Beware of recipes on the Internet

[bakechef]

Since my passion is baking, I tend to follow a recipe exactly, especially the first time. When I am looking to make something I compare multiple recipes for the same item to see if one of them looks out of whack. I also look for user reviews, although many reviews are ridiculous, the star rating helps you decide quickly whether or not the recipe is worth trying.

Cooking, I'm usually just looking for inspiration with online recipes, things that I may not have cooked before, or want to make better.

 

[CharlieD]

Internet is full of people who love self gratification. The other day I found the borscht recipe on YouTube. I know thing or two about Borscht. The recipe was at best mediocre. But the highlight of stupidity was the fact that guy was using bread knife to cut vegetables. And I could forgive that, if only he didn't recommend "a good knife like this" to cut everything.


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[Addie]

Internet is full of people who love self gratification. The other day I found the borscht recipe on YouTube. I know thing or two about Borscht. The recipe was at best mediocre. But the highlight of stupidity was the fact that guy was using bread knife to cut vegetables. And I could forgive that, if only he didn't recommend "a good knife like this" to cut everything.


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The first thing that would arouse my suspicion is if he didn't speak with a Russian accent. Like I keep saying, "If you want to make the very best, then go to the experts who make it for a living." Russians make Borscht for living. Not just to make a living. If you have an Irish accent and trying to tell me how to make Borscht, well.....

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The first thing that would arouse my suspicion is if he didn't speak with a Russian accent. Like I keep saying, "If you want to make the very best, then go to the experts who make it for a living." Russians make Borscht for living. Not just to make a living. If you have an Irish accent and trying to tell me how to make Borscht, well.....

I'm not French but make really good crepes, and eclairs, and French omelets, and most of the Mother Sauces.

You don't have to be from Russia to make good Borscht. But you do have to have a great recipe from someone who knows how to make it right, and we have that man in DC, right CharlieD?

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[licia]

I search the internet quite often looking for a recipe. I consider many recipes a starting place where I can add or take away some things. However, with baked goods, I consider them scientific and don't change the recipe - at least the first few times. After that I may change parts of it but not the crucial ones.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I search the internet quite often looking for a recipe. I consider many recipes a starting place where I can add or take away some things. However, with baked goods, I consider them scientific and don't change the recipe - at least the first few times. After that I may change parts of it but not the crucial ones.

I don't get it. I play with baking recipes just like I do with stove-top recipes. For instance, did you know that adding two extra tablespoons of cooking oil to your favorite cake recipe results in a more moist, and better textured cake? And how did I find that out; by playing with the recipe. On the other hand, I had a recipe for carrot cake that gave me a cake saturated by oil. I cut the amount of cooking oil in half and now have a moist, but not heavy carrot cake recipe.

And breads, I'm always experimenting with breads, adding different kinds of flours, nuts, extra vital wheat gluten, etc. Sometimes I'll take my mom's white bread recipe, which is delicious, and change it by making it half white, half whole wheat flour.

Have you ever taken a TNT pie crust recipe and added sugar and cinnamon to the crust ingredients? I have and the results were outstanding for that cherry pie.

And cookie recipes are taylor made for altering. Take that famous Toll House cookie recipe, and add just a little water, and you have a cake-like cookie instead of a flat, chewy cookie. DW loves the former, while some at out pot church pot lucks love the latter.

Another time, I made home made butterscotch syrup and used that in the Toll House recipe instead of butter and brown sugar. I tossed in fried bacon bits, and butterscotch chips. They were absolutely gobbled up.

Baking, as with all other kinds of cooking can be as creative as you want it to be. And if you really think about it, so can science. Proven laws were at one time theories, and tinkering, tests, and recording the end results of the tests, also know as experiments, proved the theory. So it is with baking. Sometimes, the theory doesn't work, sometimes you discover something wonderful. So, bring out you baking recipes, change them to your hearts content, and created new and wonderful baked goods.

