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Started By
Message
Cuisines/Meals that are not economically justifiable to cook yourself
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:19 am
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:19 am
Thai?
I made a red curry the other night and I think it would have been very close in cost to just do takeout.
Tex-Mex?
Probably depends on for how many you are cooking, but for 1 or 2, going out might be about the same.
I made a red curry the other night and I think it would have been very close in cost to just do takeout.
Tex-Mex?
Probably depends on for how many you are cooking, but for 1 or 2, going out might be about the same.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:22 am to Tigertown in ATL
Pho, if you make the stock from scratch.
This post was edited on 1/27/16 at 8:24 am
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:24 am to Tigertown in ATL
Pho. The recipe is really involved too.
I'd say unless you buy a lot of ethnic ingredients, pretty much anything ethnic is expensive to make. Oddly enough, we keep a ton of Asian ingredients on hand, so when I want to be cheap I make an Asian meat recipe and some vermicelli.
I'm getting better about shopping for the week on Sunday to cook every night and forcing myself to eat leftovers every day for lunch, but for a while, cooking at home wasn't cheaper. It is inexpensive now because I have a freezer full of meats and veggies that have built up that I can use, but when you're just starting out, cooking is expensive because you often need to buy every single ingredient in a recipe. Building up your staples and being in a routine where they're regularly restocked can be expensive at the beginning.
I'd say unless you buy a lot of ethnic ingredients, pretty much anything ethnic is expensive to make. Oddly enough, we keep a ton of Asian ingredients on hand, so when I want to be cheap I make an Asian meat recipe and some vermicelli.
quote:
Probably depends on for how many you are cooking, but for 1 or 2, going out might be about the same.
I'm getting better about shopping for the week on Sunday to cook every night and forcing myself to eat leftovers every day for lunch, but for a while, cooking at home wasn't cheaper. It is inexpensive now because I have a freezer full of meats and veggies that have built up that I can use, but when you're just starting out, cooking is expensive because you often need to buy every single ingredient in a recipe. Building up your staples and being in a routine where they're regularly restocked can be expensive at the beginning.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:24 am to Tigertown in ATL
I don't know about 'economically justifiable" but when you factor in time/mess, I don't mess with much fried food at home. Especially fried chicken.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:42 am to LSUBoo
Fried for sure. Unless cooking for a decent sized group.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:51 am to Tigertown in ATL
I was thinking you were going the other way in this thread (too expensive). I think you're basing your decisions more in terms of time/labor and not economical. Surely tex-mex isn't very expensive, but it's usually cheap and easy to find at a restaurant.
Along your line of thinking, I agree with most Asian cuisines. Another I would list is poboys, not sure I've ever made one.
Just my .02.
Along your line of thinking, I agree with most Asian cuisines. Another I would list is poboys, not sure I've ever made one.
Just my .02.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:52 am to Tigertown in ATL
Once you buy the curry paste you can use it for the next couple red curries. So next time you will just need to buy chicken, coconut milk, and vegetables. You'll get more food too. But yeah factoring in time to cook it's probably just easier to get take out
This post was edited on 1/27/16 at 8:52 am
Posted on 1/27/16 at 8:55 am to Tigertown in ATL
quote:I used to think this. Now that I have found a local source for the paste I like, it's no big deal. Most of the other ingredients can be stored long term. making the paste from scratch? NFW.
Thai?
I made a red curry the other night and I think it would have been very close in cost to just do takeout.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 9:09 am to Tigertown in ATL
Pretty much anything done using Molecular Gastronomy techniques.
Better off dropping $$$$ at one of those fancy places.
Better off dropping $$$$ at one of those fancy places.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 9:10 am to Tigertown in ATL
quote:
Tex-Mex?
Probably depends on for how many you are cooking, but for 1 or 2, going out might be about the same.
What kind of Tex Mex are you making? I make tacos, fajitas, and quesadillas all the time cause they end up being like $2 per meal. Maybe if you go overboard with it I can understand, but the main ingredients, meat, tortillas, cheese, veggies, and salsa are all very cheap on a per serving basis..... Even beans and spanish rice are cheap to make.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 9:16 am to Tigertown in ATL
Pizza
Usually a lot of ingredients makes it pricey to do at home
Usually a lot of ingredients makes it pricey to do at home
Posted on 1/27/16 at 9:34 am to Tigertown in ATL
Cost of ingredients is never a determining factor for me. Time and techniques (my skills or equipment inadequate) are what deter me from certain meals.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 9:54 am to Croacka
quote:
Pizza
Usually a lot of ingredients makes it pricey to do at home
Complete opposite train of though with me.
