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Learning how to cook and bake at home has always been—and continues to be—an essential skill. Just like knowing how to do chores at home, file your taxes, and use the internet, cooking is a core part of what it means to be a functioning human being. That being said, in this day and age, it’s much easier to outsource all of that effort to someone else.
Though, to be fair, the food you order can, quite often, miss the mark, and you feel like you could do much better yourself. It’s not just a feeling—it’s a fact. Today, we’re looking at a popular Reddit thread where various internet chefs shared the dishes that they believe taste far better cooked at home than dining out or ordering in. Scroll down to read what they had to say about the topic.
We reached out to famous pie artist and author Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin for her thoughts on learning to embrace cooking and baking at home. You'll find the awesome advice she shared with Bored Panda as you scroll down.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Stew over mashed potatoes (my Nana used to make me mashed potato volcanoes with stew inside). I still do this for myself when I'm feeling down at 36, and it still does the trick.
Pernille 8 months ago
Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, and there are so many variations to choose from. The only thing to remember is to add obscene amounts of butter. Try looking up a recipe for aligot,it is cheesy mash.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
If you are adding potatoes to your butter, you're doing it right
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Bec 8 months ago
I make a steak concoction in the crockpot with condensed soup and my husband complains that it stinks up the house but agrees that it is delicious
Bec 8 months ago
Serve over your choice of carb: mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.
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Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
That is a gorgeous photo. Upvoting for that alone. So, does this tick two of Samwise Gamgee's boxes? Mash 'em AND stick 'em in a stew? Or at least under a stew?
Bored Panda asked Jessica (@thepieous) how someone who's made a habit of eating at restaurants and ordering food at home can enjoy the process of cooking and baking at home more.
She explained to us that opting for restaurants and ordering take-outs over home cooking comes down to two main things: namely, a lack of time and a lack of ability.
"The latter excuse is the easiest one to overcome—there are a plethora of cooking tutorials online, and meal kits with simple-to-follow instructions that can make home cooking a breeze for anyone," Jessica told us in an email.
However, the former excuse can be a tad trickier. Jessica opened up that she often falls prey to the 'I don’t have enough time to cook/get groceries tonight, I’m just going to order in' trap. "But as rising costs and shrinking budgets start to shift our internal calculus, suddenly spending that extra 40 minutes to cook a meal doesn’t seem as tough a pill to swallow as spending the extra fifty bucks on Uber Eats again!" she said.
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#2
Grilled cheese sandwiches. There's nothing like stretchy cheese straight from the pan.
Jumping Jellyfishes 8 months ago
Make your own tomato soup to go with it. Homemade tomato soup is also a game changer
Sparkle 8 months ago
You are so right I used to think it would take to long but it takes a few more minutes than the canned.
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Robin Roper 8 months ago
Use a slice of cheddar and a slice of American (from the deli and not the plastic wrapped plastic cheese). American cheese is perfect for melting.
#3
Almost everything. I prefer to do my own cooking 95% of the time. Tastes better, is healthier, and saves me money.
Science Nerd 8 months ago
Saving money is right. When we want to splurge on beef, we’ll buy a good tenderloin at a ridiculous price per pound. Grilled at home with baked potatoes then costs a quarter of what we would have to pay at a restaurant.
iseefractals 8 months ago
Literally yesterday, i bought an untrimmed tenderloin (easter dinner) 7.5lbs for $64. Trimmed version was $130, and individual filets clocked in at $35 per pound. Lost a couple hundred grams with the trimming. Ended up with 12, 6oz filets, individually vacuum sealed and a 2.5lb roast for easter.
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Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I have so many intolerances that I can rarely eat a meal out that doesn't give me indigestion, even if I have gotten it without certain things. Cooking at home means I can be sure of what I eat and still make it taste great. I used to hate cooking, and I still can't do it when I'm having a fibromyalgia flare up because it's so draining, but I enjoy what I'm eating so have learned to appreciate the process.
"For those unaccustomed to cooking for themselves, turning the process into a 'team sport' can make the whole undertaking more pleasant. Even people who live alone can join with friends in weekly meal planning and splitting bulk purchases of groceries from the big box stores to save money. And for those with a little more disposable income, joining a friend for a couple of evening cooking classes can be a really fun way to up your kitchen game and expand your cooking repertoire!" Jessica suggested.
"Once you have a stable of about five simple but tasty meals that you can reliably whip up in under an hour, you are well on your way to weaning yourself off of your expensive take-out habit… and bonus, your food is always guaranteed to arrive hot!"
#4
Chocolate chip cookies. The soft kind.
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
ANZAC biscuits are always better homemade, especially when my mum makes them. She is able to make them crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Barbara Wilcock 5 months ago
Thanks for reminding me about ANZAC biscuits. Love them
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 8 months ago
I live alone and have discovered small batch recipes. I can have fresh chocolate chip cookies in half an hour.
#5
Lasagne. Never tastes good outside. Maybe because I like to eat the whole tray.
Pencil 8 months ago
The key to a great lasagna, in my opinion, is the bechemel and I think most restaurants skip it to save time. But I make it with garlic & parmesan and put a thin coating on each layer of noodles. Also, I whip the ricotta with nutmeg. It takes forever but people rave about my lasagna.
Sarah Bailey 8 months ago
Lasagna is a labor of love! It will never taste right without it! You can have all the right ingredients, but without love of the dish or love for whom you are cooking it for, it will never come together!
Sparkle 8 months ago
I love eggplant lasagna but it takes a bit of time. You have to get the liquid out of the eggplant.
Lisbeth Guz 8 months ago
Do you mean moussaka or lasagna noodles with eggplant in between?
