Well Fumble, thats another  50 quid we can add to our kitty.  I think its time to start a new thread to see how many people are willing to come forward and make a pledge to our quest.  If that is a success, then advice from the higher ups will need to be sought to steer it to the next level.

Quote from: George on November 28, 2007, 07:45 PM
I firmly believe that 95% of a successful finished dish can be encapsulated in a good written recipe. Anyone who knows about the fundamentals of cooking can follow a recipe, like musicians can read music. Therefore if a recipe does not work it's probably the case that the recipe is useless.

In theory this should be correct but the problem i have come across with the vast majority of recipes (from reputable chefs as well as randoms) is that they are not detailed enough. Almost the only recipes i have found that i trust to tell me exactly what i need to know are those from heston blumenthal (and those are extremely complex). It annoys me as i'm sure it does you, that others cant explain things in as much detail and tell you WHY rather than HOW.
With complex dishes such as BIR there is so small a margin for error that instructions such as "fry the garlic, stirring, then add ginger. Cook for 2 mins" just isnt enough. It is open to so much speculation as has previously been mentioned on this site.
IMO videos are the best way to learn. Again, only a good video, most of the ones on TV are too stylish and have too many cuts/angle changes. A video with accompanying commentary detailing amounts would be brilliant. The swansea video on here and channel 4's take on the takeaway were pretty useful for the curry technique.

Quote from: chinois on January 08, 2008, 12:10 AM
In theory this should be correct but the problem i have come across with the vast majority of recipes (from reputable chefs as well as randoms) is that they are not detailed enough.

Chinois

I agree with you but I covered this by saying that if the recipe doesn't work it's useless. Well, 'useless' is a bit too strong a word, perhaps, but IMHO a recipe needs as much detail as required to allow a layperson to interpret it. Recipes can be tested on people to see if they work in practice. I find that Delia Smith's recipes tend to produce good results.

I'm impressed if you've got very far with any of Heston B's recipes. They are so incredibly complex and long-winded. Which dishes have you tried and how did they come out?

Regards
George

Quote from: George on January 08, 2008, 01:56 AM
I agree with you but I covered this by saying that if the recipe doesn't work it's useless. Well, 'useless' is a bit too strong a word, perhaps, but IMHO a recipe needs as much detail as required to allow a layperson to interpret it. Recipes can be tested on people to see if they work in practice. I find that Delia Smith's recipes tend to produce good results.

I'm impressed if you've got very far with any of Heston B's recipes. They are so incredibly complex and long-winded. Which dishes have you tried and how did they come out?

Glad you mentioned delia. I put her in my post but took it out as i felt i was waffling a bit! Her 'how to cook' books should be pretty much necessary reading for keen cooks. Elizabeth david is good too but i've only got one of hers.

I've found i use heston's books more as a learning tool than as recipes bcos as you say they are so time-consuming (and you need expensive ingredients & equipment). I use his tips for separate components of dishes and to learn about cooking methods. I've used tips in curry cooking, bolognese, chinese and all sorts really. He encourages you to use common sense in questioning every aspect of a dish.
I have done his bacon & egg ice cream, mashed potato and margarita pizza recipes. With the pizza i skipped the pre-ferment stage to save 12 hours and it was amazing, equal to the best one i've eaten.