thegypsy
Assistant Cook
I get so tired seeing a recipe that sounds good, open it up and get cans of this and that. Yes, I can make my own 'can of mushroom soup' but it would be nice not to have to.
Cooking from scratch
- Thread starter thegypsy
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
There is a mass of ideas here that I use all the time. (Can't recall seeing any canned soups as ingredients, and the recipes are pretty straight forward.) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
The only recipe I make regularly that uses canned soup is my grandmothers best friends’ Swedish meatball recipe which uses a can of mushroom soup.
Her name was Myrtle Knudsen and she was — gasp— Norwegian.
Totally kickass meatballs
Her name was Myrtle Knudsen and she was — gasp— Norwegian.
Totally kickass meatballs
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
For me, the notion of cooking everything from scratch isn’t helpful or realistic and comes across as a form of food snobbery.
IMO a skilled cook should be able to use what ever is available to pull together a good meal.
Keep an open mind, we can all learn from each other as we discuss cooking.
“We do the best we can with what we know, and when we know better, we do better.” - Maya Angelou
IMO a skilled cook should be able to use what ever is available to pull together a good meal.
Keep an open mind, we can all learn from each other as we discuss cooking.
“We do the best we can with what we know, and when we know better, we do better.” - Maya Angelou
Last edited:
blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 7,002
It takes time and time is at a premium for most people. Cooking isn't on everyone's priority list as #1.
I agree with @thegypsy it's hard to find recipes that have basic recipes without additional canned ultra processed foods. Mostly I find that recipe books written in the 30-50's are less influenced by marketed processed foods.
@KatyCooks excellent link. I even found blue zone recipes there. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/blue-zones-diet-recipes
I agree with @thegypsy it's hard to find recipes that have basic recipes without additional canned ultra processed foods. Mostly I find that recipe books written in the 30-50's are less influenced by marketed processed foods.
@KatyCooks excellent link. I even found blue zone recipes there. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/blue-zones-diet-recipes
Silversage
Head Chef
Share?
Oh Yes! Me Too, please!!!
I know the Swedish meatball's my mom used to bring home frm this lady was using canned mushroom soup but for some reason I just cannot replicate!
I know the Swedish meatball's my mom used to bring home frm this lady was using canned mushroom soup but for some reason I just cannot replicate!
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
It’s handwritten by my mom somewhere. I’ll try to find it. I know I took a picture of it.
rodentraiser
Head Chef
I found this cream soup substitution recipe and I use it often.
www.centercutcook.com
Cream Soup Substitute
This is a great substitute for canned cream of "whatever" soup in so many recipes. It only takes minutes to make!
www.centercutcook.com
Welcome to DC Gypsy!
"Cooking from scratch" is a great intro. I'm glad you can make mushroom soup on your own.
As far as recipes go, a technique I use may help you.
Once a recipe catches my eye or mental tastebuds, I search that recipe title and compare ingredients and techniques of 4-5 similar recipes. I have each recipe open on separate browser tabs for going back and forth between them. Any recipe calling for a can of mushroom soup just tells me that the finished dish has a thickened liquid and mushrooms. I know how to thicken liquid and I know how to add mushrooms. One recipe calls for 8oz Button shrooms another calls for 16oz Porcini shrooms, I love my shrooms so I will probably choose adding the 16oz of Porcinis and deal with the additional 1 or 2oz of liquid that cooking them produces. 3 recipes call for water and I think of other liquids that bring more flavor than water, like Beef stock, veggie stock, wine, etc. and adjust salt or acid level accordingly. Knowledge of techniques, like using thickeners, and knowledge of ingredients, like mushrooms give off a lot of liquid, are the important parts of cooking. Plug the flavors and ingredients of the recipe into the techniques you already know and trust.
Cornstarch mixed with water and left to sit will result in the starch settling on the bottom, every single time, requiring mixing before using. I've seen recipes calling to add all liquids, including the cornstarch slurry, and bring to boil until thick. This forces me to stand there and constantly stir or risk lumps as the starch settles, which it always will, if I followed the recipe, which I don't. When the liquid comes to a boil, add the thickener regardless what the recipe tells me to do. The joy in cooking, for me, was not needing to follow recipes and using what I have observed and learned along the way, like this cornstarch example. For a recipe calling for a can of mushroom soup, think thickened liquid with mushroom flavor and just cook from scratch.
FWIW random tip for making meatballs and meatloaf- When your mixing is done, cook 1/2 oz (or a tiny amount) in the microwave to ensure desired seasoning level before proceeding, it's your last chance to adjust...
"Cooking from scratch" is a great intro. I'm glad you can make mushroom soup on your own.
As far as recipes go, a technique I use may help you.
