I think I will never make a recipe again from the internet unless it has comments

[Beringia]

I recently made 2 disastrous recipes, 1 a Mediterranean salad that asked for kidney beans, cucumber, red onion and cilantro. It asked for 1 and 1/4 cup of red onion and 1 and 1/4 of cilantro. It tastes like nothing but onion, can't even taste the rest. Then I made some potato fritters that were really bad.

I have been searching for the perfect bread roll, the one I remember from high school. Actually tried a recipe used for high school rolls, which called for powder milk, but it was so-so. It seems they all have about the same ingredients, maybe more oil, or eggs. So far have not found the "to die for" rolls.

[Siwsan]

1. Except for baked goods, I pretty much view recipes as a list of suggested ingredients

I've made things, before, that sounded like a good idea, but had I followed what was written, they would have not been to my taste. So I customize, adjust and tweak pretty much every recipe I encounter.

I don't generally mess, much, with recipes for most baked goods, like cakes and cookies, because many of the dry ingredients work more like chemistry. I'll customize by adding or deleting things like nuts and fruit, but the basic recipe is followed to a "T".

I had an uncle who just threw stuff together, when he made cookies. On occasion they were absolutely delightful but that wasn't the case, most of the time. They were too tough, too dry, too bland, too everything but tasty.

[Freddie]

2. Lots of typos in online recipes

It’s often listed as 1 cup butter when they mean 1 stick (1/2 cup). Probably autocorrect! I’m with you on the comments.

[mitch96]

33. "Lots of typos"

Agree. I recently ruined a nice side of Sockeye by using the amount of salt they recomended for the cure.. It was WAY too salty...
m

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. The problem with the salad is that it called for red onion at all,

which is disgusting in any quantity, but 1-1/4 cups is insane even for people who can actually stand it. It overwhelms everything. The same recipe without the red onion but with a smaller quantity of sweet white onion might be OK.

[Beringia]

4. I think you're right

[Laurian]

12. I soak red onion slices in ice water to make them milder.

The color often adds to a dish.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. I would soak them in sulfuric acid to make them disappear completely.

[SWBTATTReg]

27. Good idea. I will remember this. Thanks! nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

21. I happen to like red onion at full strength,

but the recipe in the OP just doesn't make any sense to me. A truly weird combination of ingredients.

I often make a basic salad with a couple of different kids of lettuce, cucumber, zucchini (cut small), red or yellow pepper, radishes, and red onions. Maybe some other ingredients. i cant recall offhand. I cut up everything in to the sizes I want, layering them (starting with the greens) on a very large plate. Then I do a good grind of pepper. I serve up individual portions, add croutons and dress each portion before eating.

What's nice is you can add or subtract ingredients as you wish. I cover the plate of salad with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. It will keep at least four days, maybe longer.

I keep on thinking I ought to take up making my own salad dressings, but I don't. Other than a coleslaw dressing. I'm currently quite fond of poppyseed dressing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. Red onion is the vegetable of Satan. Otherwise that salad sounds pretty good.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

24. Well, the other problem with that recipe is that it has cilantro in it.

Tastes like soap to me. Now THAT'S a garnish from the devil.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

25. I like cilantro, although I've heard some people think it tastes like soap.

To me, red onions taste like rotting garbage soaked in battery acid.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

30. Ahhh, then you should sympathize with me

when people try assure me that there's only a little cilantro in the dish.

Only a few soap chips, only a little bit of rotting garbage soaked in battery acid.

Although, I must ask, when in the world did you ever sample rotting garbage soaked in battery acid?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

31. Where did you sample soap?

I learned about rotting garbage soaked in battery acid when some malefactor put red onions in my salad.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

32. Soap gets sampled alas, all too often.

Rotting garbage soaked in battery acid not so much.

[happybird]

28. Scott Conant, is that you?😁

[Demovictory9]

34. i hate raw red onion. i pick it off entrees

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

35. Me, too.

There's often a little pile of onion pieces left on my plate because I have to pick out every single one; otherwise the food is inedible.

[Demovictory9]

36. farmers - stop growing red onions, parsley and arugula. no one likes that stuff

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

37. Kale. Stop growing kale.

It's got the consistency of a Brillo pad.

[Demovictory9]

38. ok if cooked a bit. Brocolli too. Hard to eat raw. Ok cooked.

