When Recipes Attack!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 | posted by Mike
Approximately 63% of the fun of watching cooking shows on television is the fact that you can track down the recipe on a web site or in a cookbook and try to replicate the magic in your very own kitchen. As you all know, this goes absolutely flawlessly every time and your family pats you on your back for your accomplishment and proclaim: “Move over, Giada!”Sure. That’s how it happens.
Who are we kidding? Most of the time, we’re lucky if it tastes like a reasonable facsimile of what you heard described on the television (which, of course, Sandra Lee assured you tasted fantastic!). We’re not even going to mention what it looks like, a fact that you can attribute to your lack of in-house food stylists.
When I first started this blog, I had an idea to try to recreate a recipe each week and document the event for you, dear reader. Then, I remembered that I’m really not that good a cook. Fortunately, two of my favorite food TV blogs have a greater faith in their cooking abilities. Sometimes, things go badly. Sometimes, they go very badly and there are pictures to illustrate the carnage.
Everything Rachael Ray has a running feature wherein Madeline tries out a Ray-Ray recipe and lets you know if it’s a keeper or not. Her recent attempt at Birds in a Nest falls into the latter category. To her credit, she senses it and adds the helpful disclaimer:
Okay, please don't make fun of me.Too late. Although the recipe did not go as planned, the comments are supportive and Madeline vows to try again some time. We’ll be looking forward to that update.
Another favorite, Food TV and Me, went the Dave Lieberman route and tried pot roast. What could possibly go wrong, you ask?
Things were going well and I was very engouraged, until, to my peril, I had a lightbulb moment. The meat that I had bought was significantly smaller, I mean about half the size of Dave’s meat, which meant, it needed less time. Oh no. I had this lightbulb moment fairly late in the game.(As an aside…how did food network addict not manage to swing by and comment on this post? I mean, it’s almost too easy:“half the size of Dave’s meat?!?!?”)
Jessica also included a helpful photo of the dish (seen above), which just goes to prove that there is no visual difference between good pot roast and bad pot roast.
All right…I’ve had some fun at Madeline’s and Jessica’s expense, but it’s only because they do such a good job on their sites that I’m always checking them out. You should too!
We kid because we love. And because it makes me feel better about my own inadequacy.
Labels: Dave Lieberman
