Offputting Ingredient Lists

[jmacnaughtan]

I'm probably going to be unpopular here, but if an ingredient doesn't constitute a major part of a dish or dessert, or a major flavour component (spices etc), I can't tell the difference between high-cost and low-cost. Organic, raw-milk butter is great on bread or at a push in croissants, but as part of a cake, mashed potatoes or whisked into a sauce? Forget about it.

I also can taste zero difference between factory-farmed meats used for long-cooked dishes and their organic counterparts. And when you're paying 20€/kg for something like organic oxtail, that's a kick in the teeth.

Likewise, I never use enough vinegar to taste the vinegar, so I couldn't care less if it's organic, and salt is salt- you're never using more than about 0,05% per recipe weight so any difference is negligible (except for finishing salts).

Where I am (Paris), the mass-produced ingredients are perfectly fine and I can't even really taste the difference between organic and mass-produced vegetables and fruit here. Certainly not enough to justify spending up to 100% more on them.

[Lindacakes]

This doesn't bother me, what bothers me is finding a recipe that will include junk food as an ingredient.  It always pays to read several recipes in any magazine or book to make sure this isn't done before buying. This would include slices of American cheese, boxed cake mix, and canned mushrooms.

 

However, that being said, it is perfectly legitimate to include brand names in recipes.  Some of us have an affection for say, Solo Poppyseed Filling.  The cake on the label is seriously good.  So is the fudge on the Solo marshmallow creme label.  I would not make a cake made with crushed Oreos but I would very likely eat it if offered it at someone else's house and find it delicious.

 

Certain sour creams taste different than others.  I can see saying, Daisy sour cream, which to me would taste better than Breakstone's.

 

In other words, it works both ways.  And sideways.  I think it's okay, you can ignore it either way.

[SobaAddict70]

I am not interested in starting a range war between organic ingredient enthusiasts and supermarket shoppers such as myself. I do have a question that relates to how I respond to some recipes that I find on the internet.

 

I was following a link that my adult daughter put up on facebook about "Nourishing Thankgiving Foods." Included in the ingredient list for one dish were organic onions, grassfed ghee and organic wine. Prejudiced as it may be I find that I typically stop reading recipes written like this. I suspect that it has to do with my general lack of satisfaction from way back when when I would prepare dishes with similarly-written recipes only to find the food so-so at best.  I figure that if I wanted organic whatever I would not need to be told in a recipe that it needed to be organic. I would choose that because of personal preference.

 

My question is simple. Am I a rarity in having the organic/healthy push in recipes make me lose interest or do some others respond this way also.

 

Organic advocates, I would prefer that you not express what could be the value of organic in your responses. I have enough face-to-face friends that perform that task already.

No, it's not just you.

There is a reason I don't go to that level of specificity when I post stuff on the blog or here or other fora like Facebook. I figure that if someone wants to use organic whatever it is, he or she can.

Would I like to see everyone living/cooking/using organic/sustainable, etc? Sure, I'd be lying if I said I didn't. But I also came to the epiphany that it's up to each individual person to make that kind of decision for him or herself, because people can and do make choices differently.

For myself, I tend to use organic/local/sustainable etc., but I'm comfortable with other folks doing things differently. I believe in putting as much power as possible in the hands of the reader. In terms of what gets published to the blog or an online forum like eG or FB, I only care if something will be delicious or if the recipe works, because my content is representative of me. Makes sense?

Edited March 20, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Unpopular Poet]

 

I'm probably going to be unpopular here, but if an ingredient doesn't constitute a major part of a dish or dessert, or a major flavour component (spices etc), I can't tell the difference between high-cost and low-cost.  Organic, raw-milk butter is great on bread or at a push in croissants, but as part of a cake, mashed potatoes or whisked into a sauce?  Forget about it.

 

I also can taste zero difference between factory-farmed meats used for long-cooked dishes and their organic counterparts.  And when you're paying 20€/kg for something like organic oxtail, that's a kick in the teeth.

 

Likewise, I never use enough vinegar to taste the vinegar, so I couldn't care less if it's organic, and salt is salt- you're never using more than about 0,05% per recipe weight so any difference is negligible (except for finishing salts).

 

Where I am (Paris), the mass-produced ingredients are perfectly fine and I can't even really taste the difference between organic and mass-produced vegetables and fruit here.  Certainly not enough to justify spending up to 100% more on them.

 

I am the only one unpopular around here  -- I agree 100% with what you have said as far as taste goes -- I do think however that organic has become a sort of lifestyle choice for people -- if it isn't organic, it isn't good -- or whatever is said.  Sometimes it is nice to buy organic -- but limiting oneself to it at all times is folly in my opinion -- there are plenty of great products which don't use the term organic that are perfectly healthy and acceptable.  One thing you have going for you is that you are in Paris -- in my short time there, I discovered that no matter what it is, it is better there.  

[SobaAddict70]

"Extra Virgin Olive Oil" on everything.

 

It depends.

 

I use regular OO for cooking, and EVOO for finishing.

 

That might be a little bit much though for my audience.  I used to never think that until I started blogging.  I get around that by just saying "olive oil".  If something requires extra-virgin olive oil, then I'll state that in the recipe.  There aren't too many instances where that's the case.

 

Again, it's all about giving the reader the power.

[SobaAddict70]

I will confess it took me a while to evolve.

 

I can still be ideologically-driven when I want to be when it comes to food,    but I think it's better to let folks decide for themselves. 

 

I had a conversation a while ago with a committed militant vegan.  I was trying to get him to see that if you want people to approach veganism with an open mind, isn't it better to "show" rather than "tell"?

 

That's when it hit me.

 

Your kumbaya moment for today. 

[Arey]

Is there such a thing a virgin olive oil.  There are supposedly 3 grades, extra virgin, virgin, and plain olive.  I used to buy a brand of plain old olive oil because on the label it was described as 'Lamp Grade olive oil".  I've tried to find virgin olive oil but without success to use for cooking.According to CI there's no point using extra-virgin for cooking so I would like to try using virgin olive oil.
For last Christmas I was given a quart bottle of olive oil which is labeled "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" and is $13.00 for a quart on Amazon.  I'm using it for cooking, but I suspect I could use it in my lamps, if I had any oil lamps.