The jury is out in my mind, given recent events, on the question of whether it is cheaper/better to make you own food or go buy prepared food. Don't take this as my letter of resignation from the kitchen, or as a solicitation for offers on my cast iron pans. What I mean is that given some of my recent cooking adventures, I had begun to think that there are many items never worth making for your self. Take my ravioli quarter-of-a-day. Some of them break open while bowling, and the filling is nothing sensational. For the time cost (had a been tutoring for 6 hours instead) I could have bought a thousand pre-made ravioli, or gone to every little italian place in the east village and tried their ravioli.
Perhaps I exaggerate, but let me make another illustration in a slightly different vain. Yesterday I made granola (I'll give the recipe below). It didn't take 6 hours --- more like 1 hour. My question here is about cost. I used almost a bag of almond, and then a good portion of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, plus almost a whole bag of apricots and dried cranberries. Estimating the cost of ingredients, I'd say it was about $7. The yield was a big freezer bag worth. On the pro side, I was able to control the ingredients and the amount of fat/sugar. On the con side, I probably should have used more honey and my oven (like all NY ovens) was way too hot and burned some stuff. Moreover, I probably could have bought the same amount of granola from trader joes at about the same price. The jury is still out as to whether I will continue to make my own granola.
Lastly, I want to remind everyone about my attempt at making paneer --- such a waste of time, money and milk.
What these episodes have taught me is not anything profound but is worth stating. If something is labor intensive and can be bought for a reasonable price Don't Try to Make It. Things worth making combine cheap ingredients in ways which are not too complex, to make meals. Things not worth making combine expensive ingredients to complex ways to make small parts of larger dishes.
I feel now, thinking this over, that I don't actually have a great understanding of what to make and what to avoid. I guess I'll wing it, and likely, I'll be writing some time soon about another wasted evening trying to make ... oh... say homeade dosas.
Heres the granola recipe:
4 cups oatmeal (not the minute or fast stuff, just the good old fashion kind)
1 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup canola oil (i probably used less though)
honey (to taste and coat)
a splash of vanilla extract
cinnamon and nutmeg (just a little)
2 cups chopped dry apricot and cranberries
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Add oil and honey until everything is coated and sticks together a little. Spread out on cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper) and cook in oven at like 350 until a little golden. Then mix stuff to expose more uncooked area. Don't overcook or burn. When done let cool then enjoy.
1 comment:
Some hints to make it cheaper:
Use more oats; I roll with 10 cups oats when I make it, that way you maximize the efficiency per batch. And I mix in some puffed rice sometimes as well because its very inexpensive.
Also, we add other, cheaper seeds like like flax, sunflower, pepitas, etc. And my Aunt (who gave us our granola recipe) says she skips the dried fruit and goes only fresh.
Plus your right, its super healthy this way.
Thats it, keep up the good work.
Post a Comment