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Wednesday
Oct032007
Let them eat omelettes.
October 3, 2007
There are many, many things that the internets are good for. Networking, for example, although Great Scot! How much networking can a person do? It's exhausting.  You can also post photos on the internets, if you like, although I hear that people are out there rubbing their thieving hands together and giggling over the "free" photos. So, posting photos can be problematic.Â
And now I'd like to inform you of one more way that the world wide web can let you down.Â
This is about food. This is about baking. This is about Chinua's birthday cake.
I have always loved baking. If I had an oven in my house this blog might be a bread blog or something, a place for me to show you my perfect golden loaves whenever I felt like bragging about them. I don't have an oven, however, so my baking has been relegated to those birthday times when I am in the Big House baking and singing up a storm. (Yesterday it was the Sweater Song by Weezer. Totally annoyed the heck out of Renee, who couldn't get it out of her head and didn't appreciate the fact that I was causing her to sing a song about lying naked on the floor because someone unraveled her sweater.)
I can't even remember how long ago I had that amazing Woman's Day cookbook out from the library. From that book I made the best triple layer chocolate cake I've ever had in my life. Every other chocolate cake to this day is slightly disappointing. Then, from the book, I made one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had. I'm not exaggerating. It was heavenly.
Yesterday I went to the internet to get a recipe. And the internet let me down. My cheesecake for my beloved Superstar Husband tasted like eggs. It was like a big fruit frittata. (Fritatta?) A big birthday souffle. And it hit me that anyone can post any old recipe up at those recipe sites. But Woman's Day? Well, the reputation of their whole magazine was at stake, so probably sixty-two people tested the recipes in their book.Â
Books aren't going anywhere, people! Not to worry. From now on, I'm using a book, so that I don't have to cover my head in shame while people pretend to like my scrambled egg cake.
And now I'd like to inform you of one more way that the world wide web can let you down.Â
This is about food. This is about baking. This is about Chinua's birthday cake.
I have always loved baking. If I had an oven in my house this blog might be a bread blog or something, a place for me to show you my perfect golden loaves whenever I felt like bragging about them. I don't have an oven, however, so my baking has been relegated to those birthday times when I am in the Big House baking and singing up a storm. (Yesterday it was the Sweater Song by Weezer. Totally annoyed the heck out of Renee, who couldn't get it out of her head and didn't appreciate the fact that I was causing her to sing a song about lying naked on the floor because someone unraveled her sweater.)
I can't even remember how long ago I had that amazing Woman's Day cookbook out from the library. From that book I made the best triple layer chocolate cake I've ever had in my life. Every other chocolate cake to this day is slightly disappointing. Then, from the book, I made one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had. I'm not exaggerating. It was heavenly.
Yesterday I went to the internet to get a recipe. And the internet let me down. My cheesecake for my beloved Superstar Husband tasted like eggs. It was like a big fruit frittata. (Fritatta?) A big birthday souffle. And it hit me that anyone can post any old recipe up at those recipe sites. But Woman's Day? Well, the reputation of their whole magazine was at stake, so probably sixty-two people tested the recipes in their book.Â
Books aren't going anywhere, people! Not to worry. From now on, I'm using a book, so that I don't have to cover my head in shame while people pretend to like my scrambled egg cake.
Reader Comments (13)
I made the best cheesecake I've ever made years and years ago, off of a recipe in an old Bon Appetite magazine that I've carefully packed and taken with me everywhere I've lived... Internet recipes are fickle. Even the places with a great reputation -- I'm thinking epicurious.com, which is where Bon Appetite and Gourmet magazine house their archives -- still have quite a few bocky recipes lurking in them.
Hope your Superstar Husband had a great birthday!
sorry about the eggy cake but i bet he enjoyed it all the same. i have to say the picture of him charming the little squirrel was just lovely. i am hoping when india happens we will occasionally hear from you and your family...i would miss it so much to not have our writing around. and that post on your road trip...it was perfect. i have done that drive a few times to get to my sisters and your musing captured it perfectly.