[CharleyDog]

5. I always read the reviews, and the suggestions from cooks for tweaking the recipes.

Choosing recipes that have lots of reviews has also been a good way to vet the recipe. NYTimes recipes, I have found, are not good.
Certain chefs on FoodNetWork are always good (Ina Garten) and I trust them. But still I read the reviews.

The Mediterranean Dish is always good and authentic recipes. Also, Cookie and Kate.

I browse recipes every other day and find something new and exciting to try as I want us to eat less meat, and more vegetables. Thankfully the husband will eat anything without complaints, happy that someone is feeding him after a hard day at work.

[Runningdawg]

6. I have found Pinterest reviews to be the most accurate and helpful

AND on the off-chance I find something I will never do without again, or a real stinker, I make sure to post the results.

[Beringia]

8. I find when I click on a Pinterest Recipe

it takes me to the main page, and then I can't find the actual recipe. Is there a secret to finding the recipe?

[LoveMyCali]

10. I have found that usually if the Pinterest logo

is on the top of the page it brings you to the main page. If you see it on the side of the recipe or on a picture within the recipe try clicking on that and it will bring you to the recipe.

[Beringia]

11. Thanks

[LakeArenal]

7. I learned to cook better from watching Bobby Flay!!!

Although I don’t like any of his favorite Flayvors!!!

Cinnamon, cayenne, and others.

But I learned about actually cooking ingredients that I like.

Look up his recipes.

[Beringia]

9. Thanks

[Phentex]

14. I have lamented about this very thing here before...

but like someone else said, now I read reviews and I also look to see how long they've been cooking and blogging. Many of the good ones go on to publish cookbooks and will respond to a comment if you have a question about the recipe.

And don't get me started on videos that don't list the ingredients! What a pain!

[csziggy]

15. On AllRecipes.com I always read the comments

Often they include useful suggestions - so much so that I will print the recipe, then note some of the changes in the margins.

I have few other recipe sites that I find as useful as AllRecipes.com

Try the School Lunchroom Cafeteria Rolls from there: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/71528/school-lunchroom-cafeteria-rolls/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=Search But - be sure to read the comments!

[Beringia]

16. Thanks for the roll recipe

[csziggy]

17. I haven't tried it but the reviews and comments are positive

Though one comment says that the salt to flour ratio is off, so be sure to check those.

[Kali]

18. I don't know why people like red/purple onion

get a real sweet onion for eating raw, you will never go back to almost-always-too-strong/hot "pretty" purple onions!

recipes are just guides - try your salad again with less (and better) onion - play with it until it tastes good to you.

[Beringia]

19. Yes, some recipes are worth tweaking

I don't think this one is. The only thing I really like about it is the kidney beans.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

20. Totally agree. And I don't trust magazines either.

Sucks when you buy all the ingredients and comes out horrible.

I have never made or tasted anything good from a Martha Stewart recipe . And they take hours.

Btw, I still can remember how good the Mac and cheese we made in high school home econ was. I know it had eggs. Never taste any as good.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

22. I recall reading a very long time ago

that at least in her first cookbook, Martha Stewart apparently never tested the recipes that went in it.

[fierywoman]

26. Go to reliable sources like NY Times, Bon Apetit, Food & Wine, etc.

[woodsprite]

29. I was on a Pinterest and Food Network binge last week.

Thankfully all the recipes turned out. I did the roasted root veggies (for the 2nd time because they were so good), Teriyaki Salmon with Mango Lime salsa, Chicken Bok Choi stir fry (probably my least favorite of all the recipes - but edible), and Lemon Dill Cucumber Tea Sandwiches.

But I also look at the list of ingredients as suggestions. For the Lemon Dill Cucumber sandwiches, the recipe called for 2 tbsp dill, 1 tbsp lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon to a small 4 oz block of cream cheese. WAY too strong. I needed a good amount (made for coffee hour at church), so added 3 8oz blocks of cream cheese to the original mix. Had to add a bit more zest (total 2 tblsp) and dill (total of 5 tblsp) to balance things out, but that recipe was 7x what the original called for while the flavorings were just 2x. So glad I didn't just take it for face value and multiply the original recipe. It would have been horrible. Instead, I can't get enough of that lemon/dill and I've already had 5 people ask for the recipe.