# Is there a worse recipe site than Cooks.com? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164 "2010-03-20T19:50:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/21 "2010-03-21T00:18:14Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Corn Chowder (serves 4): > > Ingredients > > 1 can Campbell’s soup > 1 can creamed corn > Ritz crackers > > Microwave the soup and corn. Season with the ketchup. Garnish with crackers. _reads_ _reads again_ _reads again_ What ketchup? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/22 "2010-03-21T00:18:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No, you’re right. It’s a complete free-for-all on [cooks.com](http://cooks.com). But that’s what I like about the site. I get to pass judgment and figure out who to trust and what recipes I like. > > Now, it would sure as hell not be the first site I’d go to to check on any unfamiliar recipe. But when I’ve got a recipe inside and out and want to see some random outside interpretations of it, it’s great for that. Sometimes, you’ll find a gem. Well, from this and stuff you’ve said before, you’re way ahead of where I am in terms of near to boredom with the canon – I’m still honing minor variations on JoC and Cooks Illustrated standards (chicken liver in spag bol. is still pretty inspiring for me), and probably don’t have the instincts you do to indignantly say “ **that** variation is crap/amateur hour, but **this** sounds like it might actually work in a weird way.” Or, I still go with the appeal to authority and if I want a twist, look to a Paula Deen or Mark Bittman rather than the howling wilderness of unmediated l/c/d websites. Of course the complicating factor is that people with bad taste/instincts don’t generally know it – anyone who bothers to post a recipe anywhere obviously thinks it’s the bees knees, so **their** characterization of it is never to be trusted . . . (oddly enough, real cooks are much more candid about saying, you know, I tried it with [oyster sauce/Ritz crackers/nori] ‘cause it seemed really creative, and lemme tell you, I didn’t like my version at all" than Aunt Gladys can ever be about her cream o’ mushroom fueled “classic.” ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/23 "2010-03-21T01:07:32Z")
I once got a rather bizarre cut of meat that I’d never really heard of out of a quarter beef. I knew it was something that should probably be put in the crock-pot or slow cooked in a Dutch oven, but beyond that I was kind of stymied as to how to prepare it. Googling the cut didn’t get me very far–I wish I could remember what they called it, and perhaps there was another name for it, but I couldn’t find anything except for [cooks.com](http://cooks.com). The recipe suggested browning it and putting it in the crock pot with some caramelized onions, stock, and A1 sauce. “I like A1,” I thought, and followed the recipe to the letter. I ended up with a charred mess. How the HELL can someone screw up a crock-pot recipe? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/24 "2010-03-21T01:09:35Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > I once got a rather bizarre cut of meat that I’d never really heard of out of a quarter beef. I knew it was something that should probably be put in the crock-pot or slow cooked in a Dutch oven, but beyond that I was kind of stymied as to how to prepare it. Googling the cut didn’t get me very far–I wish I could remember what they called it, and perhaps there was another name for it, but I couldn’t find anything except for [cooks.com](http://cooks.com). The recipe suggested browning it and putting it in the crock pot with some caramelized onions, stock, and A1 sauce. > > “I like A1,” I thought, and followed the recipe to the letter. I ended up with a charred mess. How the HELL can someone screw up a crock-pot recipe? How _did_ you get a charred mess? A1, onions, stock, stewing beef–I really can’t see how that happened, unless you used a bare minimum of liquid and cooked it for like 18 hours or something. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/25 "2010-03-21T01:49:02Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Is this dinner or a date? Actually its a life manual I’ll be hoaring for on Oprah next week. Remember you knew me before I was famous. