Would You Expect a Cookbook to Avoid or Use Processed Foods?

[Crimson Wife]

I'm not talking about cookbooks specifically billed as "semi-homemade" or the like.

 

I just finished writing an Amazon review for Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies by Danna Korn and Conne Sarros. Reading the other reviews (all positive) made me wonder if I'm just totally out on a limb thinking a recipe like following is :ack2: :ack2:

 

"Broccoli Cauliflower Combo": frozen broccoli and cauliflower covered with Cheez Whiz mixed with canned cream of mushroom soup and then topped with Funyuns.

 

What do you all think- am I just a food snob or would you expect a cookbook to avoid reliance on highly processed foods as ingredients?

[AdventureMoms]

I think it depends on the cookbook (many use cream of x soups) but that recipe sounds beyond disgusting. If the cookbook were focused on whole foods or healthy eating I would expect a minimum of processed ingredients but otherwise it seems to vary a lot.

That's not cooking, that's, umm, assembling. Not that I'm beneath throwing something together under duress, but I wouldn't publish it as a recipe.

[AdventureMoms]

and you are DEFINITELY not a food snob for avoiding THAT recipe. Gah! Funyons! and cheez wiz! AND cream of mushroom! in one recipe! Masquerading as a vegetable! Gah!

[Slartibartfast]

Gross!!

 

It would depend on what cookbook I was buying but I don't buy cookbooks that consider Cheezewhiz an ingredient. I cannot actually eat a lot of things like that so I would probably check.

 

But IMO is it INSANE to include them for special diets. That is just crazy!

 

I think Sandra Lee, that woman on the Food network, would probably have strange things in her cookbook...and a lot of booze.

[TKDmom]

If I found a recipe on the back of a can of Cheeze Whiz, or if I bought a cookbook from a big supplier of processed foods, I'd expect it to have processed ingredients. Otherwise...I expect a cookbook to have recipes made from scratch.

 

The Broccoli Cauliflower Combo sounds nasty. Why bother eating vegetables if you're going to dump all that cr@p on them??

[Parrothead]

I think it depends on the cookbook. Some will use no processed foods. Others have quite a few recipes with such.

[vonfirmath]

Depends on the cookbook. I buy cookbooks sometimes for easy meals that don't take a lot of time and yes, they involve processed foods.

 

In fact, one of my favorite potluck recipes (Pink Salad) has Cool Whip in it as a integral ingredient. And Jello.

 

another that we eat a LOT in our house (Rice Casserole) has Cream-of-something soup.

 

(Both recipes I need to figure out how to replace because of dairy allergies)

[Hwin]

I use cookbook recipes to make things from scratch... if I want a CheezWiz recipe I'll look on the back of the can/jar. It would be different if it was sponsored by Kraft or something like that. And even then, they don't tend to use processed foods, it's more like "2 cups of Gold Medal Flour, and 1 cup of Dominoes sugar"

[nmoira]

I wouldn't use a cookbook that calls for ingredients more processed than, say, canned tomatoes, because that's not what I'm looking for. But as to expectations, it's not something I find surprising.

[TKDmom]

To be fair, some people hate vegetables. I don't, but I have family members who do. Vegetables taste bitter to them.

 

 

I don't like vegetables all that much myself. I've always thought broccoli was bitter, but but a little bit of salt and some herbs (and maybe some real cheese), can do wonders for broccoli. Drowning it in processed foods just negates the whole point of eating vegetables for me. If I wanted Funyuns, I wouldn't contaminate them with broccoli. ;)

[Slartibartfast]

Depends on the cookbook. I buy cookbooks sometimes for easy meals that don't take a lot of time and yes, they involve processed foods.

In fact, one of my favorite potluck recipes (Pink Salad) has Cool Whip in it as a integral ingredient. And Jello.

another that we eat a LOT in our house (Rice Casserole) has Cream-of-something soup.