Pizza is easy and cheap. Can buy dough for $1. Moz cheese isn't unreasonable. I had leftover chicken and an onion on hand the other night and made one. Only thing I bought was fresh moz ($3 for 8 oz. and a few tomatoes). It probably cost $.75 per slice.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 9:56 am to Croacka
quote:
Pizza
Usually a lot of ingredients makes it pricey to do at home
Have you tried the Trader Joe's pizza dough? It's super cheap and tasty, then a little sauce, a few toppings, and some fresh mozzarella. Easy and not too expensive... and way better than the cheap places.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 10:01 am to Salmon
quote:I watched a guy on PBS making some kind of pastry. When he was done I would have guessed the stuff cost $575 a pound. he must have folded butter into it 20 different times.
most desserts
Posted on 1/27/16 at 10:03 am to Tigertown in ATL
I'm kinda surprised by some of the responses in this thread. But I'm the main cook in my household of two, so I have plenty of practice.
--pho: less complicated than, say, gumbo, and easily made in huge quantities that render it quite time & cost effective. In a pressure cooker, 45 minutes will yield 5-6 quarts of pho made w/chicken legs (cheapest chix part). Garnishes aren't expensive, esp if you plant some cilantro and holy basil in a spare corner of flowerbed or big pots.
--thai curry: like a prev poster said, once you buy a jar of paste, it's easily made from standard supermarket ingredients & scalable, as you can use just a little paste at a time. Canned coconut milk doesn't break the bank. See my first point about growing a small herb patch...
--tex-mex: well, that covers lots of ground. Beans and rice are practically the cheapest things you can cook...and a chicken quesadilla,
--pizza: make your own crust (use Jim Lahey's no knead recipe), use canned crushed tomatoes instead of a jarred sauce (they taste better anyway), and the only real expense is decent cheese & meat.
I'll agree with fancy pastry & cakes, as those can be quite difficult to execute in small quantities & the leftovers/surplus aren't easily frozen or repurposed. A single-layer cake recipe can be baked in two 6" layers for a 4-6 serving layer cake....though there is no efficient way to scale down a croissant recipe.
--pho: less complicated than, say, gumbo, and easily made in huge quantities that render it quite time & cost effective. In a pressure cooker, 45 minutes will yield 5-6 quarts of pho made w/chicken legs (cheapest chix part). Garnishes aren't expensive, esp if you plant some cilantro and holy basil in a spare corner of flowerbed or big pots.
--thai curry: like a prev poster said, once you buy a jar of paste, it's easily made from standard supermarket ingredients & scalable, as you can use just a little paste at a time. Canned coconut milk doesn't break the bank. See my first point about growing a small herb patch...
--tex-mex: well, that covers lots of ground. Beans and rice are practically the cheapest things you can cook...and a chicken quesadilla,
--pizza: make your own crust (use Jim Lahey's no knead recipe), use canned crushed tomatoes instead of a jarred sauce (they taste better anyway), and the only real expense is decent cheese & meat.
I'll agree with fancy pastry & cakes, as those can be quite difficult to execute in small quantities & the leftovers/surplus aren't easily frozen or repurposed. A single-layer cake recipe can be baked in two 6" layers for a 4-6 serving layer cake....though there is no efficient way to scale down a croissant recipe.
Posted on 1/27/16 at 10:08 am to hungryone
quote:Speaking of, I cannot find cardomom or tamarind. Should I care? My Massaman comes out great, but I wonder if I'm missing something.
--thai curry: like a prev poster said, once you buy a jar of paste, it's easily made from standard supermarket ingredients & scalable, as you can use just a little paste at a time. Canned coconut milk doesn't break the bank. See my first point about growing a small herb patch...
Posted on 1/27/16 at 10:10 am to AlxTgr
I found tamarind at Calandro's recently... it was with the BBQ sauces.
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