[hacker news comments extract]
[topic: Why do recipe writers lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions? (2012) (slate.com)]
User 1:
My sister in law writes recipes. She has a recipe column in a newspaper and wrote a few high quality recipe books. I saw them in a bookstore. So she's reasonable successful. Her pieces are charming, her recipes inspiring.

The thing is. At a birthday party when I was talking to her, she confessed to me that she never actually tries her recipes. When it's time to do a new piece, she sits down at her computer and makes up a recipe. She is experienced and knowledgeable she it usually turns out ok. But if you make her recipe you may well be the first one to do it. What is worse, she claims that virtually all recipe books are made like this.

So if you cook from a recipe you'll have to adjust to realities and modify it were needed, because the recipe writer sure as NAME_1 didn't do it for you. 

User 2:
As if I needed more fuel on the fire of my burning hatred for recipe collections.

Everyone who is interested in cooking should do themselves a favour and buy a proper cookbook. Something that starts  Please use JSON format in your answer.
user