Cooking Failures and Successes
By LindaOH
@LindaOHio (181717)
United States
November 20, 2023 6:10pm CST
Over 50 years ago I had moved into my first apartment. As I enjoyed cooking and had a boyfriend (my husband), I wanted to make a special meal and impress him. I found a French recipe for tenderloin with about a dozen different spices and thought I would try that. Needless to say, it was inedible. We stood by the kitchen sink and rinsed off each piece before we ate it. Since then I have "tasted" recipes in my head before making them and haven't had a bad fail since then.
My successes are my old standbys: spaghetti sauce, stuffed cabbage, pork and sauerkraut, chili, steak and mushrooms, biscuits and gravy, etc. My husband will tell you that I make the best scrambled eggs, cheesecake and deviled eggs...three of his favorites. Even though I can't cook anymore, I enjoy looking at recipes and imagining how the food would taste.
What about you? What fails and successes have you had?
Photo Credit: Pixabay
16 people like this
16 responses
@DaddyEvil (137634)
• United States
21 Nov 23
Sometimes I will make "experiments" when I'm in the right mood... Pretty will taste them and either makes a face or will take whatever it is away from me and eat it all.
When she makes a face, I cautiously taste it and usually enjoy it. I tell her she's just weird. 
When she makes a face, I cautiously taste it and usually enjoy it. I tell her she's just weird. 4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137634)
• United States
21 Nov 23
@LindaOHio Thanks... I like to think so, at any rate.
2 people like this
@sallypup (61627)
• Centralia, Washington
21 Nov 23
@LindaOHio We had little food in the house at the time so it wasn't funny for me.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
22 Nov 23
@sallypup I'm sorry to hear that, Lenore.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112966)
• El Paso, Texas
21 Nov 23
Lets just say that I've only tried to cook for a couple guys once, neither time was really worth talking about although the food was edible. Since then I stick with the simple stuff, I only cook for myself but at least I know what I like so I can make it as crazy as I want.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
22 Nov 23
@rebelann How did you overshare? Have a great day and a great Thanksgiving.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
21 Nov 23
My sister-in-law is still cooking challenged. Her best dish is hot dogs.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50526)
• United States
21 Nov 23
When we first married I tried to make homemade pancakes, no mix or recipe. We still laugh about them. I can make good ones now.
3 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
21 Nov 23
The first attempts are always fun to look back on.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (108166)
• Marion, Ohio
21 Nov 23
Everyone loves my homemade chicken and noodles. Even when I have used rabbit instead 
3 people like this
@snowy22315 (182203)
• United States
21 Nov 23
Well I can make a mean meatloaf, lasagna and those sorts of things...I guess my worst disaster was probably a chiffon cake, but I usually don't attempt anything that seems like it will be too difficult. Dutch apple pancake was a sticky mess too...and I had the wrong size pans and old baking powder and i made a layer cake that ended up more like a pancake.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
21 Nov 23
Thanks for sharing your cooking stories!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (69025)
• United States
21 Nov 23
I made the bold attempt to make an “internal cheeseburger” when I was 13…put all the “toppings” IN the hamburger meat, then cook it. Nope, that didn’t work.
My infamous potato soup is great, though! Last batch was cream of chicken soup and a bag of O’Brien potatoes. Yeah, baby!!!! Gonna try cream of celery with the next batch.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
21 Nov 23
The first attempts are always fun to remember.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Nov 23
I started putting things together when I was 8. I always enjoyed experimenting, Of course, now I just make what is fast and quick. I have a bunch of cookbooks that I wonder what I will do with them,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
22 Nov 23
I don't use my cookbooks much anymore; but i can't part with them.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
22 Nov 23
Thank you for sharing your cute story!!!
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
21 Nov 23
My family liked everything I cooked. I suppose I only cooked the foods they liked. That solves a lot of problems. They especially liked lemon pies. Now, I only cook for myself so I don’t need to cook much. I made a strawberry cake yesterday. I tried to get my son to have a piece today but he isn’t eating cake right now. He didn’t have long to stay. He and my daughter in law were going grocery shopping.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
21 Nov 23
Thanks for sharing your cooking story!!!
1 person likes this
@porwest (92621)
• United States
7 Dec 23
My braised pork, which is a variation of a French recipe that I simplified, is a staple around here, so I'd call that a success. My spaghetti sauce is as well. I have trouble with omelets and meatloaf. I have had my share of something that sounded good that didn't make the cut. I think we all have.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
8 Dec 23
@porwest This should be our mission. How to keep a meatloaf from falling apart. That could be one of my campaign goals.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
7 Dec 23
We still need to know the secret behind meatloaf staying together. Someone here said oats. Will have to try that.
1 person likes this
@porwest (92621)
• United States
7 Dec 23
@LindaOHio My wife's always stays put. She just uses bread crumbs. So do I but I still get a mangled mess. lol
The kicker is always to me that she doesn't even cook. I do. I will never figure it out. lol
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (84226)
• Rupert, Idaho
21 Nov 23
If there is a recipe that I can follow, I usually do okay. If I have no recipes, then that is when I am in trouble lol Sounds like interesting things you cooked. The only fail I can think of is when I burned the homemade noodles last year....not all my fault though!
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (84226)
• Rupert, Idaho
21 Nov 23
@LindaOHio yeah very embarrassing :(
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
22 Nov 23
I'm sorry you weren't feeling well. I hope you are feeling better.
@Noland (70)
• Indonesia
21 Nov 23
I think, one of the moments that happened in life that we have to say thanks is a failure isn't? I love baking but sometime I failed too. But I believe that conquered it. Some kinds of bakery that make me so crazy such as donuts, chiffon cake and bread for several types.
I try that for many many times, so consuming time, energy and money of course. LOL but I'm happy to that, because now some people now that I can do best in that's kind of bakery. But, they never know how hard to make those like today. LOL
1 person likes this