(Both recipes I need to figure out how to replace because of dairy allergies)

 

 

You can get fake whipped cream at natural food stores but it is expensive, like $7 a can!!! (I have only seen it in a can)

 

I make creamy soups from scratch with coconut milk. You have to make sure it is Un-Sweetened and does not have vanilla flavor. :)

 

 

[Crimson Wife]

I'll admit to having fed my kids those Morningstar Farms broccoli nuggets in the past to ease them into the idea of willingly eating that particular vegetable. But at least those had real cheddar cheese and no Funyuns!

[Crimson Wife]

 

In fact, one of my favorite potluck recipes (Pink Salad) has Cool Whip in it as a integral ingredient. And Jello.

 

another that we eat a LOT in our house (Rice Casserole) has Cream-of-something soup.

 

(Both recipes I need to figure out how to replace because of dairy allergies)

 

For the rice casserole, I would sub chopped (mushrooms, broccoli, etc.) + plain soy coffee creamer (assuming soy is tolerated). One can sometimes find non-soy vegan creamers but they are expensive.

 

The pink salad I might experiment using vanilla non-dairy yogurt as a sub for Cool Whip.

[TKDmom]

In fact, one of my favorite potluck recipes (Pink Salad) has Cool Whip in it as a integral ingredient. And Jello.

 

(Both recipes I need to figure out how to replace because of dairy allergies)

 

Isn't Cool-Whip already non-dairy? I have the phrase "non-dairy whipped topping" floating around in my head, and I remember my mom refusing to use Cool-Whip because it wasn't real whipped cream...

[nmoira]

 

 

Isn't Cool-Whip already non-dairy? I have the phrase "non-dairy whipped topping" floating around in my head, and I remember my mom refusing to use Cool-Whip because it wasn't real whipped cream...

 

It's always (or at least for ages) contained a milk protein, but as of a couple years ago, whole milk ingredients have been added as well.

[Crimson Wife]

Isn't Cool-Whip already non-dairy? I have the phrase "non-dairy whipped topping" floating around in my head, and I remember my mom refusing to use Cool-Whip because it wasn't real whipped cream...

 

Cool Whip has casein (milk protein). If someone has a dairy allergy/intolerance it's a no-no.

[Crimson Wife]

Oh wow, I might have to try that. I have one child who won't eat any vegetables. I feel terrible, but I seriously cannot get him to.

 

Unfortunately, they were discontinued maybe 2 years ago.

[Murphy101]

On the plus side, by those standards of "cooking" I can say I made breakfast this morning. By golly no one can pour milk over cereal like I can! ;p

[Murphy101]

My current irritation are recipes for baking.

 

Things like cake recipes that begin with an ingredient listing of "1 box yellow cake mix"..

 

Well duh. I don't really need a cake recipe to figure out how to use a boxed cake mix. :/

[tammyw]

Avoid like the plague.

[Murphy101]

I couldn't answer the poll. I'm not a snob. I just don't feel a need to inflate what I'm doing. I think American cheddar spray cheese is awesome. Expensive and fattening and full of things I can't pronounce and aren't found in nature. And awesome yummy on a ritz cracker. I just don't call putting spray cheese on a cracker a recipe either. I don't know what to call that.

[Crimson Wife]

My current irritation are recipes for baking.

 

Things like cake recipes that begin with an ingredient listing of "1 box yellow cake mix"..

 

Well duh. I don't really need a cake recipe to figure out how to use a boxed cake mix. :/

 

Given how blah many GF boxed cake mixes are, I actually wouldn't have minded *ONE* recipe in this particular cookbook with suggestions to jazz up a mix. But specifically labeled in the title of the recipe as "semi-homemade".

[Susan in TN]

If it's a "community cookbook" I expect it to use convenience foods like cream of something soup, cheez whiz, cool whip, etc. (My favorite holiday dish contains Cheez Whiz and cream of mushroom soup, so I buy these once a year or so.) A "professional" cookbook, no. I'd prefer to know how to make it from scratch - I can figure out my own substitutions/convenience foods from there if I need to.