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/26 "2010-03-21T05:51:38Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > I’m sorry, if your chili recipe lists “1 bottle of Heinz 57 sauce” as an ingredient, you should probably kill yourself. If your recipe calls for ingredients which are not referenced in the method, you’re practically _begging_ for assisted suicide. Sometimes, Heinz 57 sauce is a “secret ingredient”, even in Chili. I’ve had a great variety of chili… some very traditional, some not so traditional, some would do well by the a shot of Heinz 57. This ingredient comes from the “Great Bowl of Red” Diner tradition of the last 100 years, when your chili could make you or break you as a lunch counter, and tour secret chili could include cinnamon, or cocoa… or A.1., or heinz chili sauce, or even baked beans!. I wouldn’t necessarily scoff at a bowl of chili that includes Heinz 57, as long as that wasn’t the only ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/27 "2010-03-21T06:04:44Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Sometimes, Heinz 57 sauce is a “secret ingredient”, even in Chili. I’ve had a great variety of chili… some very traditional, some not so traditional, some would do well by the a shot of Heinz 57. This ingredient comes from the “Great Bowl of Red” Diner tradition of the last 100 years, when your chili could make you or break you as a lunch counter, and tour secret chili could include cinnamon, or cocoa… or A.1., or heinz chili sauce, or even baked beans!. I wouldn’t necessarily scoff at a bowl of chili that includes Heinz 57, as long as that wasn’t the only ingredient. Yeah…the great thing about chili, actually, is that to a certain extent you can add just about anything you want and it wouldn’t really affect the flavor too much. Heck, my dad once put expired baby food in ours once (he was trying to get rid of it), and we didn’t taste it at all. Though I do know someone whose mother’s idea of chili was to make a pot of Campbells tomato soup and put bowtie pasta in it. It was quite a shock to him when he finally tried real chili! He liked it, but didn’t know that that was what chili was supposed to taste like. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/28 "2010-03-21T06:31:30Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > I am pretty sure that will end up looking like vomit. no, most of [these](http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/gutcheck/2010/02/20_unholy_recipes_dishes_so_aw.php) look like vomit. [warning, these recipes are sort of Julie and Julia meets James Lileck:eek:] ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/29 "2010-03-21T07:37:15Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Sometimes, Heinz 57 sauce is a “secret ingredient”, even in Chili. I’ve had a great variety of chili… some very traditional, some not so traditional, some would do well by the a shot of Heinz 57. This ingredient comes from the “Great Bowl of Red” Diner tradition of the last 100 years, when your chili could make you or break you as a lunch counter, and tour secret chili could include cinnamon, or cocoa… or A.1., or heinz chili sauce, or even baked beans!. I wouldn’t necessarily scoff at a bowl of chili that includes Heinz 57, as long as that wasn’t the only ingredient. I’m all for doing what works, but if the thing that makes your chili _better_ is Heinz 57 you need to step away from the stove and reevaluate what the hell it is you’re trying to accomplish. ---
**Author:** ![Bacon\_Salt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@Bacon\_Salt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bacon_Salt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/30 "2010-03-21T07:41:36Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > If you’re out of canned soup, can I recommend using [evaporated milk](http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/bbtrix/index.html)? For a moment, I thought you were linking to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4zw99VsoMA) travesty. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/31 "2010-03-21T07:57:38Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > I’m all for doing what works, but if the thing that makes your chili _better_ is Heinz 57 you need to step away from the stove and reevaluate what the hell it is you’re trying to accomplish. Well, for tomato based chilis… A tomato based sauce is often very accepting and well, perfect for a very complex blend of spices, sugar, and vinegar/sour. A complexity of simplicity. Subtle tastes in a good base. That is what the Heinz 57 sauce offers. Add some to your lobster bisque, if you are really in the know. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/32 "2010-03-21T08:01:08Z")
… as an ingredient… not a condiment. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/33 "2010-03-21T10:03:54Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Try to find a onion dip recipe. I never found one that didn’t say add a package of Lipton onion soup mix to a container of sour cream. I wish they would remove posts like that, and allow people to flag recipes as wrong. Try using reduced cream (reduced fat cream, it comes in a tin) instead of sour cream. