"Warning: Impossible to Find"

Every time I see a picture for a dish that looks yummy I always look at what ingredients the recipe needs. The one think I seriously hate-hate-hate is when a recipe calls for things I have never heard of or even seen in the store.  I am not talking about ingredients I haven’t seen in the store because I have never looked for it like okra; I don’t buy it, but I know they sell okra in most grocery stores.  I’m talking about when you stumble on a recipe or a picture that sounds or looks soooooo good, then you go down the list of ingredients and everything looks easy until the one stupid ingredient pops up like annatto seeds or dry banana leaves…really what are those? Bananas have leaves… since when? I’ve never heard of them or seen them in a recipe or in the store before! (For the record bananas leaves do not grow on bananas, they grow on the tree that produces bananas...just an FYI)

This recipe still looks absolutely divine so you go to the local grocery store and to another and another and six stores later…NOTHING!!! The worst part is on this recipe that you stumbled upon on the internet (this is how most people do it now days) in the comment section there are a bajillion people that leave messages that say “Oh yeah I make this almost every week for my family and they loovvveee it.” My thoughts when I read this usually are along the lines of…ummm…seriously I can’t even find the ingredients how are you making this every week?!

Usually if I am determined enough I will find the ingredient which usually calls for hoop jumping to get. These hoops consist of having to go to some international store far away and then only receiving the product by placing an order, which will cost me an arm and a leg, then I can finally make the recipe a month after I originally found it! Then it is really sad if the final outcome is no bueno...REALLY!:( Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that people shouldn’t share these recipes, I’m just saying be a pal and write “Warning: Impossible to Find” next to the crazy ingredient(s) so that I can decide if I really want to start a month long search party or not. Actually what would be even better is if either the person sharing the recipe or the bajillion people commenting posted where you can try looking for the mystery item. That would be great, but what I prefer and enjoy the best are delicious recipes that are simple to make and have easy ingredients to find. I also love recipes that won’t cost too much to make as well:)

Anywho, this is something I was just thinking about and thought I would share or vent about which ever. I am sure most of us have run into this situation a time or two in our lives or maybe I’m crazy and I’m the only one that this has happened to. If I’m not crazy I would love to hear what ingredient you had a search party for and where you eventually found it or if you ever did! Leave a comment and let me hear your thoughts.

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