Do you primarily cook from scratch/recipes?

Contributor: unfulfilled unfulfilled
Now that I'm older and have learned to cook from recipes, I primarily only cook from a recipe. However, when I was in my 20's and didn't know how to cook we ate primarily processed food out of a box or can. I was wondering who cooked their meals and who relied on boxes and cans.
Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):
Yes I mostly cook from recipes
Antipova , SMichelle , wetone123 , Starkiller87 , Yaoi Pervette (deleted) , Diabolical Kitty , domsub1993 , The Curious Couple , A Closet Slut (aka nipplepeople) , Nora , EJ , chenault , ConnerJay , Discreet Lover , mpfm , Missmarc , sexy19364 , Howells , RevekaRoux , Mike Honcho , geliebt , interestingstuff , Shellz31 , LilMissSub , eeep , allinonekid , Fun with Dick & Jane , ellejay , mlgrant , pootpootpoot , Mwar , Secret Pleasure , Faeya , GONE! , ghalik , Rory , rosythorn , Trysexual , SneakersAndPearls , no longer here , xMila , sunkissedJess , Alyxx , hot lil momma , Bethy Cassatt
45  (48%)
No I do not cook from recipes, I rely on processed food from cans or boxes
Ivy Wilde
1  (1%)
Sometimes I cook from a recipes
Valentinka , padmeamidala , darthkitt3n , allybee , Kkay , Sweet-Justice , LilLostLenore , ZenaidaMacroura , lacybutton , Rachel K , Squeaky , bluidbomsh3ll , Breas , Drakoni , SiNn , zeebot , Jasco , idunshire , loveshocks , biancajames , hillys , sexxxkitten , VelvetDragon , TakeHimAway , Melan!e , ZZ , Wolfenisa , AliMc , Thinkingman
29  (31%)
I don't cook from recipes or from a box/can I go out to eat all the time
Neotigress
1  (1%)
Other
AndroAngel , Peggi , Rossie , livingadnauseum , SilverIsis , NaughtyNikkie , Lucky21 , js250 , married with children , Vaccinium , oldman , Sunshineamine , badk1tty , DeliciousSurprise , Darklyvan , toxie m , Do-Re-Mi
17  (18%)
Total votes: 93
Poll is closed
10/16/2011
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Contributor: AndroAngel AndroAngel
I almost always cook from scratch, but I only use recipes about half the time, the other half, I experiment and create my own recipes.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Valentinka Valentinka
Sometimes I cook from recipes and sometimes I create my own
10/16/2011
Contributor: darthkitt3n darthkitt3n
It depends on how much money I have. Creating something completely from scratch costs a lot more than putting a few boxed and canned things together. I do like to get a little creative with the boxed stuff, though.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Kkay Kkay
Cooking from scratch doesn't require a recipe.

I started with a recipe book and a lot of gusto. Over time I learned. What certain spices tasted like, what amounts to use them in, how things are together, what I wanted from it. I learned the basics of recipes and picked up technique as I went along.

These days, I'll consult a recipe only infrequently. If I am making something new, or baking, then I'll look around. If I'm just cooking, though, I don't need a list- I can make a white wine sauce with my eyes closed, by this point.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
I'm with AndroAngel and Kkay---I only infrequently use recipes (like if I'm baking something I've never tried before). But all of my cooking is from scratch (I'll eat packaged cereal and store-bought peanut butter sometimes, but not too much else). It's so much more fun to do for yourself!

If you're looking for new recipes or ideas, come check out Eden Cooks tomorrow! (8pm Eastern!) link
10/16/2011
Contributor: Rossie Rossie
I don't follow recipes, but I usually do cook from scratch most of the time. I also use canned or frozen products in my cooking, when I want to save time and effort, it's not all bad.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Starkiller87 Starkiller87
I always get a lot of recipes from my boyfriends mother, who is an excellent cook. So I cook from recipes. I've never been a fan of precooked or boxed foods.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Hot 'N Sexy TexasMama Hot 'N Sexy TexasMama
We've shared our favorite family recipes with Betty Crocker, Sara Lee and so many others. It makes it much easier to make quick meals.

Seriously though, I don't use a lot of recipes because I Like to put together things off the top of my head.
10/16/2011
Contributor: Sweet-Justice Sweet-Justice
Sometimes a recipe, but only if I have time.
10/16/2011
Contributor: livingadnauseum livingadnauseum
I mostly cook, but I rarely use a recipe (located on a box or otherwise). I'll only ever pull a recipe up if I don't know how to make what I'm craving. Like the time I made elephant ears!
10/16/2011
Contributor: Yaoi Pervette (deleted) Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
I cook from scratch. Most of my "recipes" are family ones, things I learned to cook from watching my mom. I don't even have measurements for the ingredients, I just know how much is enough by eyeballing the amounts.