[Χά�ων]

I would return the cookbook and insist on my money back. Then I would leave a review on Amazon. :)

[Χά�ων]

I would return the cookbook and insist on my money back. Then I would leave a review on Amazon.

[Χά�ων]

I would return the cookbook and insist on my money back. Then I would leave a review on Amazon.

[PeacefulChaos]

I think it depends on the cookbook (many use cream of x soups) but that recipe sounds beyond disgusting. If the cookbook were focused on whole foods or healthy eating I would expect a minimum of processed ingredients but otherwise it seems to vary a lot.

 

This.

[Spy Car]

Gross.

 

Bill

[Cricket]

I'm confused. This is a gluten-free cookbook? Cream of mushroom soup contains wheat flour. :confused1: Even if it was g/f, it still sounds gross. I like broccoli steamed with a little butter and garlic. Yum!

[celticmom]

Thanks for the warning about that cookbook. I need to avoid processed junk as well as wheat for dd8.

[vonfirmath]

I just realized. Its a "For Dummies" book. Yes I would expect Convenience food.

[In the Rain]

Given that the description for that particular book mentions "quick and easy recipes", I would expect to see lots of convenience foods as ingredients. Since it also mentions nutritious recipes, I would also expect there to be a substantial amount of recipes using whole foods.

 

I think the recipe you describe sounds gross, like a fat and salt bomb. :ack2:

[Mrs Mungo]

I think it depends on the cookbook (many use cream of x soups) but that recipe sounds beyond disgusting. If the cookbook were focused on whole foods or healthy eating I would expect a minimum of processed ingredients but otherwise it seems to vary a lot.

 

 

I agree. But, I don't think a "gluten-free" cookbook necessarily equates to healthy eating (not that AdventureMoms was trying to say that it does ;) ).

[Murphy101]

I just realized. Its a "For Dummies" book. Yes I would expect Convenience food.

 

Idk. Cake mix doesn't have anything complicated in it. Most dummies can mix dry ingredients together?

 

Now gelatin is a bit more involved, so I can see the convienence of a box of jello. It's not like I think it shouldn't be called cooking unless they grind the flour themselves. There's middle ground. :)

[Murphy101]

I agree. But, I don't think a "gluten-free" cookbook necessarily equates to healthy eating (not that AdventureMoms was trying to say that it does ;) ).

 

I agree. Just like cooking from scratch doesn't mean that either.

 

I just personally get frustrated when I'm looking for a recipe and instead get a bunch of mixes to mix together. Doesn't mean they aren't yummy tho. :)

[Murphy101]

I feel I should confess. I have a "cake" in the oven. I sliced up some beat up apples. Tossed them in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, topped with spice cake mix, topped that with a stick of melted butter and shoved it in the oven.

 

It's quick and yummy. But I wouldn't call it a recipe per se.

[athena1277]

I admit I have not read all the replies. so disregard if I am repeating.

 

GF cooking is hard! A lot has to be made from scratch. For someone who is newly GF, it's even harder. This book is for those people who are not "from scratch" cooks who are trying to adjust to a new way of eating and need something to feed their family. It's really just a starting place (and a good one). Many people who cook GF will eventually move to more "from scratch" foods as they learn more, but it takes time.

[regentrude]

If I cook, and even bother to consult a cookbook, I cook from scratch.

 

Using canned soups is not really cooking. And a book that instructs me to combine such ingredients is not really a cookbook.

[Farrar]

I mean, some convenience items like canned broth or something I would expect. But cheez whiz? Not unless it was paid for by the Cheez Whiz company. Actually, I call product placement. It sounds like you bought an ad.

[Incognito]

I think if it is a "Dummies" cookbook, it isn't a surprise. I am surprised that recipie is in there, because from what I understand it isn't gluten free.

[justLisa]

I don't really expect it, but I tend to only buy cookbooks I can browse through first. I only buy whole foods type books. Or at least mostly

[Rebel Yell]

Idk. Cake mix doesn't have anything complicated in it. Most dummies can mix dry ingredients together?

