TIL my recipe thing is actually a huge chef problem

Honestly, I think being a slave to recipes is what kills creativity in the kitchen. Ngl, I see so many new cooks just following steps like a robot and their food has no soul. They're scared to taste and adjust as they go. Tbh, a recipe is just a suggestion, not a law. If you want to be a real chef, you need to learn the why behind the ingredients, not just the what. Relying on a piece of paper means you'll never develop your own style or fix a dish on the fly.

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.andrew3d ago

How do you even learn to cook without a recipe at first though? I tried just winging it when I started and made some awful, salty messes. For me, the recipes were like training wheels. You gotta use them to learn the basics, but then you learn what things do, like how lemon juice cuts through fat or why you salt in layers. Once you get that, you can start bending the rules.

the_finley3d ago

Your 'salt in layers' point reminded me of a book that taught me to taste as I cook.