Recipes

[mima]

On 3/5/2014 Beebee2 said: One of my pet peeves is people reviewing recipes, telling about all the changes they made to it, and then proclaiming it either awful or great. Is this the result of the American educational system or in spite of it, and how can you tell? This is a response to Mima's post.

Which post? The one that I said I always change recipes and they never come out the same? I can't figure out if you agree with me or not. LOL

[Tique]

On 3/5/2014 mima said:

On 3/5/2014 Beebee2 said: One of my pet peeves is people reviewing recipes, telling about all the changes they made to it, and then proclaiming it either awful or great. Is this the result of the American educational system or in spite of it, and how can you tell? This is a response to Mima's post.

Which post? The one that I said I always change recipes and they never come out the same? I can't figure out if you agree with me or not. LOL

I agree with you.

When I am looking for a recipe, I usually find two or three versions that sound like they might be good. I take a little from each one to make it my own. The first try is my "trial and error". I use it to refine - figure out what worked and didn't, which ingredients I needed to add more or less, etc. I try to make it again shortly after that, incorporating all the improvements. Then I write the recipe now and it becomes a part of my permanent repertoire.

[Beebee2]

On 3/5/2014 mima said:

Sometimes it's not the cookbook's or recipe's fault. My mom can take a wonderful recipe and screw it up every time.

I get kind of irritated sometimes. I will give her a recipe I love. She will make it and then will complain about "it wasn't done". Well, duh! Cook it longer. Or...."it had too much salt" then realizing she used one tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. She will ask for recipes from my daughter because she likes the dish so much. She will make it and say it didn't turn out good at all and she will never make it again. Never fails. I vowed to quit bragging about wonderful recipes to her.

Mima, this is the one I'm relating to.

[Beebee2]

On 3/5/2014 mima said:

Sometimes it's not the cookbook's or recipe's fault. My mom can take a wonderful recipe and screw it up every time.

I get kind of irritated sometimes. I will give her a recipe I love. She will make it and then will complain about "it wasn't done". Well, duh! Cook it longer. Or...."it had too much salt" then realizing she used one tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. She will ask for recipes from my daughter because she likes the dish so much. She will make it and say it didn't turn out good at all and she will never make it again. Never fails. I vowed to quit bragging about wonderful recipes to her.

Mima, this is the one I'm relating to.

[HarDee]

On 3/2/2014 Sooner said:

I checked out Pioneer WOman's Holiday cookbook, looked through it and can say there is no one recipe in there I would make. Some of the stuff I don't even consider a "recipe." It's just cooking.

Interesting. I got this book before the holidays and used several of the recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas and loved them. To each their own, I guess;0

[AuntG]

On 3/3/2014 VCamp2748 said:

For me, it's the opposite: just because somebody wrote a good recipe doesn't mean I can get it to come out that way!

You have a point. Sometimes recipes simply don't turn out.

[bunnylover]

I have to laugh about using cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta. I believe that Mary Beth is from Minnesota originally and I grew up there too. Everyone I knew used cottage cheese instead of ricotta in their lasagna. Most of us knew nothing about authentic italian cooking-all we knew is we liked it just the way it was. Minnesota cooks are known for good homecooking. That may or may not mean authentic, low calorie or gourmet! HA! I use ricotta now for my lasagna!

I've had very good results from the Pioneer Woman recipes as well as Trisha Yearwood's. The sad part is when an inexperienced cook tries a bad recipe, it can be very discouraging. At least with more experience, we usually know by looking at it if it will turn out great or at least pretty good!

[chickenbutt]

The first recipe I used as a model for my lasagne recipe was in Betty Crocker and it used cottage cheese. Well, that was the FIRST thing I changed out with my revisions, and when I wrote my own. I just don't see it. But I understand that others might like that. Ricotta is just sooooo much better, so it's worth a try.

[bbchic]

This is so true! I often just google a recipe and don't actually purchase many CB's anymore for that reason! We eat pretty simply, so a small amount of protein, veg, salad and sometimes a desert with fruit is the very typical meal.

sorry you didn't enjoy your meal - it takes time!

[whitedogs]

I am wondering about the new cookbook on advance order ""Eat What You Love Everyday"" by Marlene Koch. She has already written two others and I am wondering what everyone is thinking about them. They look good but are we ordering the new one?