What did you cook or eat today (August 2024)

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karadekoolaid said:
I follow James Beard's advice:
"Just remember—it’s always a good idea to follow the directions exactly the first time you try a recipe. But from then on, you’re on your own."
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I generally do but don’t you just regret it when your looking at the quantity of something thinking “that doesn’t look right” but you decide as it’s the first time you’ll follow the recipe only to find out you were 100% right!

Happened to me just today. I thought hmm there’s no way I’d put that much lemon zest and juice in, so I reduced it by a third (because I could add more at the end if necessary) and goddam it was still far too much!
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I generally do but don’t you just regret it when your looking at the quantity of something thinking “that doesn’t look right” but you decide as it’s the first time you’ll follow the recipe only to find out you were 100% right!
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Yes, it's regrettable, but recipes are designed by individuals who will always impose their own taste profiles to a dish, for what ever reason, even when they say their recipes were tried and tested.
I can give you a few examples. Back 15 years ago when everyone was fawning over Hugh Fearnley-Dirtymac, I was sent a recipe for "Courgette Polpette". I love courgettes. Anyway; prepared the recipe exactly as stated. I've got the recipe in front of me and my comments were: "3/10. Dull, tasteless, poor seasoning".
My son's birthday was coming up and he said he wanted a Chocolate cake. I'm not a baker, but I try. My wife was travelling, so it was up to me. Enter Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Beetroot Cake. Never made a cake in my life ( this was about 10 years ago) but slavishly followed the instructions. Perfect, absolutely perfect.
Then, on the other side of the pond, there's a bloke called Kenji López-Alt, who graduated from MIT, and whose recipes are scientifically convincing, because he'll tell you that the melting point of granulated sugar, when exposed to ambient temperature, is exactly
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Divided by the amount of flour you first thought of. Very convincing - but if it tastes like cr*p, who cares?

I follow the recipe first, and then make the changes, because everyone's tastes are different.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Yes, it's regrettable, but recipes are designed by individuals who will always impose their own taste profiles to a dish, for what ever reason, even when they say their recipes were tried and tested.
I can give you a few examples. Back 15 years ago when everyone was fawning over Hugh Fearnley-Dirtymac, I was sent a recipe for "Courgette Polpette". I love courgettes. Anyway; prepared the recipe exactly as stated. I've got the recipe in front of me and my comments were: "3/10. Dull, tasteless, poor seasoning".
My son's birthday was coming up and he said he wanted a Chocolate cake. I'm not a baker, but I try. My wife was travelling, so it was up to me. Enter Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Beetroot Cake. Never made a cake in my life ( this was about 10 years ago) but slavishly followed the instructions. Perfect, absolutely perfect.
Then, on the other side of the pond, there's a bloke called Kenji López-Alt, who graduated from MIT, and whose recipes are scientifically convincing, because he'll tell you that the melting point of granulated sugar, when exposed to ambient temperature, is exactlyView attachment 116961
Divided by the amount of flour you first thought of. Very convincing - but if it tastes like cr*p, who cares?

I follow the recipe first, and then make the changes, because everyone's tastes are different.
Click to expand...
Agreed but sometimes I think it’s not individual taste, sometimes I’m convinced they cook by eye and then estimate how much of something they used so the recipes out due to a lack of precise measuring.

The MIT guy? Well science can explain why art works but it can’t make it.
 
We went to our favorite rib place several days ago. We always get a full rack each of baby back ribs because they are only $6 more than a half rack so we get another meal for $6. Craig ate his other half for brunch 1 day. I decided to pull the meat off my remaining ribs, which were about 2/3 of the rack, reheat with BBQ sauce and make sliders. Home fries and slaw on the side. Oh, Kings Hawaiian slider rolls.

20240804_181837.jpg
 
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