Measurements

Question

Hello!  Sounds delicious.  Reducing down to one inch of liquid would create different salinity levels and flavor depending on the capacity and diameter of said pot.  Do you have a suggestion for the pots size?  If I’m using a 7qt stock pot vs. a 5qt, etc. the reduction will be affected differently, no?

Stephanie B. · Answer

I don't think it would either. I'm just saying the number of responsive recipe posters is much smaller than the total number of posters, so mikedalena's efforts at getting random people to edit their posts is probably not going to have a huge rate of success. I don't think he'll have more luck trying to hint that food52 get more editors either. Now, if he measures success by how often he gets to interact with all of us here on the hotline...well, he's doing fine.

Smaug · Answer

I don't know that editing- or more properly proofreading- recipes would necessarily lessen the ability to share recipes; I'm thinking more checking that your roast duck recipe includes a duck in the ingredients than any sort of in depth analysis of the recipe.  Of course, it would involve paying someone with a modicum of competence to do it, so I suppose unlikely.

Stephanie B. · Answer

Whoops I meant to reply to Nancy's thread where cooking with friends was brought up, not start a new one and not answer your original question. I'm still not going to answer it since Nancy and Smaug have tried, and I don't think you're interested in reaching the normal hotline contributors anyway.

I get your point, but I think you're largely wasting your time. But of course it is your time, and you can use it as you like.

mikedalena · Answer

Yeah.  That’s my only frustration.   I was trying to be polite.  Honestly it’s a pet peeve of mine that some people are so vague in their recipes.  Just trying to kindly nudge the author toward editing and improving their writing skills.  :-)

mikedalena · Answer

Thanks Stephanie.  Not my point but appreciated.  ;-)

Nancy · Answer

Stephanie B - good suggestion about using recipes that are "test kitchen approved"
Another idea...ones that are by cookbook authors or adapted from them (e.g. Doris Greenspan, Michael Solomonov, Julia Child) are more likely reliable.

Stephanie B. · Answer

Upside of how food52 does recipes: anyone can post their recipes, which can be fun and gives a cooking outlet to people who might not normally have a place to share their recipes. Downside: most recipes are not edited or tested. For future reference in sharing food52 recipes with novice cooks, try sticking to the ones that say "test kitchen approved" near the top.  Though Nancy's suggestion of cooking with friends sounds fun!

Smaug · Answer

No, happens more often than you might think.  Food 52 really needs to find someone to edit recipes, far too many of them are posted with crucial and obvious omissions.

Nancy · Answer

Fair points.That said, two suggestions...1) as the recipes here are not edited, maybe send them recipes from sites that DO edit.2) maybe you could help them learn more by cooking a few meals together?

mikedalena · Answer

Yeah, this recipe is pretty inexact and I’m sure I can figure it out. I’m thinking more of my friends who can’t cook but that I like to send to this website for advice.  It’s frustrating for them to come across recipes like this and if authors can be more helpful in their recipes it would make life easier.  Am I the only cook who’s walked in on a friend trying to cook chicken breast in a dry stainless skillet over high heat in their underwear?  🙄😏🤪🤣

Smaug · Answer

This is a pretty inexact recipe, but all of the liquid ends up getting incorporated so the size of the pot isn't that crucial, it would just affect the timing of the final step.  I suppose a "box" of broth is a quart, but one prefers not to be supposing- so say about 5c. liquid-looks to me like a 4-5 qt. Dutch oven or similar pot would be about right, but it would be a lot easier to judge having done the recipe.  Sometimes recipe authors answer these questions, but if that doesn't happen it should be possible to muddle through-presumably it ends up looking like the picture; I'd just use whatever pot you have that seems comfortable with the quantities, and go until it looks right.  Also notice that nothing seems to be sautéed, but whatever- good luck with it.

Nancy · Answer

I would go by trial and error.
If you have pots of various sizes, make the first time the way you like your food...large for less salty, etc.
If you're not sure, start with larger pot. It's always easier to concentrate/add salt than dilute/remove it.

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