The things we got wrong
This page is a log of the mistakes we made—what we published, what we missed, what we got wrong—and how we fixed it.
It’s the only page on this site where we don’t talk about what we did right, because the things that didn’t work are the ones that matter most.
You’ll find no humblebrags here. No ‘lessons learned’ that turn into strengths. Just the ordinary failures: the wrong number, the method that didn’t hold up, the recipe that should never have gone live.
A site like this only survives if it admits when it’s wrong, and this is where we do it.
Three we had to fix
Every correction here is real, and every one stayed wrong until someone noticed. These are the first three we had to fix—and the ones that changed how we work.
The mistakes we fixed (most to least consequential)
- 1The garlic scape miscount
The recipe for *Spring Pea and Garlic Scape Salad* called for 12 scapes. We used 12. The photo showed 8. A reader emailed—‘I followed the recipe exactly, but my bowl looked half empty.’ Turns out, the photo was from a test batch where we’d halved the ingredients. We updated the text, but the real fix was adding a note: *‘Photo uses half the recipe.’* Valerie Rasmussen caught it, but the damage was done: the contact page got 17 replies that week.
- 2The oven temperature typo
The *Baked Brie with Honey and Thyme* recipe said 350°F for 20 minutes. It should’ve been 325°F. A commenter wrote in: *‘My brie was rubbery.’* We verified it with three home cooks—everyone confirmed the same mistake. The fix was simple, but the delay was the problem: the post had been live for six weeks. Valerie Rasmussen corrected it, but the trust hit was real. Now we triple-check temperatures before publishing.
- 3The missing soak time
The *Quick-Pickled Cucumbers* recipe skipped the 20-minute soak in the brine. A reader’s dish came out bland. We tested it again—no soak, no flavor. The post had been up for a month before anyone noticed. Valerie Rasmussen added the step and a warning: *‘Don’t skip the soak.’* The lesson? Even ‘quick’ recipes need their full time.
What those three changed
These mistakes didn’t just get fixed—they rewrote our rules. The things we learned here shape how we work every day.
Rules that came from mistakes
- Every recipe photo must match the ingredient list—*or* we add a note saying it doesn’t. *(From the garlic scape miscount)
- Oven temperatures get verified by two people before publishing. *(From the 350°F typo)
- ‘Quick’ methods still need their full steps—no shortcuts that break the dish. *(From the missing soak time)
The people behind this
This is Valerie Rasmussen, the founder and editor of *Salad Recipes Bowl*. She’s the one who signs the corrections, because the mistakes are hers to own. You’ve just met her through the things she got wrong—which is the most honest way to introduce someone who runs a site like this.
Keeping a log like this isn’t easy. It means admitting when you were lazy, when you rushed, when you missed something obvious. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s the only way to stay honest.
Valerie doesn’t do this for the sake of transparency—she does it because the alternative is worse: pretending everything is perfect while the real work gets ignored.
There’s a mistake she’ll never list here, though. The time she over-salted a batch of vinaigrette so badly she had to start over.
She still remembers the look on her roommate’s face when she tasted it—*‘That’s not salad dressing, that’s battery acid.’* That’s the kind of thing that stays with you, the small, human failures that remind you cooking isn’t about perfection.
If you find something we got wrong, don’t just tell us—show us. Bring it to the contact page, and we’ll fix it, log it, and learn from it. That’s how this stays real.
There will be a next one
This log isn’t finished. There will be more mistakes, and we’ll add them here. If you spot something wrong—whether it’s a typo, a bad method, or a recipe that just doesn’t work—tell us. No judgment, no shame. Just fixes.
And if you want to help, the contact page is where to start.
The recipes are grouped by category: Appetizers, Beverages, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Main Courses and Reviews.