Let's Dish: What Recipes Intimidate You?

March 10, 2010

There are some dishes that I'm absolutely terrified of making at home. They're scary because I'm afraid of failing. Dough (pizza, bread, pie, etc.) has always been very intimidating to me. However, I'm taking baby steps, like mastering pie dough, to overcome this fear. One recipe that I'm totally intimidated by, and not ready to face, is Boston cream pie. I made it years ago and it was a total disaster. The sponge cake was dry and crunchy, the custard didn't set, and the chocolate glaze didn't harden. Since then, I've avoided making Boston cream pie at all costs. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is frightened by certain recipes, so tell me, what dishes intimidate you?

23 Comments

bsanf3 3 years 9 weeks

I do a lot of baking, but haven't tackled anything that uses fillo dough except once.

jelibeann 3 years 9 weeks

sadly, macaroni and cheese...i've tried a few times and each one has been a disaster...the sauce is too grainy or doesn't thicken correctly...the worst one was when i made a huge batch of baked macaroni and cheese and used a disposable tray, which didn't hold up and leaked all over my kitchen...i think i cried that time...it's pathetic...i LOVE a good mac and cheese and should really be able to make my own i used to hate bread dough, but ever since i got my bread machine, it's been much less intimidating, even if it is cheating a bit

jelibeann 3 years 9 weeks

sadly, macaroni and cheese...i've tried a few times and each one has been a disaster...the sauce is too grainy or doesn't thicken correctly...the worst one was when i made a huge batch of baked macaroni and cheese and used a disposable tray, which didn't hold up and leaked all over my kitchen...i think i cried that time...it's pathetic...i LOVE a good mac and cheese and should really be able to make my owni used to hate bread dough, but ever since i got my bread machine, it's been much less intimidating, even if it is cheating a bit

GlowingMoon 3 years 9 weeks

Anything beyond five ingredients. Seriously, I'm a really basic cook. It's sad because I come from a family of foodies.

RoaringSilence 3 years 10 weeks

I do agree that pie dough is a little tricky, but bread dough is too easy! Try it! It's so worth it. I am intimidated by things like soufflees. I've never made one. And like many others, I'm also always worried about temperatures. I've failed at making marshmallows because of that, for example.

RoaringSilence 3 years 10 weeks

Spectra 3 years 10 weeks

For me, it's anything that involves a food processor because I don't have one. I also am reluctant to make anything that requires a lot of special ingredients that I would never use again because I hate having a bunch of useless spices in the kitchen taking up space.

Jyramiah 3 years 10 weeks

Anything that requires dough from scratch is a no-no for me, although I did want to learn pastry making. But I find sugar to be much more fun. Anything that has to do with grilling and oil, another off-limits thing.

partysugar 3 years 10 weeks

Oh macarons are on my list too. I've printed out a million recipes, but have yet to get over the fear!

POPSUGAR Food 3 years 10 weeks

PartySugar, you're opening a can of worms with this one! I'd have said any dough with yeast, but I recently conquered that fear by making my own pizza dough, and I must say it wasn't that hard and tastes light years better than the store-made stuff! The yeast does smell, though. There are plenty of things that are still intimidating to me: caramels, hard candy (anything with a "hard" or "soft" ball stage is still tricky); croissants; soufflés; meringue; macarons; most flaky pastry. Oh, and deep frying. That said, I must say, being YumSugar has pushed me to try plenty of things — like pizza, pie, caramel sauce, candied oranges, and palmiers — that I would might not have otherwise tried. I am grateful for that.

POPSUGAR Food 3 years 10 weeks

PartySugar, you're opening a can of worms with this one! I'd have said any dough with yeast, but I recently conquered that fear by making my own pizza dough, and I must say it wasn't that hard and tastes light years better than the store-made stuff! The yeast does smell, though. There are plenty of things that are still intimidating to me: caramels, hard candy (anything with a "hard" or "soft" ball stage is still tricky); croissants; soufflés; meringue; macarons; most flaky pastry. Oh, and deep frying.That said, I must say, being YumSugar has pushed me to try plenty of things — like pizza, pie, caramel sauce, candied oranges, and palmiers — that I would might not have otherwise tried. I am grateful for that.

bluebellknoll 3 years 10 weeks

I second lattice top pies. Holy bejebbus - I tried once and will never do it again. On that note, I just don't have any desire to make pasteries or anything requiring a lot of precision - it makes me nervous!

3 years 10 weeks

i've avoided hopping on the macron boat for a while after reading instructions and the downfalls of not creating perfect feet. I have a friend, who i saw destroy a batch. ooy gooy mess... i also avoid: fresh pasta (live in a super dry climate) lattice top pie doughs (i'll wreck that) rotisserie goose (i trashed an expensive goose once) And i love doing them, but roasted turkey always gives me anxiety while they're in the oven and browning away. There's just so much time involved in making a great turkey and i'm really freaked out that it won't turn out like i planned.

socalbeachgal 3 years 10 weeks

I don't like recipes that have a super long list of ingredients, especially when they are pricey and I won't be using them for anything else. Also, I haven't had the best luck with some candies.

tlsgirl 3 years 10 weeks

I've tried to make puff pastry several times, and it always ends up with a mini-tantrum and a trash can full of gooey dough. Stupid pastry.

nikkeeb 3 years 10 weeks

oh! and re: doughs, i actually found some breads are easier to get into than pastries. i've made some dinner rolls and bagels. (the bagels were shockingly delicious) my arms get really tired, though...don't give up!!

nikkeeb 3 years 10 weeks

anything really with a long list of ingredients. i don't mind a challenge in the kitchen, but i hate taking half an hour in the grocery store trying to find everything i need.also truffles. i tried in high school (when i never cooked anything) and it was not good...but i'm getting my confidence back and saw a recipe for oreo truffles i'll do one day when i have time

nikkeeb 3 years 10 weeks

anything really with a long list of ingredients. i don't mind a challenge in the kitchen, but i hate taking half an hour in the grocery store trying to find everything i need. also truffles. i tried in high school (when i never cooked anything) and it was not good...but i'm getting my confidence back and saw a recipe for oreo truffles i'll do one day when i have time

Rancher'sGirl 3 years 10 weeks

I second the yeast doughs and candymaking.

MLH1 3 years 10 weeks

All of the gluten free recipes with a list of ingredients a mile long. Very intimidating, but I'm sure very delicious. I'm just not one to keep that many ingredients around. Too bad, maybe someday when I have an endless grocery budget!

3 years 10 weeks

Candy... having to figure how what a hard ball stage is, kind of thing. Which I guess is similar to Tica and her thermometers. =) It just seems so mystifying... and not all together safe, sticking your head over a pot of boiling sugars.

3 years 10 weeks

Wow... I'm really not that afraid of failure. If I fail at making something as it should be I feel bad about wasting the ingredients (if it is totally uneatable), think about what went wrong and try again. What gets me is butchering meat. I had stopped eating it for 15 years and recently started again. Cutting up meat, the blood, the tendons, the bones... it's all too much. I want to get over that using baby-steps. There is, after all, nothing like a good steak.

ticamorena 3 years 10 weeks

anything that really needs a thermometer (I'm super clumsy, and am not keen on handling extremely hot molten liquids) especially because I'm a cooking "guesstimator", so precision is not my forte; other than that, I am confortable with doughs and puddings, pastries, meringues, souffles, roasts and have had success with all of these

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