If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
What recipe do you really love & have no incentive or urgency to try a new version? Two recipes that I'm totally happy with are my dump-and-add-no-specific-amounts-for pot of baked beans. The other is banana bread. What falls into your "perfect & no desire to change" recipe category?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
12 Comments:
jep, would you post that banana bread recipe?
my cheesecake and dinner rolls. i've been making them for many years and everyone would be horrified if i did something different.
cybercita at 10:57PM on 11/13/07
My favorite chocolate layer cake and my favorite yeast dinner rolls. They come out perfectly every time so why mess with a good thing?
elderberry44 at 12:25AM on 11/14/07
I don't think there's anything I personally have down well or perfectly enough not to try at least small variations, but there are certainly things I wish people would leave well enough alone, usually tried and true classics. Stop trying to jazz up hamburgers and mashed potatoes, honestly. Or French fries.
Christina at 12:49AM on 11/14/07
I use the Joy of Cooking datenut bread, Orange Cranberry bread and banana bread recipes. They are good everytime.
@cybercita/elderberry I am on a dinner roll quest for weeks now. Do you have a good recipe?
JerzeeTomato at 1:51AM on 11/14/07
cybercita--here's the banana bread recipe:
2 c. flour
tsp baking soda
one-fourth tsp salt
half teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
half cup butter, softened
three-fourths cup brown sugar
2 eggs
two & half cups mashed bananas
big handful of broken pecans
Combine flour, soda, salt & spice in a sifter. Blend together butter & b. sugar, then add eggs. Sift in dry ingredients & blend to moisten. Fold in pecans. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 for ~45 minutes. Cool 10 min., then remove from pan. Ages well!
I think the pumpkin pie spice & of course the huge amt of banana makes this sooo good.
JEP at 5:35AM on 11/14/07
Grandma's cinnamon rolls, which are loaded loaded loaded with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Seriously, these are twice a year treats (Thanksgiving and Christmas). She gave out her recipe. But it wasn't right. So my cousin watched Grandma bake her rolls, carefully noting the recipe's real measurements. Now we eat perfect cinnamon rolls every time.
KarynMC at 6:17AM on 11/14/07
Chili. I've been making it the same way for years. People would cry if I changed it.
Library Lady at 10:12AM on 11/14/07
I have a fantastic but ridiculously easy recipe that gets "wows" everytime I serve it. It's just a bag of frozen peas, high quality peanuts (the ratio should be 2:1 peas: peanuts) and mayo to hold it together. If you make it at home, the peas are usually thawed before you get to your friends house (or church, in our case, for potluck dinner.) I don't care if it takes no talent or time--it's divine.
sawyerriley at 11:38AM on 11/14/07
Macaroni and cheese. Leave the broccoli, truffles, ham, etc. for something else!!!
ag3208 at 8:31PM on 11/14/07
Jerzee, I have two tried and true recipes, once sweeter than the other. The less sweet one is the White Bread recipe from the Bread Bakers apprentice, Variation Two, with buttermilk(it is less sweet and more firm). The other is one I found online a few years ago (little more sweet and very soft and pillowy) and it hasn't failed me since:
Cafeteria Style Yeast Rolls
Makes: 20-30 rolls
* 1 package active dry yeast
* 2/3 c. + 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 1/2 c. warm water-divided
* 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 c. + 1 teaspoon instant nonfat dry milk powder
* 1 1/4 tsp. salt
* 5 1/2 c. all purpose flour
* 2 tbsp. melted butter (for brushing)
1. In a large mixing bowl, add yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar to 1/2 water.
2. Add melted butter, instant milk powder, salt, 4 cups flour and remaining sugar and water.
3. Beat by hand with whisk or with electric mixer until smooth.
4. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (use a sturdy wooden spoon).
5. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes.
6. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
7. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch dough down.
8. Divide into 20-30 pieces; shape into balls.
9. Place 10-15 balls into 2 greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pans.
10. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
11. Lightly brush the top of each roll with melted butter.
12. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Brush again with melted butter and cool completely on wire racks.
elderberry44 at 9:50PM on 11/14/07
JEP, thank you for the banana bread recipe, it looks wonderful!
jerzee, here is my roll recipe.
this recipe is from an old sunset cookbook. it is FANTASTIC. use the best butter you can find.
Buttery Pan Rolls
2 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 cup warm bottled or filtered water
4 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
18 T unsalted butter
1 egg
1 cup warm whole milk, scalded and cooled
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with a tablespoon of the sugar; let stand until bubbly ( about 15 minutes). Stir together 2 cups of flour, rest of the sugar and salt. Add 6 tablespoons of melted butter, along with egg, yeast mixture and milk. Beat for 5 minutes with an electric mixer on medium. Using a wooden spoon, gradually add remaining flour and stir thoroughly to blend. Cover bowl lightly and let batter rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place, until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Pour the remaining melted butter into a 9" X 13" baking pan. Tilt pan to coat the bottom.
Beat batter down and form into balls about the size of golf balls. Drop them into the buttered pan in rows, and flip them over to coat them with the butter. This should make about 15 rolls. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Sprinkle the tops with poppy or sesame seeds, if you like. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. They will be golden brown and the bottom of the pan will sound hollow when it is tapped.
cybercita at 10:53PM on 11/14/07
My potato salad. It is perfect, the exact right balance of potato/egg/mayo/onion/vinegar. I've tried mixing it up over the years, but the plain salad, in it's simplest form, remains the best.
rockykay at 8:21AM on 11/15/07