Crumbled Halloumi, Plum & Tomato Salad
An ideal autumn salad while plums and tomatoes are still on the market and tasty. Of course, halloumi is delicious at any time of the year.
As a devoted foodie, I love cooking, but that doesn’t mean I make everything from scratch. There are some foods I always buy for convenience, while others I prefer to make because they taste better, suit my dietary needs, or help me reduce food waste. The decision to buy or make depends on various factors:
Quality – Making it yourself ensures you know exactly what goes into your food.
Dietary Requirements – Controlling ingredients allows you to tailor foods to your specific needs.
Quantity – Some items make more sense to buy in small portions rather than produce large batches.
Time vs. Reward – If making something takes significant time with little added benefit, I’ll opt for store-bought.
Some items, like mayo, are a no-brainer to buy if you need a quick shortcut, but when it comes to stock, I love making my own. Chicken and veggie stocks are easy to throw together with scraps saved in the freezer, while prawn stock is a fantastic, quick way to use up leftover shells and heads.
Other pantry staples like breadcrumbs and granola are worth making at home. Stale bread transforms into crispy breadcrumbs, while homemade granola lets you control sweetness and customize it to your taste.
Then there are things like pastry—I don’t have the patience to make puff or filo, but shortcrust? Absolutely worth the effort for pies and tarts.
For preserved foods, pickles and jams are great homemade options, especially when you have surplus fruit or veggies. They also allow you to experiment with unique flavor combinations that you won’t find in stores.
As for pasta, store-bought is convenient, but when I’m in the mood for a meditative cooking session, making fresh pasta from scratch is a rewarding process—especially for filled varieties like ravioli or tortelloni.
DIY Tinned lentils are always overcooked and too mushy. Lentils should still be a little nutty when you cook them. You can cook a larger quantity than required and freeze in smaller portions.
BUY tinned chickpeas, cannellini, black beans, red kidney beans as they are so convenient
DIY Uses up crusts/stale bread and minimises food waste
BUY Panko, a particular type of Japanese breadcrumb that delivers a grat crunch.
DIY Better value for money and you can easily tailor it to your specific tastes
DIY you’ll end up with a better quality product at a comparable cost and you can adjust sweetness/cocoa content to your personal preference
DIY when you’re looking for mayo with main character energy
BUY when needing a shortcut for sauces/dips
DIY when you’re looking for mayo with main character energychicken and vegetable – bones/veg offcuts can be kept in the freezer until you accumulate enough to make stock. Prawn stock is quick to make and again keep shells & heads in freezer until needed. Just make sure you fry the shells off to acheive a deeply coloured, rich stock.
BUY veal stock as veal bones are not common to purchase and yet the resulting stock is a delicious, more delicate version of beef stock)
DIY Keeping a roll of dough in the freezer means fresh cookies on demand in mere minutes
DIY If you want a meditative kitchen session and have a pasta machine, try making tagliatelle, ravioli, tortelloni, etc.
BUY I’d be lying if i said I never bought dry pasta. It’s so convenient for quick meals
DIY Shortcrust styles as it’s simple, doesn’t require any special equipment and is delicious. I tend to always have some in the freezer ready for pie emergencies. They happen more often than you think.
BUY finer style pastry such as puff, filo, kataifi
DIY Almost too easy to make plus helps lower any food waste
DIY Great if fruit is free or cheap but also create your own unique flavours with hard-to-buy fruits
DIY Always, always homemade in this house. It’s ridiculously easy and much tastier
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to deciding what to buy or make. It’s all about balancing convenience, quality, and personal preference. Some things are worth the effort, while others simply aren’t. The key is knowing what fits into your cooking style, schedule, and taste preferences. For me, making food from scratch is about more than just taste—it’s about creativity, control, and the satisfaction of knowing exactly what’s in my food.
What about you? Are there foods you always make from scratch or swear by store-bought versions?
An ideal autumn salad while plums and tomatoes are still on the market and tasty. Of course, halloumi is delicious at any time of the year.
Australia has entered its flatbread era and honestly, it just makes sense. These unpretentious, wildly versatile breads tick all the boxes.
I’m on a mission for everyone to realise how brilliant sausages are in terms of flavour and tenderness when it comes to dinner shortcuts.