# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/121 "2017-07-04T21:19:41Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > _Biting my tongue_šŸ˜› ā€¦thatā€™s not how I do it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/122 "2017-07-04T21:38:38Z")
Rice pudding. Iā€™ve tried several recipes and types of rice and havenā€™t been able to come up with anything as smooth and creamy as store-bought. Frustratingly hubby says that his mom had an excellent recipe but by the time I met her she hadnā€™t made it in decades and had forgotten it. I should ask my SILs and BIL (all good cooks) if they have it. Baked beans. I found an ā€œeasy crock potā€ recipe last year but it wasnā€™t worth the work. I made croissants and Danish pastry from scratch many years ago and if you have a whole day with nothing else to do then theyā€™re worth it. Otherwise, no. Put me in the camp of those who prefer homemade mashed potato to packaged. My compromise when busy is to microwave a baking potato, mash it up and add to the dried flakes. And which store-bought or canned biscuits are people using that taste as good as homemade? I certainly havenā€™t found them yet. Even Bisquick or Jiffy Mix taste better than canned/frozen, and this is the recipe I used decades ago which I remember as even better, Iā€™ll have to try it again. > **[Betty Crocker's Baking Powder Biscuits (Light, Flaky and Tender) Recipe -...](https://www.food.com/recipe/betty-crockers-baking-powder-biscuits-light-flaky-and-tender-519383)** > > I have been using this recipe for years from the first cookbook that I ever owned, my Betty Crocker's Big Red Cookbook, from my high school home econo ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/123 "2017-07-04T21:46:50Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Have you eaten my Grandmotherā€™s pie? :dubious: No, but I bet Grandpa has. mmm ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/124 "2017-07-04T21:47:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Whatā€™s a ā€˜pie boneā€™? Mrs. Pie ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/125 "2017-07-04T21:52:20Z")
Have any of you made (or even had) [city chicken](https://d3cizcpymoenau.cloudfront.net/images/legacy/36936/SFS_CityChicken-28.jpg)? Another pain in the patooty. You cube the meat, brown it, egg it, flour it, bread it, bake itā€¦it feels like youā€™re cooking it a half dozen times. And the mess, oy vey! Iā€™ve only made it once or twice, and it was very good. But the thought of making it again makes me want to crawl into bed. mmm ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/126 "2017-07-04T21:58:43Z")
I made chile verde once. It was awesomely good. Butā€¦ it took so freakinā€™ long that I could have practically driven to Mexico and bought some in the time it took to make it at home. ---
**Author:** ![Marci\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Marci\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marci_Al)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/127 "2017-07-04T23:43:22Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Which ā€œstandardā€ recipe is this? > The one I was taught uses a _mirepoix_ as well as _bouquet garni_Iā€™ve never come across a recipe that calls for agar, thatā€™s completely weird to me. > No, itā€™s not. Shoot me if I ever serve you a _cassoulet_ with just one meat in it (or even just two). Of course, of course. There was one recipe that called for adding some kind of thickening or gelatinizing agent. But cassoulet is basically pork-infused beans. Nearly every culture in the world except Moslem has some kind of variety. From there you can put in anything you want from duck (fresh or confit), sausages (sweet or garlicky), ham, lamb, etc. My own favorite add on is chorizo bilbao, or a piece of beef fat. I usually do black eyed peas and slices of pork knuckles. The craziest one I made had a thick cross section of beef shank sitting at the top, with bone marrow intact for scooping! Just to add, I find that the best way to infuse any kind of bean with meat flavor is to cook it half-way on its own to get rid of the acidity, until the skin starts to break. From there I rinse to remove the bitterness and boil it with any kind of red meat. I still canā€™t figure out why thereā€™s any need to crust it up with crumbs, and why the final cooking has to be done in an oven, rather than stove top. ---
**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 5, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/128 "2017-07-05T01:39:08Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Have any of you made (or even had) [city chicken](https://d3cizcpymoenau.cloudfront.net/images/legacy/36936/SFS_CityChicken-28.jpg)? Never tried it. Only heard of it. Never understood why one would make it in this day and age. From what I know of it, itā€™s basically ā€œmock chickenā€ made from pork or (as Iā€™ve often heard), friggin _veal_, because both meats were once cheaper than actual chicken. So it ended up being a skewered breaded meat dish that was supposed to approximate chicken drumsticks. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/129 "2017-07-05T02:58:01Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I add a garlic clove per potato. I wouldnā€™t mind that, garlic never hurt anyone. Iā€™ll try it next time. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/130 "2017-07-05T05:17:43Z")
The key to city chicken is finding a butcher counter that will sell you the cubed meat ready to go. Then all you have to do is make up your skewers, egg wash, flour, bread crumb, pan fry, oven finish! Now that I read it back it seemed much easier in my head. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/131 "2017-07-05T05:18:58Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > Rice pudding. Iā€™ve tried several recipes and types of rice and havenā€™t been able to come up with anything as smooth and creamy as store-bought. Frustratingly hubby says that his mom had an excellent recipe but by the time I met her she hadnā€™t made it in decades and had forgotten it. I should ask my SILs and BIL (all good cooks) if they have itā€¦ Huh, the rice pudding I like is basically a rich custard lightened with the addition of lots of rice. We serve it in slices, and I like to pour milk over it. But ā€œsmoothā€ and ā€œcreamyā€ arenā€™t words that describe it. Itā€™s more like a custard-flavored cake, I suppose. With lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum! (Itā€™s also dead easy to make when thereā€™s leftover plain unseasoned white rice.) ---
