Recipe deal breakers
The steps, ingredients, or equipment that turn you away
By Kim Carlson
June 6, 2008
Earlier this week, Kim Severson of the New York Times wrote about recipe deal-breakers: the steps, equipment, or ingredients in recipes that make cooks turn tail and run for the takeout menu. Think pig’s blood, “general fussiness,” or trussing.
Get comfortable: The comments are fun to read — and plentiful. And if 380 deal breakers aren’t enough, you can find more discussion over at Michael Ruhlman’s blog (he and many of his readers take a chef’s perspective), or at Serious Eats, Yum Sugar, and the kitchn.
Our favorite source in Severson’s story was Culinate blogger Cindy Burke, who gave up on a Martha Stewart cake recipe just this month that called for a unusual — and nearly impossible to find — pan.
My own personal deal breaker? I have to echo one of the Times commenters: Cheesecloth, especially if I’m out of it. Yours?
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There are 2 comments on this item
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1. by cafemama on Jun 6, 2008 at 10:43 PM PDT
I was sad reading through all the comments at the New York Times. so many people who won’t use butter or cream! so many people who won’t wait overnight!
that said, I was once the sort who would toss (or severely modify) any recipe requiring yeast, overnight soaking, culturing or fermenting. I’d also eschew whole-wheat flour and unusual grains. now I’m full of experimentation and setting about town (I don’t have to go far, it seems) seeking out kombucha mothers, rye berries, rennet and creme fraiche cultures. while a lot of ‘recipes within recipes’ are time-consuming, it makes a lot more sense if cooking is part of your home culture and you already have a batch of lemon curd, or homemade cream cheese, or sourdough starter.
but I do refuse to make any recipe in which Coke is the secret ingredient, or which might be seen on Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade Cooking.
2. by Kim on Jun 7, 2008 at 8:01 AM PDT
Butter and cream have really been vilified, and it’s too bad. Such flavor! I know if I get to the point of making cheese, cheesecloth (!) will be required. And I am getting there . . .
And I agree about Coke. My friend recently served a delicious pot roast, but when she told me the secret ingredient, I knew I would never make it.
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