Family cooking dilemma..advice needed

[Kayelle]

For Easter dinner, my sweet daughter-in-law was asked to bring some kind of bread to go with the dinner. She has very little cooking experience and I was thrilled to see her cooking out of her comfort zone. She went and bought a bunt pan (she didn't know what that was) for this recipe from Paula Deen. Please read carefully...
Herbed Monkey Bread Recipe : Paula Deen : Recipes : Food Network

As you can see, the recipe calls for 2 packages biscuits. Well, at dinner I could tell there was something wrong with the way it turned out but I didn't let on, and we all told her how good her contribution was. She said she couldn't find packaged biscuits on the bread isle of the grocery store, so she thought packaged rolls would be fine. She rolled them in balls as was directed in the recipe, and proceeded. It's ok to laugh here.

For one thing, Paula Deen should be ashamed of herself for not specifying 2 packages of refrigerated biscuit dough in the recipe. Most of us here know exactly what's meant, but we all need to be reminded how a novice cook reads a recipe.


My dilemma is how I tell this sweet girl about her mistake or should I ?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I think she would rather know. Walk her through the recipe and what is meant by the author of the recipe. Reassure her that it tasted great, but would be even better with the proper biscuits. And then show her how to make it with cinnamon and sugar for sweet Monkey Bread.

 

[Andy M.]

You absolutely should tell her. Gently explain that, while she selected a tasty recipe, it was poorly written and that mislead her. Let her know you are not upset or disappointed with her. The fault is really with the recipe. Encourage her to try it again with the right ingredients so she ca see how it should be.

I would also review this recipe on the Food Network site so they know they screwed up. Tell your DIL you are doing this so she knows she is not to blame.

I would also suggest she should test a recipe before making it for others.

 

[pacanis]

You tell her that pacanis can't follow any of Paula Deen's recipes and have them turn out either I'm serious.

But yes, I'd tell her. You already know where she went wrong anyway. Tell her it came out good considering the mistake, which she is not to be blamed for.
Then tell her to avoid PD's recipes altogether

 

[Aunt Bea]

I enjoyed Paula when she first appeared but, now she is more of a fictional character. I doubt that she ever tasted this recipe or has even seen it.

I would tell your daughter-in-law that you checked out the recipe and noticed Paula's error. Then invite her over and make this recipe correctly or perhaps a similar TNT recipe. In years to come this will be her and her husbands story. Remember the year you made....

It is sort of the initiation into the club!

 

[Kayelle]

Thanks for the good advice friends. I'm glad I didn't open up my big mouth at the dinner, as I'm sure she would have been embarrassed and I'd sure not want to be "that" kind of mother in law. This kind of thing can be so touchy. I think I'll tell her I looked for the recipe because I wanted to make it, and found the error made by PD.
I reviewed the recipe at the Food Network and gave it a negative one star and the reason. That should teach them not to mess with a Mama bear.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Excellent, Kayelle! Perfect solution.

 

[Dawgluver]

Excellent, Kayelle! Perfect solution.

+1!!

 

[buckytom]

You tell her that pacanis can't follow any of Paula Deen's recipes and have them turn out either I'm serious.

But yes, I'd tell her. You already know where she went wrong anyway. Tell her it came out good considering the mistake, which she is not to be blamed for.
Then tell her to avoid PD's recipes altogether

+1.

pacanis has a hard time following recipes...
(3rd person?)

but i really do agree with the spirit of pacnar's statement. be positive and helpful with your criticism, allowing her a way out to save face.

 

[bakechef]

I find it irritating how sloppily many Food Network recipes are written lately. I guess that they assume that you saw the episode and can correct the mistakes on the fly. Assuming that Paula didn't type this in and upload it to the website, means that more people saw it and still didn't notice anything wrong with it, says a lot.

That recipe could mean the biscuits in a tube, frozen biscuit dough, or pre-made biscuits from the bakery. Those who cook would probably know, but those just learning would be lost if they hadn't seen the episode.

I've had good luck with Paula's recipes, but I have only made the ones from her original cookbook, before she became a character on a show.

 

[medtran49]

We don't make Paula's recipes anymore as the last several we've tried haven't turned out well and we're both experienced cooks. Not just the directions, which I agree can be poorly written for the inexperienced, but also the flavors.

 

[Addie]

I took a look at her site on FN. The majority of her desserts have only four stars. Some even less. When you look at some of the other chefs on the FN, they have five stars.

Once she had to come out and admit that she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, all of her aired shows were repeats. They had to wait until the hoopla died down. Her cooking just wallowed in butter, fats and sugar. She never took just a tip of the spoon taste. Always two big mouthfuls. Sometimes more. In the meantime her sons took over with their own shows and began to cook healthy foods to offset what she has been pushing all along over the years. Unhealthy cooking.

I am friends with her Auntie Trina. Have been for years. I still have the present she sent me when I had the open heart surgery. She has told me often that they didn't eat like that growing up. An her accent was never like she puts on today. They lived in the same house growing up and are very close in age.

Sorry, but Paula Deen is not one of my favorite cooks.

 

[pacanis]

+1.

pacanis has a hard time following recipes...
(3rd person?)

but i really do agree with the spirit of pacnar's statement. be positive and helpful with your criticism, allowing her a way out to save face.

That's right. I felt so strongly about my point I had to go third party
And that's pacnar lothbrok to you

 

[Addie]

That's right. I felt so strongly about my point I had to go third party
And that's pacnar lothbrok to you

Am I missing something here? Maybe a secret language that I have never heard of before? I see the winking emoticon. But can't figure that out either. I am feeling really dumb right now. I guess it is just old age or the start of dementia.

 

[pacanis]

It's from the History Channel's Vikings series, Addie.

 

[Addie]

It's from the History Channel's Vikings series, Addie.

Gee I have never met anyone who speaks Viking. I need to get out more.

 

[pacanis]

Gee I have never met anyone who speaks Viking. I need to get out more.

I'm surprised to hear you say that, since evidence of vikings were found in your state. I thought you were going to say you've got a little viking in you

 

[Andy M.]

I'm surprised to hear you say that, since evidence of vikings were found in your state. I thought you were going to say you've got a little viking in you

Vikings may have passed through here on their way to settling in Minnesota.

 

[buckytom]

lol, pacnar. i'm putting my axe down and backing away.

have you been watching "vikings"?

i can't wait until sunday nights between that and "game of thrones". i go into work wanting to chop people up.

and yes, andy. the vikings passed through mass. after crossing treacherous seas, then fought indians and more treacherous terrain to end up living in a place with just as miserable weather as where they started.

 

[pacanis]

...have you been watching "vikings"?...

Well, it was either reruns of Downtown Abbie or Vikings