Hey pesto! What could be simpler than homemade? Photograph: Felicity Cloake
Shock and outrage! A supplier of supermarket pesto has been caught stinting on the ingredients. Stark Naked Foods' fresh pesto claimed it contained locally grown basil, Italian virgin olive oil and grana padano cheese. But when trading standards officers checked, they discovered cheap sunflower oil, Latvian cheese and Israeli basil. The company has been fined and faces a loss of business ? business that was founded on "a growing demand for fresh pestos".
Rising demand is not entirely surprising, given our penchant for anything that saves time, but it is quite depressing, given how easy pesto is to make (it boils down to sticking basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in a blender). How much more rewarding, how tastier the results ? creamier, fresher and nuttier. It's the same with stock. Why do people shell out on fresh stuff concocted by Heston for Waitrose when it's so easy and cheap to make? White sauce? You've got everything you need to hand.
There's a great scene in Allison Pearson's "having it all" novel I Don't Know How She Does It, where the protagonist "distresses" shop-bought mince pies for the school fair, arguably spending more time in the process than she would have making them in the first place. Mince pies are easy ? unless you're a purist and make your own mincemeat ? and using ready-to-roll pastry does not detract.
On the other hand, there are definitely some things that are best bought in. A friend asked me recently if the biscuits I had offered her were homemade. When I said not, she replied: "I thought not. They taste homemade but not by you. No offence!" None taken. I'm all for the likes of the Village Bakery doing the work on everything bar biscotti (easy), flapjacks (easy peasy) and macaroons (lemon squeezy).
And there are the branded products we just develop a taste for. My greatest extravagance, when I was a student, was Paul Newman salad dressing. There was a touch of Hollywood glamour to having your lettuce doused by a film star and, even when I tried adding celery seeds and ground turmeric to a blend of salt and vinegar, it didn't taste quite right. The same goes for Nutella. You can make hazelnut spread easily enough, but, for me, it lacks the spirit of Turin coffee shops ? or something!
On a seasonal theme, I'm not a huge fan of Christmas pudding ? all that stirring and simmering when you can buy them ready to go. My husband loves custard, Birds Eye or Sainsbury's Madagascan Vanilla on occasion, just as long as I don't attempt Mrs Beeton's recipe again and present him with eggy-tasting burned milk. Ditto mayonnaise ? eggs are hard to master!
Dips are hit and miss. Homemade tzatziki and guacamole are just as easy and tastier than their potted counterparts, but I've never bettered supermarket or deli hummus.
In the 1970s, I remember yoghurt-makers being all the rage, with disappointing results. I certainly wouldn't try that now, when there are nice-sounding people like Rachel to do it for you. Likewise, pasta ? making your own is for uber foodies ? it's a bit like using a printing press when there's ink jet.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/nov/16/homemade-v-shop-bought-food
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