Bombay Aloo Group Test

[Cory Ander]

From my point of view we are trying to find the tastiest recipe

But how do you propose to find that if you don't follow the recipe poster's instructions EXACTLY?

but we also want one that is versatile. No one can honestly tell me that they would ever make a batch of base sauce just for Bombay Aloo. It's a nice side dish and will always be made with whichever base is available that week

I don't necessarily disagree, but here, you are attempting to assess their recipes.  Therefore, to do them any sort of justice, and to present any meaningful (rather than misleading) results, you surely HAVE to test them in the way that the author intended them to be made!

I appreciate in a free speaking forum environment

Clearly you don't, otherwise you would not profuse so loudly against others' points of view 

I suggest if CA aint happy with what we are all doing then he sets up Cory's Group Tests where everyone has to make 5 different base sauces and spice mixes to compare 5 different recipes. Good luck finding people to help with that

You know and I know that that is not workable!  MY preference is (and always has been) for ANY individual to be able to rate ANY recipe (as the author intended) by some (commonplace) ranking system.

This gets especially annoying when the people taking the jabs are the ones who have no interest in taking part or really doing anything to move the forum forwards. If you were bothered about the future of this site you would be encouraging more of this not sticking the knife in whenever you can

What I find annoying is that people like you make those sorts of unfounded (and naive and ill informed) assertions 

You should be ashamed of yourselves!

As should you be!  :

[Cory Ander]

I'm not dismissing anybody as an individual - I'm only saying their approach is misleading, possibly invalid, and unfair on the person who posts an original recipe, e.g. if their recipe comes last in a group test, or is otherwise slagged off, mainly because somebody has altered the recipe.

I agree, and I am raising the same concern.

Furthermore (as stated previously, and has been pooh poohed by some), there is no way that testers should be evaluating their own (or anyone's with whom they are familiar) recipe in "group tests".  It's far too incestuous and is bound to bring into question bias.

[George]

I agree, and I am raising the same concern.

Isn't there anyone else here who shares the same concern as CA and myself? There must be. Any member with an IQ of less than 100 need not reply.

[solarsplace]

I agree, and I am raising the same concern.

Isn't there anyone else here who shares the same concern as CA and myself? There must be. Any member with an IQ of less than 100 need not reply.

Your log in sports the 'moderator' privilege. Most users do not know that you have these privileges in the interest of reducing spam, it would reflect better on the forum if someone wearing the moderator badge was not posting so negativity.

Thank you

[Peripatetic Phil]

Any member with an IQ of less than 100 need not reply.

Well, now I am intrigued : I never had you down as an intellectual snob, George.  But in the interests of openness, would you like to tell the rest of us your I.Q. (Cattell, Stanford-Binet, or Wechsler scale), just so that we can be sure that you aren't excluding others in the same range as yourself ?

** Phil.

[Les]

I agree, and I am raising the same concern.

Isn't there anyone else here who shares the same concern as CA and myself? There must be. Any member with an IQ of less than 100 need not reply.

George
I agree with you and CA, but I'm a newbie and don't really have the expertise to comment (although I have now) I expect there are some more, but don't want to upset the applecart so of speak ;D

[Les]

I agree, and I am raising the same concern.

Isn't there anyone else here who shares the same concern as CA and myself? There must be. Any member with an IQ of less than 100 need not reply.

Your log in sports the 'moderator' privilege. Most users do not know that you have these privileges in the interest of reducing spam, it would reflect better on the forum if someone wearing the moderator badge was not posting so negativity.

Thank you

George being a mod doesn't mean he cannot have an opinion in my view

[PaulP]

It seems to me there are two choices:

1) Make the recipes to spec exactly. For this particular group test that will involve making (at least) 3 base sauces just to try bombay aloo recipes out.

2) Allow some leeway with the base so that reviewers can use whatever base they have to hand.

Option 1 will never happen.
Option 2 might just reveal a decent recipe that we can all benefit from.

To my mind Option 2 is hopeful despite the dire warnings from some about not following a process exactly to the letter.

Paul

[Les]

Don't see any point in having a recipe, If your going to change it, just as well make it up as you go along
But this seems to be the norm, Take a recipe then destroy it, especially in the base section

[Ramirez]

Shall we just forget the whole thing?

George being a mod doesn't mean he cannot have an opinion in my view

You're completely right, it doesn't mean he cannot state his opinion. However, new users seeing a mod make comments like that is pretty harmful to the forum IMO, especially on a small forum like this where new regular-posting users are rare. It isn't appropriate.