😫 The 17 Hardest Dishes to Make From Scratch

RECIPES    COOKING    DRINKING

Creating dishes made from scratch requires effort, skill, special ingredients, and, of course, time — which many of us don't have in excess. Often, made-from-scratch dishes demand lots of planning and patience. From ostensibly simple soups, to meals and desserts fit for royalty, the most challenging culinary dishes to make can be lofty for even highly trained chefs.

But don't be deterred — there is hope. Whether you're just getting started on your culinary adventures, or you know your way around the kitchen like the back of your hand, the dishes here will certainly elevate your skill. Of course, these aren't everyday meals — but having one or two up your sleeve for that perfect occasion isn't such a bad idea.

It's one of the first pieces of advice you learn when starting out as a home cook: Pre-heat the oven to the required temperature before you put the food in. After all, surely if a recipe says to cook something at a certain temperature for a particular length of time, then that's what you actually need to do?

Well, it turns out that bacon doesn't play by these rules. It's actually better to start cooking the meat in a cold oven, not a hot one.

Alcohol has been regarded as having medicinal qualities since ancient times, and during Prohibition, you could actually get a prescription for booze.

Tending to your homegrown herbs can present new opportunities to play with your food, including using the flowers that grow on the plants in new applications.

Giada De Laurentiis shocked the culinary world when she left The Food Network in 2023, and now we finally know what was behind her decision to call it quits.

Ina Garten isn't afraid to bring out store-bought staples for delicious dishes in a flash, and these three ingredients are always ready to go in her freezer.