How often do you deviate from the stated recipe?

scottishgal_2

Only for baking, for most reripes I substitute herbs often, dried for fresh, tomato sauce instead of puree if I don't have it in, and lemon juice in milk instead of buttermilk, etc etc!

CH27

CCP wrote: »

I tend to use recipes for ideas and substitute ingredients and quantities according to what I've got or what I fancy, so most of my cooking ends up 'inspired by' a particular recipe. In fact, now I think of it, just about all of my genuine culinary disasters have been where I have followed the recipe exactly - I'm not sure quite what that tells me! :rotfl:

I do that too:D

laloopi

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi gillypkk,

These threads should help:

Anyone know how to make homemade fruit cordial?

Elderflower Cordial

I very rarely follow a recipe but if I do, I almost always substitute a couple of the ingredients or leave some out or add extras in.

Pink

I use recipes from the first thread. It's so easy and lemon cordial is beautiful, like old-fashioned lemonade. I normally store one lot in a sterilised Grolsch bottle in the fridge and freeze a couple more bottle's worth in tupperware tubs in the freezer. I found the best deal on citric acid is by buying 500g from the homebrew guy in the market, or you can get a small tub from Wilko's.

barneydee_2

I never stick to a recipe exactly, because in the past if I didn't have all the ingredents I would end up running to the shop and buying them and would spend money I could ill aford to spend :mad: So I adapt and if I like what i've done I have my own Recipe book that I write the recipe into

Lazy_Liz

mrbadexample wrote: »

Never.



I am completely unable to dip my finger in something, taste it and think "that needs a bit more oregano*" In fact, I couldn't even tell you what oregano tastes like. Or what it goes with. But if the recipe says 14 leaves of oregano, it'll get 14 leaves of oregano. I can tell that there's something not quite right, just not how to fix it.

mrbadexample, just keep sticking your finger in and tasting, you will get to know what you like, how things taste and if you want more or less of a flavour. I'm a scientist too but have a creative side which comes out in my cooking, that said I never deviate from cake recipies, the proportions are important.
I think the tool most of us who change recipies use is knowing what goes with what, so start simple with things you know.

Looby_Lou

My kids now know that if the name of the dish has the word "Surprise" on the end it will have various different ingredients from the original recipe. I also occasionally will put lamb meatballs in a dish rather than cubed lamb (It's a lot cheaper that way:D)

ragz_2

I try, I really do. But I always seem to change something! Either because I don't have it or I add things because I want to, change quantities etc.

Anyone can follow a recipe to the letter, it takes experience and understanding to know when and what you can change. That's especially true with 'technical' things like cakes.