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I make an amazing chicken lasagne, but for a traditional one I always ask my stepdad. I can do the exact same thing and his will always be better. I don't think I've ever bought it at a restaurant though so couldn't compare.
PeepPeep the duck 8 months ago
Yeah lasagne is always disappointing or taste the same as another restaurant. I’ve never been overly happy with restaurant lasagne and I’m also glad my name on here is my duck since I worked for a lot of awesome Italian restaurants 😂
Tiny Dancer 8 months ago
Oh dear. That is the saddest lasagna I have ever seen. Poor skinny fella.
#6
Beef stew and pot roasts.
Zara VP 8 months ago
Try using an instant pot sometime. The Instant Pot makes beef stew taste like it simmered for eight hours—except it took, like, 40 minutes. Game-changer.
We were interested in getting to grips with the main fears that might drive some newcomers away from the kitchen. Jessica noted that past negative experiences with cooking can be a deterrent.
"If you’ve ever set off every smoke detector in your house and had to air out your couch cushions on the porch after a failed stir fry attempt, you may think twice about approaching your stove again! But oftentimes with people who insist that 'they cannot cook,' the real culprit is a lack of focus," she told Bored Panda.
"People who are naturally a little absent-minded, or even ADHD, may need a little extra help in the form of timers and apps to help them multitask. Try using your phone to set timers with alert titles like 'defrost the beef now' and 'turn off the stove now' while you cook, and stick to simple, one-pot recipes that use minimal steps, minimal equipment, and minimal time!"
Then, Jessica said, as you get more comfortable with the process and start to enjoy your cooking more, you can try out more complex recipes. "There’s a whole universe of flavors and experiences out there waiting for you once you decide to take that first step on the culinary road."
#7
Chili.
Luke Branwen 8 months ago
Chilli con carne is one of the first meals I've learned to make because my uncle needed quick, reheatable meals to work. IMO it tastes amazing and I'm pretty proud of it.
#8
Not cooked but, guacamole is always better home made.
Herringbone 8 months ago
In a restaurant in LA, I had guacamole made at the table, spiced according to my tastes. I ate far too much... At home, I have made guac that was nearly as good as that, and also some that just... wasn't.
Ace 8 months ago
Yes. It's not supposed to be a smooth paste, lots of chopped onion and tomato, jalapenos and coriander leaf. Gotta have a bit of a crunch. Could never really understand why dinner guests raved about ours so much until I tried some of that store-bought vivid green past that had been left (unopened) by an apartment by a holiday apartment renter. Wow, no wonder people liked ours so much if they thought that was normal. While I hate to throw food away, the contents of that jar were flushed down the toilet in no time.
XenoMurph 8 months ago
I thought i was doing it wrong at home, I just didn't like it smooth, so made it with small chunks, lots of lime. Thought i was "inauthentic". Same with falafel, I much prefer tiny onions and chilli visible
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Edda Kamphues 8 months ago
I agree. Same goes for ceviche. Much better when made (not cooked) at home.
#9
Burgers. I've had a few spectacular burgers when eating out. But if given the choice, I'd take a home grilled burger on a cheap bun with American "cheese" any day. Charcoal, smoked, or cast iron. None of that propane s**t. Sorry Hank.
Jumping Jellyfishes 8 months ago
I've never had a burger dining out that beats what we make at home
Tiny Dancer 8 months ago
Must admit I had a bison burger once that knocked my socks off. Delish! Otherwise, yeah, backyard grill with all the charcoal and smoke you can choke down.
You don’t have to be a gastronomic genius or a Michelin star chef to make delicious food at home. Of course, it helps if you have a natural affinity for cooking and baking, but at the end of the day, practice makes perfect. The more time you spend in the kitchen, the more techniques and dishes you try, and the more open you are to learning from your mistakes, the better you’ll do.
The vast majority of people are going to be bad at something they’re new to. So, if all you can do is make toast and can barely fry an egg, you shouldn’t be discouraged. Start with making very simple dishes with easy-to-follow recipes and few ingredients. Then, slowly work your way up over the following weeks, months, and years.
From our perspective, dining out is a great experience, but we still value homemade chili, curry, English breakfast, and avocado toast more than anything made by pro chefs. There’s a deep sense of pleasure in making some dishes yourself with small twists that you enjoy. For example, it was a game-changer when we started adding just a bit of dark chocolate to our chili.
#10
Bacon. It's rare to find a restaurant that cooks it right. It usually comes out rubbery or undercooked.
Tiny Dancer 8 months ago
Took me ages to get it right. 375 in the oven for about 15 minutes works perfectly for me. Slightly longer for thicker bacon *chef's kiss*
Zara VP 8 months ago
I do this too and it comes out perfect every time! I start it off at 375°F for about 10 minutes to cook everything evenly, then I crank it up to 400°F at the end to get it nice and crispy.
Load More Replies... Sparkle 8 months ago
I have only ever found one restaurant that serves great bacon. I think it's because it's a small business and instead of focusing on making money they focus on quality.
Load More Replies... A girl 8 months ago
I confess. US bacon cooker here. I want bacon glass. Not burnt but absolutely able to stand. I was served "bacon" in Galway that hurt my soul. So thick, so fatty, so limp. I do not order bacon at any restaurant here or abroad.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
I love crunchy bacon. But I also love soft fatty bacon....
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I prefer bacon cooked less than it is on cooking shows (particularly US ones) where it seems to be able to stand up on it's own.
Ace 8 months ago
Yeah, it's mainly an American thing, I think, and the use the term to refer to thin cut streaky bacon, whereas what we call back is 'Canadian' bacon over there. Only the latter can you eat with a knife and fork, the normal stuff can often be crumbled, so overcooked it is.
