Question: Variations on a theme?

[lorilei]

I know we always talk about having WAY too many recipes to try and WAAAY too little time to try them all. But I'm wondering...

If you're like me, you have begun to notice that there are an awful lot of recipes that are pretty similar to one another -- kinda like variations on a theme...

I'm finding more and more that I don't think there are THAT many new recipes out there. Certainly, there are things I haven't tried, but not nearly as many as I thought http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Anyone else out there get the same feeling?

[ElinorC]

Definitely there are a lot of repeaters in the Cl recipes. Some issues have more than others. Since I've collected a lot of recipes in the many years that I've been cooking, a lot of recipes are just new variations on an old theme.

[JJ40]

Lorilei, I'm with you. I find a lot of the recipes are very similar. And CL doesn't seem to make much effort to keep track of that--for example, there is a carrot and ginger soup recipe in May's issue, despite the fact that there was also a carrot and ginger soup in the April issue.

There are still a lot of recipes I want to try, but there are a lot of "variations on a theme"... I guess that's unavoidable to a certain extent.

Julie http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Longhorn]

I've definitely noticed that CL has some tried and true basic recipes. They could make cookbooks -- 101 Ways to Grill Salmon, 101 Bean Soup Recipes, etc.
I think the neat thing is how they change a few ingrediants and give the dish a whole new flavor. For example, subbing sesame oil for olive oil and adding some soy sauce. Voila! Your salmon has an asian flavor! Seeing the way they combine ingrediants has helped be invent my own recipes with more confidence.

[Natasha]

Nope. I NEVER get that feeling, Lori. It's just you, I guess.

Kidding...yes, I do know what you mean. I believe that there are no more than 6 degrees of separation between any two recipes. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Even so, I don't think I will ever run out of truly different things to make (at least I hope I won't), and hey, I like it that way!

Hope you enjoy the weekend.

[mb]

i agree with you, lorilei. for example, i think we must have tried about 5 different dishes like the greek style shrimp scampi (basically noodles, shrimp, tomatoes, olives, and feta...) they are all good, but all kinda the same thing! also, in comparing may 2000 and may 2001, there are similar recipes, like last year's peanutty noodles, and this year's fettucine & tofu in the peanut sauce.

since it's may, i try to stick with 'may' recipes...it's just tough when they're practically the same! oh well, they're all good, so we don't care too much http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[m4star]

I completely agree. It seems like I hardly even have to write down recipes anymore. I can read throught them and think, "oh this is just a variation of that smoothered squash dish but with green beans" or whatever. It makes me feel like more of a chef!

[valeriek]

It's funny this came up. I was thinking about this last week when I was making YET ANOTHER kind of peanut sauce. Since I've made three different peanut sauces served over various things in a short amount of time (I've had this wierd craving for things with peanut sauce lately - strange), I've kept the recipe for sauce I liked best and made a list of all the things from the three different recipes that the sauce will go well with. That way I don't have to keep the three totally different recipes on hand and can pick and choose when that peanut attack strikes again.

[This message has been edited by valeriek (edited 04-27-2001).]

[browneye]

I see what you mean, I tend to agree. I see a lot of similar recipes as well.
However, when I read my CL, I try to find something very unique and unlike anything I have ever tried before, and usually I am successful in finding a couple really different items. For instance, from the March issue, the zucchini Casserole with the Red-Pepper Aioli is a totally new idea for me, at least, and unlike anything I have on hand for zucchini. (The Red-Pepper Aioli part mostly). Another recipe I found unusual from that issue was the Grapefruit, Beet and Blue Cheese Salad. That particular combination of ingredients seemed very unusual to me, at least. Although I must say it sounds strange and I am reluctant to make it http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif
Oh well, maybe I am drawn to particular food themes or variations over and over again, much like I am drawn to the same colors of clothing when I go shopping. I tell myself "I am not buying anything else that is black!!" But when I get there the only things I like are..., well..., black!
I end up doing the same thing with cooking, another variation on a asian theme, etc. Is it just me?
Oh well

[Grace]

I agree that CL does a lot of similar recipes.

This is also the reason I'm not wild about Mexican restaurants (typical Americanized ones, anyway) - and I hope I don't offend anyone, but to me, in your average Mexican restaurant, it's all the same stuff, just "layered" differently....

Tortillas, meat, cheese, beans, lettuce, guacamole, or........ Tortillas, beans, meat, guacamole, lettuce! Or one is flat, and one is rolled up - voila...a new dish. To me, there just isn't much variety in Americanized Mexican cooking.

[Gail]

I see that a lot of you are answering the question in terms of CL's recipes, rather than just in general. I'm thinking it must be a difficult thing running a magazine, trying to find recipes which appeal to the broad appeal of the readers in your base, and that given that there may be a tendency to stick with a formula that works. In my own experience, when I first arrived here my impression was that the readers at the time for the most part weren't terribly interested in a diversity of foreign foods. Now, in a year's time, I've seen that change-- but when you're relying upon reader feedback, polling devices and circulation statistics to see how a particular device may or may not be working, I'd imagine it'd take them a while to get into gear and react to any changes in demographics. Or is that false logic on my part?

I dunno. I think the answer to Lori's question is going to depend a lot on how far out on a limb you're willing to venture. If you're a person who does little travel or experimentation away from what's in your environment it's going to appear one way, whereas if you do a lot of branching out you start realizing how very small the world is, and how many things in common many cultures and their cuisines really have.

So, getting back to the basic question, yes, I guess in the end it's all a matter of variations on a theme-- after all, there are only X number of foodstuffs in the world, so the rest is a matter of mixing and matching the basics. From my own standpoint, there are some mixes and matches which are going to appeal to me, whereas the others I sort of block out. Realistically, the more blocking out that I do, the fewer variations I'm allowing myself.

Okay, that was boring! Can we do something silly now? http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/otn/funny/bluegrab.gif

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 04-28-2001).]