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Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

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Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#451

Post by femto »

isaacfrond wrote: post #131

My sister in law writes recipes. She has a recipe column in a newspaper and wrote a few high quality recipe books. I saw them in a bookstore. So she's reasonable successful. Her pieces are charming, her recipes inspiring. The thing is. At a birthday party when I was talking to her, she confessed to me that she never actually tries her recipes. When it's time to do a new piece, she sits down at her computer and makes…

The Australian Women's Weekly's recipe tagline is "Triple Tested", meaning their recipes are cooked at least three times in their test kitchen. The kitchen has been at it for around 100 years and their recipes are highly trusted and well known in Australia (for good reason).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Australian_Women%27s_Weekl...

Edit: byline -> tagline

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#452

Post by yyyk »

isaacfrond wrote: post #131

My sister in law writes recipes. She has a recipe column in a newspaper and wrote a few high quality recipe books. I saw them in a bookstore. So she's reasonable successful. Her pieces are charming, her recipes inspiring. The thing is. At a birthday party when I was talking to her, she confessed to me that she never actually tries her recipes. When it's time to do a new piece, she sits down at her computer and makes…

>...she never actually tries her recipes. When it's time to do a new piece, she sits down at her computer and makes up a recipe. She is experienced and knowledgeable she it usually turns out ok.

If she's experienced I guess that means she does (did?) cook something. So what does she cook when she does cook?

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#453

Post by Detrytus »

bagels wrote: post #257
groestl wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never been tested once: Bacon-Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks Ingredients: - 12 slices of bacon - 12 mozzarella sticks - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour - 2 eggs, beaten - 1 cup breadcrumbs - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder - 1/2 teaspoon paprika - Vegetable oil, for frying - Marinara sauce, for serving Instructions: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wrap each mozzarella stick with a slice…

This is a pretty plausible recipe. I wouldn't recommend making it though, is basically unhealthy carnival food.

LOL. First bake the sticks in the oven, then deep fry them? In what universe is this a plausible recipe?

Chat GPT is basically a random text generator, it has zero understanding of the cooking process.

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#454

Post by madcaptenor »

salawat wrote: post #385
inferiorhuman wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CIA has a huge blind spot for non-European food. Check out the Chinese Cooking Demystified youtube channel. They did a video on the CIA's laughably bad mapo tofu recipe. It was bad enough that simply following the instructions got their neighbors up in arms.

...The world, for just a moment, was a far more interesting place. Then the realization that no, the Central Intelligence Agency does not have a crack division of crypto-culinary experts in the midst of a cold war, attempting to thwart or coordinate psyops in which they sabotage other nations morale through spreading deliberate, yet subtly disasterous cooking advice.

My kid goes to a camp that abbreviates its name as CIA (the C stands for Camp and the IA are the initials of some old rich guy) and it always throws me.

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#455

Post by sumo89 »

dmarchand90 wrote: post #194
henrikschroder wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As if I needed more fuel on the fire of my burning hatred for recipe collections. Everyone who is interested in cooking should do themselves a favour and buy a proper cookbook. Something that starts with the basics, and works itself up to full meals. It should have cheat-sheets for basic ways to cook all your staples, here's all the ways you can cook a potato, with times and temperature. Here's all the ways you can s…

Could you recommend such a "proper" cookbook

I've inherited an 80's Good Housekeeping cookbook. Some recipes are very dated but it goes in to detail on all the techniques needed for each dish including a lot of things people did more of back then like breaking down a whole bird from scratch.

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#456

Post by [deleted] »

eru wrote: post #428
dj_mc_merlin wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty close to this at work since about 1/3rd of my job is helping the non-Linux people deal with Linux. Programming is their 2nd language so to speak, and the use of Linux is incidental, it's just what's easiest to give them to keep everything in our company compatible. They require a person who knows Linux in order to keep working. It's not optional -- they just wouldn't be able to get everything running other…

What are your people doing that they break stuff all the time? I found I had more trouble with macOS than with Linux. I mostly use ArchLinux, and I don't have those weird problems you are talking about.

[deleted]

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#458

Post by Falkon1313 »

crtified wrote: post #31

After looking at the recipes in question, I suspect that some of these writers are merely using the term Caramelized in a loose, informal (or, if you prefer, "technically-incorrect") sense. When what they more-precisely meant is lightly softened, translucent - a state of onionhood used in no shortage of recipes as an intermediary step during the cooking process. The writers are therefore perhaps guilty of casual synt…

I'm just sad that they spoil perfectly good fresh, juicy, crunchy onions.

They call it 'caramelized' but don't even put any caramel in. Which is probably good because actual caramelized onions would be gross too. But why not just be honest and call them burnt onions? Or "onions with all the flavor and texture removed"?

Personally, I find those recipes quick enough because I simply opt not to ruin the onions. They don't need any cooking. Just chop 'em and drop 'em on the finished product for a zesty flavorful crunch that you'd be missing out on if you actually followed the recipe directions.

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#459

Post by sclarisse »

than3 wrote: post #208
henrikschroder wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As if I needed more fuel on the fire of my burning hatred for recipe collections. Everyone who is interested in cooking should do themselves a favour and buy a proper cookbook. Something that starts with the basics, and works itself up to full meals. It should have cheat-sheets for basic ways to cook all your staples, here's all the ways you can cook a potato, with times and temperature. Here's all the ways you can s…

No such book actually exists. There's a french book that covers basic/common procedures and a reader's digest book but those are about it; and they definitely are not beginner oriented.

The Modern Family Cookbook by Meta Given. Copyright 1942-1953.

Table of Contents: Acknowledgments. Introduction. Meal planning (45pa). Food shopping (12pa). Cooking (530pa): measurements, beverages, breads, cake, candy, cereals, cheese, cookies, desserts, eggs, fish, meat, meat sundries, pastry and pies, poultry, preserving and canning, salads, sandwiches, sauces, soup, vegetables. Deep fat frying, leftovers, misc.

Re: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)

#460

Post by astura »

rightbyte wrote: post #306
isaacfrond wrote: post #131

My sister in law writes recipes. She has a recipe column in a newspaper and wrote a few high quality recipe books. I saw them in a bookstore. So she's reasonable successful. Her pieces are charming, her recipes inspiring. The thing is. At a birthday party when I was talking to her, she confessed to me that she never actually tries her recipes. When it's time to do a new piece, she sits down at her computer and makes…

The 'shittification' is almost universal. I have suspected many internet recipes are never tried, but books too ... If there are pictures, are those 'fake' too, as in the author did not care how it tastes? Atleast the dish was made once? This is why you buy recipe books that was written in the 70s or prior. The base collection style of books.

I picked up a cookbook from the 70s in a second hand shop. It's got okay content for the most part but some recipes are incredibly unappealing for modern tastes, stuff like savory jello.
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