Load More Replies... Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
I cook bacon in the oven a tray at a time. Comes out awesome and occasionally lasts longer than a day.
#11
Mac and cheese and not from the box.
Lubica Acker 8 months ago
That is not mac and cheese in the picture. That's 'Halusky', a traditional dish in Slovakia.
Hippopotamuses 8 months ago
Despite be okay in the kitchen, I've never got this right. Even the dog wasn't interested the last batch. That's truly an indictment, if ever there was one.
iseefractals 8 months ago
Gotta get the roux right, or the cheese sauce falls apart. Add ROOM TEMP butter to a scalding hot pot, you want the butter to brown BEFORE you add your flour, once browned add your flour (pre seasoned i use white pepper, salt, garlic and onion powder and Old Bay) and keep everything moving continuously, once smooth (and your desired color achieved) start SLOWLY dribbling in your pre-warmed milk, while continuing to stir vigorously. (milk doesn't "need" to be pre-warmed per se, but it makes the emulsification a bit easier if you're having problems with it) You really have to be slow and steady with adding the milk, while continuing to stir aggressively and steadily. From there, it's a matter of adding your desired cheeses. You need to use block cheese that you grate yourself, the pre-shredded stuff contains anti-caking agents that prevent a coherent sauce from forming. I use Mature British cheddar, Asiago, provolone, monetary jack and Pecorino. Continued....
Load More Replies... #12
Rice Krispy squares. The packaged ones are gross.
Nimitz 8 months ago
Don't knock the packaged ones. My grandma loved rice krispy squares but arthritis made it really hard to cook. When they started selling the prepackaged ones she was over the moon. They were shelf stable for a long time. Apparently lots of old people like them for the same reasons
Firstname Lastname 8 months ago
While a packaged one will curb the craving when I don't want a whole tray, I prefer other cereals for my cereal treats. Flavored Cheerios and Cap'n Crunch are great.
Food & Wine suggests that some of the dishes that every beginner should learn to cook are roast chicken, cream-based soups, homemade pizzas, roasted fish, and pasta carbonara. Some other simple(r) dishes include risotto, apple pie, rib-eye steaks, spaghetti bolognese, garden salad, scrambled eggs, and fried sandwiches.
These are fairly straightforward dishes that are hard to mess up. And, again, the more you practice, the tastier you’ll make them. At first, follow the recipes you find online to the letter, without taking any, erm, creative liberties or making random ingredient substitutions. And after you’ve gotten things right a few times, then you can start experimenting a bit with different ingredients, spices, measurements, and techniques.
#13
Meatloaf.
Santina Moore 8 months ago
that sounds amazing, how do you make one of those??
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SouthernGal 8 months ago
I don’t trust meatloaf if I don’t make it. In restaurants, I call it mystery meat.
#14
Rouladen mit Rotkohl und Klößen.
Roulades with red cabbage and potato dumplings.
Ringofant 8 months ago
As a German (obviously): YES!!! There is literally NOTHING that can compete with homemade Rouladen! That is the hill I will die on.
Bgray450 8 months ago
As an American girl with some German ancestry, I looked up the recipe and now I must try it. Can you give me any tips on how to make it really delicious?
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The Scout 8 months ago
So do I. I like to add a bit of gingerbread and/or chocolate to it, which makes it even more savoury. A bit of parsley butter on the dumplings, and it becomes a feast. Especially with a good homemade gravy.
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superfluous 8 months ago
Complaints about how american-centric posts are, but a German dish comes up and no comments? Is it an unpopular dish? No one makes it at home?
#15
Thanksgiving dinner.
A girl 8 months ago
Yeah. That has to be home made and one must tell the heathen that actually likes green bean casserole to bring their own and place it out of view like it was booze during prohibition.
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
Green bean casserole is actually pretty good if all the parts are homemade. Well, OK, the fried onions are store-bought. But absolutely no cans other than that.
Load More Replies... Tiny Dancer 8 months ago
What is in this woman's hand, a pudding or something? Other than the turkey (looks like a chicken to me), this does not look like a typical Thanksgiving dinner at all! Grapes? Whole little pumpkins (or is that a giant garlic bulb)? Weak rose wine? The pumpkin soup doesn't even look right. It's all just "off"!
According to chef Andrew Zimmern, you should read the recipe twice before cooking, no matter your level of expertise in the kitchen. "99% of all mistakes can be resolved by understanding the process," he told TastingTable.
The more you think things through, the less room for error. For one, you won’t have to rush to the store in the middle of cooking to get the ingredients you realized you need. Meanwhile, thoroughly reading the recipe means that you’ll know what the entire process looks like, what timings you have to be aware of, and what tools you’ll need.
#16
A BLT sandwich.
Ace 8 months ago
I prefer ths Sam Vimes version. . . . . " Vimes carefully lifted the top of the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and smiled inwardly. Good old Cheery. She knew what a Vimes BLT was all about. It was about having to lift up quite a lot of crispy bacon before you found the miserable skulking vegetables. You might never notice them at all. …"
iseefractals 8 months ago
My wife loves tomatoes. Every summer, when they're in season it's pretty much her main form of sustenance for a good 6-8 weeks. She'll eat them like an apple. BUT at 31 years of age, she had never had a BLT. Which i of course, had to remedy. Tomato needs to be sliced THIN, salted with a pinch of MSG and left to sit while you make everything else. Bacon has to be weighted down so it's flat, Homemade brioche, smeared in a thin layer of mayo, fried off in the bacon grease of the cast iron the bacon is cooked in. Spicy Brown mustard on one slice of bread, more mayo on the other, lettuce, tomato, bacon, tomato, lettuce. Cut on the diagonal. Her favorite thing now. The whole reason i learned how to cook is to be able to make her things she's never had. My ultimate breakfast sandwich creation though, is a foot long brioche roll (still fried of course) with bacon, lettuce, tomato, eggs, avocado, hash brown, cheese, caramelized onions and homemade pickle relish. It feeds 5 people.
