# On the omnipresence of food-snobbery in everyday recipes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 22, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007 "2023-12-22T20:28:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/201 "2023-12-29T19:08:56Z")
Most of the rice I cook (jasmine and various sushi short grains) do a lot better with 1.25 water to rice. At least, for smallish quantities (generally a cup). ---
**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:** [December 29, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/202 "2023-12-29T19:23:36Z")
Yeah, my normal rice is regular extra-long grain, but jasmine can definitely take a little less water, as it seems to have a decent amount of moisture to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/203 "2023-12-29T21:18:30Z")
I measure salt and yeast, flour and water, though not much else. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/204 "2023-12-30T00:29:52Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > Hawaiisalz: salt from Hawaii I wouldn’t trust that list to be either comprehensive or accurate, given that there is no such thing as “Hawai’i salt.” Sure, you can buy specialty salt here, because various businesses make salt products by mixing salt with assorted locally produced/obtained additives, like [alaea salt](https://www.seasaltsofhawaii.com/collections/alaea-red-clay). Notice they carefully avoid saying that the salt is a naturally occurring substance - instead, it is a “blend.” I can buy a lot of other such products here (mostly at tourist shops), featuring lava, seaweed, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/205 "2023-12-30T09:19:36Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > 250 mL dry gets 95% of the way, and good as I’d expect a scoop of flour, anyhow. Sifting characteristics and water absorbsion via ambient humidity are probably bigger wildcards. Not sure that would be enough, as the quantities would be off. When I baked with a friend of mine in middle school. She put flour in the measuring cup, and then tapped it on the counter to make the flour settle. Added more flour, tapped it on the counter. Not sure how much more flour she had in the end. And she didn’t pack the brown sugar. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > Notice they carefully avoid saying that the salt is a naturally occurring substance - instead, it is a “blend.” I can buy a lot of other such products here (mostly at tourist shops), featuring lava, seaweed, etc. Thank you for the clarification. I looked at the book description more carefully, and it says that it is sea salt from Hawaii with additives, such as bamboo leaf, activated coal, etc. The cookbook is definitely not exhaustive, but I find it extremely helpful for understanding Swiss recipes and cuts of meat. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/206 "2023-12-30T09:41:37Z")
one thing you have to remember is that 90 percent of American recipes are made by people pushing an agenda …i mean how many people have found out grandmas secret pie recipe came from a free cookbook given to her my the “apple Growers Washington” whose job was coming up with ways to sell more apples in 1921 but over the years just made from either memory or a unsourced card so the source was forgotten Or mom’s fudge recipe was the recipe that was on the back of the marshmallow cream jar? If you want to see how American cooking /was is manipulated by companies and groups look up the "baking powder war " > [@a piece of culinary history that i didnt know about -the baking powder war](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-piece-of-culinary-history-that-i-didnt-know-about-the-baking-powder-war/825586): > > while looking for an out of print recipie made by calumet baking powder company I found this …… apparently there was a “war” for 80 years between calumet that used a totally different formula from traditional baking powder companies and they fought back with tricks employed that would make Rockefeller and standard oil proud……… just thought some would find it interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/207 "2023-12-30T14:52:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > featuring lava, seaweed, etc. Lava in food? That’s a little weird. But what’s wrong with seaweed? That’s just food. I keep some in my desk at work for snacking on after my long commute. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/208 "2023-12-30T16:48:17Z")
Obsidian? Obsequious! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/209 "2023-12-30T17:55:22Z")
Clearly, most/all recipes come from somewhere, person, package, book. Unless you’re in the kitchen just experimenting (who has time for that when everyone is hungry?) you’re following time honored directions you know work for you. ---
**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:** [December 30, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/210 "2023-12-30T18:49:24Z")
Yeah, my reaction that many recipes are just “back of the box” recipes for products is “so what?” Are they good? Yes? Who cares if the recipe was passed down by Carthusian monks over the centuries or just something great-gramma liked on the back of a tin of Clabber Girl or some promotional cookbook? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/211 "2023-12-30T18:53:40Z")
Back of the box recipes are at least tested by some professional. The recipe Ms. Jones gave you in the grocery check out line might be a bunch of junk. I get lots of recipes from a magazine my Electric co-op puts out. Some successes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/212 "2023-12-30T19:07:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, my reaction that many recipes are just “back of the box” recipes for products is “so what?” Are they good? Yes? Who cares if the recipe was passed down by Carthusian monks over the centuries or just something great-gramma liked on the back of a tin of Clabber Girl or some promotional cookbook? > **[Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars: Ceil Dyer...](https://www.amazon.com/Best-Recipes-Backs-Boxes-Bottles/dp/0883657376)** > > Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars \[Ceil Dyer (Author)\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars I’ve made a number of these, and they are all good to great. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/213 "2023-12-30T19:20:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > keep frozen pucks of homemade demiglace in my freezer. Disagree on this one. Demiglace is easy to make, freezes really well, and is a better gravy than gravy. The trick is to make a ton of it at one time. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/214 "2023-12-30T19:26:57Z")
Many of my back of the box recipes have been modified a little. I do a nice cinnamon star that was inspired by a recipe published by King Arthur flour, but i looked up a couple other recipes online and interpolated a bit. My brownie recipe is the one that used to be on boxes of bakers chocolate. Except my husband adds chocolate chips, and that’s really good. I think recipes evolve. Ingredients change, or the size of packages change. Tastes change. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/215 "2023-12-30T21:48:48Z")
[The Unprejudiced Palate](https://www.amazon.com/Unprejudiced-Palate-Classic-Thoughts-Library/dp/0812971558). All about cooking by feel. A classic, and recommended. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/216 "2023-12-30T21:57:54Z")
I just finished reading a collection short stories published in 1955 or 56. One story has two women in their early 40s who grew up together reconnecting after a long time. One woman is reminiscing about making homemade mayonnaise with her mother. Her mother beat egg yolks while the daughter dripped in the **olive oil** drop by drop. Based on their ages I’d estimate the mayonnaise-making was sometime in the 1920s. So, olive oil was not completely unknown before the foodies invaded. It was not mentioned in any way to draw attention as some exotic ingredient either. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/217 "2023-12-30T23:20:09Z")
That might depend a bit on their ethnicity. My late aged MIL was a child back then. But the child of recent Italian immigrants. Olive oil is what they knew. Nothing else was edible. Likewise perhaps the Greek immigrants from the next town over. The folks in other US towns with ethnic origins in England or Germany or France or ???. Probably not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/218 "2023-12-30T23:21:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > That might depend a bit on their ethnicity. 100% correct. WASP isn’t the default setting for American, and hasn’t been for a while now. What a lot of people find as “snobbery” now has been just normal cooking for others for decades now ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/219 "2023-12-30T23:23:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > That might depend a bit on their ethnicity. These were Southern (Georgia) WASP ladies. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007/220 "2023-12-30T23:24:11Z")
ETA: @Chingon 2 above. Well, in the 1930s when late aged MIL was a kid, being Italian was definitely being one of Those People, not one of the Good Ones. Nowadays it’s a different list of Those People, but as you well know there still is quite a list. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-omnipresence-of-food-snobbery-in-everyday-recipes/995007.md?page=12)