What are your Recipe Deal Breakers? See fun NYTimes article attached

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
Mine are usually things that won't work on my old electric stove that require getting the temperature just right - I've ruined many a batch of candy trying to get *that* right. And just don't ask about the 'blackened' yeah - cool, lets call it 'blackened' fried chicken. Another is tarragon as a main flavor...it's just not for me.

(This one isn't a 'recipe' but when I saw Marth S. put dirt in her oven to sterilize before planting seeds I was like - omg no way!)

So...what are your deal breakers? smileys/smile.gif

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/dining/04recipes.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th

 
Loved the article...my deal breaker list...

I shun recipes that ask for frying in oil, usually if a recipe calls for more than 1/2 cup, it's a no-no. I don't have a very good exhaust fan or a deep fat fryer. I saute, I just don't fry.

Recipes that call for non-fat dairy products or Eggbeaters.

Chicken thighs or legs, I have an illogical aversion to the meat. And ground turkey, same reason. I also avoid chicken sausages.

Anything that requires artistic talent or that is way tedious. Such as the chocolate sacks that were featured in Southern Living several years ago. I think it involved lining a paper sack with chocolate until it hardened, then peeling off the sack. A friend did this, I would never have the talent or patience to pull it off.

Dh told me anything that costs more than 20.00 a lb, lol.

 
I am not a big dessert fan, but never would make anything with Evaporated Milk. Not sure why,

perhaps it is too sweet, or perhaps it is psychological, that "milk" should not be in a can.

 
I loathe making almost anything that has to be rolled out-cookies, pie pastry...

Also, from a practical point of view, the candy and frosting recipes that don't handle humid weather are almost a guaranteed failure or sticky mess here a big part of the year.

 
If a recipe calls for goat cheese or lamb count me out. Other than that I'm up for just about any

technique or recipe, no matter how lengthy or fussy. I love playing in the kitchen and am willing to tackle just about any project...well, except maybe skinning an animal...that's better suited to a taxidermist anyway, in my mind.

 
"Lavender", "rillettes", "so as not to fall", "cous-cous", "anchovies", "2-days before" . . .

Fussy stuff. Little decorative flowers. Pastry shell made entirely of rabbit droppings. Eeew. I have big hands, a dearth of patience and plethora of attitude. I wanna eat, dammit!

That said, I don't mind specific chopping directions as my knife skills are fairly respectable and I find size DOES make a difference. You want a julienne, brunoise, etc.? No problemo. But if you're gonna want quenneles, don't even look at me.

 
LOL at your DH! "candy thermometer", "olives", "deep fry","lamb","goat cheese",dbl boiler,"thyme"

and ingredients I just can't find up here, like fresh chili peppers(other than plain old jalapenos or seranos) I do a lot of Moyn-ing( or tweaking to those who didn't know Moyn). and seeding tomatoes. I don't like to do that.

 
Fussy-fussy things (like hollowed-out strawberries stuffed with white chocolate mousse, the bottoms

dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in coconut. Delicious, but I think about the books I could have read in that time).

Multi-part recipes where everything's happening at the last minute -- finishing a sauce while something's browning in the oven and something else is sauteing. Uh-uh. 'Nother life.

Recipes with small amounts of ingredients available only by mail order. I'm looking at a recipe now for an almond-rhubarb financier. Calls for 1 tbsp of glucose syrup. Yeah, always have some of that on hand, right next to the ketchup...

Recipes that use cans of soup.

Anything that makes 100 of something which are best the day they're made.

 
taking a perfectly good fresh artichoke and cutting away all the leaves to get just the heart---

I cringe when I see them throwing away all those yummy leaves when I see this on TV.

 
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