Recipe Mashup

I got a call the other day from someone in my ward trying to make sense of recipes that were submitted over a year ago for a ward cookbook. She called because the ingredients to my Spicy Oven Fries sounded odd. The recipe looks like this . . .

SPICY OVEN FRIES

Peel (if desired) and cut into 1/2" think lengthwise strips 4 large russet or baking potatoes. Spread potatoes in single layer in 15 x 11" shallow baking pan. Drizzle over potatoes, turning to coat evenly 3 Tablespoons oil.

In small bowl, combine:

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon onion salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

dash cayenne pepper

Sprinkle half the seasoning mix over the potatoes. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Turn the potatoes with spatula and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Makes: 4-6 servings

However it came to her with just the first line about slicing the potatoes and then said to saute' an onion and then combine with red or green salsa and put on top. Crazy! I'm glad she called, because then wouldn't you know, my name would be attached to some weird concoction. And whoever shared the recipe with the salsa would have just an odd mix of spices. I should really stop sharing recipes. It's kind of like the Electricity game. How one thing is shared at the start is not how it ends up. If I like a recipe, then I tend to follow it exactly and buy what I need to make it, but I know that people often make due with what they have and sometimes the substitutions just don't turn out.

My two favorite examples of this are when I shared my Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe and it was brought to a bridal shower where it was just an oily ball in the bottom of the bowl. Someone asked the person who made it where she had gotten this lovely recipe . . . and she was more than happy to say from me . . . right in front of me. I was pretty horrified. The person who made the salad said that they had both made the salad and dressed it the night before - and didn't know why it would turn out that way. I guess I have to mention in the recipe about how oil-based dressings go on the salad just right before serving. There was also the time that I shared a broccoli salad recipe with a mayonnaise based dressing. Apparently not everyone knows that broccoli salad should be served cold, so this person cooked the broccoli first and then tossed it with the sweet mayonnaise dressing . . . yuck!