4 Homemade Foods That Are Totally Worth It
Molly Chester, co-author of Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook, explains just how easy it is to make from-scratch versions of some of our most-used kitchen staples.
By Lynn Andriani
![chicken stock chicken stock](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/2015/12/201511-orig-chicken-stock-2-949x534.jpg)
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Chicken Stock
A pot of stock simmering away on the stove will make your home smell wonderful and give you a serious sense of accomplishment, even though there's barely any work involved. Time is what makes a great stock. Chef, farmer and cookbook co-author Molly Chester suggests letting the broth—containing basic ingredients from bone-in chicken to carrots, celery and onion—simmer anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. You'll get about four quarts from this recipe, and it freezes well (pour the stock into one-quart containers, label and defrost as needed).
Get the recipe: Nourishing Chicken Stock
Get the recipe: Nourishing Chicken Stock
![Caesar Salad Dressing Caesar Salad Dressing](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/2015/11/201511-orig-caesar-dressing-949x534.jpg)
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Caesar Salad Dressing
Caesar dressing that you've made at home is going to taste worlds better than any bottled version: tangier, zippier and richer. And while raw egg yolk helps form a frothy emulsion and holds the other ingredients together, Chester says you can swap in Dijon mustard. Her 10-minute rendition manages to taste both light and indulgent.
Get the recipe: Caesar Salad Dressing
Get the recipe: Caesar Salad Dressing
![Yellow Mustard Yellow Mustard](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/2015/11/201511-orig-yellow-mustard-949x534.jpg)
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Yellow Mustard
Chester can't stress enough how nutritious homemade mustard is, compared to the ubiquitous ones at the supermarket. Her ingredient list includes the usual suspects—mustard seed, turmeric, salt, garlic and vinegar—plus one thing you don't often see listed on mustards: green-cabbage sauerkraut juice (she likes the liquid that comes with Farmhouse Culture's kraut). It contains beneficial bacteria that can aid digestion.
Get the recipe: Ballpark Yellow Mustard
Get the recipe: Ballpark Yellow Mustard
![almond milk almond milk](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/2015/11/201511-orig-almond-milk-949x534.jpg)
Photo: Yulia_Davidovich/iStock
Almond Milk
This nondairy milk is wildly popular, but if you want to know exactly what's in the beverage you’re pouring on your granola, you can't beat Chester's recipe. It includes just water, almonds, honey, vanilla and salt.
Get the recipe: Creamy Almond Milk
Get the recipe: Creamy Almond Milk
Published 11/30/2015