Tiny Dancer 8 months ago
Sniff! I hope that wife of yours knows how lucky she is.
Load More Replies... #17
If one is a good cook, then most everything tastes better home-cooked. While other children were so excited to go out to eat at restaurants, my boys would rather stay home to have my home-cooked meals. If you have a someone in your family who loves to cook, you are blessed.
Bgray450 8 months ago
I was raised by a Cajun mother who was an excellent cook, and a farm boy father who loved cooking and experimenting on weekends. Food is a very big deal in our family, as a source of love and togetherness and creativity and fun and full bellies. Yes I realize I am super-blessed.
#18
Steak. I make it the exactly the way I like.
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
I don't even eat steak in restaurants anymore. Mine is better. I use the "reverse sear" technique; see seriouseats dot com, or just search. You get perfect wall-to-wall medium rare, or whatever other doneness you'd like. No special equipment required - just an oven and some kind of searing device like a skillet or grill or torch. But between the pre-salt and the oven time, it takes a couple of hours. That's why no restaurant does this.
Undercover 8 months ago
Restaurant steaks are heavily overpriced and lack seasoning and taste. That's my experience here in Europe, so I make them myself.
Pencil 8 months ago
I love steaks and can consistently make them to a perfect medium rare. But without commercial equipment to get temperatures of 700° or more, there's just no competing with a real steakhouse.
person (i think) 8 months ago
Not true! I have tried steaks at famous steakhouses, and nothing has even come close to my dad’s steaks!
Load More Replies...Zimmern also suggests sharpening your basic cooking techniques, which are “a must when it comes to life skills and personal wellness.”
Some of these skills are things like making eggs, steaming veggies, grilling fish, and roasting chicken. Once you’ve got the fundamentals down, you can then move on to more complex things.
#19
Eggs have to be the answer.
They are the most impossible food that takes any preparation at all to f**k up.
But, every second they cool, they lose taste.
Sparkle 8 months ago
You really need to go to a small restaurant to get good eggs not a chain restaurant
Pencil 8 months ago
You really need to go to a small restaurant ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶e̶g̶g̶s̶ not a chain restaurant.
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
All the ones I've had were very overcooked.
Load More Replies... #20
I don't know about “always” but there are certainly quite a few dishes that restaurants cannot master easily. When they do master them it is at great cost.
One favorite example is the Italian rice dish called risotto. I've had risotto all over the world, including all across Italy many times in my life. I would say that about 80% of the time it sucked. But when I make it at home it's flawless every time. And it is a joy to make.
Another dish, also Italian, the restaurants just can't seem to master, or even be bothered to make correctly, is the classic carbonara. Listen, I get it. If your timing is off by just a minute or two you end up serving pasta with scrambled eggs instead of pasta with a lush rich silky sauce made from egg yolks. I can execute this dish at home flawlessly every time, but I don't work in a commercial kitchen. So what the restaurants do instead is load it up with tons of cream and extra cheese, and they call it carbonara. But it's not carbonara.
Undercover 8 months ago
Carbonara is a young dish, so the claims of an original recipy can disputed. I like and make mine with cream, eggyolks, parmesan, black pepper and salt. Greetings from Italy! 😊
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
Risotto in restaurants is at least 90% ready cooked. When you order, it is reheated adding some broth, butter and parmesan or any other cheese. Crbonara is tricky, because in rush hours it takes just seconds to overcook it, therefore is cream in it. It can be delicious, but is no more carbonara. So better do it at home.
Cerridwn d'Wyse 8 months ago
We used to have a very small Italian restaurant that made a d**n fine risotto. I would go there just to eat it. But it got too expensive and they took it off the menu and they're gone now too they didn't survive covid
Jackie Lulu 8 months ago
Not Italian, but corned beef and cabbage. No restaurant ever cooks it long enough.
What is the tastiest dish that you can make at home, in your own kitchen, dear Pandas? What dishes do you cook at home that can rival the best that any restaurant can put out? On the other hand, what are some dishes that you genuinely enjoy eating while dining out or ordering in?
What dishes do you have the most trouble with, no matter how much you practice? Grab a snack and let us know in the comments below!
#22
Shepards pie.
ROSESARERED 8 months ago
Made with left over roast lamb, minced carrots, onions, breadcrumbs, leftover gravy, and some tomatoe sauce
#23
Mashed potatoes. Most restaurants give you potato soup.
Pernille 8 months ago
Seriously, where are these people going for dinner? Learn to recognise a good restaurant.
Jill Rhodry 8 months ago
No they're right - Paris Mash, they double sieve the potato and it is soupy, almost thinner than baby food🤢
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Bec 8 months ago
I don't see how people can eat instant potatoes 🤢 Why do they taste so funny? Or perhaps I should ask, do they still taste funny? Because I haven't been forced to eat cafeteria food since childhood
Zara VP 8 months ago
Unfortunately, some people don’t have a choice (lack of potatoes or $) or are just strapped for time and can’t commit to making it from scratch.
Load More Replies... #24
Nachos. Restaurant nachos always skimp on the good s**t and are usually missing at least one core ingredient. I want guac, sour cream, AND salsa. I want meat, cheese onion, jalapenos and beans. And I want LARGE f*****g helpings.
