"Paul M. Cook©®" > wrote in
:

>
> " BOB" > wrote in message
> ...
>> sf wrote:
>> > On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 04:23:02 GMT, Wayne >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> "Paul M. Cook©®" > wrote in
>> >> :
>> >>
>> >> > I'm just curious here. I have both JC and NJC. Am I the only
>> >> > one
> who
>> >> > has consistent bad results with their recipes and techniques?
>> >> > I
> mean
>> >> > I fancy myself an able cook, not a chef by any means, yet I
>> >> > always seem to have to make a JC recipe a couple of times and
>> >> > make changes
> to
>> >> > it to get it to come out right. I have so much better success
>> >> > with other cookbooks it seems.
>> >> >
>> >> > Paul
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> Must be you, Paul. <G> I've used an early 70's edition for years
>> >> and
> have
>> >> absolutely never had a problem or failure, save a few that were
>> >> in
> fact my
>> >> own fault.
>>
>> Like substituting un-like ingredients? Like changing *anything* the
>> first
> time
>> trying a new recipe?
>> Been there, done that. *NOT* the fault of the cookbook or the recipe
>> at
> all.
>>
>> >
>> > Ditto
>>
>> Me three.
>>
>
> Ok guys, be fair. But I do make all recipes exactly the first time -
> to the very letter of the recipe. I don't claim to be a chef but
> after making a recipe in JC I know I might like a tad more of this or
> a tad more of that the next time I make it. Substitutions take longer
> of course. I'm talking cooking here, not baking which as we all know
> is more like chemistry.
>
> OK for example, the JC has dozens of chicken dishes. One of them is
> smothered chicken. Cooked to their recipe the dish is flat, bland and
> not too good. I hazard to guess it may be like a lot of food cooked
> in the 30's and 40's. Now when I add some seasoning, much more
> olives, pan fry the chicken first to a high degree of crispiness
> rather than just brown it, plus use 1/2 the liquid they call for, I
> get a really nice dish that pleases anyone who eats it.
>
> Now for some of the breakfast foods. Their pancake recipes suck.
> They really do. Their sour milk pancakes have no body, are flat and
> generally tasteless. I use extra eggs, more salt, and less baking
> powder and I get a really great pancake - thick and light and full of
> flavor. It is still very much the JC recipe though with just a few
> minor changes that make a huge difference.
>
> Then there is the roast category. Cooked the way they instruct the
> roasts turn out dry and ruined. I used to think it was just me until
> I tried Alton Brown's method. Now I can make a roast to serve
> royalty. So I have abandoned their roasting techniques.
>
> Now don't get me wrong. JC is a fine cookbook. Where else can you
> get a decent pineapple upside down cake recipe these days? But it is
> not perfect. My hunch is it is based more on some cooking techniques
> from 70 or more years ago.
>
> Paul

Paul, your orignal post made it sound that JOC recipes produced failed
results. In your last entry, however, it appears that you simply don't
like the results, not that the recipes produced failures. That's a
significant difference.

When I first read JOC, it was my impression that Rombauer, et. al.,
presented most of the recipes as sound, basic methods and encouraged the
reader to experiment and lend their own touches as desired.

BTW, I've got a better Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe!

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.