The things we got wrong
This is a log of corrections—not a list of successes. It exists because the only way to trust a recipe site is to see how it fixes its own mistakes. Every entry here is something we published that turned out to be wrong, incomplete, or just plain broken.
You’ll find the fixes, too, and the person who caught or corrected the error.
Most sites skip this part. They don’t have to: they’ve never had to admit a mistake in public. We do. That’s the only way to prove this isn’t just another collection of recipes—it’s a place where the work actually gets better over time.
Three we had to fix
These are the first three corrections we had to make. They’re ordinary failures—wrong measurements, steps that didn’t work in a real kitchen, instructions that should never have gone live. The list isn’t finished, but these are the ones that mattered most.
Three corrections we fixed first
- 1Wrong ingredient ratios in the Caesar dressing
The original recipe called for 3 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice, which made the dressing split into greasy clumps. It stayed up for two weeks before a reader sent a photo of their failed attempt. We rewrote it using an emulsion method—equal parts oil and vinegar, stabilised with Dijon mustard—and tested it three times before reposting. Gustavo Kessler.
- 2Missing step in the warm spinach salad
The instructions skipped wilting the spinach before dressing, so the leaves stayed limp and soggy. No one noticed until a commenter said their dish looked ‘like a sad lettuce sandwich.’ We added a 30-second microwave wilt step and updated the photo to match. Gustavo Kessler.
- 3Baking time off by 10 minutes in the quinoa bread
The loaf came out gummy because the oven wasn’t preheated long enough. A reader who baked it twice emailed to say their first try ‘tasted like glue.’ We adjusted the time, added a note about preheating, and included a troubleshooting tip for dense bread. Gustavo Kessler.
What those three changed
These mistakes taught us three things: never assume a recipe works until it’s tested by someone else, always include a photo that matches the final dish, and double-check measurements against trusted sources. The fixes weren’t just corrections—they became the foundation for how we review every recipe going forward.
Rules that came from mistakes
- Test every recipe at least twice before publishing (Caesar dressing).
- Include a photo of the finished dish, not just the ingredients (spinach salad).
- Verify baking times against multiple sources (quinoa bread).
The people behind this
Gustavo Kessler is the founder and editor of *Salad Recipes Fork*. You’ve already met them through their mistakes—the ones that made it into this log, and the ones that didn’t.
This is the only way to introduce someone who writes about cooking: not by describing their perfect dishes, but by showing how they handle the ones that go wrong.
Keeping a log like this isn’t easy. It means admitting when you’re wrong in public, even when it’s uncomfortable. But that’s the point: if you can’t own your mistakes, how can you trust your recipes? The best cooks learn by burning things—this is just the record of the flames.
One mistake that never made it here? The first batch of vinaigrette Gustavo made as a teenager. It was supposed to be a simple red wine dressing, but they forgot to strain the shallots, so every bite tasted like they’d chewed on a garden.
They still keep the jar in the pantry as a reminder: even small errors teach you something.
If you find something wrong on this site, don’t just point it out—tell us how to fix it. The contact page is where to send your corrections, your photos, or even your own failed attempts. We’ll add them to the next log.
There will be a next one
This list isn’t over. We’ll add more corrections as we find them, and we’ll keep fixing the ones that slip through. If you spot something that doesn’t add up—whether it’s a missing step, a wrong measurement, or a recipe that just doesn’t work—let us know.
The contact page is where to send your feedback. The next log starts with your help.
The recipes are grouped by category: Appetizers, Beverages, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Main Courses and Reviews.