Ive no s**t been served tomatoey chips with a dollop of cheese as ‘nachos’ before. Granted it was in an English pub so I dont know wtf I was expecting…the locals seemed to love it.
Brian Droste 8 months ago
If you have a mexican restaurant near by, try a Mexican restaurant nachos.
Featherytoad 8 months ago
And, the bottoms ones aren't soggy. Before I realized I hated Taco Bell, I ordered nachos from them a couple of times, and every time the bottom ones were all soggy and gross.
#25
I was going to say full English breakfast but in my sixty years on this planet, I have established that a full English is always better when cooked by someone else.
The theory is that your hunger diminishes if you are involved in the cooking with the fumes etc.
P1 No-Name 8 months ago
I love a Full English, but I struggle to have everything ready at the same time when I try at home. You need a proper commercial Kitchen to get it all ready together.
XenoMurph 8 months ago
Sausages and tomatoes in the Airfryer, no beans, never beans, never ever beans.. ever
Load More Replies... Featherytoad 8 months ago
My mother and grandmother always cooked the holiday dinners, and by the time it was all said and done, they were never that hungry anymore because of all the tasting, and smelling it all day. Whenever I make a double batch of chili in the croc, I can never eat it that night, because I smelled it all morning and half the day.
Philly Bob 8 months ago
My favorite part of a holiday dinner (turkey) was after everyone left, I'd have an amazing turkey sandwich! I'd cook all day and by the time it hit the table I was so sick of looking at all of it that I just picked at it. But that sandwich tho...
Load More Replies... Sarah Bailey 8 months ago
I get tired and hot cooking and slightly full because a good cook must taste, taste, taste depending on quantity of guests, ingredients on hand, and possible substitution solutions due to medical allergies or restrictions and age range picky eaters.
#26
Honestly.. a sandwich. Like just a plain jane sandwich. Deli sandwiches taste amazing dont get me wrong but sum about making a sandwich at home with all the fixings just hits.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
While on a brief band tour, I made peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches for the fellows. As I was preparing a sandwich for one friend, he expressed how much better the sandwich was because it was made for him. We had an actual conversation about this.
Sparkle 8 months ago
I think the world's kind of weird that way that sometimes it's just the act of making something for somebody even it's something simple as sandwich that it tastes better because it was made for that person because you cared enough to do it.
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XenoMurph 8 months ago
There's a tiny little market stall near me that does sandwiches, sourdough bread, infinite fillings, just one guy taking ages to make sandwiches. I was so annoyed at the time he takes. But then I ate it, it's magnificent. The bread doesn't fall apart, the filling is perfectly proportioned. It's a work of art.
ROSESARERED 8 months ago
Sandwich hint, if you are using pickles/relish etc, layer it bread, butter, pickles, cheese, and then everything else tastes soooo much bettet
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I only really like sandwiches made by my mum, especially when I've been too tired to make anything. The only complaint I have is she likes to cut everything to fit the bread and tessellate. It takes so much time sometimes because she is arranging the tomato etc.
#28
Pea soup, in a slow cooker. The secret ingredient? Celery leaves, chopped, at least a cup for 6 quarts of soup. Makes all the difference.
Science Nerd 8 months ago
Pea soup always has to have a ham hock. Never tried celery leaves before but I’ll give them a go on my next batch.
XenoMurph 8 months ago
Celery leaves are awesome they lift a dish almost as much as coriander
Load More Replies... Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago (edited)
I use celery leaves in all my soup and legume dishes instead of salt. YUMS!!!
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
Delicious it may be, but celery leaves and salt are not substitutes for each other.
Load More Replies... #30
For me it's coffee. I just have it so much (daily) that when we're overnight somewhere and I get it anywhere else, it's never as good as my home brewed hazelnut Folgers, lol.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
Mr Auntriarch makes the best coffee in the world. Lavazza beans. Simples.
Ace 8 months ago (edited)
Had to look it up, but apparently this refers to a disgusting-sounding artificially-flavoured, i.e. not even real hazelnuts, concoction available in the US
Sparkle 8 months ago
If they're talking about the flavoring you can add hazelnut flavored creamers. I tried it once and it is absolutely disgusting! I take real cinnamon or hazelnut and put it in my coffee a cinnamon stick and swirl around or just some cinnamon flakes or hazelnut and shred it and put it in my coffee and swirl it in. And that my friends is my coffee lesson if the day! Lol
Load More Replies... Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
I am not James Hoffman levels of obsession, but we make way better coffee at home than any place we've been. Moka pot on the stove, or our Breville pour-over maker (which was pricy but it pays for itself pretty quickly). And we can enjoy it in our jammies.
Bgray450 8 months ago
I'm really picky about my coffee. It's gotta have my homemade nut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ghee, coconut oil, cocoa . . .
Sparkle 8 months ago
Coffee how can a place screw up coffee that takes some special kind of work
nottheactualphoto 8 months ago
A couple of things you can do: 1) don't use enough coffee for your amount of water, and 2) never clean the equipment. Some places do both, and they produce exceptionally vile coffee.
Load More Replies... #31
Pudding, you get to lick the bowl clean.
Huddo's sister 8 months ago (edited)
And you can make it with double the sauce! EDIT: I've just realised I'm not sure what sort of pudding it's talking about. I was thinking of the Aussie/British ones, like chocolate self-saucing or golden syrup steamed pudding, but it could be that custardy stuff that is called pudding in the US.
Ace 8 months ago
Yeh, I think they mean some sort of custard, blancmange-like stuff. Proper 'steamed' puddings include the old traditional favourites like spotted d**k or jam roly poly, but nothing, nothing in the world, can beat a proper Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 8 months ago
If you're going to be licking the bowl, it's likely Christmas.
