# Recipe variations that ruin a dish for you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676 "2017-08-25T18:54:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/41 "2017-08-26T01:04:03Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Chicken Fried steak has white gravy not brown, not red, white. This is a non-negotiable feature. I’m probably going to regret asking this, but red gravy? ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/42 "2017-08-26T01:04:48Z")
Cottage cheese in lasagna, subbing for ricotta. "“Cheesecake” made with Eagle Brand Condensed Milk. I’ve lived in Arkansas for 40 years, but still can’t understand these people. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/43 "2017-08-26T01:17:30Z")
> [@ioioio](#): > > Guacamole made with sour cream, mayonnaise, or godforbid yoghurt. There ought to be a law. I don’t totally disagree, but a \*\*\*very \*\*\*thin layer of sour cream on top will keep guac from turning brown if you have to make it ahead of time–when you’re ready to serve, just stir it in. My anti-ingredient is egg chunks in potato salad. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/44 "2017-08-26T01:25:35Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I don’t totally disagree, but a \*\*\*very \*\*\*thin layer of sour cream on top will keep guac from turning brown if you have to make it ahead of time–when you’re ready to serve, just stir it in. That’s why they make Saran Wrap and limes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/45 "2017-08-26T01:26:38Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > See, the reason that shit is so wrong is that the avocados already do all that work of fatty smoothness. You don’t need another creamy ingredient in there, what’s the point? I’m guessing it’s the same reason people mix bread crumbs with ground beef and make meat loaf; it’s a filler that extends the quantity. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/46 "2017-08-26T01:50:02Z")
French Dips only require 3 ingredients- a good French roll, roast beef and plenty of slightly salty au jus. It does not come with ciabatta bread, grilled onions, cheese or horseradish sauce. The old hotel in town makes this perfectly. All the other restaurants that try to put some twist on it and it only results in disappointment. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/47 "2017-08-26T02:11:56Z")
Hawaiians make fantastic mac salad - I never liked any cold macaroni dish until I started eating Hawaiian plate lunches and saw the light. But some places put tuna in their mac salad, and that’s just wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/48 "2017-08-26T02:17:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m probably going to regret asking this, but red gravy? Maybe it’s the South American version of Parmigiana? Argentineans bread and fry cheap steak, but they also revere their Italian forbears. I’ve had this dish (alongside pasta) at many Argentine steakhouses, and it is delish. But it is not chicken fried steak by any means. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/49 "2017-08-26T02:27:11Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Wha…??? The little ones are grown? What happened to time? > > Totally off topic but I remember you biking your kids to school. That was, like, yesterday! P.S. My son is gonna be a father in September. WTF happened? Congratulations on making it to grandmotherhood! When I met your son he was, like, fifteen, and a student at Brooklyn Tech! Yeah. Little Pianola is 27 and working toward her PhD in 20th Century European History (focus on refugees from the two World Wars) at the University of Chicago, living up near Humbolt Park with her BF of five years. Little Banjo is 21 and heading into his last year at Mizzou’s School of Journalism. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/50 "2017-08-26T02:52:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > A Monte Cristo is a savory sandwich. It has ham and turkey and cheese as a filling. Yes, the bread is dipped in egg batter and fried. But it is not French Toast. Do not serve it with jam or syrup. In Disneyland, in the Blue Bayou, it is served with jam. "Le Special de Monte Cristo Sandwich Turkey, Ham, and Swiss, battered and fried to golden brown, served with Fruit Skewer, Berry Jam, and Crème Anglaise $28.00" Thereby, Monte Cristo with jam is canon. Of course it is served on the side. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/51 "2017-08-26T02:54:26Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > See, the reason that shit is so wrong is that the avocados already do all that work of fatty smoothness. You don’t need another creamy ingredient in there, what’s the point? > > The two key ingredients in guacamole are avocado and limon. Other flavors are just adjuncts to those key parts, and if they don’t bring anything to the party then what’s the point? > > And the only reason lemon/lime juice is a key ingredient is that without that it’s just slices of avocado–which is completely fine. Plain avocado is just fine as plain avocado, but it’s not guacamole. A little _salsa fresca_ spices it up. Which is tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, salt, lime. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/52 "2017-08-26T04:53:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In Disneyland, in the Blue Bayou, it is served with jam. > > "Le Special de Monte Cristo Sandwich > Turkey, Ham, and Swiss, battered and fried to golden brown, served with Fruit Skewer, Berry Jam, and Crème Anglaise > > $28.00" > > Thereby, Monte Cristo with jam is canon. Of course it is served on the side. Hopefully you’re being ironic by citing Disneyland for authenticity. For the record, Disneyland began selling Monte Cristo sandwiches in 1966. Monte Cristo sandwiches existed along the West Coast for decades before that. Here is the oldest known written recipe for a Monte Cristo sandwich: > [@](#): > > Cover six slices of sandwich bread with a slice of American full cream cheese, cover the cheese with slices of boiled ham, cover with slices of bread, tie with white string, dip in beaten egg and fry a nice brown on both sides in hot butter. Place on hot plates, remove the string and serve. > > “Practical Recipes: Help for Epicures and All Who Appreciate Good Cooking” > Los Angeles Times > 24 May 1924 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/53 "2017-08-26T05:04:32Z")
$28 for a sandwich? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/54 "2017-08-26T05:05:37Z")
Forget it, **Ike** ; it’s Disneyland. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/55 "2017-08-26T05:13:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m probably going to regret asking this, but red gravy? Eastern South Dakota, driving home from a con in Sioux Falls, I order CFS in a diner and got something with a wierd-ass tomato gravy in bright red. Not a Marinara sauce, not a red-eye gravy, but freakin tomato gravy, just goddamn wrong. But that was a one-off, The bastards who put brown gravy on CFS are infiltrated among us, and are much more insidious. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/56 "2017-08-26T06:37:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Hopefully you’re being ironic by citing Disneyland for authenticity. > > For the record, Disneyland began selling Monte Cristo sandwiches in 1966. Monte Cristo sandwiches existed along the West Coast for decades before that. Here is the oldest known written recipe for a Monte Cristo sandwich: So? From your own cite: (which you forgot the link to, so) > **[Monte Cristo Sandwiches](https://www.cooksinfo.com/monte-cristo-sandwiches)** > > A Monte Cristo Sandwich is a fried sandwich. > > To make it, you take two pieces of bread, and place a slice of cheese and a slice of meat in the middle. > > The cheese used is often American-style Swiss cheese. > > The meat is usually cold-sliced chicken,... "Traditionally, a Monte Cristo Sandwich is served with a \*small pot of jam \*on the side. In February 2008, Esquire Magazine rated the Monte Cristo at Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles as one of the best sandwiches in America. [1] Theirs is “Turkey, Ham & Swiss, Dipped in Egg & Grilled on Egg Bread Served with Powdered Sugar\* & Jam.\*” Restaurant photos also show it coming with a small fruit nappy of fruit cocktail. The 2011 price was $14.75 US." Italics mine. In any case, the DL one is iconic, as it’s pretty rare nowadays to find on a menu and many who have had the DL version say it is the best. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/57 "2017-08-26T08:05:27Z")
I’m not a fussy eater but there are a few things I’d rather avoid: Long-grain rice in just about anything or even by itself. Fish dishes prepared with vinegar (a tiny bit is okay in fried fish). Iceberg lettuce. Makes any salad less interesting. Is it too soon to mention pineapple on pizza (again)? ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/58 "2017-08-26T12:23:24Z")
