It's a New Year! And I couldn't think of a better way to start 2018 than by writing a post I've been wanting to write since I started working on my blog. This is a rundown of 5 complete and utter messes that I've caused while experimenting on recipes to share with you! Needless to say, the recipes for these kitchen disasters will never see the light of day…Kitchen Disasters…because food bloggers mess up sometimes too
There's an open secret amongst bloggers. We have to be successful in all our endeavours. Things have to always work out. Life has to always be happy and hi-key. Well, that's hardly the truth. We fail, we mess up, and some days we even forget to season our omelettes.
Don't worry! This isn't going to be a dark and mopey post about how bloggers can only show the happiest parts of their lives. And how that perpetuates a false sense of life on social media etc. Instead, I'm going to share 5 photos - each is a recipe that I was working on for my blog. And each is a recipe that completely and utterly failed for one reason or another. Because food bloggers have kitchen disasters too!
So…for those of you that have asked if I ever mess up in the kitchen, yes. Yes, I have. (Case in point: some of you have asked me about the recipe for some Gingerbread Cookies I made and posted in my Instagram live story. The cookies turned out very pretty to look at. But after trying three separate versions of them, I've decided I need more gingerbread practice before actually posting a recipe. I just don't want anyone to break a tooth because of one of my recipes!) But hey! Just in case you don’t want to see my kitchen disasters (or want something tasty once you’re done reading), I’m just going to leave you a link for some delicious Chocolate-Frosted Almond Brownies.
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Dark Chocolate & Mascarpone Cheesecake
I had high hopes for this one. Just the name alone sounded indulgent and alluring. What ended up happening was that I forgot to let my mascarpone cheese come down to room temperature, so even after I whisked it with the other ingredients, there were these weird worm-y looking little spots of cheese inside the cake.
I considered rebranding the cake entirely, and trying to turn it into a Halloween recipe.
And then I tasted it.
I did not like it.
Yuck.
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Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
You'd think this would be simple enough, right? Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - all you do is take a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, add some cocoa and continue, right? Wrong. Or maybe it's right and I did it wrong. But these cookies just didn't taste very good….they weren't horrific, they were just bland.
And Double Chocolate Chip Cookies should never be bland. Am I right? (I'm right.)
(I'm actually still working on this recipe. I want fat, soft, chewy, delicious double chocolate chip cookies. And I won't be happy until I get them just right!)
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Ricotta Parmesan Fritters
This was actually a practice blog post I had written (and never published) back when I was setting up Chocolates & Chai. I had found the recipe in a Jamie Oliver cookbook. I changed up a few things, but as you can see from the photo…it, err, didn't turn out all that well. I've tried it a couple of times since and it's turned out much better. Practice makes perfect!
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Strawberry Ricotta Cake
This was another recipe that ticked a whole lotta boxes for me. Strawberries? Yum. Ricotta? Oh, baby. What it should have been was a light, fresh, not-to-sweet summer cake that would knock your socks off. What it turned out to be was a dry, crispy ordeal of dessert. Look at those strawberries, they look like they been fossilised!
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Chocolate Brioche
I was so excited making this abomination. I had watched no less than a gazillion YouTube videos on how to braid a chocolate brioche, and make wreathes, and all sort of dreamy sweet breads. And well bestie…I don't think much needs to be said.
It looked like it crawled out of the sea.
It also tasted like it crawled out of the sea.
Bread recipes are something I'm not very good at. (I'm getting better, but umm…you know, 'better' is a relative term.)
Okay, bestie! That it's for today. If you want to link me to a recipe similar to one of my failures above (one that works please!), drop it in the comments below! Otherwise, tell me about one of your recent kitchen disasters! And don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. It would be a terrible way to start 2018 if you didn't!
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Maria
Love it 🙂 If at first you don’t succeed… well, I think you know this little mantra… I have it plastered on my fridge! I tell myself it’s all part of the learning curve. The only thing I can say is thank goodness for supportive family and friends. For the record, your brioche doesn’t look that bad ♥ Great post Riz!
Riz
Yes, exactly! …try, try, again! (And thank you, but I was worried that brioche was going to eat me in my sleep!)
Denise from Urb'n'Spice
Your post was highly entertaining, Riz. Everyone can relate to baking and cooking failures, I am sure. I have a similar post about “Crumb Truffles” – which was a great (necessary) way of using cookie crumbs from the ‘try again recipes’ in a gluten-free book I was working on. You learn from every experience, right? Thanks for sharing your experiences 🙂 All the best in your quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie – I have no doubt that your recipe will be amazing.
Riz
Thanks Denise! (Crumb Truffles actually sounds pretty delicious!)
Cathy
Ha, ha! It’s good to hear that not all is perfect behind the scenes for others, too! Maybe there’s still hope for some of those recipes yet!
Riz
Fingers crossed I’m able to make some of them work!
Colleen
Riz, what a great post! We all our behind the scenes kitchen disasters, and it’s nice to know we aren’t alone! And those double chocolate chip cookies look pretty good to me! 🙂
Riz
Thanks Colleen! I think the cookies look good too (I actually took the photos before property tasting them…and then promptly decided this recipe wasn’t ‘the one’!), but they’re just not quite right (yet).
Vanessa
I love this post! What a great way to showcase the amount of trial and error, lessons and learning, we all endure through this cooking process. The “peek behind the curtain” was entertaining, fun, and welcomed. Bravo!
Riz
Thanks so much Vanessa!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Oh – I’ve definitely had my share of kitchen disasters too. I just consider it a learning experience. Though, it’s not so fun at the time 😉 Glad I’m not the only one!
Riz
For sure Dawn, I think we all have our kitchen disasters! If anything, I think those of us that tend to spend more time in the kitchen have had more mishaps than most!
Mary
Thanks for sharing these! It’s always good to know that I’m not the only one! (Beet jam, anyone?) It’s always especially disappointing when you purchase expensive ingredients and a recipe doesn’t work out.
Riz
Oooh Beet Jam….colour me curious!
Ashley
Love this! I once thought I was smart enough to make pancakes without a recipe (I grew up in a house that didn’t eat pancakes) and ended up making a tonne of rubber patties.
Riz
Lol! Thanks for commenting! And I can totally relate, I’ve had my share of rubbery discs that were meant to be pancakes too!
Leslie-Anne
This is such a fun post! I’ve had so many weird things happen – grain-free gnocchi disasters, cocoa flourless cookies that looked like lumps of coal! Happens to everyone, and always memorable.
Riz
Thanks for chiming in Leslie-Anne! (Grain-free gnocchi does sounds worth a few disasters to get right!)
Cristina from ShoeTease
Love this post!! “Tasted like it crawled out of the sea”…you’re hilarious!
xo Cristina
Riz
Lol! Thanks for reading it! (I’m glad I caught your comment, for some reason it had gone to my spam bin first! :S)
urvashee
I’m so glad to see somebody post about kitchen disasters! I posted something similar before too. We all have kitchen disasters and so nice to read about them too.
Riz
Haha! Yes, I think our kitchen disasters teach us more than our successes!