Do you ever make a recipe found online that you think must have been a joke?

[buckytom]

i wonder if anyone remembers that back in the summer of '04, the food network shut down it's forum and discusscooking picked up dozens of it's lost members. so really, dc owes a debt of gratitude to the suckiness of food tv.

 

[DMerry]

Not really Pip, I read them and if I can sorta taste them I will give them a go.

I can also read a recipe and sort of taste it. When it comes to baking raw rice, I have a TNT recipe that works every time. I've even modified the recipe to use half raw brown rice and pearl barley. When I want to make a recipe with baked rice I make sure there's enough liquid included in the recipe so that the rice will cook.

 

[Andy M.]

i wonder if anyone remembers that back in the summer of '04, the food network shut down it's forum and discusscooking picked up dozens of it's lost members. so really, dc owes a debt of gratitude to the suckiness of food tv.

I remember it well. I was bummed until someone put me onto this site. It's been home ever since.

 

[bakechef]

This is my favorite one, and the reviews are completely serious!

http://www.food.com/recipe/frozen-peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwiches-oamc-327017

I like reading user reviews, but often find them frustrating, you'll see a review like, "I made these cookies, used applesauce instead of butter, whole wheat flour instead of white, cut the sugar in half, and added wheat germ. They weren't very good and nobody in my house would eat them, I'll be looking for a better recipe". Those reviews drive me nuts, if you didn't actually make the recipe, but made your own, please don't review a recipe. That's the biggest reason that I don't submit many recipes online, at least where I can't moderate the responses!

 

[pacanis]

This is my favorite one, and the reviews are completely serious!

Frozen Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwiches OAMC Recipe - Food.com - 327017

I like reading user reviews, but often find them frustrating, you'll see a review like, "I made these cookies, used applesauce instead of butter, whole wheat flour instead of white, cut the sugar in half, and added wheat germ. They weren't very good and nobody in my house would eat them, I'll be looking for a better recipe". Those reviews drive me nuts, if you didn't actually make the recipe, but made your own, please don't review a recipe. That's the biggest reason that I don't submit many recipes online, at least where I can't moderate the responses!

Good recipe, bakechef.
"The possibilities are endless."

But playing devil's advocate... didn't we recently have a toasted cheese sandwich thread?

 

[Steve Kroll]

I like reading user reviews, but often find them frustrating, you'll see a review like, "I made these cookies, used applesauce instead of butter, whole wheat flour instead of white, cut the sugar in half, and added wheat germ. They weren't very good and nobody in my house would eat them, I'll be looking for a better recipe". Those reviews drive me nuts, if you didn't actually make the recipe, but made your own, please don't review a recipe. That's the biggest reason that I don't submit many recipes online, at least where I can't moderate the responses!

Absolutely! Reviews like that drive me nuts.

 

[GLC]

I don't know about joke recipes, but this is the only acceptable fruitcake recipe I know.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 cup dried fruit
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
nuts
1 gallon whiskey
Instructions
Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again to be sure that it is of the highest quality.

Pour 1 level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares. Check the whiskey. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.

Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window. Check the whiskey again. Go to bed. Who the hell likes fruitcake anyway?

 

[LPBeier]

I like reading user reviews, but often find them frustrating, ...

While the recipe was no joke, because I eventually turned it into my signature chocolate cake, I had fun with the reviews. This one person gave it 5 stars and had like 500 people saying her review was helpful and she changed almost everything in the recipe. We used the cake, totally as is (except for making it in huge batches to feed 600), at camp and loved it. I said "If it is worth 5 stars there is no need to change anything and if you need to change anything it isn't worth 5 stars!" I am still getting people liking my review and that was a few years ago.

 

[JoshuaNY]

I do most of my recipe searches from magazines and online. I generally don't try recipes submited by people. This is the only site I trust everyone with my meals, mostly because I am able to talk to you fine folks and know you have my best food interests at heart.

As for that hot dog recipe at the food network, I am sure it was part of his show where he had all sorts of toppings and such. And they just made the cooking of the hot dog separate. I find they do that often, and the recipes can be taken out of context because they are not with the other parts of the show.

