So, while I am recovering from my last of the summer cold, I checked my snail mail, and found the King Arthur Flour catalog, which features some great food porn. Why the cover alone, of apples with cinnamon on them, drew me in right away.
But, much as I love King Arthur, I am annoyed by their recipes.
I know the catalogue is designed to sell their products, and I do like their spices and flours, but am annoyed that they are always selling stuff that is already created, and list those in their recipes.
For example, the Secret Apple Spice Cake, which is on page 3, has three things that you can buy specifically from King Arthur, such as “Cake Enhancer”, and cherry Juice Concentrate (which is ays you can substitute apple sauce for, but then still lists more apple sauce in the recipe. Oh, and the third? Just the flour, which is their prerogative.
I wanted to try a variation on this recipe, but don’t want to buy a cake enhancer, nor use a cherry juice concentrate. (because, of course, I have tons of apples again. More so, because I haven’t been cooking all week, because I have been ill).
My point, and I know I have strayed from it, is that from a company that appears to be telling people how to cook from scratch, they offer a lot of shortcuts. Their Peppery Cheese Puffs calls for using Pizza Dough Flavoring and Pizza Seasoning. I mean really. Do you keep those sorts of things around the house?
I was so thrilled that I was able to make something the other day, because I found a way to use all the ingredients I had in the house. (Which I will write about when I’m feeling well enough to download the photos and write again)
So, thanks for the gadgets and the flour, but I don’t want to buy the enhancers or the mixes, thank you very much.
