To read the Waitrose magazine for comedy relief?

[LexL]

AIBU to get the Waitrose magazine just to have a good laugh at some of the pretentious recipes? DH and I sit down and go through the recipes/articles for 10 minutes while we have a cuppa and end up in mad chuckles every time! It never disappoints. I mentioned it to a colleague at lunch and whilst I was sharing it she looked at me very sternly and said -"you shouldn't get the magazine just to laugh at it, some people really appreciate those recipes. I love their recipes". I felt a bit bad and apologised if I offended her. I asked if she had ever made one of the recipes and she admitted she had never (ironically, I have made a couple of the easier ones). Am I the only one that finds some of the recipes pretentious and therefore, hilarious? I seriously hope not! Maybe I have a weird sense of humour?!

I will caveat this by saying that Waitrose is the only shop walking distance from my home, so I treat it as my corner shop. So I do shop there but only for a few top up items/special offers.

Read the room OP ffs 😂😂😂

(but I agree with you)

You need to get out more. I have the Feb edition of the mag right here... This month's recipes are things like orange upside-down cake, black bean and orange stew, baked trout with chilli and ginger, fried noodles with chicken, tuna with tomatoes and chickpeas.

Oh my aching sides.

😂😂

I was going to say, this is MN where people talk about ‘sourcing’ food like they take 12 mile hikes to find the rarest of berries or herbs for their latest Heston-esque creations (and don’t just pop to Tesco like the rest of us mere mortals/proles).

I haven’t been to Waitrose in years I won’t lie, I’m pretty sure they have been bulldozed down to make space for another Aldi in my local area. Can you post an example on here?

And what would you prefer they publish recipes for, OP? Baked potato and beans? Pie and chips? Poached eggs on toast?

You'd think it was obvious that the magazine was a marketing tool to inspire people who are interested in cooking and sell new products or seasonal produce. Clearly not. Admittedly, the duck rendang recipe isn't my cup of tea and I won't be making it, but it's not pretentious or worth a good "chuckle".

@MacaroonMacaron Of course I know what the magazine is for and I do enjoy it for its original purpose as well, but it must just be my sense of humour. I never laugh at M&S recipes, its just the Waitrose ones are ridiculous sometimes or have the silliest ingredients. It is not all recipes - just some of them. I truly think that someone in the Waitrose Magazine always puts a recipe in just to make fun of its customers.

@SpeedyDrama Is MN that pretentious as well? I haven't come across those strange chats you mentions! I am curious though😆

Do you use recipe books?

Try the Sunday supplements for really poncy recipes, OP!

Out of curiosity what’s a silly ingredient?

I cut out a chicken and leek puff pastry pie recipe from the Waitrose mag about 15 years ago - still make it now 🤣

I haven't got the Waitrose magazine for years but don't remember the recipes being especially 'out there'. I used to cook from it regularly.

Can you give some examples of an extreme recipe?

We don’t have a Waitrose but I do look forward to the Booths Christmas book every year just to live vicariously!

@MacaroonMacaron, that list is actually making me laugh but I don't know if it's just because I'm finding the thread funny. "Orange upside down cake" does sound funny though. Surely it's a good thing to find humour in the world where you can. It can be difficult to find sometimes!

Some people like to challenge themselves and cook something really special so yabu

I doubt you will find your audience on MN. Have you ever read the Whats for dinner threads on here?

Also how would you like someone to come along and laugh and sneer at your work?

Op recipes do sometimes make me laugh

Probably it's the gap between my kitchen and their ideals - sone specific cheese only available in inner city delis , sone action like " tenderly arrange "rather than dollup , or something really basic ( like cheese on toast but on a very specific bread and a specific cheese - when "bread and cheese of your choice " would be closer to reality

And then there are the ones I laugh at later - when I have ploughed through the whole recipe and summed it all up in 2 lines ( - looking at an old Waitrose fried rice recipe - I mean it's good and we use the simplified version frequently but their version has at least 3 pans on the go at the same time . And misses out the egg which I think is crucial in fried rice

So am I laughing at their work or at my interpretation of it ?

I’d love to see an example of a pretentious recipe OP.

Orange upside down cake is great! I use the recipe from Ella's Kitchen cook book, for my little one's birthday (it's a fave), oranges being in season at this time (and closer shipping than traditional pineapple).
I know what you mean though, some recipes ask for bizarre special pastes you've never heard of before and never will hear of again 🥴🙂

Crikey

I don’t see anything wrong with you both getting your kicks this way but it’s not how I like to have fun 😂
I’ve never picked up one of the magazines but they used to be delivered to me with my shopping when they were partnered with Ocado, think I just put it straight in the recycling to be honest, I don’t do the cooking - that’s a dh job.

You lost me at "cuppa" - sounds like Take A Break is more your kind of magazine!

😂

The only recipes that I've ever seen that I've found funny are the kinds of 1970s recipes like banana hollandaise or the truly magnificent banana candles. Not the ones in a typical waitrose magazine.