Tell me....Are you ever satisfied?

[nlh]

My mother and I are complete opposites. When I find a really outstanding recipe for something, like a fabulous potato salad or banana bread I quit trying out new recipes for it because I've found one that I love. My mother, even though she has a recipe she loves, keeps on trying new ones.

What do you do?

[claire797]

Just when I think I've found the perfect recipe, someone always tells me about something better and I end up trying it. I'm on a never-ending quest.

Even when I am perfectly satisfied with a recipe, I will try a new version if someone says it's better or if it uses a different technique.

The only recipe I believe I would never change is my almond roca recipe -- that just can't be improved upon. No way, no how. It's perfect.

[funnybone]

I keep trying new ones. I love change, I guess, so I always like to try something new. There are some recipes I make over and over again, but for the most part I very rarely repeat them.

[Peggy]

Originally posted by funnybone
I keep trying new ones. I love change, I guess, so I always like to try something new. There are some recipes I make over and over again, but for the most part I very rarely repeat them.

What she said!! The only recipe I am completely satisfied with is my Beef Stroganoff. I have perfected it over the years and have never found one better. The search on that front is over. Otherwise, I am always open to trying new versions, though I will sometimes repeat favorites.

Peggy

[shscharles]

...just like men and streetcars, there'll always be another one along in a few minutes.

[pilgrim719]

I hang on to and repeat recipes I loved, but I usually continue to try new ones as well. How do you know you have found the "best" recipe for something if you haven't tried them all?

Kari

[penguin]

I bet you will find most of the people here, like me, are never satisfied. There might be a few recipes that are tried-and-trues, but it is such fun to try new combinations and additions to recipes. I think I would get way too bored if I didn't keep trying new things. You never know when you will find that what you thought was the best, really isn't!

[penguin]

Kari, I guess we think along the same lines! I was posting when you replied!

[Natasha]

Am I the only one who saw this title and laughed? (Or am I the only one whose mind works that way?)

Ahem. Getting back to the *real* topic at hand, actually, when I find a truly satisfying recipe for something, I do sometimes stick with it. Or else I try new recipes for the same thing here and there and go back to my old favourite.

Natasha

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by penguin
Kari, I guess we think along the same lines! I was posting when you replied!

Great minds think alike!

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by Natasha
Am I the only one who saw this title and laughed? (Or am I the only one whose mind works that way?)

Natasha

You're just the only one who admitted it so far

Kari

[gertdog]

Finding one great sugar cookie recipe won't stop me from trying other sugar cookie recipes, but the good ones will be made more than once. I do have a few recipes that are so good that I don't really care if there's one out there that's a little better... what I have is perfectly satisfying to me.

[Kuvy]

What is Almond Roca?

I so rarely have time to repeat the ones I already know I love, so when I find that "perfect" recipe for something, I move onto other things. There's so many things I haven't made yet and yet I cook almost every day! I blame CL for having too many yummy recipes every month.

I think I'll try to get into baking this month.


What dishes have YOU never made that you mean to get to soon?

[Terrytx]

a new day, a new recipe or 2...or 3....or

[laughsandlaughs]

I'm not only constantly on the quest for perfect recipes, but also restaurants. I always ALWAYS want to try something new, you never know, it may become your new favorite!! My husband was the total opposite when we met and went to the same three places over and over and OVER even though they weren't that great, but I've enlightened him and how he's happily joined me on the search.

[claire797]

Originally posted by Kuvy
What is Almond Roca?

It is a candy made from almonds, butter, sugar and chocolate. Think of a Skor bar or a Heath but a million times better. I make it at Christmas and everyone goes crazy.

2 Cups Sugar
1 Pound (4 sticks) Butter
1 Cup Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
3 Cups Almonds -- the "shaved" kind, not slivers or whole
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 pound bar of Cadbury Milk Chocolate -- broken up

Reserve 1 cup of the almonds and set aside. Mix sugar, butter, water, and salt in large, heavy saucepan and heat to boiling over medium to medium high heat. Make sure there's room in the saucepan for the mixture to foam up and boil. Heat mixture over medium to medium high until it foams and reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. When temp reaches 240, stir in 2 cups of almonds. Stir mixture constantly and watch temp carefully until temp reaches 290. Remove from heat, stir in soda and QUICKLY pour onto a cookie sheet covered with buttered or greased wax paper. Mixture should start to harden immediately. As mixture hardens, sprinkle chocolate chunks over hardening mixture and spread the chocolate chunks around until they melt. Sprinkly melted chocolate with reserved almonds. Let sit until toffee hardens and chocolate sets.

NOTE: For this recipe to turn out perfect, you have to watch temperatures CAREFULLY. Don't let the almonds burn (so use medium to medium high heat) and don't remove the mixture from the stove before temp reaches 290. If you do, you'll get chewy almond roca .

[brykate]

Originally posted by pilgrim719
I hang on to and repeat recipes I loved, but I usually continue to try new ones as well. How do you know you have found the "best" recipe for something if you haven't tried them all?
Kari

DITTO
Sorry to be a copy-cat, Kari

And Natasha; no, you weren't the only one!

