Do you follow recipes?

LOL, what an inane thread, eh? And, a poll to boot!

I was making Tomato(e) Pie this afternoon, and wondered who else has problems following recipes? Much to my taste tester's chagrin, at times, I just can't follow them! Even the first time....I am always thinking, "yeah, but, a little of THIS would make it just perfect". Usually, it works...sometimes, it is a bust.

One funny, AND true story (unlike some of my others..he he). Mom likes stuff w-e-a-k, IMO, spicewise. I like it a shade below too hot. So, she makes some chili, and I throw in a little extra spice. WELL, in an effort to appease my tastebuds...she had ALREADY thrown in a little extra spice. He he...it was sweat producing yummy chili!

Following a recipe would require me to cook in the first place. Hubby and hte kids were just talking about this very subject this morning. They say my idea of cooking is picking up the phone and calling for take out. :D

Following Recipe

For one yes then I would have to be cooking!
For two nope dont do good with recipes && due to I grew up in the era of all cooking for a pinch of this or a smigen of that or a dash of this & you get the picture..

If I am baking I do follow the recipe...I think of baking kind of like chemistry. When I make main dish meat type recipes I improvise.

I use to be quite the cook, like oggyflute. I have gotten really lazy about cooking though.

I use recipes all the time at work.. I have some of the thickest, my own made, cookbooks you ever saw. I like to try the recipe correctly at first to see HOW it is suppose to taste and so then I can see how to improve it. Sometimes improvements can be made, sometimes not. I love to cook, don't do it at home much anymore, but 3 meals a day X 28 days, at work... Ya better know how to follow recipes.

(I am always looking for new ones to try if anbody has any they want to share)

LOL! Johanna, you sound just like my mom. She gets a recipe from a friend, and ends up twisting it until it is a completely different dish!!! It usually turns out even better, but my gosh.....its like she HAS to add her own stuff to her recipes. She HAS to! What's even MORE funny is she will make HER version of the recipe, and invite the friend she got the recipe from for lunch or dinner. The friend then asks HER for the recipe of the delicious meal, and my mom ends up telling her, "Uh...I got the recipe from YOU!" LOL!

I usually follow recipes completely when it comes to baking cookies/cakes/etc. When I'm making something else though, I sometimes add my own things to it. If I'm using my mom's recipes, I'll follow it in everything because my mom cooks REALLY good and I have to copy her :D, but when its some other recipe, I do tend to change it a bit.

The other day, I made a pie...and the recipe said to use crushed pretzels for the crust. My mom said, "Pretzels are too salty...you need to use graham cracker crumbs instead." I used graham cracker crumbs and it turned out real nice. I'm still wondering how it would taste with pretzel crumbs though.

I also like hot foods...hot and spicy, so when making a typical American dish that tends to LACK spices, I add stuff to it....to make it a 'little' Eastern-ized...hot and spicy. :D LOL! Its just too plain without a little spicy stuff.

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Originally posted by Laura's Babies
I use recipes all the time at work.. I have some of the thickest, my own made, cookbooks you ever saw. I like to try the recipe correctly at first to see HOW it is suppose to taste and so then I can see how to improve it. Sometimes improvements can be made, sometimes not. I love to cook, don't do it at home much anymore, but 3 meals a day X 28 days, at work... Ya better know how to follow recipes.

(I am always looking for new ones to try if anbody has any they want to share)

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That's what I have done, Laura, and I've added notations to recipes in my own cookbook, as well as the others I have an use, for different things that make the recipes work better. Baking time is usually a biggie as everyone's oven is different.

I answered that I follow them the first time, Johanna, for sure, then decide from there if I need to "tweek" a little bit.

Logan

I don't think of it as "changing" the recipe - recipes are like patterns when making clothes - a good starting point!

The first time I use a new recipe, sometimes I follow it, but sometimes I taste-test midway through and adjust.