**Author:** ![crafter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@crafter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crafter)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/132 "2017-07-05T06:00:21Z")
made puff pastry from scratch. not difficult but time consuming and labor intensive. have asked bakery at supermarket if they sell itā€¦ unfortunately not. pepperidge farm makes a totally acceptable, frozen version. have bought a few veggies just because rarely see them freshā€¦ unless in really froo froo place. saw fiddle head fernsā€¦ with a little butter and or olive oil and minced garlicā€¦ flavor reminded me of asparagus, bought fresh, in pod chick peas, soy beans and fava beans on separate occasions. each took way too much time to prepare & flavor wasnā€™t worth the time. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/133 "2017-07-05T07:01:33Z")
> [@Marci\_Al](#): > > But cassoulet is basically pork-infused beans. There are many authentic cassoulet recipes that use no pork (outside the sausage)ā€¦ Iā€™d argue the poultry is as important as the other meat. > [@](#): > > I still canā€™t figure out why thereā€™s any need to crust it up with crumbs There isnā€™t a need - do it right and it self-crusts > [@](#): > > , and why the final cooking has to be done in an oven, rather than stove top. Because thatā€™s what [these](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassole) are for. And it isnā€™t ā€œboiled beansā€, itā€™s ā€œbaked beansā€. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/134 "2017-07-05T10:51:30Z")
Tamales. Stir the ingredients in a pot and eat it with a spoon, save hours of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/135 "2017-07-05T12:07:30Z")
Hmm, Iā€™ve never had cassoulet. My husband and daughter donā€™t eat pork. But now Iā€™m thinking about making something like that with duck and ground beef. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/136 "2017-07-05T12:59:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Also, tamales. I live in spitting distance of a tamaleria, and thereā€™s always random people on the corners selling their tamales. Not worth the effort, given my circumstances. Mom grew up in Santa Barbara and had a recipe for Santa Barbara tamales. They are much fatter than ordinary tamales and, in her recipe at least, had enough room to stuff in two olives without overwhelming the rest. Since they arenā€™t available anywhere but SB (natch) and she loved to cook, every couple years sheā€™d make up a gigantic batch and freeze 3/4 of it, but it was a two-day process. I tried a Google search for the recipe, but the [lead page](https://www.google.com/search?q=santa+barbara+tamale+recipe&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) is mostly where you can buy them and recipes for ā€œMexican tamalesā€ like they have 'em in Germany or something. But, yeah, I have at least a dozen tamalerias within a mile and a half and would _never_ make one myself (sorry Mom). For me it was Swedish Bean Balls. I donā€™t remember where I got the recipe in those pre-internet days. Searching online brought up a bunch but they call for chickpeas and this one was pinto beans. Three hours work and a half dozen pots and pans to wash for four smallish servings. It was tasty enough but with sour cream sauce on it, so would a dog turd. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/137 "2017-07-05T21:31:58Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Never tried it. Only heard of it. Never understood why one would make it in this day and age. From what I know of it, itā€™s basically ā€œmock chickenā€ made from pork or (as Iā€™ve often heard), friggin _veal_, because both meats were once cheaper than actual chicken. So it ended up being a skewered breaded meat dish that was supposed to approximate chicken drumsticks. Yeah, I donā€™t totally get it either. But I can tell you it tastes a lot better than chicken drumsticks. mmm ---
**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 5, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/138 "2017-07-05T21:33:49Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Yeah, I donā€™t totally get it either. But I can tell you it tastes a lot better than chicken drumsticks. > mmm I"m intrigued and will have to get myself to a part of this world that still makes them. But I love chicken drumsticks, so Iā€™ll temper my expectations. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/139 "2017-07-05T22:53:11Z")
I canā€™t and donā€™t cook. Iā€™m the poster child for ā€œcanā€™t even boil waterā€; Iā€™ve been told a zillion times that anyone can cook if they just apply themselves ā€“ nope, not true. However, some years ago I was living on my own and went on a health/learn how to cook for myself kick. For my first big dish, I tried to make gnocchi from Oprahā€™s cookbook (obviously not a good choice for a crappy cook). I spend _hours_ cooking this crap and was left with a flavorless heap of tasteless, round snotballs. I forced a few of the snotballs down then threw the whole mess down the sink. This is the reason I always date/marry chicks who can cook for reals šŸ˜ƒ ---
**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 5, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435/140 "2017-07-05T23:03:06Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I canā€™t and donā€™t cook. Iā€™m the poster child for ā€œcanā€™t even boil waterā€; Iā€™ve been told a zillion times that anyone can cook if they just apply themselves ā€“ nope, not true. > > [ā€¦] > > For my first big dish, I tried to make gnocchi [ā€¦] Talk about throwing yourself into the deep end of the pool. Once you get the hang of them, gnocchi, like anything else, are not too difficult, but they are certainly not the type of dish you expect a novice cook to get right on the first time. Or even an experienced one. Iā€™m not entirely sure I can knock out a good batch right now, and I cook almost every single day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-worth-the-culinary-effort/790435.md?page=8)