slo’s FRIDAY 10/20 poll - Cookbooks vs. Online Recipe Websites

[lovesmurfs]

I have a box of index card recipes that I wrote up early in our marriage (33+ years). I sometimes use them, but not often. I could easily throw most away without regret.

I do have some cookbooks that I like. More with Less (Mennonite cookbook) is one of my favorites, as is Christmas Gems that I mentioned yesterday (great recipes and amazing gift/entertaining section in the back).

I have a recipe book that I put together of my grandmother's recipes (I collected them from ALL OVER her apartment after she passed away -- they were everywhere, even her underwear drawer, bizarrely).

Most of my recipes I look for online -- I like the reviews and recommendations for changing them. I'm a seasoned enough cook to know when something has too much of one thing or not enough of something else, but it's good to see from other perspectives. Allrecipes has been my favorite go-to, but I try Google search first.

I LOVED Allrecipes when it came out (not sure, but I think I've been a member for about 25 years!). Some of the changes to the site recently haven't been that user-friendly, and it's not as easy to find highly recommended recipes or look at extensive categories anymore. AND they made my saved recipes and collections public. I had to go into each of the collections and make it private, but the overall list of saved recipes doesn't have that option. And I won't get started with trying to search using the iOS app. Really pisses me off overall.

I do save recipes I want to try to Pinterest boards, but don't often remember to look there.

 

[_19disnA]

Mostly, I google a recipe and scan through a few versions before picking one. I'd say the majority of time, it's probably one of the main online sources for recipes, just not intentionally.

I also tend to do that when looking for a particular new recipe. It is easy to compare the ratio of key ingredients (flour/sugar/butter/eggs/etc.) on several recipes and eliminate the ones that seem off compared to the majority. Also increases the chance for success the first time you make it.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

I have probably a couple dozen actual cookbooks but seldom use them anymore. I get most of my recipes now from Facebook groups I belong to.

 

[soccerdad72]

I also tend to do that when looking for a particular new recipe. It is easy to compare the ratio of key ingredients (flour/sugar/butter/eggs/etc.) on several recipes and eliminate the ones that seem off compared to the majority. Also increases the chance for success the first time you make it.

Definitely

And I will say that with savory recipes, I usually start with a recipe and tweak it as I see fit. Baking is a different story - I know if you deviate from a written recipe it can have disasterous results.

 

[easyas123]

I did just preorder this book, I've had my eye on it for a bit. I enjoy perusing thru lot of culture/ ethnic/regional and or specialty (cook or cook type) books.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635575931/ref=pe_386300_440135490_TE_simp_item_image

 

[footballmouse]

My favorite cookbook (paper) would be Joanna Gaines book. Really good recipes and super easy to make.
I use the index cards for family recipes.
I usually like recipes that I've gotten from Pinterest. Tik-tok also has some decent recipes.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I use several different websites if I need to make a particular dish. I compare recipes for that dish and sometimes use a bit from each. I do use AllRecipes. Never had a disaster or a dish not come out as promised. I have a recipe box with index cards in my mother's handwriting, which I use sparingly because she wasn't the best cook. I keep it because it's her handwriting. For a lot of recipes I just make them because the recipe is in my head.

I should say I don't really cook much anymore. I used to make a dinner just about every night, but now the schedules in my house just don't line up, plus I'm eating different foods for my diet. I cooked last week for the first time in months. We buy lots of frozen meals and other prepared foods now for the other people in my household.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I use pinterest to find and organize the majority of my recipes - so they come from a variety of websites and blogs.

But I have a handful that I still use from hardcopy sources ... some index cards that are handwritten, and I use a couple of recipes out of one cookbook, and I have a few that I tore out of Cooking Light magazine years ago.

 

[RedAngie]

I use both.

The other day I made the mistake of opening a recipe for Pierogi Casserole that randomly appeared on my FB page. Now I’m getting weird recipes from all kinds of FB sites.

 

[Disneychick75]

The only cookbook we use is one that contains the recipes my mother-in-law's cook used to make. We have a tower shelf on our countertop that has a couple of shelves full but that's more for decoration.
My husband, who is an excellent cook, is the chef. He retired a couple of years ago and enjoys it. My job is to find the recipes online.