Anna, your candy sounds yummy. Working with thermometers intimidates me, though. I have one but I don't think I've ever used it seriously. Is it hard? My dad's favorite is Almond Roca and I always snitch more than my share. This would be a great gift for him.

[jphilg]

Anna, I IM'd your recipe to my work-at-home DH, and I believe he is making it right now.

He bought himself a candy thermometer last month, in his pursuit of perfect toffee.

This looks like a contender.

Jen

[Kuvy]

Claire
Thank you so much for the recipe! I am definitely going to make it - I LOVE Heath/Skor bars.

[RebeccaT]

I tend to move on, saving the "winner" to make again in the future. However, if I see another recipe that looks different, or lighter, or that gets good reviews, I will often try it to see how it compares. Sometimes it replaces the former "winner," sometimes it gives me ideas for ways to make the "winner" better.

Of course, this discussion is purely academic, since I generally try so many different recipes for completely different things, that I rarely get back around to those "winners" I mentioned!

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by RebeccaT

Of course, this discussion is purely academic, since I generally try so many different recipes for completely different things, that I rarely get back around to those "winners" I mentioned!

Yes, but at the very least, when someone asks if you have a great recipe for <insert food item here>, you have one to pass along

Kari

[AD]

I generally don't try a different recipe if it for EXACTLY the same thing and if I really like one. Once the ingredient proportions are scaled, I find many different recipes (if they are for the same exact thing) are the same anyway.

I do like to experiment with changes in sweeteners (brown sugar instead of white, corn syrup instead of honey, etc.)

Since I often bake for other people, I will try a new recipe based upon a special request. (For example, my mother likes thin, soft, "not-too-sweet" cookies. Someone else may request a "heart-healthy" or low-fat recipe.) However, some things are only good with a certain recipe.

[ooglek]

First off, hi, firsttime user, though I have been forced here by my wife (jphilg) several times before.

Anyway, I tried the above recipe, in half. Well, somewhere along the line I screwed up.

My end result:


Everything was going great until I said "Man this is going too slow" and turned up the heat. It was hanging around 250 degrees. I turned around for a minute, turned back and it was at 350 degrees. Whoa. Too high. So I paniced, threw in the baking soda, stirred, and poured into a pan. The above image is the result.

The butter is separated from the sugar, and I'm wondering if the thermometer was touching the bottom of the pan, which could have thrown off the temperature reading.

Anyway, it's not quite right. Also, I used walnuts (at my DW's request) instead of whatever it called for. I'll try again some other time.

[claire797]

Originally posted by ooglek
First off, hi, firsttime user, though I have been forced here by my wife (jphilg) several times before.

Anyway, I tried the above recipe, in half. Well, somewhere along the line I screwed up.

You poor thing!!!! Try again!!! It's worth it. Here are some tips.

1) Don't use walnuts. Use almonds. If you use walnuts you won't be making almond roca

2) Watch your thermometer like a hawk. When the you get to 240 -- the point at which you add the almonds, things go kind of fast. You need to maintain a medium heat and keep stirring so that the almonds don't burn.

3) Turn off the heat the minute you hit 290. If you go a little over 290 (up to 300) you should be okay -- but don't turn off the heat under 290. You're trying to reach what's called "hard crack stage".

Actually, your picture is not too far off from what the pre-chocolate coated almond roca looks like. Yours is just burnt and probably really hard. Please try again. If you mess up another batch, I will send you a tin in the mail

[Valerie226]

I love almond roca but I have braces(yes another adult with braces) and that would be the end of my wires. but I should be getting unwired by spring so maybe then....
So the picture is a cautionary tale??!! are you sure those are walnuts? they look like pecans to me! maybe scorched beyond recognition.

You can buy almond roca, although I'm sure it's not as good as homemade it gives you an idea of what it should be like. even the bought stuff is awesome, my distant memories tell me!.

[jphilg]

Yup, those are indeed pecans. In fact, they are 8 dollar a pound whole pecans, purchased for holiday baking, not for Tuesday night experiments.

Oh well. I'd rather have him experimenting in the kitchen than not going in the kitchen at all.


Jen

[Alaina76]

I'm always in search of better recipes for everything. The one exeption being the best ever marinated salmon recipe. I've tried many recipes for salmon before this and nothing comes even close. I don't even want to try another salmon recipe because I know I'll be disappointed.

[wallycat]

I'm a recipe collector, always in hopes of the BEST one being right around the corner.
I do have a few favs that I continue to make when the craving hits me--otherwise, I'm always looking to find the next, great thing
If we're not in a hurry or the ingredients are on hand, I'm more than happy to try something new.

[kima]

Wow!!! is this an historic moment for the BB?The first time a husband has posted about a recipe?
Imagine if we all got our SOs to sign up. They could give the REAL reviews of our food.....on second thought that might not be a good idea in my case!!

[CindyWeightWatcher]

Jen, lucky you, a husband that tries to cook
and then posts!