Convenience Or Convention

With Thanksgiving kicking off the holiday cooking and baking season, it's time to ask the question, which is better?Convenience or convention. Do we use instant boxes of stuff or do we adhere to family traditions and make everything from scratch? it's basically a simple question of what works for you.

One of the most contentious holiday food fights is stuffing. Many families (including my own ) want homemade stuffing. Family recipes have more emotional weight. Sub in a store bought and it can be seen as a slight. However it is easier on the home chef to uses boxes of Stovetop Stuffing or Pepperidge Farms bread cubes, especially if there's a large crowd expected. Homemade stuffing is still good. You can make a mix of white and rye for something different, as well as throwing in walnuts , cranberries and spices.Store bought dressing can also be punched up as well with throwing in the same extras. This is true for rice dishes as well. Yes, you can make a tasty side pilaf by starting from scratch , yet if a packaged one, like Uncle Ben's or Rice-A-Roni  saves you time, then go for convenience. Some sides are better if they're made from scratch.This is definitely true for mashed potatoes and squash. To be honest both are easy to make and there's definitely a richer flavor with the homemade. Canned veggies like corn and green beans are fine. if you want in season veggies that have a fresh from the farm taste then go for stalked Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower.

What about the truly traditional foods like gravy and cranberry sauce. Homemade gravy is always the best .It has a purer flavor than the jarred or tinned kind. However the homemade does come with a caveat. Gravy can get very lumpy thanks to the addition of flour.If you're worried about this then try a flourless recipe and there are many. The main ingredient are the chopped giblets along with the neck bones along with the fat ,also a thickener. Do , however, have an extra jar for leftovers. Most of the gravy goes during the actual feast and then you're left with just turkey,Cranberry sauce  is another debatable issue.Many purists love to have freshly made sauce. The taste is indescribable, tart and sweet with a stinging freshness.There is one problem. Cranberries can be temperamental . They pop. They explode .Ocean Spray  has a good recipe that calls for gently cooking the berries for ten minutes. You can also zing it up with orange zest and fresh juice. However if you're rushed,then just get the canned.Slice it up and plate it with walnuts so it looks nice.


When you're a busy home chef it's easy to choose convenience over convention. Just remember that you will sacrifice flavor in some cases for ease. However do what ever ensures a stress free day of cooking and baking.