Feedback for Cooking Club 2013

Faith

Hi folks,

Before we run the sign-ups for next year's Cooking Club, I thought I'd ask for some feedback. I've noticed that the volume of replies to most recipes has dropped pretty substantially, which can be disheartening for the poster. Is this because interest is dropping in the cooking club, or are folk just not posting after they're tried a recipe?

Is there something that puts you off trying a recipe?

Is there something you'd like to see more or less of?

Most importantly, should we both running it in 2013? (Poll added for this question. The poll will close on the 21st of December because there's no point in running it indefinitely.)

If you have any feedback at all, good or bad, we'd love to hear it .

/edit: If you vote NO in the poll, I'd really appreciate it if you'd post and explain your reasons .

oscarBravo

Late to the party, but I'm already starting to make some of the recipes from this year - my bad for not posting in the threads.

I'd love to see it continue into 2013, and I'd make a point of posting whenever I cooked something.

homemadecider

I love the Cooking Club, it's one of my favourite parts of boards. I don't cook as many recipes as I'd like but I always read every recipe and keep a note of the ones I'm interested in. It's a great way to get an informal introduction to recipes you may otherwise never come across... plus it's often a good excuse to bake a cake

I'd be really keen for it to continue into next year and would be interesting in contributing again.

suomi

I never post here but I read the forum all the time. A lot of the recipes here sound great but as a student I just can't afford to try them. I'd hate to see the forum close though! I especially love the ones with pictures, it really helps figuring out what you're supposed to do.

Elbow

I'm also guilty of trying the recipes but never giving any on thread feedback.

Really hope it continues as over the weekend i finally perfected the recipe I was planning on sharing next year!

Tom Dunne

Oh Dear God yes you should keep this running in 2013.

I've made quite a few different things from this forum and you can add my name to the list of "Those that do not reply on thread".

I think some of the more recent recipes are a little bit more exotic, or worse still, vegetarian (*stares at Irishbird* :mad:) and perhaps not to everyone's liking.

I like the fact that there are more starters, deserts and other dishes rather than main courses. However, I find that I would not bother with anything other than main courses, perhaps this is the same for others?

gerrybbadd

Oh by all means it should continue. It's been a great source of recipes for me the last few years!

Faith

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I think some of the more recent recipes are a little bit more exotic, or worse still, vegetarian (*stares at Irishbird* :mad:) and perhaps not to everyone's liking.

Good point. I notice the main course recipes that get the most replies are usually simple dishes that you can pick up the ingredients for anyway, and don't take a lot of effort (BaZmO's carbonara recipe, for example). And my OH would not be impressed if I served a dinner without meat!

I like the fact that there are more starters, deserts and other dishes rather than main courses. However, I find that I would not bother with anything other than main courses, perhaps this is the same for others?

That's interesting. Dessert and cake recipes get a lot of attention, but I always feel like folk would generally prefer savoury meals. I wonder is there a way to balance the two?

Elbow

Faith wrote: »

That's interesting. Dessert and cake recipes get a lot of attention, but I always feel like folk would generally prefer savoury meals. I wonder is there a way to balance the two?

It would involve more administration for yourself but when the time comes to sign up for next year would it make sense if everyone had to give a rough idea of what their planning on submitting.

Starting week one with a starter, followed by a main week two etc etc would ensure a good balance and variety over the course of the year.

yimrsg

I love reading up the new recipes, it's very inspirational and interesting even if you don't end up making a dish. I wouldn't be a regular poster but I'm definitely a regular reader. I'd personally enjoy doing the simpler dishes but some of the complicated ones look fantastic.

I've got a sweet tooth and I've made a good few deserts from here; simple lemon drizzle cake, baileys and malteasers cheesecake, mars bar treats, baked nutella cheesecake, but I've made quiche, brownbread and paella recipes from here regularly too. There's a few main courses like the pulled pork, beef and mushroom pie, red wine stew in a loaf that I've got on my to do list.

It's probably a lot of work for the mods behind the scenes and for the recipe posters but it's definitely appreciated. Thanks to all for keeping it going.

Mr Simpson

Cooking Club is fantastic. Speaking for myself, due to work and other silly rl things I haven't been able to make a lot of the recipes this year, but I'd hate to see it go

Neyite

I've added quite a few dishes from the cooking club to my kitchen repetoire - both savoury and sweet, and would really like it to keep going. I would actually like to put my name in the hat for 2013, if possible.

The Black Oil

It's one of my favourite sections on the site as well. I haven't had a lot of free time to try the recipes this year because I've been so busy. There are one or two that are a bit elaborate (these are not unwelcome, btw!) and I didn't really have the time to source the less commonly found ingredients. That said, I've a little more free time now and want to go back to some of the 2011 ones as well as this year's.