Once a recipe catches my eye or mental tastebuds, I search that recipe title and compare ingredients and techniques of 4-5 similar recipes. I have each recipe open on separate browser tabs for going back and forth between them. Any recipe calling for a can of mushroom soup just tells me that the finished dish has a thickened liquid and mushrooms. I know how to thicken liquid and I know how to add mushrooms. One recipe calls for 8oz Button shrooms another calls for 16oz Porcini shrooms, I love my shrooms so I will probably choose adding the 16oz of Porcinis and deal with the additional 1 or 2oz of liquid that cooking them produces. 3 recipes call for water and I think of other liquids that bring more flavor than water, like Beef stock, veggie stock, wine, etc. and adjust salt or acid level accordingly. Knowledge of techniques, like using thickeners, and knowledge of ingredients, like mushrooms give off a lot of liquid, are the important parts of cooking. Plug the flavors and ingredients of the recipe into the techniques you already know and trust.
Cornstarch mixed with water and left to sit will result in the starch settling on the bottom, every single time, requiring mixing before using. I've seen recipes calling to add all liquids, including the cornstarch slurry, and bring to boil until thick. This forces me to stand there and constantly stir or risk lumps as the starch settles, which it always will, if I followed the recipe, which I don't. When the liquid comes to a boil, add the thickener regardless what the recipe tells me to do. The joy in cooking, for me, was not needing to follow recipes and using what I have observed and learned along the way, like this cornstarch example. For a recipe calling for a can of mushroom soup, think thickened liquid with mushroom flavor and just cook from scratch.
FWIW random tip for making meatballs and meatloaf- When your mixing is done, cook 1/2 oz (or a tiny amount) in the microwave to ensure desired seasoning level before proceeding, it's your last chance to adjust...
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
This is simply a béchamel sauce.I found this cream soup substitution recipe and I use it often.
Cream Soup Substitute
This is a great substitute for canned cream of "whatever" soup in so many recipes. It only takes minutes to make!
thegypsy
Assistant Cook
Wow! Thank you all for your ideas. I didn't really learn to cook til I was in my 50's. I was raised in England by a mother who believed that you had to boil the food til it lost any resemblance to the potatoes or cabbage that she started with. I hated cabbage til my mate cooked it for me. I had no idea how good it tasted til then. So, I'll take your advice and stick around. Thank you.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
It’s actually veloute sauce
Okay, I'll probably get a lot of blow back for this post, but it's really bugging me. Can we please use something else to refer to @thegypsy than just the G-word? It's an ethnic slur against Romani people. How about referring to this member as "TG". I am sometimes referred to as "TL".
My feeling is that if this person has named themselves "thegypsy" has in all probable innocence consider it more of a compliment and emulating the Romani as living free. I see no harm in it.
I myself never knew it was not appreciated by them - mainly because it was such a widely used term and never (to the best of my knowledge) had I met one and no one ever said otherwise.
The same with Laps, Lapps, or Laplanders (although many accept the term Laplander). If and when I ever referred to them it was as Lapps because until I met you I had never heard the name Sami, Sapmi, Saami, Sabme, Same or Samer, nor did I know that it included peoples from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. Nor did I realize just how much of 'Lapland' cover those areas.
I could go on and on about terms with reference to peoples and places but think this suffice. It all relates with what someone grew up with. I am Canadian first and foremost but recognize my Welsh and German heritage. Whereas I personally dislike the name Canucks - I don't think it derogatory, just don't like it - go figure.
Even "the taxman cometh" brings to mind a perhaps fearful reckoning on doomsday to most people. The taxman was traditionally hated and vilified, yet you call yourself taxlady! another - go figure!
I myself never knew it was not appreciated by them - mainly because it was such a widely used term and never (to the best of my knowledge) had I met one and no one ever said otherwise.
The same with Laps, Lapps, or Laplanders (although many accept the term Laplander). If and when I ever referred to them it was as Lapps because until I met you I had never heard the name Sami, Sapmi, Saami, Sabme, Same or Samer, nor did I know that it included peoples from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. Nor did I realize just how much of 'Lapland' cover those areas.
I could go on and on about terms with reference to peoples and places but think this suffice. It all relates with what someone grew up with. I am Canadian first and foremost but recognize my Welsh and German heritage. Whereas I personally dislike the name Canucks - I don't think it derogatory, just don't like it - go figure.
Even "the taxman cometh" brings to mind a perhaps fearful reckoning on doomsday to most people. The taxman was traditionally hated and vilified, yet you call yourself taxlady! another - go figure!
pictonguy
Sous Chef
It's actually a hybrid, they use both chicken stock and milk.
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk I used 1%
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
So using this base, then one should cook mushrooms, celery first then proceed for which ever one wants? Celery is quite a strong flavour but mushrooms not so much - what quantities should one use.
Plus this only makes about 1 cup, just double, triple for more?
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk I used 1%
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
So using this base, then one should cook mushrooms, celery first then proceed for which ever one wants? Celery is quite a strong flavour but mushrooms not so much - what quantities should one use.
Plus this only makes about 1 cup, just double, triple for more?
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I’d cook the mushrooms and celery first, drain and save the liquid and set aside, using the reserved liquid in place of some of the broth. Then add the mushrooms and celery after the sauce comes together.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Without the chicken broth, it is!
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