Cookbooks you most modify recipes from

[Hahabogus]

I mostly don't follow recipes, well if a great master Chef writes a recipe I follow it. But for general stuff your face foods like say a BBQ Sauce or Breaded Pork chops or a Rhubarb Custard cake; I wing it a great deal. But I like to get a basic Idea before I 'make it mine'. And I find Better Homes & Gardens come up with recipe collections from whence you can go where no man has gone before.

Take the rhubarb custard cake...that's a crushed pineapple and mandarin orange custard cake these days. I also replaced the white sugar with brown sugar.

What is your favorite don't follow the recipe cookbook?

[gfron1]

I have a folksy Talk About Good (I think is the name) cajun cookbook from the Lafayette, LA women's club. I always open it and make whatever I want and then say it came from the cookbook. Not that the book isn't good, but its Cajun food and whatever I make is going to have more butter and Chachere's than they call for anyway!

[nerdy]

i modify almost every recipe from a book just a little... unless it requires precise measures(baking, M.G., ect...) but even then i usually adjust flavorants... more of this, less of that... or flip the flavor profiles completely... i thin my faves are the ole standards... la technique, la rousse, chernosky, escoffier, CIA, any 'base' recipie book. when i look at books written by a specific chef, i tend to use them as more of an inspirational guide... flavors, platings....

well thats just me.

Edited July 14, 2007 by nerdy (log)

[ermintrude]

i modify almost every recipe from a book just a little...  unless it requires precise measures(baking, M.G., ect...) but even then i usually adjust flavorants...  more of this, less of that...  or flip the flavor profiles completely...  i thin my faves are the ole standards...  la technique, la rousse, chernosky, escoffier, CIA, any 'base' recipie book.  when i look at books written by a specific chef, i tend to use them as more of an inspirational guide...  flavors, platings.... 

well thats just me.

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Same here - they are a source of inspiration not a rule book but also use them as fact books how long at what temp do I cook x etc

Edited July 14, 2007 by ermintrude (log)