Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012)
After reading a lot of recipes and watching pictures&#x2F;videos from same authors I learned that the description of browning is very subjective to the author.<p>Very few recipes actually required onions browned through (as in entire volume) and if they actually do, the author will for sure mention it. Onions that are completely browned have very overpowering sweet aroma that is undesirable in most recipes except the ones that are built around it (like, famously, french onion soup or various caramelized onion dips).<p>Vast majority of recipes actually require the onion to just get little hints of being gold in places or some gold just on the surface of it. That is enough to add flavor that will distribute once you add some liquid to it.<p>From my experience most cooking book authors seem to be testing their recipes. Many times I have been frustrated by being unable to get the desired effect only to find some missing technique that the author very likely did not think important enough to mention or maybe difference in ingredients or measuring methodology.<p>I have learned to prefer books that describe the methodology used by the author (for example how they measure things, how they make broth if they use one in recipe, etc.)<p>I have also learned to search the book for a recipe that I already know and figure out if it agrees with my experience and if I would be able to make the recipe from that description.<p>Another important point is that usually you need to understand particular cuisine from which the recipe comes to be able to make it faithfully. Every cuisine is a little small system of thinking about how to choose, process and combine ingredients. Recipes tend to be silent on a lot of stuff that is completely trivial to natives of particular cuisine.<p>For example, I have been practicing Italian, Indian and Thai cuisines for the past 20 years. I can make Italian, Indian or Thai dish on a pinch from whatever I can find in my fridge and pantry but I still can&#x27;t make convincing Creole dish even if I tried.<p>(edit)<p>If you are asking for best books for beginners, I suggest to skip books and rather research the recipe on Youtube. Watch couple of people doing the same thing -- this is going to provide much more valuable information than you could ever read in a book. This mostly because having visual reference of how it actually looked when the person was cooking it will give you immediate feedback when you are getting something wrong.<p>It is still my preferred way of learning new kinds of dishes.