I'm not sure that the content of the recipes is an issue re the number of replies dropping off, so I don't know about alternating between types week on, week off, dessert vs savoury seems on unmanageable or not the way to go. Maybe the volume of recipes is an issue 40+ is pretty high, though weekly updates are exciting and there's a good community feel to the club.

Faith

Elbow wrote: »

It would involve more administration for yourself but when the time comes to sign up for next year would it make sense if everyone had to give a rough idea of what their planning on submitting.

Starting week one with a starter, followed by a main week two etc etc would ensure a good balance and variety over the course of the year.

The trouble is that most people don't know a week before they post what recipe they'll use, never mind months before.

Great feedback so far, keep it coming .

GrahamThomas

+1 to keeping the Cooking Club going. I've gotten some great recipes from here, the beef red wine & rosemary stew in particular is now a favourite in my house!

confusticated

I only discovered the cooking club this year but I LOVE it, I look forward to Friday to see what recipe comes up and have discovered lots of tasty recipes I'd never have tried otherwise.

I don't really see what could be done about replies falling off, looking at the forum quickly there there are a lot that have less than 10 replies, but you can't really know how a recipe is going to go down before posting.

John Mason

It would be a shame to see it go - many of our staple dinners are from here. we dont cook every dish due to time and sometimes, they can be hard vegetarian'ise

as for the vegetarian comment, Mr. Dunne, you could throw some chicken or clonakilty black pudding on to the kebabs use a bit of imagination :cool:

confusticated

irishbird wrote: »

It would be a shame to see it go - many of our staple dinners are from here. we dont cook every dish due to time and sometimes, they can be hard vegetarian'ise

as for the vegetarian comment, Mr. Dunne, you could throw some chicken or clonakilty black pudding on to the kebabs use a bit of imagination :cool:

Actually, on the vegetarian thing, it's nice to see a bit of variety in the recipes, and I'd usually have meat in my dinner so the odd veggie idea doesn't go astray. I might not be mad about all vegetarian recipes but they can be food for thought (ahahaha....sorry). I think it's generally easier to add meat to a veggie recipe than make a meat-based dinner vegetarian.

juke

Add me to the 'cook, but don't usually post' bunch.

I look forward to Friday's and love the variety of recipes - and when I am trying something new, I always check here first to see if there's any similar recipe I can work off.

Personally, I would rarely be tempted by starters/deserts/cakes. Perhaps, because I would be more inclined to try out a recipe on an 'ordinary' night, rather than a special occasion....but that's just me, and I enjoy reading the recipes and seeing the end results, regardless.

I also like to see the unusual (personal, I know) recipes too - like Sharrow's 'sushi'. Will I ever try it? Perhaps not, but I'm way more likely to try now, since I've seen how undaunting it can be. Now, Sparks 'Pulled pork', that recipe I really am trying to build myself up to

Really hope Cooking Club continues

The Hill Billy

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

Elbow

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

I'll put myself forward anyway if there's anything I can do

confusticated

I'd have a go, I haven't even contributed a recipe before but wouldn't mind lending a hand if it keeps it going.

GrahamThomas

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

I'm still a newbie around these parts, but I'd be willing to contribute a recipe and help out in whatever way I can.

Mr Simpson

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

I would definitely be willing to help. The food mods put a hell of a lot of work into it, so if they need a hand, I'll gladly help.

bluebell1

I am another one who is guilty of not posting when i make a recipie. I wait in anticipation each week and look forward to giving a new recipie a go. I think it would be a shame if it was not continued.

Malari

I found I didn't make so many of this year's recipes. Sometimes they just weren't to my taste, or I have my own recipe for the same thing that I know and love :pac: Often the "project" dishes that take days to make I don't really try. I don't know why, I guess the dish REALLY has to appeal to me before I'll spend ages making it!

I do respond to dishes that I make and like. Is that something that people are reluctant to do? Comment negatively on dishes they tried and don't like, or had some criticism of? It can be constructive, I would always look for honesty in response to the dishes I cook.

homemadecider

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

Yes, I would.

LaChatteGitane

GrahamThomas wrote: »

I'm still a newbie around these parts, but I'd be willing to contribute a recipe and help out in whatever way I can.

Same here really. I am certainly available for recipes and whatnot. Just shout.

Hermione*

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

I would also be willing to help. I love reading the Cooking Club, but I am terrible for not posting my efforts and experiences
I think the Club is a great idea: it has a lovely community feel to it and it is a great testament to the hard work of the food mods

ChewChew

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

I'd be up to help out, no bother there. I know you guys have a hard time ensuring people are ready to post and haven't forgotten etc and to get a replacement, so I can certainly help out.


As for the dishes. Hhhmmm. I absolutely love reading them, and making them and am guilty of not showing my efforts but I love reading every one else's responses. So I will certainly get more involved.