Oh, no not back to books! But really, I'm sure it was not as bad as you said - you make very good cakes - I've tasted them. sorry that you felt that way though - the trick is to get a favorite recipe and keep that for your special occasions - like a favorite chocolate cake - memorize it if you need to so that you can take it anywhere you go.
Sounds like you had fun in the making and that's the most important thing. Give Renee a hug from me and Mr. T.
Oooh, Esme, thanks for the link. Maybe I'll take my chances again. I was on cooks.com or something else not very moderated like that.
Mamie, I wouldn't dream of not writing when I get to India. Just think of all the material!
My Dad is Mr T? Wow.
Maybe it's just cheesecake recipes found online that are a bust...I made a key-lime coconut crust cheesecake recipe last Christmas from an internet recipe and it was a mess- never set properly and dripped sugary liquid in the bottom of my oven that caught fire later in the day while I baked my squash casserole. The first fire I've ever started unintentionally in my kitchen and the first cheesecake I've had turn out badly. Baking involves too much science to trust an untested internet recipe. However I have since learned to make tasty chicken lettuce wraps from the internets which makes the great Christmas oven fire of '06 pretty much worth it!
Wish the superstar, movie star happy birthday!
Three cakes that we have found on the internet and make all the time because they are the BEST. Cakes. EVER. are...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=7871&servings=12&Format=Full
http://www.cacaoweb.net/deathbychocolate.html
http://www.cacaoweb.net/flourlesschocolatecake.html
I'm not sure that last one is the exact same one that the Gh made for my most recent birthday, but I'm pretty sure. The other two have been at just about every single birthday celebration in our family. The cream cake we do things like add key limes to it, (time consuming grating the rind of all those little suckers but so tasty. FOr the girl's b-day he added freeze dried strawberries that were pulverized, to the cake and the icing, so yummy. Anyway, don't ive up on the internet just yet. I publish recipes on there after all :)
Happy birthday to CHinua
Hey the cheesecake was perfect for someone who doesn't really like cheesecake, I looooved it.
if you happen to be, say, making xmas dinner for a crowd and you happen to come across a recipe for stuffing on the internet that is made with wild rice and cranberries, don't be tempted. sure, it may be gluten, dairy, egg, nut and other allergen-free, and it may promise to taste amazing, but the recipe is an empty promise. the hooker and three homeless guys you invite over will insult it mercilessly for the whole meal. sure, the turkey may be prefect but the stuffing will be what catches their attention and they will not let it go. ungrateful wretches.
Rae, first, I too really like allrecipes.com. You can scale the recipes, and with my umpteen children, I need that. And I've found the reviews are pretty fair, and there are some excellent recipes.
Second (and more importantly), WHAT WOMAN'S DAY COOKBOOK?????
That's in caps because I was excited to read "Woman's Day Cookbook" and "amazing" in the same sentence. I have an amazing Woman's Day cookbook that belonged to my grandmother and it's the best ever. Until today I've never known anyone who even referred to the book. I practically jumped up and down.
I wonder if we are referring to the same cookbook?
I loved reading your love for baking,
it's one of my loves and has sometimes been put on the back burner due to not having an oven as well, and wood stove baking can be so disapointing you don't want to try again for a while,
anyways i'm sure your superstar husband was impressed with your efforts and devotion,
I'm a tribe.net er and i frequent the baking tribes and the vegan/vegetarian recipe exchange \if you go to tribe.net and search on baking, you'll see there are many momma's like you (well no one is quite like you darlin) and we share our success, fails and best recipies ever.
Peace to ya'll
Lot's of good stuff on the food channel web also. My sister sends stuff all the time. But, I still love flipping through my collection of cookbooks. So, I'm glad books will still be around.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/
I am singing the sweater song now.