Good Recipes Gone Bad

I haven't abandoned by cookbook project, just put it on hiatus for a while. I've been very busy, starting a couple new jobs, reviewing over at Reader Unboxed, adopting another dog (George), and then just general malaise.

I haven't stopped cooking. But not all my cooking experiences have been ready for prime time.

One of the more valuable lessons I've learned recently is that not all recipes will turn out well, not matter how well intentioned.

For instance, when I picked up Simone Beck's memoir/cookbook, FOOD AND FRIENDS, I decided to try her pork croquettes.

I substituted ground turkey for pork, but otherwise followed the recipe.

I'm usually a fan of anything fried, so I looked forward to the results. However, in this case all I ended up with was a crispy crust around a mealy center.

Despite what looks like a pretty dish, turned out to taste like sawdust. Perhaps the result would have been better with pork instead of turkey. In my experience, ground turkey is about as bland as dough. However, even well seasoned, these croquettes were still a hot mess, we ended up throwing out the rest.

What say you? Have you ever tried a recipe that just didn't turn out well? Share your experiences here...