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Grex > Kitchen > #192: Cookbook vs. home-taught: the classical and improv in cooking. | |
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jaklumen
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Cookbook vs. home-taught: the classical and improv in cooking.
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May 2 09:16 UTC 2002 |
Have you known people that could walk into any kitchen, take a look at
what foodstuffs were available, and cook up something that worked?
I'm not sure how these people arrive at these skills, because I assume
there is two approaches to cooking: learning to cook from cookbooks,
and following recipes, or learning from someone else, such as Mom,
Dad, or a cooking school. The former seems to be a very classical
approach, and the other more of an improvisational style.
I'm not sure how easy it is to move to freestyle cooking from
cookbooks or home-taught family recipes. I figure, after a while, you
tend to learn what works, make some generalizations, and you have an
idea of portion control.
I don't do any measuring when I make chicken curry and rice. The
recipes I looked at never had the ingredients I wanted. I just did
it. Spices are easy, I guess.. for saute cooking, you just season to
taste.
I'm sure baking is a whole other ballgame, because, well, some stuff
you can't alter. I think maybe there are more things that must be
kept basic.
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| 14 responses total. |
md
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response 1 of 14:
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May 2 12:05 UTC 2002 |
My wife is an excellent "freestyle" cook in all the WASPy cuisine areas
she grew up with. She'll open the fridge or the cupboard, do some
quick mental calculations, then grab a bunch of stuff and start
cooking. When she wants to make a seafood risotto, though, she has to
refer to her recipe. But even then, she'll improvise: she'll splash
some cognac into the pan, or chop up some shallots. To a much lesser
degree, I'm the same way with Italian food. The recipe is useful for
the order you do things: at what point do you start sauteeing the
garlic, etc.
When we compare notes, we agree that the dishes we make freestyle seem,
at least to us, too simple and obvious to be called "recipes," even
though to an onlooker they might seem quite involved.
Also, we agree that a big part of cooking freestyle is faith or courage
or whatever. If your instinct tells you to rub olive oil all over the
salmon steaks before you throw them on the grill, do it. Then throw
them on the grill, then cook them until you think it's time to take
them off. Just do it. That can be the hardest part, especially with
something you haven't done before.
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keesan
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response 2 of 14:
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May 2 14:47 UTC 2002 |
We never cook with recipes except the first time making something like bread,
where the proportions are important as is the timing. I frequently go to
friends' houses and cook up whatever seems to need cooking first, into a
stir-fry or soup or stew. Fry the onions first and add the greens last, etc.
Any bean (presoaked) or grain can be cooked similarly but millet needs more
water than rice. I throw in whatever spice looks interesting in stir fries,
and sometimes herbs in the stew or soup. (Don't fry oregano).
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glenda
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response 3 of 14:
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May 2 16:12 UTC 2002 |
I do both, except that I almost never follow a recipe "to the letter", I use
it more as a guide. I follow recipes more closely for baked goods.
Cooking is an art form, baking is a science, therefore I take more exact
measurements for baking. If you wonder too much the chemical reaction may
not work right.
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slynne
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response 4 of 14:
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May 2 17:51 UTC 2002 |
I often cook "freestyle". My only regular dinner guest often says that
he wishes I would use a recipe. He usually says this while he is in the
kitchen fixing my latest disaster. He is a good enough cook that he can
not only cook without a recipe, he can almost always fix what I have
messed up.
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