Recipes and Millennials...

Sometimes I'll go on one of those and forget why I was there in the first place and back out of the page, back to Google where I realize "Oh yeah, I was looking for a recipe"

It's somewhat of a contradiction, we live in a very TLDR society because people of a certain age tend to live on cell phones and not actual computers anymore. So it's hard to read a short story on one when you just want to know how to make a muffin... and yet when the same people craft a blog, it reads like a novel. haha.

This is a different bugaboo with online recipe's ... but for me something that irritates me is looking up copycat recipes. You know where you want to try to make a chain restaurant or store brand version of something at home. A discontinued item or seasonal treat.. or even something still in production, but you just want to make it on your own.

You'll find dozens of options, but, it never fails that you always see that famous tagline within the text "It tastes even better because it's homemade" Now there's nothing wrong with homemade cooking. I love it.. but they miss the point in that you already know how to make homemade chicken (for example) but you were wanting the "taste" of KFC.

So many bloggers fancy themselves professional chefs because they watch The Food Network 24/7 so they think that they can deconstruct a recipe simply by knowing what the item is (Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito, Steak N Shake Chili, The original Hostess Suzy Q, etc) by simply using their culinary 'training', but have no basis (or desire to seek out) for comparison to the actual thing. They just assume that because they use Gluten free buns, Grass fed beef, Non GMO veggies, and organic condiments that they can construct the perfect copycat Big Mac that tastes just like the real thing.... but better cause it's healthier and homemade!

But it just ain't so.


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Post# 1035586 6/18/2019 at 03:02 (1,787 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)
Checkrate/Likes 6 Has anyone looked at recipes online lately? I get recipe feeds frequently on my google news feed and some are quite good, but ---- I DO NEED NEED THE POSTERS LIFE HISTORY WITH THE RECIPE! I get really tired of scrolling though page after page while the writer goes on about how her hubby and baby just did not like this or that and it led to this then that and finally the end result which is posted 2 more pages down after we read about her shopping experience. Give us a concise paragraph about the recipe and then tell us what it is. Here is an example TMI.... www.cupcakeproject.com/ch... or this... CLICK HERE TO GO TO MattL's LINK

Post# 1035606 , Reply# 1 6/18/2019 at 10:47 (1,787 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.)
Checkrate/Likes 4 *I Know Just What You Mean Matt!* these desertions irritate the crap out of me too, just cut to the chase! But that being said, when I give this some thought, perhaps the reason for these LONG, drawn out preambles is because they are so surprised that they actually managed to go to the store, get all the ingredients together come home, get them prepped and make something that turned well. Rather than wait for the box of pre prepared meals to arrive on their door steps from any of the many companies now providing these services, which really only amount to opening up plastic bags, boxes and such, following directions and coming up with a meal. Cooking from scratch is becoming a lost art for many, and the discovery that they can actually do this for themselves is a revelation that they just can�t resist sharing with the world. They don�t seem to realize that people have been cooking from scratch since the beginning of time. I wish they would just list the recipe first, then, if they must, tell their story. It would be a lot more effective. But at least they are cooking from scratch, and that�s a plus. Eddie

Post# 1035612 , Reply# 2 6/18/2019 at 11:15 (1,787 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *I 100% agree!!* I have searched for a variety of recipes online, still do occasionally. A some time ago I would start to read it, then give up and scroll down looking for the recipe. Now when I end up on one of those website/pages, I do NOT bother to read any of it, just scroll down until I find the recipe, then copy-paste-print. On occasion (yes it has happened) I'll scroll down looking for the recipe, but there isn't one! The ingredient list and directions have been "sprinkled" throughout endless paragraphs of dialog. I don't bother to extract any of it, I'll back out to the search page and choose another site.

Post# 1035614 , Reply# 3 6/18/2019 at 11:40 (1,787 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)
Checkrate/Likes 3 I agree with the OP and the subsequent replies. Like Kevin, my default practice is to scroll immediately until I find the recipe. I want to know the ingredients and degree of difficulty first thing, not after wasting time reading the life story of someone I don't know or really care about. The only positive I see about the superfluous copy is that it demonstrates a level of literacy that's refreshing to see from an age group that has a penchant for writing sans vowels or punctuation.