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#32
Vegetables are less oily and hygienic when cooked at home. They are fresh and healthier.
Homemade chapatti is made from wholewheat flour. Eateries add maida because of its increased shelf life. So, the homemade one is tastier and healthier.
Desserts prepared with milk are good to consume within a day. So, homemade sweets are preferable.
For making salads, vegetables/fruits are properly washed and freshly cut at home. Who knows when did the hotel cut the vegetables/fruits?
As a general rule, I prefer homemade food prepared with love. I can adjust the ingredients too.
#33
Everything. A good home cook can absolutely destroy anything you can eat out.
One exception might be sushi.
Kathy Richardson 8 months ago
I only go out for food that I don't know how to cook myself such as ethnic foods. For American food, I know my cooking is better than any restaurants so I don't pay just to be disappointed.
Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
Or if the cost of getting the ingredients and materials far outweighs the cost of paying for it at a restaurant (not to mention the time involved in making it yourself) - plus you usually can't buy just enough for one meal, so then you have leftover ingredients, spices, etc...yeah.
Load More Replies... #34
Nachos so loaded you need a fork, not where I can count the pieces of toppings, have to search for cheese and wonder what the hell I'm paying $20 for.
Brian Droste 8 months ago
I already made this comment further up the post. If there is a Mexican restaurant near by, try a Mexican restaurant nachos.
#36
Sugar cookies. Especially when they are hot out of the oven.
#37
Oxtail. Everywhere I’ve tried it at a restaurant has been a rubbery disgusting mess. But when my buddy gave me some his own it was literally the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life and now I make it myself and it’s literally the best thing ive ever made or eaten in my life.
Barbara Turner 8 months ago
Put oxtails in a slow cooker with some garlic, beef broth and tomato paste, a few grinds of pepper and a bay leaf. Alllllll day.
Scott Rackley 8 months ago
Oxtail is now over $15 a pound, and I love braised oxtail. Got the recipe from a restaurant in Macon, GA named Tropical Flava.
#38
I rarely get really good french fries in restaurants and cafes. Seems like they just dip it into the oil just long enough to get hot. I like my fries nice and tan.
Pernille 8 months ago
Go to Belgium, I've never had a disappointing frite in Belgium, and I've made it a point to study the subject:)
Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
This. And I don't know about any other places, but in the several I ate, they were perfect, and even better, there were free refills. I'll take that over drink refills (which unlike in the US, are not free) any day.
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Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
I made homemade french fries and I have never had french fries as good as that. I did the whole lightly boil them and the 3x fry technique. Uh, just, uh!!!
Undercover 8 months ago (edited)
You don't need to boil them, you can just cook them raw. Heavenly, and they're never soggy!
Load More Replies... Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
Any good restaurant that makes homemade fries will do the twice fry thing. The ones that don't are very disappointing. Of course most big chains get the fries frozen, pre-blanched. A lot of places I ask for them "extra crispy" to get even remotely normal.
Lisbeth Guz 8 months ago
Maybe because most of them are frozen? Fresh cut potatoes are definitely better
#39
Left overs.
#40
Definitely home cooked food there’s something about food made at home from scratch, it’s got to be the love that is added while cooking, plus good seasoning that sometimes is missing from restaurants food items (like scrambled eggs I can never seem to get them from a restaurant with the salt & pepper cooked right into the egg)not to mention you can prepare the food just the way you want it to taste where at a restaurant you would have to do some special ordering and it never seems to turn out right or taste just right. It is definitely home cooked meals for me.
Brian Droste 8 months ago (edited)
I used to try to order cooked eggs with salt and pepper on them. The cook could not get it right so I quite requesting salt and pepper when cooked. Will put salt and pepper on them when they come out but still not the same when I cook them at home and can salt and pepper them while they are cooking.
#41
I would add soups, stews and a few sauces to this answer for several reasons.
They can be very labor or time intensive. (Remember that scene in some mafioso movie where the guy is slicing garlic with a razor blade? or Who hasn’t wished for an Italian Grandmother?)
They seem to be better the 2nd day like some of the other dishes mentioned. The flavors have time to meld (same with the Calzones we made the other night, add those)
They can be custom made to your taste.
They can even use some ingredients difficult to source (like your garden)
For example, I have never had French Onion Soup at a restaurant, even in France, better than my own. I take a lot of care in caramelizing the onions. It was made to my son’s taste and uses a suspended crouton with a lot of Kaltbach (Cold river cave aged) Swiss Gruyere, a cheese very difficult to find at a restaurant.
Not to mention the homey comfort food factor…
#42
Eggs! Diners cook them fast which is why they often aren’t fluffy, and at a high heat so that they have that brown tinge. same for bagel stores, delis etc. (Granting you go to these places for convenience, but the question asks about better home cooked food not speed or ease). If you cook your eggs at a low heat, and slower, they come out much better. it comes with my seal of approval which is worth millions.
#43
It depends on the ingredients and the cook, of course, but in general, basically everything tastes better when it is homemade.
Edda Kamphues 8 months ago
My kids prefer my homemade hollandaise over any kind they ever had at a restaurant.
OpheliaPoe 8 months ago
I used to work in a restaurant where people raved about our hollandaise. The secret, it was bought from the same big food distributor every restaurant in town uses. It came in a bag. Probably every hollandaise sauce in town was exactly the same. It may very well be that way where you are too, you can try 10 restaurants and get the exact same sauce at every one.
Load More Replies... #44
At the most basic level, jacket potatoes which are rubbish when not cooked at home in an oven.
