Which Kitchen Shortcuts are Worth It?
Don’t worry— no one has to know.
I once heard a tale about a friend of a friend who was a passionate and adventurous home cook. One evening, he invited people over to eat a delicious home-cooked meal at his place. He was especially excited to make dry-aged burgers for his guests! However, he had a special twist in mind: he was to hand grind the meat for these sumptuous patties. A juicy and tantalizing prospect, no?
I’ll cut to the chase: it took him hours to grind the meat, and he was so frustrated that he overcooked his burgers. What was a great seed of an idea devolved into a hot mess of an evening with a frustrated host at the helm.
Why am I telling you this cautionary tale?
Sometimes, the harder route isn’t the better one.
I love the pride and care that people take to make things from scratch. However, I also believe in being pragmatic. I don’t want to spend my time making things that I think are better store bought.
What does that list look like? Read on!
Always Replace
Store bought ketchup: if you are a ketchup enthusiast, then I suspect you’re already with me on this one. Heinz ketchup is a hill I would die on. It cannot be replicated by other artisanal brands, and don’t ask me to try to make it at home.
Kewpie Sesame Dressing: I’ve written about this dressing before, but there isn’t a better sesame sauce out there. I use it on noodles all the time for myself, and I usually only add a little soy sauce and sriracha to
Sometimes Replace
Puff Pastry: Sometimes, you want to make something that’s delicious and flaky without toiling away all day. I support you getting down with your bad self. Dufour Puff Pastry uses real butter, so it won’t even feel like you’re cheating.
Pizza Dough: this was a recent come-to-Jesus moment for me. I like making my own pizza sometimes, because it often upsets my stomach less than delivery and is significantly cheaper. However, I don’t necessarily have the foresight to prep for my cravings 36 hours in advance. This solution is a happy medium for me.
Stock: I’ve waxed poetic about how easy it is to make stock at home. That being said, sometimes you don’t feel like you actually have the scraps to make it happen. Store-bought stock may not be as delicious or economical, but we don’t always have time to live our Little House on the Prairie dreams.
Never Replace
Pie Crusts: a few times in my adult life I have tried to replace a homemade crust with a store-bought one. It’s not worth it, man! The crust often ends up cracking when I take it out of the refrigerator. I’d rather just wait out the time for the gluten to relax with a homemade crust.
Biscuits: there’s nothing more satisfying than a homemade biscuit, and conversely nothing more dissatisfying than a store-bought one.
Most of the To-Go Prepped Food Items: this is more of a personal preference than a live-or-die rule. You do you.
What about you at home? What shortcuts do you live and die by?