I am a big fan of cookinglight.com. I have not had a bad recipe from them.

 

[CWS4322]

I'm a big fan of LCBO's Food and Drink recipes. I've made many of them over the years, and they've all turned out:

LCBO Food and Drink

 

[buckytom]

But playing devil's advocate... didn't we recently have a toasted cheese sandwich thread?

it's not really the same thing. there's lots of very different cheeses to use, all with different qualities as far as cooking/melting goes. therefore, there's a technique for each, or at least in general for different types.

for hot dogs, there's skin on, skinless, and those made with various meats, but all try to aproximate a basic dog.

 

[pacanis]

Yeah, OK. There's a technique for each cheese. Cook til melted.
<<<=== a laughing smiley, like in my other post

Didn't mean to have you get all technical with it, Tom.

 

[NAchef]

I can think of at least a couple of times, where it was so horrible that I'm sure the person who submitted the recipe thinks they're funny. I usually fall victim to the horrible recipes when I'm trying to use up random ingredients I have left, or trying to fit some sort of grocery goals.



Like right now, I'm making this healthy turkey casserole(found on yummly) and I am starving!! Recipe says to put uncooked rice in it and cover and bake for an hour... so I do it(I thought back of my head this better work). Hour's up I'm hungry excited to eat... rice is still hard. WAHH


Slowly learning never to trust user-submitted recipes on sites with no quality control

When they talk about rice in the casserole they mean Minute Rice. You can use your standard white/brown rice but it will be hard, must use Minute Rice.

 

[Dawgluver]

When they talk about rice in the casserole they mean Minute Rice. You can use your standard white/brown rice but it will be hard, must use Minute Rice.

I would agree, NAchef, unless the regular rice is precooked and added later.

 

[Pippipotamus]

Yeah I learned the hard way, always gonna use cooked rice from now on.

You know what's the worst recipe source? Youtube... people trying to act cute in their kitchens sharing the horrible crap they always like to make for themselves

A couple off the toppa my head... tuna stir-fry(canned tuna and carrots heated up in a wok), stir-fried ramen(cooked ramen noodles fried in oil)

 

[jabbur]

I have baked rice before but it takes a lot of liquid and most casserole recipes don't take that into account. When I bake rice I have to use 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice. I've even been known to increase that to 2-1/2 parts liquid. It also works better with clear liquids than creamy ones.

 

[Kayelle]

I wouldn't say Food Network is bad overall, but there does seem to be a real "hit or miss" aspect to it. I've had some of their recipes come out great, but others (even highly rated ones) have been a total flop. Almost like they were never tested before being plopped onto the site.

My favorite recipe web site, hands down, is Elise Bauer's "Simply Recipes". Maybe I've just been lucky, but I haven't run across a stinker there yet. As the title suggests, most of the recipes are simple. More importantly, they taste great.

I'd certainly agree with you Steve about Elise Baurer's "Simply Recipes" !!
I don't know exactly when I was turned on to that site but it's just my style, and really top notch cooking.

 

[SherryDAmore]

I'm on another food board where we thought Paula Deen's recipe for English Peas was a joke: English Peas Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network

Read the reviews for a laugh......

 

[pacanis]

I'm on another food board where we thought Paula Deen's recipe for English Peas was a joke: English Peas Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network

Read the reviews for a laugh......

OMG! I'm not even through the second page of reviews and they're a riot

I went to print this recipe and got a piece of paper that said you're an idiot.

Too much. Good find, Sherry.

On a sidenote: I may try Paula's "English Peas" with those boiled hot dogs I read about earlier.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I'm on another food board where we thought Paula Deen's recipe for English Peas was a joke: English Peas Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network

Read the reviews for a laugh......

Wow! Canned peas and a half stick of butter! Yeah, that would go good with the hot dogs. Now all our meal needs is some "Special Beer" to wash it all down. Here's a recipe...

Special Beer
Ingredients:

• 1 can of beer, cold
• glass (optional)

Instructions:

• Open beer, being careful not to cause injury to yourself or others.
• To really kick it up to another level, pour beer in glass.
• Drink.

You're right. The reviews on the peas recipe are priceless!