This is a list of recipes and products that I will never try again as they were such utter failures and disappointments the first time.

1. Giada de Laurentiis’ Chocolate Tiramisu

This is a very time-consuming recipe. I followed the directions exactly. Things started going downhill when the Chocolate Zabaglione never became “thick and creamy.” More like runny and gooey. I tried to go ahead and mix it in with the mascarpone/whipped cream mixture and assemble the dessert. Big mistake. I ended up with a pile of chocolately/lady-finger sludge. The problems with this recipe were probably caused by my shortcomings as a cook, but seriously… cooking just shouldn’t be this frustrating. I’m sure there are less complicated Tiramisu recipes around and I’ll try one of those next time.

2. Archer Farms (Target Brand) Chile Verde Cooking Sauce

Pre-made chile verde or salsa verde is a useful thing to have around to use on anything from eggs to chicken or just to eat with chips.  This Archer Farms version is the worst I’ve ever had.  It is a flavorless greenish-yellow gelatinous liquid with a few chunks floating in it.  There is nothing about the taste or texture of this product that resembles chile verde.  Just don’t go there.  A few alternatives to try would be Herdez or Ortega.  The Safeway store brand is also very tasty.