# Not worth the culinary effort. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435 "2017-07-03T15:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/21 "2017-07-03T17:53:31Z")
This is probably heresy but I always liked instant mashed potatoes just as much if not more than home made. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/22 "2017-07-03T18:03:16Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > Just about the ONLY time I’ve had pumpkin pie that was amazing was when I made it from an actual pumpkin–stick the thing in the oven and bake it, then scrape the meat from the inside. No need to puree That’s more-or-less what I did. By puree, I meant more like I had to put it in a tea towel and squeeze the shit out of it to get all the excess water right and have it the right consistency. I’ve made pumpkin pie this way probably about a dozen times (no canned pumpkin was available to me when I lived abroad and I never had the foresight to bring some back from the US.) Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between it and Libby’s (and I _love_ pumpkin pie. But, to be honest, sweet potato pie is the best type of “pumpkin” pie.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/23 "2017-07-03T18:33:12Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Fried chicken. I only tried making it once, years ago. Man, what an unholy mess I made for chicken that was just ok. > > mmm Good Lord. Perhaps it is something in the genes down here. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/24 "2017-07-03T18:40:40Z")
Pie crust is usually worth the effort for me (but when it fails, it fails spectacularly). Puff pastry, OTOH, I made once. I used it to top some beef pie and it was delicious. I have no reason to ever do that again, I can buy my puff pastry from the store in sheets as God and Pillsbury intended. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/25 "2017-07-03T19:01:28Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > This is probably heresy but I always liked instant mashed potatoes just as much if not more than home made. I was going to mention this. With the caveat - competently prepared instant are quite good, and could be better or at least consistent than poorly prepared homemade. Potatos are difficult to screw up but it can be done. Fresh potatos make for a better end product, but it can be tricky for some people. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/26 "2017-07-03T19:01:49Z")
Biscuits. Now, there’s definitely something lacking in refrigerated canned biscuit dough, but frozen biscuits are almost as good as the ones I make from scratch, and take 0 minutes compared to at least 20, and don’t leave a floury mess all over my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/27 "2017-07-03T19:53:14Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Fried chicken. I only tried making it once, years ago. Man, what an unholy mess I made for chicken that was just ok. Someday I’m going to master fried chicken. Someday. Once I get over my aversion to buying buttermilk. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/28 "2017-07-03T19:55:26Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Biscuits. Now, there’s definitely something lacking in refrigerated canned biscuit dough, but frozen biscuits are almost as good as the ones I make from scratch, and take 0 minutes compared to at least 20, and don’t leave a floury mess all over my kitchen. Yeah, me. I can make biscuits from scratch, but I like the tubes just fine. The only time I make biscuits from scratch is when I don’t feel like going to the corner market. Even then, I have Bisquick. Of course I make the gravy from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/29 "2017-07-03T19:57:09Z")
I find that most things are worth doing from scratch (shop-bought pastry for a pie crust?..seriously people?) but making your own pasta? probably not. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/30 "2017-07-03T20:04:06Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Chicken stock and broth Heh, I was going to mention this as something _not_ worth the effort. The taste/effort ratio is totally worth it because it’s easy and tastier than canned, but when I want soup I want soup now, not more than an hour from now. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/31 "2017-07-03T20:07:59Z")
Yes, store-bought pie crust. It just isn’t worth the trouble to make my own unless I’m making a dozen pies, which I’m not. Ever. So grab a decent brand of store crust and concentrate on what is going _in_the pie. Which is usually peaches, btw. Cornbread. I make my own, and always have the ingredients on hand. But I still have boxes of Jiffy in the pantry, when corn muffins are called for. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/32 "2017-07-03T20:26:22Z")
I’ve made lasagna a couple of times, and Jesus what an effort. 500 pans dirty, hours of work. We do make stuffed shells which is the same thing only deconstructed into a noodle cup, glug of ricotta, dump jarred pasta sauce, some mozzarella, bake for 25 minutes. So much easier for the exact same flavor profile. Still, frozen lasagna is pretty dire, so frozen lasagna is not a substitute. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/33 "2017-07-03T20:36:55Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I didn’t know that he was [missing.](https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/13208934?wid=520&hei=520&fmt=pjpeg) Not sure what you mean… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/34 "2017-07-03T20:43:19Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > making your own pasta? probably not. I have done that. And I can confirm you made the wise choice. I had a pasta machine. I mixed the flour and the eggs. I kneaded the dough. I set up the machine. I ran the dough through the machine. I spread the pasta all over the place so it could dry. I disassembled the machine. I cleaned the machine. I cleaned the machine again. I cleaned the machine some more. I made some sauce. I cooked the pasta. And when it was all over I had some pasta that tasted pretty good. But not noticeably better than the equivalent amount of pasta I could have bought at the store for less than two dollars. And skipped the two or three hours I had spent in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/35 "2017-07-03T20:43:25Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Not sure what you mean… At first I thought it was ‘Paul Newman doesn’t know what he’s missing, making his own pasta sauce, when he can buy jarred pasta sauce! [Which happens to be his own pasta sauce.]’ i.e., a meta-joke. But he said, ‘I didn’t know that he was missing’, not what he was missing. So maybe it was a riff on the ‘missing child on a milk carton’ thing? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/36 "2017-07-03T20:51:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > At first I thought it was ‘Paul Newman doesn’t know what he’s missing, making his own pasta sauce, when he can buy jarred pasta sauce! [Which happens to be his own pasta sauce.]’ i.e., a meta-joke. > > But he said, ‘I didn’t know that he was missing’, not what he was missing. So maybe it was a riff on the ‘missing child on a milk carton’ thing? Maybe! I like his marinara sauce, and tomato basil. Sockarooni is ok, but not my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/37 "2017-07-03T20:54:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So maybe it was a riff on the ‘missing child on a milk carton’ thing? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/38 "2017-07-03T20:58:56Z")
Pie-crust. The supermarket premade roll outs are fine if all you need is a basic filling containment and delivery system. I was in a big pie phase for a few years and made homemade crusts all the time…They are a lot of work and there was no sizable difference in the end result. People complimented the crust the same as if I made it myself or used the “cheater.” If the recipe needs a special crust I’ll make it, but otherwise NOPE. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/39 "2017-07-03T21:03:24Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Yes. Gotcha! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/40 "2017-07-03T21:06:01Z")
Not worth the culinary effort? Whipped cream. I’ve seen my sister and her kids make it, and it really looked like a wonderful family bonding experience for people with time and energy to burn. They sell that stuff in a can. It’s already done, and it’s not expensive, so you can buy an extra one. That one you don’t shake or invert. You treat it gingerly so you know it’s settled before you suck all the nitrous from it! What? Everybody does that, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435.md?page=3)