I don't ask interviewees to be able to replicate a complete algorithm in a language they don't know, but I do expect that they can implement straightforward logic and requirements in some language.
They need to follow basic standards. They need to show that they are competent programmers. They don't need to necessarily write something that will absolutely run / compile on the very first pass.
I think the OP is okay with the use of the whiteboard, but it should be used as a complement to writing code in a semi-familiar environment.
There is no claim that cooking is equivalent to writing code. The claim is that writing code is rarely done on a whiteboard (Perhaps design, architecture, or some logic back-and-forth but rarely code.) and that interviewees shouldn't be expected to perform well at something they don't do.
I don't ask interviewees to be able to replicate a complete algorithm in a language they don't know, but I do expect that they can implement straightforward logic and requirements in some language.
They need to follow basic standards. They need to show that they are competent programmers. They don't need to necessarily write something that will absolutely run / compile on the very first pass.
cooking creme brulee != writing code