When was the last time you cooked *from a cookbook*?

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

Last night I made walnut, golden raisin, cardamom bread in my bread machine
from the Ultimate Bread Machine book.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

Do you mean "cookbook versus the web", or that you don't consult ANY
external source for specific recipes?

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

I use my cookbooks for baking, where the proportion of ingredients and
method is often quite critical. Also, relatively speaking, I don't bake as
much, so my memory isn't as good there. Bread is an exception in my baking,
as I do that more frequently and the proportions aren't so important there.

For all the normal cooking, I'm just like you. I use the cookbooks for
ideas, or perhaps for quick reference so I don't leave something out I
intended to put it. Sometimes I'll refer to a recipe before going to the
store to complete my shopping list, but I won't actually look at it again
while making the dish. I certainly don't follow recipes step by step very
often. Even on new recipes, I'm prone to modifying them on the fly based on
personal preferences and past experiences. I do know better not to do that
with baking though! ;-)

--
( #wff_ng_7# at #verizon# period #net# )

On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 18:30:11 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

I use a recipe when I make things like crepes -- stuff where the
proportions of ingredients are critical. BTW, on phase three of South
Beach, buckwheat flour is acceptable in moderation, and it makes a
heluva crepe.

modom

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

I just showed my 16-year old daughter my Betty Crocker cookbook and
explained to her how being artistic (she is) translates to the kitchen. I
showed her how as a kid I was fascinated by the pictures that show how to
make a lattice pie crust, a heart-shaped cake with a round and a square pan,
etc. She seemed interested, but so far I haven't seen her in the kitchen.
I told her to just get crazy and experiment!

I used to always use the cookbook, then I worked in an Italian restaurant
(very high end) for about 9 years. I learned to just 'wing it' from
watching the chefs there. I hardly ever use the cookbook. Last time I
consulted the cookbook was for stuffed cabbage rolls. I had a craving and
couldn't remember what I put in there. Oh, and I forgot to cook the rice
first, LOL!

Elisa

One time on Usenet said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Not usually a cookbook, exactly, but I do consult my copies of
my "regular" recipes. I'm great for remembering what ingredients
I need, but not so good on quantities.

I like to look at cookbooks for ideas, too; and they make
interesting reading sometimes. I got two good ones from my sib
this week: a Cutco cookbook from 1961, and a 1975 publication
called "American Food: The Gastronomical Story"...

--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 18:30:11 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Right before Christmas. I wanted a recipe to use up some applesauce
and found a nice applesauce cake in one of my cookbooks.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

modom said:

I use a recipe when I make things like crepes -- stuff where the
proportions of ingredients are critical. BTW, on phase three of South
Beach, buckwheat flour is acceptable in moderation, and it makes a
heluva crepe.

I'm so scared of trying to make a crepe.

Crash and I have been going through the recipes in the diet book and in
the cookbook. Everything looks so delicious! No weird ingredients.
Some *expensive* ingedients, but we'll try some of those a few at a
time.

Carol, going shopping tonight

The Bubbo said:

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a
cookbook and followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

Last night I made walnut, golden raisin, cardamom bread in my bread
machine from the Ultimate Bread Machine book.

Okay, bread is different. When I used to bake bread I'd follow the recipe
to the letter because if I didn't something would go wrong.

Jill

"wff_ng_7" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Anytime I bake. Which is, luckily, rare.

Quoted message said:

For all the normal cooking, I'm just like you. I use the cookbooks for
ideas, or perhaps for quick reference so I don't leave something out I
intended to put it.

It's pathetic, I almost always do that. I have to. It seems I am
hardwired to forget one ingredient, something different every time.
This week my quiche has no onion. Other times my meatloaf
will have no Worchestershire. Hello. How could I forget?

So I just pull out a recipe and leave it out to check. Proportions
are never the same. Rarely still are actual measurements.

I think that's true of just about everyone?

nancy

Doug Kanter said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a
cookbook and followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

Do you mean "cookbook versus the web", or that you don't consult ANY
external source for specific recipes?

Okay, cookbook *or* web. I consult either for ideas but I can't recall the
last time I followed anything step by step as it appeared in written form
(bread being the exception).

Jill

jmcquown said:

The Bubbo said:

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a
cookbook and followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

Last night I made walnut, golden raisin, cardamom bread in my bread
machine from the Ultimate Bread Machine book.

Okay, bread is different. When I used to bake bread I'd follow the recipe
to the letter because if I didn't something would go wrong.

Jill

I can't bake without a recipe, I have no good feel for it. Even last night I
thought I'd add more raisins and walnuts than the recipe called for and the
bread machine couldn't incorporate all the raisins so some got burned on the
outside of the bread.

Before that, I made bouillabaisse from the New York Times cookbook, the recipe
my mom sent me.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

Funny you would ask this question after a girlfriend and I were talking
about Martha Stewar as a newlywed went page by page through a Julia Child
cookbook How my friend and I probably haven't done 5 recipes out of any one
cookbook, yet we have so many. We decided this year to pick a cookbook and
do as many recipes as we could out of it. I was fussing around trying to
decide which one to start with when my new ovens were installed. With it
came a beautiful full color cookbook. As I looked through it I thought this
is the one I'm starting with. It will help me get to know my new convection
oven.

Lynne

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

At Christmas time. I made a gingerbread cake. Like you I'm not a real
cookbook by the book person but I do like browsing through cookbooks for
ideas much like watching the food network 🙂

On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 18:30:11 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

December 29 -- I made sour cream chocolate cupcakes for my boys' first
birthday. The recipe is from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. I checked
it out from the library special for the occasion. The cupcakes were
very good -- moist and dense and chocolately.

I need a recipe to follow when I bake. I can't guesstimate the
proportions.

Tara

"S'mee" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I like to look at cookbooks for ideas, too; and they make
interesting reading sometimes.

Same here ... people (you know who you are) can make fun all
they want, I like to see what people had for dinner/whatever ...
Oh! I'll make that tomorrow! Or sit down with a cookbook or
two until something strikes me.

nancy

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

I made some brownies for Christmas. I consulted the cookbook because when I
bake I follow recipes. I also consulted my Laura Secord Cookbook on
Christmas to check the cooking time for my turkey. I faked the stuffing. I
consulted a cookbook about a month and a half ago when I was making CHicken
Chasseur. I was missing some of the ingredients in the recipe, so I ended up
putting the book away and faking it.

Two hours ago... I made a banana nut bread.
I'm not much of a cook, but I love to eat :-) When I do cook, I HAVE to
follow a recipe.

NancyJaye

"Tara" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 18:30:11 -0600, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

December 29 -- I made sour cream chocolate cupcakes for my boys' first
birthday. The recipe is from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. I checked
it out from the library special for the occasion. The cupcakes were
very good -- moist and dense and chocolately.

I need a recipe to follow when I bake. I can't guesstimate the
proportions.

Tara

jmcquown said:

Just curious. I consult mine from time to time but that's mostly for
getting ideas. I can't remember the last time I opened up a cookbook and
followed a recipe step by step. How about you?

Jill

I almost always use a recipe - I like to try a lot of different things
but really know very little about "winging it" My mother has always
been a HORRIBLE cook - so I only actually started trying to cook in my
20's. There are some things I only glance at a recipe for - I usually
at least have to check what temperature to set the oven for..that sort
of stuff. I will often substitute ingredients or vary amounts (more
garlic *G* no green peppers) but yeah - a recipe always

Roberta (in VA)