 

[tvguy]

In our household the top cookbook is the "Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook" is the first cookbook of choice. The cookbook that it seems like every newlywed couple for the last 100 years (literally) has gotten as a wedding gift.

Online, my wife swears by "Sally's Baking Addiction".

Another great recipe source, the ones on the packages of ingredients. My wife's favorite corn bread recipe is on the container of Quaker Corn Meal. We spent the last two weeks trying to find a store with Quaker Corn Meal to replace the one we had. No store has it. We ended up buying a bag of Pearl Milling (formerly Aunt Jemima) corn meal and my wife will transcribe the recipe off the Quaker can before throwing it out.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I use YouTube and when I find a recipe I like I save it to a playlist, so it's like having an online video recipe book of sorts. My favorite YouTube cooking channels:

Food Wishes
Skinnytaste
Flo Lum
Recipe 30
Brian Lagerstrom

 

[Imzadi]

I use Allrecipes and the Food Network mostly. There are a few others like Hungry Girl or some Weight Watchers suggestions. I like reading the comments, especially for Allrecipes, as they usually have a consensus of tips, suggestions, criticisms, like, "Too much salt," or "Too much liquid. Cut the stock down by a third." Then many, many people use that tip and report the recipe is so much better. And that's the recipe I make.

 

[slo]

I haven’t had time to day to read everyone’s posts. I’m really looking forward to reading through later with some pen and paper to write things down that you all mentioned. Thanks for posting

 

[snowwite]

I have a box of index card recipes that I wrote up early in our marriage (33+ years). I sometimes use them, but not often. I could easily throw most away without regret.

I do have some cookbooks that I like. More with Less (Mennonite cookbook) is one of my favorites, as is Christmas Gems that I mentioned yesterday (great recipes and amazing gift/entertaining section in the back).

I have a recipe book that I put together of my grandmother's recipes (I collected them from ALL OVER her apartment after she passed away -- they were everywhere, even her underwear drawer, bizarrely).

Most of my recipes I look for online -- I like the reviews and recommendations for changing them. I'm a seasoned enough cook to know when something has too much of one thing or not enough of something else, but it's good to see from other perspectives. Allrecipes has been my favorite go-to, but I try Google search first.

I LOVED Allrecipes when it came out (not sure, but I think I've been a member for about 25 years!). Some of the changes to the site recently haven't been that user-friendly, and it's not as easy to find highly recommended recipes or look at extensive categories anymore. AND they made my saved recipes and collections public. I had to go into each of the collections and make it private, but the overall list of saved recipes doesn't have that option. And I won't get started with trying to search using the iOS app. Really pisses me off overall.

I do save recipes I want to try to Pinterest boards, but don't often remember to look there.

I forgot all about Pinterest I have so many saved there I need to live at least 100 years to make them all.

 

[Ellie008]

I like to find new recipes, but after having many, many disasters from using a new recipe from a website I will now only use recipes from websites I trust. Taste of Home is one of my favorites. Allrecipes is terrible. If you don't want to spend an hour trying to find the "real" recipe hidden in the comments you shouldn't bother using that site at all.

 

[mumto3girls]

Mostly these days I use Pinterest. Prior to that I used Allrecipes but that seems to have changed a bit and not as user friendly. I do use some cookbooks for holiday baking and holiday meals also a few recipe cards with my mom or grandmas handwriting. I don’t think I have any cookbook that has more than a couple recipes I use except one that my aunt made up of recipes from my grandma and her sisters. I have a few cookie recipes I get from there—actually it might just be cookies. I think she intended to do one for main dishes and an appetizer one but hasn’t gotten around to it.

My grandma was known for her cookies.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I mainly use google and youtube. I don't have a "go to" site, I look and see which one I like the most and kind of go with it. If something is particularly good I will bookmark it.

I also use the recipe or instructions on the back of the McCormick packets too if I am going to use a one of those mixes for something.

 

[_19disnA]

Tried using Pinterest a few times but it seems to be formatted in some unusual way compared to most other sites. If you click on something it tends to zoom out somewhere else and it wasn't obvious why or how to get back. I like using sites that are easy to use and arranged is such a way that you can easily find what you are looking for.

 

[MIGrandma]

Hardcover and paperback cookbooks, and I have a couple recipe boxes full of reci on index cards and papers given to me by family and friends over the years. I also have my Mom’s recipe box.