Bacon Tentacles 8 months ago
I was in my 40's when I discovered the joy of a true British jacket potato (being an American). We've been cooking them way too short a time in the states. When we did them for a couple of hours and got a truly crunchy skin - Oh. My. GAWD.
UKGrandad 8 months ago
Jacket potatoes *are* baked potatoes, and were being cooked long before the microwave came along. The difference between jacket and roast is that roast potatoes are cooked with oil or fat. A good baked potato has a delicious crispy skin, something that cannot be replicated in a microwave.
Load More Replies... #45
Spaghetti.
Pernille 8 months ago
Some of these people must live where the restaurants are really crappy, I've eaten really good pasta dishes in many restaurants.
Pencil 8 months ago
I agree. I know I'm a really good cook but, for real, I'm from NYC and restaurant chefs are trained professionals. They have not just training but exponentially more experience not to mention professional equipment and entire teams preparing a meal. But I've been to restaurants where just about everything they served was purchased frozen or canned. Including, one time, an entire pot roast. From a can. Gelatinous muck gravy and all. Which they tried to tell me was roast beef. Still the best restaurant in that town.
Load More Replies... OpheliaPoe 8 months ago
The worst is going to an Asian restaurant, ordering Lo Mein or another noodle dish and they give you spaghetti noodles. This has happened to me more than once in different parts of the US.
#46
Chilli. At least in the UK, restaurant chilli is almost ALWAYS way too watery, flavourless & tomatoey.
#47
Collard greens.
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
This, like anything I've never eaten before is something I would like to have cooked for me (hopefully well) before I try cooking it myself, so I know what it's supposed to taste like. I remember when I was living with my brother and he was in his traditional Mexican cooking phase he made cornbread and it was so sweet we couldn't eat it, but we still don't know if it was meant to be like that or he used the wrong ingredients or something because we had never had it before.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
My friend in Illinois sent me the seeds to grow collards, and the recipe to cook them. I can well imagine that a decent home cook would be a better bet than a restaurant.
Load More Replies... #50
”chitranna" is better taste food for south Indians.. Bcoz its tempering cooked with traditional ingredients like Mustard,dals,nd pea nuts, perking it up with onions and coconuts and flavoring it with lemon juice.the crunch of peanuts and coconut ensures a good balanced of texture and taste.you will surely enjoy this easy and convenient recepie.And it having other name called as yellow rice. It takes only 15 minutes for cooking by using ingredients.... By taking of 3 cups of cooked rice, 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsbp of mustard seeds,2 tsbp of urad Dal,3 tsbp of raw peanuts, 2 whole dry red chillies,4 to 5 curry leaves,1/4cup of chopped onions,1/4 tsbp of hinguva, 1/4 cup of grated coconut,1/2tbsp of lemon juice... Coming to preparation it's very easy to prepare firstly we should head the oil in a deep pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal,chana dal and raw peanuts ND saute it for 2 minutes, add the chillies ND onions and saute for 1 minute,nd add turmeric powder,hinguva ND coconut ND saute again for 1 minute ND finally add the cooked rice and mixed it gently ND again mix curry leaves for garnish….nd then finally it got a better taste by cooked on home.
#53
It’s not cooking, but tea. Unless you’re in the UK where they do it right. I never drink tea outside of home in Canada and I can only imagine the US would be even worse.
Science Nerd 8 months ago
The only tea worth drinking out is from Chinese restaurants. Even the English Tea rooms in the U.S. don’t get it right.
Sapna Sarfare 8 months ago
Tea made in India is amazing.. I prefer it with milk but it should be strongly brewed with not too milkiness.. its a good kick
Jihana 8 months ago
I like chai from Indian, Tibetan or Nepalese restaurants. I never get it right at home.
Sapna Sarfare 8 months ago
Try making it at home.. add a bit of ginger.. amazing
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 8 months ago
Even in Australia, all they do is chuck a teabag in hot water and give you milk on the side in most cafes. If you are lucky you might get tea brewed from leaves in the pot, but the places that do that are few and far between. Yet the price is usually similar despite what you are presented with.
#54
Steak! A good steak is expensive to begin with, it’s even worse when you go to restaurant.
Through trial and error I have managed to get really good at cooking at steak, and I dare say that mine is equal to, if not superior to most steakhouses I have been to.
My go to steak choice is a Chuck Eye.
Just look at that marbling!
This steak is found between the Rib and the Chuck portion of a cow, which limits you to generally two portions per cow. It has the same tenderness as a ribeye, it has the same flavor of a ribeye, it is just as juicy as a ribeye, but you rarely see it on a menu, and it costs half as much as a ribeye does at the grocery store.
I can cook up two of these beauties for around $9–12, which makes it a very economical cut to prepare……if you can find it. I generally only see one or two of these steaks a week at my local grocery, and thankfully it seems that I am the only one who knows how good they are.
Kelly H. Wilder 8 months ago
Chuck eye is a gift from the heavens. It is my absolute favorite cut of steak. I prefer it to ribeye, NY strip, or even filet mignon any day.
Lady Eowyn 8 months ago
This is what I'm looking for on my next shopping trip, I've never heard of this cut.
Load More Replies... #55
Pb and jelly sandwich.
Huddo's sister 8 months ago (edited)
I have a question- when I was young I was told the jelly in PB&J was what we call jam in Australia (compared to the jelly which is usually referring to what is jello in the US). Does it have fruit pulp/seeds, or is it strained like jelly is in Australia? Also, what flavour jelly, I've always assumed it would be raspberry, probably because that's the most popular jam here, but in cartoons it's often depicted as purple?
