Wikimedia Cookbook
The programmer/engineer in me has been deeply unhappy with recipes (both online and in print).  The recipes in this online book are no exception.<p>Chief complaint:  the ambiguity of description means that ten different chefs could follow the recipe and have ten different results.<p>To explain: consider the simple act of "browning an onion".  Variables that might affect the outcome include the fine-ness of the dicing, the heat of the skillet (is my medium heat the same as yours?) and the extent of caramelization.  The range of outcomes here can be anywhere from a crunchy, almost raw onion, to a nearly disintegrated brown paste.  Take this and multiply with all the other steps involved in a typical recipe and try to tell me that the end result is predictable.<p>Has anyone found any technique/recipe books that attempt to deal with this ambiguity?  The only place I ever see clear instruction on such topics are cooking classes, but that's not convenient and it makes me wonder what the point of recipe books are at all.