As for the selection of dishes, I think there is a fair amount of variety and quiet a few that wouldn't tickle my taste buds but more do tickle, than don't.

I'm not sure if there is any way to improve the cooking club, but I suppose maybe as posters we should make more of an effort to respond to recipes because if someone didn't get a response they might shy away from posting in future, and that would be a shame because there is a very nice little foodie community here and it would be a shame to lose that.

Elbow

ChewChew wrote: »

if someone didn't get a response they might shy away from posting in future, and that would be a shame because there is a very nice little foodie community here and it would be a shame to lose that.

I think that's what stopped me putting myself forward this year, 2011's recipe turned out to be a slight disaster

However I've made the decision to come back with a bang next year

TeletextPear

Faith wrote: »

The trouble is that most people don't know a week before they post what recipe they'll use, never mind months before.

Great feedback so far, keep it coming .

Maybe instead of asking people to give a rough idea of what they're going to cook, you could have 15 starter slots, 15 mains slots, 15 dessert slots and people choose which they'd like to do when signing up. Then you could alternate week by week between the three.

I'd love to see it continuing for another year, some of the recipes are firm favourites in my house (pasties, lemon drizzle cake) and it's a great source of inspiration for those nights when you don't know what to cook!

Dinkie

I don't make many of the cookery club recipes anymore - partly because some of them were too fancy and required too much effort to make, but mainly because I'm on a diet (2.5 stone lost )... but I still enjoy looking at the latest recipe and its pictures on the Friday.

The healthier recipes I still make - although I keep forgetting to post after making it. I do tend to thank the OP though! A good few of the recipes are regularly on the menu in my house now... some of the others are on my list for the future - so i'd still like to see it stay going.

Malari

I love that it's one of the only forums where you can drag up an old thread without getting chastised. I still feel chuffed when someone comments on a recipe I posted two years ago! I'm writing this while chowing down on Faith's chicken pesto from an old Cooking Club (/not trying to suck up). I sometimes go back a year or more before I end up trying a recipe. If I'm thinking "something different to do with salmon" for example, I'll seach the Cooking Club forum first, even if at the time of posting I wasn't insipred to cook it.

And if I can do anything to help I will too.

hdowney

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I looks like there are quite a few posters in favour of it continuing. I don't want to step on Faith's dainty toes here, but would like to ask...

Would any of the posters who voted for it to continue be willing to help run the Cooking Club?

I would deffo love to help out

I love the Cooking Club. I have so many recipes stored in my folders Fantastic. I even love the Veggie recipes and the crazier the better for me. I love to try new things, even Shark I am 100% behind cooking club and want to help it continue successfully in whatever way I can

Faith

It's lovely to see such positive feedback . It really makes it all worthwhile.

Thanks to everyone for the offers of help. It would be very informal - not moderating, just sending reminder PMs once a month or thereabouts, and chasing up recipes if they're not posted on time.

Sparks

Faith wrote: »

Is there something you'd like to see more or less of?

More unhealthy fun food please
Enough with your Sicilian fennel salads (bleurgh), give me chilli and barbecue and cake and chocolate and curry and deep fried everything wrapped in a tortilla with sour cream on the side!

(ps. I still have a thai soup recipe to write up that I spent a month perfecting - it was what the thai green soup used to be in Miller's Pizza Kitchen, and it only took about a dozen visits back there to get it just right )

The Big Red Button

As someone who's probably never posted in this forum.

I really enjoy it. It gives me great inspiration for my cooking and baking.

I am still very much an amateur - and a poor one - and I don't post, as I simply don't have any recipes to share as yet!

But I've learned loads here, and I follow it closely, and I'm hugely grateful to all the posters here who've taught me so much.

Thank you!!

pleasant Co.

While I still use the back catalogue, I can say without hesitation that I haven't been taken by any of this years recipes. Different strokes I guess I keep visiting the forum all the same.

Honey-ec

Dinkie wrote: »

I don't make many of the cookery club recipes anymore - partly because some of them were too fancy and required too much effort to make.

I'm the complete opposite, I found that this year a lot of the recipes were very basic and, as such, I just didn't have any interest in making them. I love the recipes that are completely out of my comfort zone, not something I'd make any night of the week as it is.

Unfortunately, because there's such a mix of very experienced cooks and complete beginners here, you're always going to get the "These are too fancy!" "These are too easy!" complaints, and I'm not sure there's a whole lot that can be done to counteract that. All I would say on the matter is that I do think the cooking club should continue, and I'll make a point of posting on any recipes that I do cook. It's just that, this year, personally, I didn't bother with a lot of them as they were stuff I'd make myself anyway.

oscarBravo

Honey-ec wrote: »

Unfortunately, because there's such a mix of very experienced cooks and complete beginners here, you're always going to get the "These are too fancy!" "These are too easy!" complaints, and I'm not sure there's a whole lot that can be done to counteract that.