I’ll probably get flamed for this, but: Pizza with pineapple as a topping. Why, why, WHY??? I also don’t understand what applesauce has to do with pork chops. Not disgusting or anything, but seems weird to me. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/59 "2017-08-26T14:14:43Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I won’t be able to put my finger on this one, because I’m not really sure the proper way to prepare this dish but … Chicken Tikka Masala. > > I saw it prepared on some food show or another - maybe Guy Fee-Eddy - I it sounded and looked delicious. I’d heard of it, but never seen it before. Sounded interesting. I found some Tikka Masala simmer sauce and gave it my best shot and it was really good, but I wanted it prepared like it’s supposed to be prepared. So I ordered some take-out from the one Indian restaurant in my town and I don’t know what the fuck I got. The sauce was some weird beige color and I got three souffle cups with some esoteric sauces that I had no idea what to do with. I started doing some dipping and then I figured maybe I was suppose to dump it all together and goulash that shit. Wasn’t a good idea. > > Anyway, I still haven’t had it proper, just my shitty simmer sauce version. Get ye online and google for the recipe, or hit up Foodgawker . com and put it into the search on that site. > [@Shoeless](#): > > My wife is doing the Weight Watchers thing, so basically any recipe I make has to be made with low-fat or fat-free ingredients, which usually taste like ass compared to their fat-full counterparts. And as my nutritionist says - ignore anything that wants you to make faux versions of foods unless you have an actual dietary allergy [such as cauliflower mashed potatoes or cauliflower pizza crust] and simply do smaller servings and only have it occasionally. I point out to people that when hearing I am diabetic that I have 185 calories baked into my daily diet that are totally free, I could grab a bag of sugar and hork it down by the spoonful til I hit the 185 calories, and if I want a piece of cake, I just have to adjust what I am eating that day in my other meals. If your wife wants guacamole, instead of sitting down with the tub, get the 100 calories snack cups of guac [um, Holy Guacamole I think is the brand] and the limited individual serving bags of chips [or do what I do and use cucumber and celery sticks to dip the guac or hummus] > [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Nuts in anything. It’s disconcerting to be eating a nice soft loaf or cake then have some weird crunchy thing in your mouth. Especially walnuts. > > Corn in anything. Same kind of idea, you’re eating something nice then get this weird little thing that kind of explodes in your mouth. I have texture issues with food, and can’t even swallow the bite of something if i am expecting soft and get something hard [especially a fish bone] > [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > Cottage cheese in lasagna, subbing for ricotta. "“Cheesecake” made with Eagle Brand Condensed Milk. > I’ve lived in Arkansas for 40 years, but still can’t understand these people. THey use it because ricotta ‘isn’t available’ … except give me a gallon of milk, and some salt and lemon juice, and a bit of cheesecloth or kitchen muslin and I can turn out ricotta [plunk the gallon jug into a pot of 200 degree f water til it comes to temp, dump in about half a cup of lemon juice and a teaspoon or so of salt, let sit a couple hours and strain through the cloth, gather the corners and let the whey drip out.] ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676/60 "2017-08-26T14:23:38Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > THey use it because ricotta ‘isn’t available’ … except give me a gallon of milk, and some salt and lemon juice, and a bit of cheesecloth or kitchen muslin and I can turn out ricotta [plunk the gallon jug into a pot of 200 degree f water til it comes to temp, dump in about half a cup of lemon juice and a teaspoon or so of salt, let sit a couple hours and strain through the cloth, gather the corners and let the whey drip out.] It doesn’t ruin a dish for me, but while everyone seems to call that ricotta these days (or “whole-milk ricotta”), it’s not what ricotta traditionally is. Ricotta is made from the leftover whey from the cheesemaking process. It’s a low protein fresh whey cheese. (I’ve made this type myself, but it is a very low-yield cheese.) Apparently, though, in the US, this traditional ricotta is known as _ricottone_ and whole-milk ricotta is the norm. [Here’s a recipe for traditional ricotta](http://theartofcare.weebly.com/kiss/homemade-ricotta). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recipe-variations-that-ruin-a-dish-for-you/794676.md?page=4)