I have also used recipes from books and magazines, and I tend to keep the ones that turn out well.
10/16/2011
Contributor: LilLostLenore LilLostLenore
Quote:
Originally posted by Valentinka
Sometimes I cook from recipes and sometimes I create my own
agreed. this yr will be my first at my very own apartment with my husband and baby first yr making my own turkey. I hope it turns out good.
10/16/2011
Contributor: domsub1993 domsub1993
I like to cook from scratch and modify recipes.
10/16/2011
Contributor: lacybutton lacybutton
Quote:
Originally posted by domsub1993
I like to cook from scratch and modify recipes.
I do the same. When I'm cooking something new, I usually follow the recipe with occasional modifications if I know it won't screw it up. If it's a recipe I've used before, I may modify then as well. A recipe is a good base to work from.
10/16/2011
Contributor: The Curious Couple The Curious Couple
I cook from recipes most of the time, but I sometimes create my own!
10/16/2011
Contributor: SilverIsis SilverIsis
I like to use recipes, but more as jumping off points then following exactly as written. Most times its to make the recipe healthier, such as supplementing brown rice syrup for sugar or using chicken or tofu in a recipe that calls for red meat. Other times I am looking to put an interesting twist on things like making homemade marshmallow fondant that i bruleed the top of of for my smore's cupcakes instead of using the marshmallow frosting that it called for. I would like to make more things completely form scratch, but living by myself and having a limited income I don't have the luxury to create too many disasters in the kitchen.
10/16/2011
Contributor: unfulfilled unfulfilled
I think I'm going to have to take lessons from you guys, you all seem to be very good at cooking.
10/17/2011
Contributor: Rachel K Rachel K
I like playing with recipes, but I also like going "mad scientist" in the kitchen.

What I like about recipes? They can help me pick up new techniques or try something I would not have otherwise known how to make. I made an AMAZING apple tart tartin that Anne Burrell posted on foodnetwork.com a while back. I love her! She's a great chef to learn from, and her recipes are really entertaining to read.

But scratch is a chance to play, experiment, and get messy. I had some pecans that weren't getting consumed any time soon, so I ground those up with some rosemary and encrusted a porkloin. That may have rocked.
10/17/2011
Contributor: NaughtyNikkie NaughtyNikkie
I'm an all of the above type girl. My kids like crap, I myself like good food that takes hours to make, hubby likes to go out
10/17/2011
Contributor: Lucky21 Lucky21
It's pretty rare that I cook directly, step by step from a recipe. Usually I get ideas and I go from there.
10/17/2011
Contributor: Nora Nora
The don't make many (in fact none that I have found) pre-packaged, "boxed" dinners that are low-carb friendly, so I do most of our cooking from "scratch". Most of the time I just wing it and throw together something I know we like, but I also have a multitude of low-carb cookbooks that I cook from.

Tomato Soup from a Slow cooker is super simple and better than canned soup for sure! I even made my first ever successful Pot Roast the other night! Tonight is from a cookbook as well...Eggdrop Soup, done the low-carb way, of course. It really isn't a "soup" kind of night, but I'm restricted to fluids since I have surgery in the early AM!
10/17/2011
Contributor: js250 js250
I use recipies sometimes but primarily just make it up on the fly. I cook by taste, smell and what sounds good. 95% of the time it really works out - the rest the dog won't eat.
10/18/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
I cook from raw ingredients all the time. very few finished products being used in my house. But I do not use cookbooks. I use my own recipes all the time. If I am trying something I have never cooked before, I will use a recipe the first time, then modify it after that to suit my taste.
10/18/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
I never really learned how to cook, so I live out of boxes and cans mostly.
10/18/2011
Contributor: Vaccinium Vaccinium
I never cook from recipes. For me, cooking is a creative outlet, and cooking from recipes stifles that. It would be like enjoying painting, but only doing painting by numbers. I also never prepare the same dish in the same way twice, because changing things up might result in something even better.

I will admit that I do look at recipes occasionally for inspiration, but I don't follow the recipes at all. I will say, though, that recipes are definitely valuable to me for one reason - they give a good idea as to the cooking time needed for something to be done.
10/26/2011
Contributor: oldman oldman
I cook alot and like most seasoned cooks, I rarely use recipes. Pretty much the only time I use a recipe is for baking cake and cookie pastries. Baking utilizes several ingredients that undergo a chemical transformation and a measured amount of each ingredient is necessary. Its an occasion when the complete product is really dependant on every ingredient. Even a small amount of salt will alter a cake and contribute to the cake not rising well. Things like meat dishes, soups, salads and stews are always better when you read several recipes and wing it from there. In an Italian tomato sauce is great with a bit more of this and less of that. Add what you like, its always good.
10/27/2011
Contributor: Sunshineamine Sunshineamine
Most everything I make is from scratch and from my brain. I use recipes in baking where more precision is required though.
10/27/2011
Contributor: Discreet Lover Discreet Lover
I use recipes but I usually end up modifying them, putting my own spin on them.
10/28/2011
Contributor: mpfm mpfm
I voted recipe, but really I do whatever is most suited for that particular day. And I almost always modify recipes to our tastes or totally make something up.
10/29/2011