Learning to Cook: Tapping into Internet Sources

(There’s a lot of cited examples in this entry due to its topic, enjoy this somewhat rare treat)

Overall the internet tends to be pegged as being a potentially amazing source for all kinds of information but with a lot of warnings of false information. Recipes are the same except that instead of a warning of false information, there is a requirement for the acknowledgment of the gynormously varied skill levels, expectations, and above all varied tastes of the people posting these recipes (think of that guy or girl that you know that you seem to always disagree with and then realize that they can post recipes on the web). This applies mostly to sites like www.cooks.com that contain posts from everyday individuals. More official sites like www.foodnetwork.com will have some exotic recipes but their overall aim is to post recipes from professionals that many would like, some will love, and very few will hate. So these sites are safer sources in terms of finding lower risk recipes. However, more official sites (just like fancier cookbooks) will probably have a healthy amount of complex recipes with ingredients or techniques that you may be unfamiliar with (i.e. making ravioli is harder than you’d think).

Additionally, you will eventually find a random website with a recipe that you love (like http://www.thatsmyhome.com/fishermans/cilantro-snapper.htm).
Additionally internet recipe searches are like general internet searches in the respect that if you’re looking for something very weird… you will probably find it on the internet. To tackle the issue of safely dabbling in random internet searches you need to use your instincts. If something seems way too weird or way too difficult, then don’t do it. Adding some weird and difficulty to your recipes does help you expand your skills and recipe repertoire and improves your winging-it skills; just stay away from the very weird until you make a dish that makes the previously very weird or difficult into a not so weird or difficult recipe (Rome was not fed in a day). Do note that the simple but delicious recipes are often going to be the ones that you use and treasure most (i.e. http://www.home-ec101.com/back-to-basics-sauteed-cabbage/).

One last important source is food company websites. Yes, it’s ok to drink the company juice sometimes because these sites can have really good recipes on them (i.e. http://www.san-j.com/recipes.asp). More than that, these broad-audience recipe sharing endeavors by companies are often expressed in good teachable formats that can often give some interesting/helpful commentary (i.e. http://www.barillaus.com/Pages/Art-Of-Lasagne.aspxv).

So overall, you should treat internet recipe sources like you treat early romances; explore a little, then explore a lot, demand high-quality, be open-minded to new experiences, stick with good ones and they’ll treat you right, you’ll never forget your first good ones (http://www.df.lth.se/~thanisa/cgi-bin/wrapper.cgi?rec.food.recipes/misc3/du3) or your epic fails (http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1915,151162-232203,00.html), and most of all balance adventure with smarts. Good luck out there!