Recipes & Cook Books

There is a difference between recipes and cook books. (Yes I know recipes are in cookbooks and cookbooks have recipes.) Think about it. Where do you find cookbooks? Come on tell me where do you find cookbooks? Can you find them in the Convenience Store on the corner? How about across the Deli across the street? The Doctor's office can you find them there? And how about at the Coffee Shops and I don't mean the ones inside Book Stores, can you find them there? No you can not and neither can I unless I take one in with me (and yes depending on where I go I do take one in to read through while I'm there).

Now recipes, recipes you can find everywhere. You can find them at the Convenience Store (just pick up a can and look at the back of it). At the Deli read that description of your sandwich there's your recipe. As for the Doctor's office that's a recipe bonanza. And for that Coffee Shop read the drink descriptions and then with the sad realization that there is no way in hell I'm going to buy all of that stuff you fork over 5 bucks for a coffee that probably only cost about 50 cents to make. (But don't pay any attention to me on that because for the most part I drink black coffee from home. Once in awhile I'll pick up something that sounds good usually when I'm in a book store but I usually just go for the Tea Pot Service at the Seattle's Best Coffee Shop in my Borders Book Store cause I really don't like all that milk and stuff in my coffee. And as for all the calories I think I'd rather eat them then drink them.) But that took me away from my point. Recipes are everywhere.

Who of us hasn't been in the grocery store and when trying to decide between 2 identical items be it cubed margarine, canned tomatoes, chocolate chips, soups even crackers not looked at the back of the package to check the recipe on it. I admit I have and I will probably never stop doing it. I can't count the number of times I've checked the back of the Clabber Girl Baking Powder can for their Biscuit recipe when ever I need a new can of baking powder but for some reason it's always gone. All I find is their cornbread recipes though last month I did find their Dumpling recipes (didn't know they had one wonder if it's new).



Anyway back to the difference between recipes and cookbooks. It's more than location, location, location (no I'm not trying to sell you a house but I do know where 1 is for sale in Arkansas) it is the concept itself. You cannot change a cookbook. Be it a hardback (my preference) or a softback (paperback) you cannot change it. Even if you tear out pages, write in it or (heaven forbid) cut out recipes: you can not change it. It is still a cookbook full of recipes.




But the recipes you can change. Each and every recipe is a starting point an outline if you will that is up for interpretation. Take for example Chocolate Chip Cookies; you've got plain, with nuts (choice of nuts), with M&M's, grated chocolate, chunks of chocolate, with oatmeal, coconut, raisins, etc., etc., etc. And then you can go into combinations of any of the above and that's even more change. But it all starts with just a plain ole Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe as it's baseline.



The same goes for pancakes, biscuits, goulash, pizza, meatloaf, soups, stews, mashed potatoes, and on and on and on. Each recipe has variations on the original and some even have whole cookbooks dedicated the multiple variations of one main recipe.There's whole cookbooks dedicated to soups, stews, pies, cakes, cookies, pasta, chicken, bread, meatloaf, and on and on and on again.


Let's take for example soups, you start with a liquid of choice, vegetables of choice, seasonings of choice, meat of choice but optional and the same goes for rice, pasta etc., etc., etc., etc. It all comes down to a basic recipe and branches out from there. You've got liquid, vegetables (even if for no other reason than for seasoning), and you've got your seasonings, that you just branch out from there adding this and that until your soup is done.


So I encourage you get out that recipe that well it sound's good but look at the but and see if you can change it. Take mushrooms (a.k.a. fungus) I admit I do not like mushrooms but unless mushrooms are the main ingredient you can leave it out, use less (and go with fresh not canned if possible, some grocery stores still sell mushrooms by the pound) or you can use dried mushrooms (if you use dried mushrooms you can put them into a food processor or blender and grind them into a fine or coarse powder and use sparingly when mushrooms are called for, or even exchange them for something else. Take Steaks with Mushroom Gravy I'd use dried mushrooms if I was going to use mushrooms for this recipe. But since I'm not I'd use onions for the mushrooms or just make a well seasoned beef broth thickened into gravy.



So I repeat there are differences between recipes and cookbook. The recipe is a outline, a springboard off which to soar to greater height's. Whereas a cookbook is an encyclopedia of outlines, tips, hints, examples and the ultimate springboard off which to soar t greater heights. So spread your wings and take flight and experiment tonight.



Here is one of my favorite recipes. It is from the back of a can recipe that I found in a cookbook that I've changed to suit my taste.


Salisbury Steak With Onion Gravy

2 ( 10 1/2 oz. ) can condensed French Onion Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1/2 c. fine dry bread crumbs

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 1/2 T. flour

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. water

2 t. Worcestershire's sauce

1 t. mustard (prepared not dry mustard)

In bowl, combine 1/3 cup of soup with the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties. In skillet, brown patties; pour off fat. In bowl blend remaining soup with into the flour until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Add to skillet with remaining ingredients; stir to loosen browned bits. Cover; cook over low heat 20 minutes or until done. Stir occasionally

Makes 6 servings.

I serve this over extra broad No Yolks egg noodles. It can equally be served over mashed potatoes or rice.

In closing I just have one thing to add: THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH CHANGES IN THE WORLD TO MAKE LIVER AND ONIONS TASTE GOOD. But that's just my opinion. Chief Cook & Bottle Washer.

P.S. said I was Chief Cook & Bottle Washer not perfect. My patties fell apart but it's still delicious.







HAVE FORK WILL TRAVEL