Hey - at least I can keep track of what I do. My grandmother's recipes are often just a list of ingredients. My mother's recipes for us would often include "then you know what to do." I never give someone a copy of a recipe without reading through it and translating!

I rarely ever follow recipes. :o
Only sometimes when making cookies/desserts.

I usually follow the recipe the first time, but after that, I tend to improvise a little. :)

When baking I usually do. When making savory dishes, I rarely do.

Big time deviator here. I like to use recipes to start the idea, but rarely follow it all the way. Usually I add some sort of extra spice, orif it is a dessert, little more chocolat, another complmentary flavor...something!

I look at recipes as pretty much of a suggestion:p I will follow a recipe if I am trying something completely new but even then tend to change things a bit. When I am cooking - I usually just fix things from memory.

Oh and Poppy, a pretzel crust really IS good! Yes it is salty but that flavor is so good on a sweet dessert....think chocolate covered pretzels or peanut better cups - the combo of sweet and salty:D

I never follow the recipe perfectly, basicly I just dont measure to much out, if it says a teaspoon of vanilla I dont actually bring out a measuring spoon, I just add vanilla lol when it comes to salt I ALWAYS put in way less then what is called for. and my baking generaly always turns out delisious, I also love to make up recipe's out of my head like diet chocolate ;) lol dont know if its actuuly dite but I loose weight when I eat it lol

I use recipes as guidelines. :)

Johanna...tomato pie sounds interesting. Is it a pie crust with tomatoes in it??

I want that recipe for tomato pie, please...... :) :)

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Originally posted by Randi
I usually follow the recipe the first time, but after that, I tend to improvise a little. :)

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Sounds just like me!!

The tomatoe pie was/is (since I have leftovers!) fantastic! There are a bunch of recipes on the web for it. This is what I did:

1-frozen pie crust (actually, mine was refridgerated), 9 inch. Bake the shell for 5 minutes at 425. This helps harden the bottom which gets a little soggy cause of the 'maters!

1/2 cup mayo (though I used more), mixed in with 1 cup shredded swiss (I used 1.5 cups swiss, AND some herbed feta). Mix those together as much as you can mix cheese and mayo, anyhow.

The recipe called for basil and scallions- cup of each. I used fresh basil, but, used yellow onion instead of scallion. I sliced the onion thin, and layed it on top of the tomatoes, which are cut 1/2 inch thick, then, cut in half to fit better.

I lined the partially cooked shell with two layers of tomatoe, and thinly sliced onion. Then, I added the basil on top. This part is hard to imagine, but, I then made little pats of the cheese/mayo mixture, and pieced it together on top of the tomatoe. The idea is to get as much coverage as you can, knowing the cheeses will melt together, which they did. It gets a really nice cheesy crust on top.

The next time I make it (and it will be soon since I have another shell in the fridge) I will drain the tomatoes ALOT more, I will also add more tomatoe, onion and cheese, and I will line the edge of the crust with aluminum, to keep it from getting too done ahead of the tomatoes.

Oh, I baked it for another 30 minutes at 400 (note that that is reduced from the original 425). The pie crust gives it a slightly sweet taste, and the fresh basil just really takes ahold! It is delicious.

I will usually try the recipe "as is" the first time. Then will adjust however I think it can be improved on. I like to try new recipes, I get sick of the same things.

Johanna, that tomato pie sounds yummy - must try it one day! :) I too have a few frozen pie crusts in the freezer. ;)

Our family recipes consist of the dump system. Dump a lil' this in and a lil' that in. As a result, I learned to cook by taste and texture. So it's rare I strictly follow a recipe, even baking ones, I'll tweak a lil'.

Par...

Hey Johanna.......those are fresh tomatoes, right? I know that the riper they are, the juicier they are. I'm the only one who will eat tomatoes in my family, darn it, plus I'm dieting so no "pie" for me, but my mouth is watering after reading how you made it! :)

Recipes are just a mere suggestion of what to do! :D