Pencil 8 months ago
In the US, jelly is made from only the fruit juice, jam is made from pureed whole fruits and preserves are made from crushed fruits and jam. All three are thickened with pectin. I think the most popular in the US for a PB&J is grape jelly. I prefer raspberry preserves which are also very common. Jello is an entirely different thing. It's just gelatin flavored with, typically artificial, fruit flavors and is usually served as a cheap dessert.
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#58
Everything is better cooked at home, I am spending most of my life eating away from home due to my job and now I am sick of it, I miss my wife's and mother's food.
#59
Forever and always. Alfredo Pasta. They are expensive & in less quantity when you order in restaurants so I prefer cooking at home.
#60
Pretty much everything. If I eat something from a restaurant, it's because I too far from home to wait, and I'm hungry, or I'm too busy or too tired to cook. Or didn't have time to cook before I left home. Occasionally I eat out with friends, but it's more because of the social aspect than the food.
Since Covid I haven't gone inside a restaurant. I have picked up drive-through a few times, after I was vaccinated.
#61
Bagels and cookies. If you say one or both is not, you're wrong.
#62
Every food. A Mother's/Wife’s touch, surpasses the very questionable method of mass cooking in hotels/restaurants
Change of taste is one thing; taste is another
Science Nerd 8 months ago
Sexist. In my family, the men are almost as good cooks as the women, although much of my learning did come from my mother.
Jihana 8 months ago
My father is a pretty good cook. He doesn't do elaborate stuff, but he has about two dozen recipes that are really awesome. Roast chicken with chestnut-honey-stuffing, lentil stew, pork roast and especially soups.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 8 months ago
Utter rot. There are some devoted mothers/wives out there whose cooking is underwhelming to say the least.
Auntriarch 8 months ago
My grandad could only make egg and chips, but I've never had better
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Ace 8 months ago
Very disappointing list, and I'm very disappointed to find so many people who apparently have never eaten in a decent restaurant.
Pernille 8 months ago
Exactly, these people must be eating in the wrong places.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 8 months ago
Once you achieve a certain level of good home cookery, it becomes difficult to eat out without thinking why did I bother. But that's not to say it's impossible. There are dishes I wouldn't choose in a restaurant, but that's not because I can do better so much as because I can do the same for a third of the price. So it's got to be something I can't do. Which is a pretty broad category!
Sapna Sarfare 8 months ago
Indian food.. restaurants will serve just a small part of Indian cuisines that is mostly food from North. Indian cuisine is so vast that you can make a new dish each day and not get tired. The best part is no use of additives or maida (refined flour). It is healthy without too much oil and extremely tasty. To all the BP readers, try Maharashtrian food if you want ultimate healthy Indian meals
B Jones 8 months ago
Generally I just look for things I wouldn't cook at home. Things that take a lot of prep or messy cooking like fries foods. Whenever I eat strleak out I'm like I spent 60.00 70.00 on this steak but could have done it at home for 25.00 with a good tender steak. Was it really that much better?
Lisbeth Guz 8 months ago (edited)
As an amateur baker, I've realised the better I get the pickier I become. I now can tell more easily when baked goods are fresh or stale, even just by looking at them. I can't stand artificial flavours, poor quality products.
ElfVibratorGlitter 8 months ago
I make spätzle better than all but one restaurant I've tried in the US, and that's not really saying much. Kasespatzle is my comfort food and yeah. Otherwise, most restaurants can cook better than I can. I can bake though.
Victoria 8 months ago
I'm a vegetarian so that limits what I can eat out. I try to eat stuff I don't cook at home, and cuisines that require a stocked pantry. Chinese for example. Also I don't deep fry at home, so I like to get that when I eat out. But there are certain dishes, like a vegetarian chili, that I came up with; that I have never had better in restaurants.
Ace 8 months ago
Very disappointing list, and I'm very disappointed to find so many people who apparently have never eaten in a decent restaurant.
Pernille 8 months ago
Exactly, these people must be eating in the wrong places.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 8 months ago
Once you achieve a certain level of good home cookery, it becomes difficult to eat out without thinking why did I bother. But that's not to say it's impossible. There are dishes I wouldn't choose in a restaurant, but that's not because I can do better so much as because I can do the same for a third of the price. So it's got to be something I can't do. Which is a pretty broad category!
Sapna Sarfare 8 months ago
Indian food.. restaurants will serve just a small part of Indian cuisines that is mostly food from North. Indian cuisine is so vast that you can make a new dish each day and not get tired. The best part is no use of additives or maida (refined flour). It is healthy without too much oil and extremely tasty. To all the BP readers, try Maharashtrian food if you want ultimate healthy Indian meals
B Jones 8 months ago
Generally I just look for things I wouldn't cook at home. Things that take a lot of prep or messy cooking like fries foods. Whenever I eat strleak out I'm like I spent 60.00 70.00 on this steak but could have done it at home for 25.00 with a good tender steak. Was it really that much better?
Lisbeth Guz 8 months ago (edited)
As an amateur baker, I've realised the better I get the pickier I become. I now can tell more easily when baked goods are fresh or stale, even just by looking at them. I can't stand artificial flavours, poor quality products.
ElfVibratorGlitter 8 months ago
I make spätzle better than all but one restaurant I've tried in the US, and that's not really saying much. Kasespatzle is my comfort food and yeah. Otherwise, most restaurants can cook better than I can. I can bake though.
Victoria 8 months ago
I'm a vegetarian so that limits what I can eat out. I try to eat stuff I don't cook at home, and cuisines that require a stocked pantry. Chinese for example. Also I don't deep fry at home, so I like to get that when I eat out. But there are certain dishes, like a vegetarian chili, that I came up with; that I have never had better in restaurants.
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