Monday, February 3, 2014

A Year of Making Everything The Experiment Begins

Before there were mega marts, and the internet, before there were convenience stores and warehouse clubs, our grandparents and great grandparents would make everything that they would use on a daily basis. The pantry was the place that you would find these things and they would have been put up months in advance. In short, life was a lot harder, but without that struggle I think we have lost the understanding of what goes into making these food items.

We have also lost sight of what we are putting in our bodies on a daily basis. I have a friend that has several children, and when asked if she thought she was a good mother she said,”Yes!”. In her defense, she has more than 2 school aged children. So she tends to rely on prepackaged lunches or school meals to feed the children during the day, which is not unusual these days. What surprises me is if you ask any mother “Would you allow a total stranger, with no references to care for your child for a day?” any sane person would say NO! But strangely, we allow big food companies and government programs that get their food from the lowest bidder to do just that. If we don't know what is in it and how it is made why do we eat it? I'm not advocating bringing down the food companies or becoming a hunter/gathering society, I like my bar food like the next man. But what I am saying is, why have we lost track of the skills that we use to use on a daily basis?

The intended purpose of this experiment is two fold,

  1. To make items that I would normally buy thus increasing my culinary knowledge and skills.
  2. To find ways of saving money, reducing waste, and understanding how our grandparents and great grandparents did things

What is not included ( easier than listing what is included)

  1. Extruded pasta and pastas that require special equipment. (couscous comes to mind)
  2. Cured meat ( some possible exception exist)
  3. Wine (I've never had a good homemade wine)
  4. Beer (I will be brewing some beer)
  5. Spirits
  6. Vegetables (I have no room for a garden)
  7. Meat (if I have no room for a garden I don't have room to raise livestock)
  8. Cleaning supplies and soap
  9. Some condiments (Mayo comes to mind, I don't trust raw eggs)
  10. Spices (Do I need to explain this one)
  11. Cheese (also possible exceptions exist)
  12. Butter ( there is no money to be saved making butter)
  13. Fruit
  14. Dairy
  15. Soda
  16. Cooking oils
  17. Cereal
  18. Basic canned goods (beans, tomatoes, vegetables, tomato paste, etc)
  19. Grains

This list unfortunately is not all inclusive, I will add to or take away from this list as my research evolves. ( I have already discover that couscous might be able to be made at home)

So what does all this mean? If I want to have a sandwich I have to bake bread. If I want potato chips I have to cut and fry them. If I want pasta for dinner I have to make it and the sauce, and finally if I want a salad I have to make the dressing and the croutons.

So this is were I start to learn. Yes, START to learn. I don't have all these skills either, that is the purpose of this experiment. So a list of skills and equipment that I currently possess is in order.


  1. I'm kind of a foodie and good cook.
  2. I have a good grasp of research.
  3. I have a friends and family that have some of the skills and knowledge that I lack.

  1. Working (if not ugly) kitchen
  2. Crock pot (everyone should have one or 3 )
  3. Freezer space although I think I might need more.
  4. A pantry and shelf space
  5. Decent cookware
  6. Working Appliances
  7. Cookbooks, family recipes and the Internet.

Now a list of skills I will need to learn.

  1. Canning
  2. Sausage making
  3. Bread making
  4. Pasta making
  5. Baking

Equipment that may be needed or improvised

  1. Canning supplies
  2. Pasta machine
  3. Smoker
  4. Containers

So how to proceed? Slowly. I currently have a stocked pantry with some items on the prohibited list, so when they are gone I will have to find ways to make them. This means that I will have to plan weekly meals. I have a large collection of cookbooks and the internet to find resources. Planning is going to be key to prevent myself from doing something easy. I have found weekly meal planners on line, so I see no reason to reinvent the wheel on this one. Shopping will be done on a weekly basis, and I have several markets and butchers that I intend to use. This will allow me to have a wide selection of sources to get the item I will need to make the thing I have to make.

I guess at this point you are asking a question, or maybe a whole lot of questions. The first would be “ Is this guy mad?” . Well I would say that I not so much crazy as …......... Okay I'm crazy. I'm mad as a hatter. This project is meant to be a challenge in a challenge-less life. I wanted something that would be difficult but obtainable. If this sound like something that interests you, I invite you to follow me ( At least in reading) and try to understand what we have lost. It's going to be a long year.

1 comment:

  1. This sounds interesting Mike. This could lead to happier and healthier life style by knowing exactly what is in the food your eating. Please, post recipes that you use. Tom Kelly