Post# 1035623 , Reply# 4 6/18/2019 at 12:31 (1,787 days old) by nanook (Seattle)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I agree with everyone here. It seems to fall into the category of everything nowadays needing some sort of "story", rather than merely "just the facts, ma'am" - when nothing more need be said. I'll say this, though, in reference to Matt's first example - 'the cupcake project', and the recipe for "The Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe" - she understands a great deal about baking, and even more-surprising: chocolate. It might very well be a great cupcake. On the other hand... in spite of all the explanations and how-to's for the less-experienced cook, she failed to include the weights of the flour and cocoa powder, merely listing volumetric measurements. (So much for all her testing-!)

Post# 1035645 , Reply# 5 6/18/2019 at 14:58 (1,787 days old) by Sudsomatic (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Agreed as well.* Sometimes I'll go on one of those and forget why I was there in the first place and back out of the page, back to Google where I realize "Oh yeah, I was looking for a recipe" It's somewhat of a contradiction, we live in a very TLDR society because people of a certain age tend to live on cell phones and not actual computers anymore. So it's hard to read a short story on one when you just want to know how to make a muffin... and yet when the same people craft a blog, it reads like a novel. haha. This is a different bugaboo with online recipe's ... but for me something that irritates me is looking up copycat recipes. You know where you want to try to make a chain restaurant or store brand version of something at home. A discontinued item or seasonal treat.. or even something still in production, but you just want to make it on your own. You'll find dozens of options, but, it never fails that you always see that famous tagline within the text "It tastes even better because it's homemade" Now there's nothing wrong with homemade cooking. I love it.. but they miss the point in that you already know how to make homemade chicken (for example) but you were wanting the "taste" of KFC. So many bloggers fancy themselves professional chefs because they watch The Food Network 24/7 so they think that they can deconstruct a recipe simply by knowing what the item is (Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito, Steak N Shake Chili, The original Hostess Suzy Q, etc) by simply using their culinary 'training', but have no basis (or desire to seek out) for comparison to the actual thing. They just assume that because they use Gluten free buns, Grass fed beef, Non GMO veggies, and organic condiments that they can construct the perfect copycat Big Mac that tastes just like the real thing.... but better cause it's healthier and homemade! But it just ain't so.

Post# 1035647 , Reply# 6 6/18/2019 at 15:15 (1,787 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *Well, ask most* millenials if they can change a flat tire, let alone much else. They say yeah, yeah, we know, you walked 5 miles each way to school as a kid. No, a mile, but we stayed out until the street lights came on, taught ourselves many things, and were running parts of a company by age twenty. I know, it's not the same world we grew up in. We didn't have a computer, or video games, only Asteroids, Galaga, and Pong in an arcade or bowling alley. Still, most would have difficulty being prepared should any failure of the grid occur. I'm usually still the prepared boy scout. Resourceful if not much else. Once I had to repair the cooling fan motor assembly on my car when the only place I had to do it was the kitchen floor of my apartment. It was not warm enough yet warm enough in the parking lot. I've swapped my car battery at work when it was below zero also. One went so far as to tell me I was a weakling pinoche' in the gym one morning. I just said think so? This from a 37 year old who shoots testosterone to get a big chest and arms. Is that a millenial, or just generation Y?-- Wonder why they are here yet. Seemed like I was back in 5th grade in catholic school with a bully. Big Napolean complex. The guy has a 6 and a 2 year old at home. So, learning from my past, I gave him a hug and said I Luv ya buddy. It's cool now. There are guys who work out there who are way younger than hubby and I, but look a lot older than us. I'm greatfull. I've always had a bit of nervous energy. I do most all the work around the house, inside and out still also. Some guys can't boil water, toast a bagel, nor do any laundry. I got over my own inferiority complex by age 19. I guess we all have to find our yin and yang in our own ways.