 

Now gelatin is a bit more involved, so I can see the convienence of a box of jello. It's not like I think it shouldn't be called cooking unless they grind the flour themselves. There's middle ground. :)

 

LOL- I am one of those people who can cook and bake, but I have never yet made an edible cake from scratch. One year we even had the infamous Bucket Cake. I chiseled the cake out of the pan, put it in a wax-paper-lined Christmas-themed bucket, put the frosting in a separate dish, and fed it to my young cousins. They were both well over 6ft tall in their teens- they would eat anything. They declared it the most delicious cake ever. If I recall correctly, it was a "Burnt Sugar Cake".

 

 

Oh, and I like a minimum of processed foods in my recipes. The ones that start every soup recipe with roasting bones and boiling your own stock? I cross out theose ingredients/steps and start with box broth from Trader Joe's... but cheez wiz & cream of blech soup? No way.

[iona]

I feel I should confess. I have a "cake" in the oven. I sliced up some beat up apples. Tossed them in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, topped with spice cake mix, topped that with a stick of melted butter and shoved it in the oven.

 

It's quick and yummy. But I wouldn't call it a recipe per se.

 

I would call it a recipe. Dump cake is a recipe and you actually sliced some apples instead of using a can of fruit pie filling. Cheese whiz on a Ritz cracker is a standing in front of the pantry snack!

[redsquirrel]

I would expect most cookbooks to avoid such 'ingredients' unless they are marketed as such. I have passed on cookbooks if a review said it used that type of 'food'. Now, I can see a cookbook, especially for a specific diet, having a section devoted to that sort of thing. There are always little shortcuts or whatever that someone with food restrictions might appreciate knowing.

[Ellie]

*I* avoid those foods, so when I look through cookbooks, I buy the ones that don't use processed foods. IOW, the burden is on me, not on the cookbook.

[Audrey]

I'm not talking about cookbooks specifically billed as "semi-homemade" or the like.

 

I just finished writing an Amazon review for Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies by Danna Korn and Conne Sarros. Reading the other reviews (all positive) made me wonder if I'm just totally out on a limb thinking a recipe like following is :ack2: :ack2:

 

"Broccoli Cauliflower Combo": frozen broccoli and cauliflower covered with Cheez Whiz mixed with canned cream of mushroom soup and then topped with Funyuns.

 

What do you all think- am I just a food snob or would you expect a cookbook to avoid reliance on highly processed foods as ingredients?

 

You are not a food snob. Cheez Whiz, canned cream of crap soup and Funyuns are not food, therefore no food snobbery is possible.

 

FTR: I do expect cookbooks to avoid processed foods, unless they are produced by a processed food company like Kraft or Betty Crocker or Campbell's or others like that. Then, I expect the company to use their processed products in every recipe as would be the point of such a cookbook. With any other cookbooks, though, I am very disappointed when I come across processed foods in the recipe. I don't even consider those recipes because really -- adding an extra ingredient or two to Hamburger Helper isn't a recipe. Neither is opening 5 cans and dumping them in the crockpot. That's not a recipe. Not really. Not in my opinion.

[LibraryLover]

I couldn't answer the poll. I'm not a snob. I just don't feel a need to inflate what I'm doing. I think American cheddar spray cheese is awesome. Expensive and fattening and full of things I can't pronounce and aren't found in nature. And awesome yummy on a ritz cracker. I just don't call putting spray cheese on a cracker a recipe either. I don't know what to call that.

 

 

LOL I feel the same way about Pringles.

[kitten18]

I admit I have not read all the replies. so disregard if I am repeating. GF cooking is hard! A lot has to be made from scratch. For someone who is newly GF, it's even harder. This book is for those people who are not "from scratch" cooks who are trying to adjust to a new way of eating and need something to feed their family. It's really just a starting place (and a good one). Many people who cook GF will eventually move to more "from scratch" foods as they learn more, but it takes time.

:iagree:

I was talking to another mom last week about going GF. She doesn't cook (her DH cooks but I don't know what, or his skill level) so I had no idea where to even start trying to help her.