On Tue, 04 May 2004 06:39:14 GMT, (Derek
Lyons) wrote:

However, a real cook or baker depends more on what the food is telling
them than on arbitrary time-and-temperature settings.

....No ****ing ****, Derek. As one who was born & raised in the food
service industry (*), all recipes that call for x number of minutes @
z number of degrees are based on having been cooked in an oven that I
can guarantee has no other unit like it with regards to thermal
distribution properties. Ergo, 10 minutes @ 350F in the over used by
the chef writing the recipie will either overcook or undercook the
dish. The best rule of thumb is to sit there and watch the dish as it
cooks the first time, checking about every two minutes, and watching
the time it takes until you're convinced the dish is actually done.
*Then* you adjust the time on the recipe for future reference, and
even then you still check the dish three minutes before it's supposed
to be ready because there's no telling just what's got the thermostat
screwed up that particular day.

Of course, the biggest factor is still the fact that in today's
time-dilated world, almost *nobody* preheats an oven. But even still
those time & temperature directions always differ depending on the
oven being used...

(*) Which is why not only will I starve to death before I ever work
that line again, I'll urge anyone and everyone to avoid taking on such
a profession at all costs, except those retarded, braindead, ignorant,
and those I despise and wish pain and suffering prior to death.
OM

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