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar (I find rice vinegar works really well) and stick it in the fridge for an hour or so. Incredibly easy but incredibly popular! “Kiwi Dip” (the above recipe) is an NZ culinary institution but when I make it for my friends here who don’t know what it is, they look at me like I should be wearing a lab coat in a kitchen full of bubbling beakers and charging Tesla coils… ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/34 "2010-03-21T10:18:59Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > no, most of [these](http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/gutcheck/2010/02/20_unholy_recipes_dishes_so_aw.php) look like vomit. Prune whip? Prune… Whip? Prune fucking whip? There are simply no words. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/35 "2010-03-21T10:41:25Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Prune whip? > Prune… Whip? > Prune fucking whip? > > There are simply no words. I’m just a regular guy. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/36 "2010-03-21T12:12:53Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Prune whip? > Prune… Whip? > Prune fucking whip? > > There are simply no words. there are words, but we do not use them in polite society. I believe they are found on those 25 pages of bad words in the other thread… ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/37 "2010-03-21T12:48:05Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > no, most of [these](http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/gutcheck/2010/02/20_unholy_recipes_dishes_so_aw.php) look like vomit. > [warning, these recipes are sort of Julie and Julia meets James Lileck:eek:] Beautiful! ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/38 "2010-03-21T14:12:41Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Nearly every day, I start my dinner planning with a google search for recipes in the general neighbourhood of what I have at hand and/or what I vaguely feel like whipping up. > > Experience has instilled a massive disdain for [cooks.com](http://cooks.com) recipes - to the point that I regularly employ a DNS-poisoning technique on all the computers that I regularly use to block [cooks.com](http://cooks.com), which saves me a huge amount of time clicking through to recipes that are offensive at a glance, or (more frustratingly) look plausible enough at a glance but turn out to be incomplete, self-contradicting, or merely incredibly misguided, once you set about actually attempting them. > > I’m sorry, if your chili recipe lists “1 bottle of Heinz 57 sauce” as an ingredient, you should probably kill yourself. If your recipe calls for ingredients which are not referenced in the method, you’re practically _begging_ for assisted suicide. > > From time to time, my meal planning begins on a computer from which access to [cooks.com](http://cooks.com) has _not_ been blocked, and invariably I find recipes in the top listings that make me pause to say “WTF is up with _that?_ Oh… right… [cooks.com](http://cooks.com).” > > How the hell does this site manage to stay up? Beyond that, how comes it that it seems to enjoy a fairly high degree of popularity? It’s exactly like Lileks’ Gallery of Regrettable Food, except without any irony. Every time I am reminded of its existence, I despair for humanity. > > Can someone explain this? Black ops engineered by communist China, intended to cripple Western society through creeping gastronomic catastrophe? Subgenius prank? > > Is there any other single website operating within the limits of the law which encourages anything more abominable? OMG, you are a riot. 🆒 I once made a recipe from [Cooks.com](http://Cooks.com) site and it came out awful. It was something simple like a ‘Pumpkin Nut Bread’. They screwed up the amount of baking powder and the bread came out of the oven flat as a pancake and unedible. Like chewing leather. I really think some people just send stuff in as a joke. Lets throw a weeks worth of leftovers together and add cheese and it’s a casserole… Blah! ---
**Author:** ![Typo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Typo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/39 "2010-03-21T14:44:07Z")
Oh, I hate [cooks.com](http://cooks.com). I rarely find what I originally searched for and when I do, it seems like a bad idea. (Cook pork chops at 450 for 90 minutes? Don’t think so.) ---
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164/40 "2010-03-21T17:39:36Z")
> [@Bacon\_Salt](#): > > For a moment, I thought you were linking to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4zw99VsoMA) travesty. Holy mother of… I was almost dry heaving at the sight of evaporated milk and vinegar… We have an added bonus of the rather interesting juxtaposition of the, ahem, voluptuous figure of our host and the persistent comments of the caloric content of the ‘salad’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-worse-recipe-site-than-cooks-com/533164.md?page=3)