours too. I make sourdough weekly, very easy when you have the time pattern in your head. It makes delicious focaccia . You can make pizza which is amazing but not my personal go to. And above all else you can freeze it and provide for family visiting or you visiting them, I find I’m always welcome. I’m a huge fan of sourdough bread!
Although I've had better sourdough and pizza from other establishments, I persist in making my own (pretty happy with my sourdough but pizza is enormously frustrating and I admit I've ben coveting an Ooni). Things I don't make myself tend to be condiments. Though I've tried my hand at making my own ketchup, sriracha, and Worcestershire sauce, in the end it's so much effort and store bought is often superior! I'll always make my own mayonnaise, though! (Following your tips in Substack!) ;-)
That IS worth making. And your sourdough is seriously impressive!
Agree with all of the above Fiona. And I also take what I believe is the French approach when having friends for dinner and buy a dessert. Not having a sweet tooth it’s not a big priority for me.
With you there 💯. Especially a fruit tart!
I'd be interested to know how the nutritional value of restaurant chips compared to air fried chips. I'd suspect that most would be much unheathier for most of the UK population are contributing to the huge rise in obesitiy and type 2 diabetes
Well I doubt chips are ever a health food, homemade or in a restaurant 😉
Not surprisingly, I enjoy making stuffed pasta. I find it a meditative process and always feel a sense of accomplishment when I’ve filled a tray or two with homemade tortellini. One pastry that I feel is best left to professionals is sfogliatelle. Paper thin dough that has to be stretched and rubbed with lard and rolled up tightly, then sliced, shaped and filled before baking. Makes croissants seem easy 😅
Sounds heavenly though something to be left to the professionals I feel. Full of admiration for your tortellini skills though
I remember one Christmas when my late uncle found a way to put pepper slices into olives. It was the 1st & ONLY time that I remember him ever doing anything culinary.
I love Greek food, but the only place that made Greek where I live now closed about 10 years back. I need my BAKLAVA !!
Well as I said I wouldn’t dream of making filo but baklava’s not that hard. Honest!
My stepsis did it once & it was pretty close to the genuine article. A Greek Orthodox church had a festival once a year & they had to get a liquor license. I've checked & the main alcohol emporium acts like they've no clue what ouzo or retsina are.
I'm expecting one of those indoor electric grilles so I'm " in the market " for recipes.
One thing that I always love to eat in Rome is “fiori fritti” (fried courgette or squash flowers) but I always thought that making them myself would be far too much of a faff until this year when we found ourselves with a glut. So I screwed my courage to the sticking place, got out my deep saucepan and jam thermometer and had a go. Honestly much easier than I had ever suspected but so far I have drawn a line at trying to stuff them as they do in Rome - I simply have no idea how to stop the mozzarella oozing out of the flowers. So to misquote Ms Conran, life is too short to stuff a squash flower.
Good for you! I've never deep-fried courgette flowers, stuffed or not but love the flavour
As conversation-generating posts go, this one is *genius*! Having tried more than half of the foods you list, I'm obviously possessed of stoical patience/tenacity. I did rather enjoy the lockdown comforts of sourdough baking, and I also think my shallow-fried chips are incredibly good (and with no real restaurant equivalent). My dad used to cook his thinly-sliced chips in lard, and my daughters love his spin, although I certainly couldn't keep the family alive if I cooked them any more regularly than a bi-monthly treat! It's also been a privilege to be around many great cooks and chefs to witness all of the above being done as well as it's possible to do them (except perhaps chips!)... it does make you think to defer or refrain from your own efforts!
I'm sure you HAVE, Matt. I fear I'm much less determined than you!
Bagels, made them once but never again. Making the dough, bathing them in boiling water and then egg washing and baking, there are so many opportunities to go wrong!
Good call. I wouldn’t dream of making them either!
Yep, chips. I’ll have a go at making most things, and don’t mind complication, but I have never, ever, mastered the chip. Like yourself I think it could be down to the equipment but really it’s just easier for me to go down to our really good local chippy after I’ve dealt with the complicated stuff like perfectly cooked rare/medium rare steak. Takes me 8 mins, there and back, and in that time the steak is resting.
Unfortunately our local chippy isn’t that hot but there’s a local restaurant, Little French, in Bristol that does great chips (with a whole roast Guineafowl!)
Chips!! Don’t even bother at home, every restaurant in the country makes better ones than I could ever make at home!
Yup!!
I regularly bake sourdough bread, pizza (sometimes in an Ooni) and have made croissants 😉
Now you’re making me feel inadequate Steve! 😂
I’ll make stuffed pasta several times a year. It’s such a joy to create your own fillings with something fresh and abundant. And chips - I use my wok (only cooking for 2), and mostly in potato harvest season because need another way to get another potato into dinner!
Well I’m all in favour of that!!
I enjoy baking the way some people enjoy knitting etc. I find croissants, Viennoiserie and sourdough fun. And puff pastry. Wouldn’t care to have to make them as routine to keep people fed every day though. Pizza I could do as routine. Definitely can’t be bothered to make pasta or strudel pastry, or anything deep fried
Full of admiration!
Loved Shirley Conran and her books ! I am almost 70 but I remember one about surviving on a desert island? Using bras and knicker elastic to survive. Dear Lord the things one remembers !!!!
She was a good writer and very funny. Oddly my step-daughter really took to her books
Sounds super lazy but oatcakes are something I crave cos can't buy them in France, and have resorted to making them myself, a bit hit and miss and sole spectacular failures. So it's my go-to request for any visitors from UK. Especially Nairn's cheese oatcakes ☺️
OMG absolutely LOVE those. But oatcakes shouldn’t be too tricky surely?
I think getting the right textured pinhead oatmeal is a bit of a challenge here so I had to spend time adding extra to get it to a texture I could roll out and shovel into rounds for baking 🙄 patience obvs not my strong suit
Well bring a Scot you probably have higher oatcake standards than I do 😉
All oatcakes are like eating loft insulation.
Apart from the pancake-y ones called Staffordshire Oatcakes.
Ooo controversial! Quite like a homemade oatcake myself!
Sourdough every time and also experimenting with different flours too. I make sourdough weekly, very easy when you have the time pattern in your head. It makes delicious focaccia . You can make pizza which is amazing but not my personal go to. And above all else you can freeze it and provide for family visiting or you visiting them, I find I’m always welcome. I’m a huge fan of sourdough bread!
I thought not everybody would be with me on that!! Good for you