Recipes that don't work!! Grrrrrr.

Actually I think I will have the remark removed.
It wont make the slightest bit of difference to anything, anyway.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Years ago I subscribed to one of those partworks called "Supercook". It contained a huge number of recipes from all over the world in eight or nine volumes and all the ones I've tried work really well. There were pictures of virtually every dish I think (which must mean that the recipes had actually been tested) and the index was truly wonderful, with all the dishes split up into sections: meat and fish (by type), desserts etc. etc. It made it really easy to find a new recipe for a particular ingredient.
They later published a range of hardbacks containing selections of the recipes, one of which was curries and another based on rice.
Even today I use it sometimes when I want to make a new dish with a particular ingredient. It is really useful when you can see a picture of dish that you've never cooked before.

lixy

Nell8

Using Mary Berry's Baking Bible I made her Very Best Scones, weighing the ingredients exactly. They looked lovely and were very light. Unfortunately they left a metallic aftertaste. I guess this came from the baking powder. I could have another go but don't know how much I would need to reduce the baking powder to get rid of that taste.

That after taste is so annoying. We don't put any baking powder in anymore, just use self-raising flour and scones turn out OK - the key is minimal handling.

Yes, I just use SR too and the taste is less obvious.

mabon1

First world problem. Think of the people in Israel and Palestine who are starving, freezing and sleeping under the stars because their homes have been bombed, that's when you could say "grrrr".

Oh, I do.

I say 'grrrr' about lots and lots of things - both trivial and serious.

mabon1

First world problem. Think of the people in Israel and Palestine who are starving, freezing and sleeping under the stars because their homes have been bombed, that's when you could say "grrrr".

It is possible to be concerned about what is happening there, but still comment on everyday annoyances.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

With my recent experience of the Sunday Times recipe, absent, we need you back quick.

In my professional life I wrote many cookbooks. Recipes were always tested, sometimes cooking with gas, sometimes cooking with electric. Timings were accurately recorded and any changes to flavourings were made.

Pork belly works best in vegetable soup. Bring to a rolling boil, and then simmer.

I have a fruitcake recipe, cut out of a newspaper years ago, which works beautifully every time. I also have a christmas cake recipe cut from a magazine. it includes exotic sounding fruit like apricots and I was expecting something really tasty. The finished cake was very bland and dry, a complete failure.

If you start looking for recipes on line I can recommend James Martin's yorkshire puddings. I had spent 40 odd years making very flat puddings and I was stunned when his recipe produced beautiful blown up yorkshires

I've had the same today - A vegetable tian - supposed to be soft after 40 mins - more like 1 hour and 40 minutes! It's now tomorrow's dinner and I had to find something out of the freezer. Grrrrrrr

BBC Good Food recipes online are very reliable too. Otherwise it's Delia or old tried and trusted ones for me.

Delia Smith or Mary Berry success everytime.

I’d also like to mention that recipes or food trends you see on Pinterest, TikTok, FB, etc are formulated by these presenters that don’t turn out too well. The fly-by-night celebrity “chefs and bakers” are on the tube only to get as many “Clicks” as possible because they often have sponsors (of products) who pay.

A previous poster mentioned she saw someone substituting oats for flour; she tried it and it turned out vile. These online cooks don’t always release recipes that are fully tested and vetted. Some create inedible food. (I didn’t want to say sh!+ 😆) They’re only doing it for the thrill of being in front of the camera and getting their name out there.

Stick to your tried and true and you can trust the really well known authors and cooks. That’s their livelihood.

Oops read cooking for cooling .
Sorry pressed post !
I started off with a really old cloth bound book from Grandma .
Then , a neighbour lent me her Times Cookery Book by Katie Stewart .
I copied out all her recipes and found them to be first class .
If cooking curries - it's Madhur Jaffry .
I like the old Marguerite Patten books .
And Mary Berry is 100% reliable .
I , also have cut out recipes and found them inaccurate .
Good Housekeeping magazine is the exception .

merlotgran

^I'd likely swerve anything from foreign climes with any ingredients that need faffing about to find??^

Those are just the recipes that appeal to me! 😂

Me too, merlot. That's why I am always ripping them out of newspapers.

I have tried and tested re pipes but feel it's boring to never try something different.

Nell8

Thanks, lixy I'll try again. A granny ought to be able to produce a decent scone!

This Granny can't!

I've cooked with my mother from a young age, fed a family, baked cakes, pastry, bread, but cannot make scones.

plunger, another vote for Delia. I’ve always found her recipes infallible.

I picked up the Waitrose free Weekend paper the other day. Virtually all the recipes have some exotic ingredient I'd have to buy specially. (I had to Google zaatar to find out what it was!).

But there was one hopeful looking Italian one - basically onion, pancetta, rice and peas - all cooked to a sloppy sort of risotto, with Parmesan on top. Would go down very well with the Gdcs I think - they love rice - but will try it out on dh first. Not that he’s a very good test - he’ll eat absolutely anything. (Thank goodness!)

Thanks, lixy I'll try again. A granny ought to be able to produce a decent scone!

Nell8

Using Mary Berry's Baking Bible I made her Very Best Scones, weighing the ingredients exactly. They looked lovely and were very light. Unfortunately they left a metallic aftertaste. I guess this came from the baking powder. I could have another go but don't know how much I would need to reduce the baking powder to get rid of that taste.

That after taste is so annoying. We don't put any baking powder in anymore, just use self-raising flour and scones turn out OK - the key is minimal handling.

I'd likely swerve anything from foreign climes with any ingredients that need faffing about to find??

Those are just the recipes that appeal to me! 😂

Using Mary Berry's Baking Bible I made her Very Best Scones, weighing the ingredients exactly. They looked lovely and were very light. Unfortunately they left a metallic aftertaste. I guess this came from the baking powder. I could have another go but don't know how much I would need to reduce the baking powder to get rid of that taste.

For anyone trying assorted recipes, the BBC FOOD site has masses of tried and trusted ones, usually with reviews.

Even if you find a recipe from someone else, it's worth checking if that BBC site has something similar.

Of the 'celeb' chefs, I'm pretty sure that Mary Berry and Delia Smith ones have all been thoroughly tested. If you're OK with the more 'throw it together' type dishes, then Jamie Oliver does some decent 'quick' ones, also the Hairy Bikers (RIP). James Martin should also be OK, though I'd likely swerve anything from foreign climes with any ingredients that need faffing about to find??!

[Oh, that point re ovens is a good one, they are notorious for having temp variations!]

I used to work for a cookery writer who wrote her recipes on scraps of paper while she cooked, so they were very accurate. They often turned up on my desk in a very messy state, covered in blobs of what she had been making!