I don't think you need to counteract it. It's a good mix; something for everyone.

Merkin

Faith wrote: »

Good point. I notice the main course recipes that get the most replies are usually simple dishes that you can pick up the ingredients for anyway, and don't take a lot of effort (BaZmO's carbonara recipe, for example). And my OH would not be impressed if I served a dinner without meat!

That's interesting. Dessert and cake recipes get a lot of attention, but I always feel like folk would generally prefer savoury meals. I wonder is there a way to balance the two?

Yes, me too. Maybe on that basis there should be two levels then Faith? Could that be a runner? I'm sure you don't want to convolute things but we could have one maybe for people who would be quite advanced cooks and want to try new ingredients and then one that is not advanced or intimidating where people just want an idea for an after-work, easy to prepare dinner?

It would mean creating more work for you guys that look after things here but I think there are enough supporters of the Cooking & Recipes crew that would sustain both clubs! I also think that because the forum encourages people to cook then having one club with very easy and simple dishes for beginners would be a great way of increasing volume!

leahyl

I really love this forum as I have taken a great interest in cooking shows and cooking books (:D) in the last few years so I love reading the recipes on here from 'real' people if you get me! Granted I haven't tried too many as I don't always have the kitchen to myself but it's great for getting ideas! It definitely should not be closed down! Keep up the good work everyone!

Faith

Merkin wrote: »

Yes, me too. Maybe on that basis there should be two levels then Faith? Could that be a runner? I'm sure you don't want to convolute things but we could have one maybe for people who would be quite advanced cooks and want to try new ingredients and then one that is not advanced or intimidating where people just want an idea for an after-work, easy to prepare dinner?

It would mean creating more work for you guys that look after things here but I think there are enough supporters of the Cooking & Recipes crew that would sustain both clubs! I also think that because the forum encourages people to cook then having one club with very easy and simple dishes for beginners would be a great way of increasing volume!

No, there's not near enough interest to sustain two different cooking clubs. It takes a good two weeks to get 40-odd people to sign up as it is, and getting stand-ins can be quite difficult. We'd like to keep things as simple and straight forward as possible, so I definitely wouldn't be in favour of creating more layers.

The Black Oil

We all discriminate one way or another - same as how we decide which emails we open first thing in the morning. Looking back at the 2010 list I can see a few things that have definitely faded from memory and I can see some of those have also had low responses. Re something being 'too elaborate', for me this was sometimes a practicality and time issue.

More generally, like others have said, some recipes I'd dip into reasonably often. At this stage I'd nearly check boards/tCC first before looking at certain cookbooks I have.

The Big Red Button

I wouldn't agree with making two separate clubs either - seems waaaay too messy.

Might it perhaps be an idea to try out having the forum as a bit of a 'free-for-all' - maybe, for say the first 3 months of 2013, instead of having a set schedule, allow anyone to start a new thread with their own recipe?

The experts amongst us could post up as many recipes as they want, instead of being confined to choosing just one 'cooking club' recipe for the whole year. Which would be awesome for the rest of us!!

And I think it would encourage the amateurs (like myself!) to post up an idea, without the pressure of it being your one week in the spotlight.

If, after three months (or whatever length of time), it wasn't working out, you could always go back to the usual format for the rest of the year.

CombatCow

I love the Cooking Club but prefer to read this post ( http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=76297819&postcount=2 ) as I find the main forum too messy with older 2011 posts being pushed to page one and knocking the 2012 recipes out of order etc

Honey-ec

chatterpillar wrote: »

I wouldn't agree with making two separate clubs either - seems waaaay too messy.

Might it perhaps be an idea to try out having the forum as a bit of a 'free-for-all' - maybe, for say the first 3 months of 2013, instead of having a set schedule, allow anyone to start a new thread with their own recipe?

The experts amongst us could post up as many recipes as they want, instead of being confined to choosing just one 'cooking club' recipe for the whole year. Which would be awesome for the rest of us!!

And I think it would encourage the amateurs (like myself!) to post up an idea, without the pressure of it being your one week in the spotlight.

If, after three months (or whatever length of time), it wasn't working out, you could always go back to the usual format for the rest of the year.

Does the Random Recipe thread not kind of already cover that, though?

LaChatteGitane

Honey-ec wrote: »

Does the Random Recipe thread not kind of already cover that, though?

It does. And so far I haven't seen that many recipes in there or I just don't think about looking for that thread.

confusticated

Honey-ec wrote: »

Does the Random Recipe thread not kind of already cover that, though?

And the cooking and recipes forum itself covers it a bit no? I've seen recipes being put up there just because, nobody had asked for them or anything.

applehunter

Should be a cut off every year.

Too many efforts get lost in previous year chat.