Want something fun to do indoors when the temperatures dip and the sun’s hiding? Grab your apron and head to the kitchen to make the ingredients that make the meal.
By Jamie Dillon

Anymore, there’s just no excuse for being a crummy cook.

It’s nearly impossible to channel surf without stumbling upon a bright-eyed, whisk-waving chef espousing tips and tricks to make a to-die-for meal with just a few minutes and handful of ingredients.

Recipes once relegated to tattered cookbooks, wrinkled and weathered from years of being spilled on, wiped clean and spilled on again, are just a mouse-click away. The general worry of wondering about the eventual outcome of even the most complicated menu is gone, thanks to online ratings and reviews that permit opinionated postings and suggestions on how to enhance the original recipe or trim calories, time or money.

So now that we’re all pros at getting a good dinner on the table – or at least have ample access to the information to guide us – what’s the next challenge?
 
How about this: Instead of just making a meal, what about making the ingredients that make the meal?

Sure, you can make lasagna, but what about making the ricotta that goes in it? How about giving your burger a boost with homemade mustard and ketchup?

There’s no denying that from scratch is better – better tasting, better on the budget and better for you since you probably don’t have hard-to-pronounce and often hard-to-stomach preservatives, flavorings and additives in your pantry.

There’s a certain satisfaction, too, that comes in making something you’ve spent a lifetime putting on a grocery list – and making it suit your palette better than Francis French or Henry Heinz can.
 
If you find yourself needing a little ego boost – or just want something to do indoors when the temperatures dip and the sun’s hiding, grab your apron and head to the kitchen with these quirky kitchen ideas. Recipes abound online, so surf and scout the ones that work for you. Use this list instead for inspiration and a few pointers along the way.

Rock the Reuben
If your refrigerator is where leftovers go to die, then this culinary creation is for you.

Even the most novice cook can make sauerkraut, which translated from German means – to no surprise – “sour cabbage.” With a few minutes, two simple ingredients (cabbage and salt), a vessel to stuff them in and the inclination to cover it up and forget about it, you’ll have this crisp, crunchy and pungent must-have ingredient for the perfect Reuben sandwich in about six weeks – give or take.

There are plenty of recipes for making one jar at a time, but because of its long shelf life and the low cost of cabbage, there’s no reason not to whip up several jars’ worth at once.

The trick here is to not be lured to buy an expensive crock at high-end kitchen stores. Instead, check with your local hardware store; most carry ceramic crocks for a fraction of the cost. www.evansbuildingcenter.com

Say Cheese
Ricotta takes less precision and fewer ingredients than mozzarella, but each are easy to make and relatively hard to mess up. In fact, if you’ve ever accidentally curdled milk while heating it, you’ve been well on your way to making these fresh, white cheeses that are a must for lasagna and other classic Italian dishes.

Some recipes call for a thermometer and cheese cloth; some opt for less stringent instructions.  For ricotta, chances are you have the ingredients on hand already. Most mozzarella recipes require rennet (liquid enzymes) and citric acid, a natural preservative. Find rennet at the Albertson’s on Eagle and State Street and the Boise Co-Op. The Boise Co-Op also carries citric acid, but you can try your hand at substituting lemon juice – or find a recipe that calls for buttermilk.

Pass the Mustard
Perk up any picnic with homemade condiments.

Stone-ground mustards take just a few minutes to throw together, and you can tailor the taste and texture of this low-calorie condiment to your liking. Starting with a base recipe of mustard seeds, vinegar, white wine and shallots, mustard can get a kick from horseradish and garlic or can sweeten up or mellow out with honey. Because of its antibacterial nature, homemade mustards keep for weeks.

Tip: Make sure your blender, food processor or immersion blender’s blades are sharp, because the seeds take time to grind. Yellow’s more mellow than its brown counterpart. Head to the spice aisle of almost any grocery store to find the whole seeds alongside the ground version. Look in the bulk food section for added savings or to buy en masse.

Ketchup takes more time and a bit more finesse, but it all comes down to simmering and straining a simple mixture of tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and spices like pepper and allspice. Like the zippy condiment it usually shares a bun with, its base recipe allows plenty of room to make it your own.
 
Not tomato season? The tried-and-true tomato base can take a back seat to other fruits and vegetables like blueberries, cherries, bananas, mushrooms and chilies.