My mother always told me not to play with my food. I told my kids to play with there food every chance they got, withing reason of course. When they were young kids, I gave them a novel way of eating a hot dog. They had milk shakes, with plastic straws. I showed them how they could use the straw to remove a plug of meat from the wiener, and suck it through the straw. We were stuck in the car waiting for DW to get done with her "I'll just be a minute." shopping, which usually took an hour or more. It kept the kids occupied with something new and novel. So go ahead, play with your food.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Addie]

Chief, I always add sugar to my pie crusts. I am not a big fan of pie crust, but without it, you have difficulty calling it pie. So by adding the sugar, it does add a bit of sweetness to match the pie. Otherwise it is just flour, fat and salt that has been moistened a bit. That sounds as bad as I find the taste to be. If I am making a Pumpkin Pie, I will add along with the sugar, a tsp. of Pumpkin Pie mix by McCormick. That really perks up the crust. I have also done the same with the crust for an Apple Pie.

 

[taxlady]

I take the same attitude as licia. When I (and probably licia) refer to baked goods in this context, pie crust and yeast bread don't count. It's the stuff where you have to be sure that the liquid, baking soda/baking powder, and acid elements balance. Get that wrong, and the cake or whatever won't rise correctly. Too many or few eggs, as well as the amount of fat can mess that up too.

 

[RPCookin]

My mother always told me not to play with my food. I told my kids to play with there food every chance they got, withing reason of course. When they were young kids, I gave them a novel way of eating a hot dog. They had milk shakes, with plastic straws. I showed them how they could use the straw to remove a plug of meat from the wiener, and suck it through the straw. We were stuck in the car waiting for DW to get done with her "I'll just be a minute." shopping, which usually took an hour or more. It kept the kids occupied with something new and novel. So go ahead, play with your food.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

I have to say that this is one thing I would not recommend to anyone, much less for kids. Sucking that piece of hot dog through a straw can turn it into a projectile and shoot it straight down the windpipe. It's a choking scenario just waiting to happen. There are safer ways to entertain bored kids.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have to say that this is one thing I would not recommend to anyone, much less for kids. Sucking that piece of hot dog through a straw can turn it into a projectile and shoot it straight down the windpipe. It's a choking scenario just waiting to happen. There are safer ways to entertain bored kids.

None of us choked. Adn there are different ways of sucking something through a straw. The way I do it, I use the back of my tongue to seal against the back of the hard palate. Then I lower my jaw to expand the space, thus creating a vacuum. This draw whatever it is that I'm trying to pull through the straw into my mouth, and eliminates the possibility of me taking liquids into my trachea. My kids do it the same way.

Placing your lips around one end of a straw, with the other end immersed in something that could go through it, and using the diaphragm to create the vacuum just invites problems.

Plus, that little plug of hot dog meat was very small and would not cause a serious obstruction, IMO.

That being said, I can see your point. As a teen, I was siphoning gas from my car, to use in my motorcycle. A good friend purposely laughed while I was doing it. I got a mouthfull of leaded gasolene, and nothing more. I made him siphon the rest of the gas. He said ok, but that I had to leave the garage. I waited about twenty seconds and burst out laughing. He swallowed gas and had to have his stomach pumped.

I had just assumed he would siphon with the same tongue-seal techique that I used. I was wrong. Fortunately, he's alive and well, and we laugh about our misadventures to this day.

Just because I seal off my throat when sucking, that doesn't mean that everyone does.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[bakechef]

I don't get it. I play with baking recipes just like I do with stove-top recipes. For instance, did you know that adding two extra tablespoons of cooking oil to your favorite cake recipe results in a more moist, and better textured cake? And how did I find that out; by playing with the recipe. On the other hand, I had a recipe for carrot cake that gave me a cake saturated by oil. I cut the amount of cooking oil in half and now have a moist, but not heavy carrot cake recipe.



Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

I see so many carrot cake recipes with 1 1/2 cups oil in them. I have a recipe that uses half that and is fantastic.




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[Addie]

I see so many carrot cake recipes with 1 1/2 cups oil in them. I have a recipe that uses half that and is fantastic.


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I have to admit that carrot cake is not one of my favorite cakes. And I love a bowl of cooked carrots mashed up with butter and salt. My sister used to make it all the time, and she had the same problem. Then someone gave her a new recipe with less oil and she thought she was in heaven. It always came out perfect for her. And I don't see how a cake with 1½ cups of oil can be healthy. Why not just pick up the jug and guzzle it down.

