So the wife and i, along with my daughter I've learned, tend to use recipes more as a guideline than as a rule - unless it's something unique and never made before. We might add or subtract certain ingredients based on taste or, more importantly, just make something based on what's on hand.

Question:
How do you use recipes?

Choices:
To the letter!
Only if I've never tried making a dish before, then they're guidlines.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no depending on the dish
Recipes? What are those?
Pinch of salt on each side of the steak and baked potato - how hard is that to remember?

 

If it's baking, then to the letter - baking is much less forgiving than cooking.
With cooking, changes to suit your personal taste are fair game.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
just make something based on what's on hand.

These are some of the best meals.

I'm an engineer so measuring is therapeutic to me, but I also like optimizing. I'll make it the first time to the letter, and then I'll start adjusting which means measuring & documenting so it's repeatable. For example, my chili recipe has notes all over it.

I inherited 2 of my grandmother's recipes which are full of add x ingredient until it turns this color then add y ingredient until it turns this color. Also, I suspect that it leaves off a few details such as whether or not to drain, and whether or not to cook covered. It's fun cooking grandma's recipes, but to be honest I'm not there yet on one of them (taste is spot on, but texture and appearance is wrong).

The opposite end of the spectrum is a high school friend became a vegetarian in college. Her kids school has a chili lunch, she finds a recipe on-line, proceeds to substitute nearly every ingredient despite never having made chili before, and does not taste testing due to her vegetarianism. It would be an understatement that she received a lot of negative feedback (e.g. I don't know what this is but it isn't chili) from the kids, teacher, and other parents.

Cooking is an art, baking is a science.

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:
Cooking is an art, baking is a science.

Great quote!!

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
If it's baking, then to the letter - baking is much less forgiving than cooking.
With cooking, changes to suit your personal taste are fair game.

^^^^ This 100% ^^^^

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:
Cooking is an art, baking is a science.

Most definitely.
I'm a pretty decent cook, but I'm no baker.

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:
Cooking is an art, baking is a science.

The original quote I remember was that baking is chemistry.. which it is. Mine has improved since I went to weight based ingredients rather than volume.

I voted sometimes yes and sometimes no.
We ( My wife and Myself ) Usually follow a Recipe to the T The first time we make a dish

First time I follow to the letter, then adjust thereafter.

For pizza dough, I follow the recipe to the letter, by weight, then, once it turns out right, I figure out the volume measurements and use those.

I find doing it by weight to be a hassle.

quote:

Originally posted by agony:

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:
Cooking is an art, baking is a science.

Most definitely.
I'm a pretty decent cook, but I'm no baker.

This and this ^^^

I tend to follow everything to the extreme when first doing a recipe. I can't stand internet reviews where they don't and then leave a review after listing all the things they changed.
But then they aren't reviewing the recipe.

Then, if it's a recipe I like, consistency and being able to repeat them is important.

For example, when making pizza sauce or pasta sauce, there's only one brand of canned tomatoes I will use. Just listing "32 oz. crushed tomatoes" doesn't cut it.
Different sources/brands of chili powder for chili bothers me.

I could go on but I sound pretty out there all ready.
I guess I know what I want and I want to make sure the results are the same each time.

I work as a chef at a catering company.

For things that I have not made before and have no understanding of, I will read about 5 -10 recipes and try to understand the "theory" of what is going on....you have things on the way right, things on the way left, odd ball additions and weird ingredients.

In there somewhere is the sweet spot for the dish. Possibly blending two or three to come up with the "right one " for what I am trying to accomplish.

^^^ This is more like how I do it. I know what ingredients I like and don't. I read multiple, adapt to the ingredients I like and find out what is consistent with all. Process and ratios. If you can figure out that part, tweaking the ingredients won't hurt one bit. For example, I will always substitute fresh herbs, garlic, and onion if dried/powdered is called for.

Usually to the letter, then if it's a good recipe, I'll adjust as I see fit. For beginner/unfamiliar cooks, I tell them to follow to the letter as they haven't developed a familiar sense of taste; as you become comfortable with ingredients and how they react to one another, then adjust. It's one thing to add a spice that kicks-up the heat level but, another thing to understand how to thicken a sauce, give it more depth or, replacing a herb.

Just as guidelines, even for first time, though if it is the first time I'm really close to the recipe. I typically look at a few different ones for the dish to get a sense of the main ingredients (and main flavor profiles) and more importantly ratios.

We watch a lot of Food Network shows for entertainment, I gotta say it has made me a way better cook. After hearing pro chef critiques and tips a few thousand times over the years, stuff sinks in.

Like many, I don't bake, but you really have to know what you are doing to bake freestyle.

With cooking, I use recipes as a go-by, unless the dish is very unfamiliar to me.

I concur with the baking above - I'll follow the recipe on the first round.

All other cooking - I'll look up several recipes for what I'm trying to do and see what ingredients each recipe calls for as well as instructions. Then I'll use what I have to make it work and most of the time things turn out pretty well.

Of course it always helps having teenage boys that'll eat almost anything and not complain.

Cheers~

Marzy don't bake.