The Sporkful Is Your Recipe Lying To You?
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Jan 20, 2025 Tom Scocca, a journalist known for his insightful critique on cooking instructions, dives into the murky world of misleading recipes. He unpacks the frustrations around exaggerated cooking times, particularly for caramelized onions, revealing how such myths can cause unnecessary stress for home cooks. Alongside recipe-writing expert Christopher Kimball and food writer Elizabeth Dunn, they discuss the pressure on recipe developers to promise quick and easy meals, challenging the notion of effortless cooking in our busy lives.
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Scocca's Onion Experiment
- Tom Scocca, frustrated with inaccurate cooking times, investigated a savory scone recipe claiming 10-15 minute caramelized onions.
- His experiment revealed that even with high heat and constant stirring, the onions burned, took much longer, and didn't truly caramelize.
Public Reaction to Onion Article
- Scocca's article resonated because it confirmed a widespread suspicion: recipe writers often misrepresent caramelization times.
- Many home cooks, misled by these times, blamed their own skills instead of the inaccurate instructions.
Sifton's Acknowledgment and Google's Misinterpretation
- Sam Sifton acknowledged the lengthy onion caramelization process, referencing Scocca's work.
- Ironically, Google initially misrepresented Scocca's article, claiming it supported quick caramelization, highlighting the spread of misinformation.