 

[RPCookin]

I have to admit that carrot cake is not one of my favorite cakes. And I love a bowl of cooked carrots mashed up with butter and salt. My sister used to make it all the time, and she had the same problem. Then someone gave her a new recipe with less oil and she thought she was in heaven. It always came out perfect for her. And I don't see how a cake with 1½ cups of oil can be healthy. Why not just pick up the jug and guzzle it down.

Since when does anyone make a cake for their health anyway? However, I agree that 1½ cups of oil is crazy. I looked up a couple of recipes and at least one had 3/4 cup and was still raved about for moistness.

 

[Addie]

Since when does anyone make a cake for their health anyway? However, I agree that 1½ cups of oil is crazy. I looked up a couple of recipes and at least one had 3/4 cup and was still raved about for moistness.

How true! That reminds me. I have to make the Hershey's "Death Cake" next week for the Pirate. My grandson named it the Death Cake, because if anyone touches even a crumb of it when I make one for him, he will get his fireman's hatchet and cut their hands off. Then he will kill them after they watch him eat the whole cake himself.

 

[taxlady]

We may not make a cake for our physical health. We might bake one for our mental health. There's no reason that cake shouldn't have healthy ingredients in reasonable quantities. In moderation a "healthy" cake can be a reasonable part of a healthy diet.

 

[Gravy Queen]

Absolutely TL .

 

[Cooking Goddess]

If you are experienced in the kitchen, you can skim through a recipe and quickly decide if it's a workable recipe or not. I proofread any recipe, whether online, in a cookbook, or in a magazine. I find errors in all of them. And just like a novel or any other book, some recipe writers deliver a better, more cognizant result than others. I have a couple of cookbooks that looked pretty, but the recipes are written in such a complicated manner, all I can think is "I don't care if it will taste good or not, I'm not cooking from this one". On the other hand, I've found many blogs written so clearly and simply I almost feel as if the writer is standing at my left, handing out measured ingredients and helpful advice. YMMV.

...In moderation a "healthy" cake can be a reasonable part of a healthy diet.

That diet is my favorite kind: ALL things in moderation It's how I lost 40+ pounds back in OH, and it's currently taking off the 40+ pounds that depression eating put back on when we moved to MA. Since I (think) I can see a return to home on the (distant) horizon, it's easy to eat moderately again.

 

[Addie]

If you are experienced in the kitchen, you can skim through a recipe and quickly decide if it's a workable recipe or not. I proofread any recipe, whether online, in a cookbook, or in a magazine. I find errors in all of them. And just like a novel or any other book, some recipe writers deliver a better, more cognizant result than others. I have a couple of cookbooks that looked pretty, but the recipes are written in such a complicated manner, all I can think is "I don't care if it will taste good or not, I'm not cooking from this one". On the other hand, I've found many blogs written so clearly and simply I almost feel as if the writer is standing at my left, handing out measured ingredients and helpful advice. YMMV.

That diet is my favorite kind: ALL things in moderation It's how I lost 40+ pounds back in OH, and it's currently taking off the 40+ pounds that depression eating put back on when we moved to MA. Since I (think) I can see a return to home on the (distant) horizon, it's easy to eat moderately again.

I have noticed that when The Pirate goes into a depression, he will eat more. I didn't know it had a name. He is very easily prone to depression. Let two things go wrong in a row and he wants to hide from the world. Then he just wants to eat and eat. Thanks for the name. And now I have to figure out a way to call it to his attention without an argument. It may help stop the eating. Or at least slowing down on it.

 

[Andy M.]

If you are experienced in the kitchen, you can skim through a recipe and quickly decide if it's a workable recipe or not...

But what if you're NOT experienced in the kitchen...

A novice cook may not detect a crappy recipe and make a lousy meal. It could damage their self-confidence and desire to try again.

 

[taxlady]

But what if you're NOT experienced in the kitchen...

A novice cook may not detect a crappy recipe and make a lousy meal. It could damage their self-confidence and desire to try again.

Good point Andy.

Novices should come here and try the recipes that other members write that have made with success.