It looked like something the cat coughed up!

[Luika]

I had a total dinner flop last night. The recipe was CL "Chicken Pita Sandwiches With Yogurt Sauce". The color and shape of the chicken pieces was very reminescent of something I clean off the floor on ocassion. Luckily, it was just for my husband and I. The leftovers made the trash. It tasted okay, but we just couldn't get over the visual aspects.

Have you had any recipe disasters lately... especially while serving guests?

[Peggy C.]

Friday night, I roasted 2 whole chickens on grill, and they just took forever to finish! I've done whole chickens and roasts before, all I can think is that with 2 on at the same time I didn't calculate cooking time right.

Sorry about your sandwiches! I'm totally visual also, if it doesn't look good I usually don't make it again.

[BlueMoose]

I've had plenty of cooking disasters that have ended up in trash or in the dog dish. I can't think of any specific ones right now, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one! It sure is frustrating when you spend a lot of time on something and then its a total flop.

Usually when I'm serving guests (which isn't very frequently) I don't try new recipes, in case they don't turn out.

Chrisi

[beejayw1]

The last one was at my CL supper club. I made oriental meatballs and noodles (1996 CL, as I recall; article about cooking things in foil pockets).

I followed the recipe pretty exactly (I did adjust some of the spices, and a good thing I did, too!) and used the rice sticks as directed. It smelled heavenly and tasted like sawdust. The rice sticks were mushy, the spices scented the air and didn't stick around for the tastebuds. I was mortified.

I'll fiddle with the recipe (for example, use lo mein noodles, or something else equally sturdy that can stand up to baking in a pouch, and I'll adjust the seasoning more) but this was a disaster!

Has anyone else found that CL oriental-based recipes err on the bland side?

[Peeps]

beejayw1 - Was that the Asian Meatballs With Mushrooms and Rice Noodles from March 2000 that you made? (It was in an article about cooking in foil packets). I made it and thought it was great but I couldn't find rice sticks and used vermicelli instead - maybe that helped? I remember it had turkey meatballs, ginger, and mushrooms and not sure what else but I loved it. But I don't like anything spicy in the least and it wasn't spicy (maybe too bland for you?). I remember it being very flavorful though and I did make it again.

[beejayw1]

Peeps -

That was it, exactly! I thought at the time (after gumming on some gummy, soggy, yucky noodles) that vermicelli would stand up to it better and not soak up the flavors where they would never be tasted again.

I do want to make the meatballs again. I don't want a lot of heat, either, but I think the noodles are what killed the taste. It smelled wonderful while cooking.

I'll try it again with some good, hard vermicelli.

[aggie94]

My biggest CL disaster was the Picadillo, off the website's recipe finder. It was HORRIBLE. Not only did the leftovers make it into the trash, the first serving did too. NOT a repeater. There have been a couple of others that weren't great, but nothing so bad that we had to throw it out (at least not that I can remember).

Diana, I agree that a lot of the CL Asian recipes err on the bland side, but I'd say that about CL recipes in general. I almost always increase the spices called for, but especially in their Asian dishes. I like my food to have lots of FLAVOR!

[BethR]

Originally posted by aggie94
My biggest CL disaster was the Picadillo, off the website's recipe finder. It was HORRIBLE. Not only did the leftovers make it into the trash, the first serving did too. NOT a repeater. There have been a couple of others that weren't great, but nothing so bad that we had to throw it out (at least not that I can remember).

That's a bummer! If you're game for trying a different Picadillo recipe, try Healthy Picadillo from October 2000. This is one of our all-time favorites.

Beth

[aggie94]

Beth,

I think it will be a while before I try any Picadillo again. It might not have been the recipe, maybe just the dish, that I disliked. In any event, it left a really foul taste in my mouth (in more ways than one).

[Lynn B]

Luika,

So sorry to hear about your cooking "flop"...

But I just HAD to tell you that I LOL over your thread title!

Lynn

[KimKelly]

Luika... I just had to say that the title of your post cracked me up! I have two cats and know exactly what you mean.....

Kim

[Norma]

I just made the blackberry upside down cake (June 00). It tastes yummy (DH gave it a 5) but it looks very unappetizing. The blackberries turn the cake a pukey brownish grayish purple. I will make it again for us, but not for company. I put ice cream on top of it and that hid the ugliness. Too bad cause it tastes wonderful.