Do you prefer to follow recipes or experiment?

[Lotsofjunk]

I dont cook very often, but I would like to get into it more. My parents cook dinners and bake sometimes but they dont cook speacial dishes or anything and I have cable, I cant find many cooking shows .

But to the point. Do you prefer to follow recipes or mix things and invent your own dishes? Personally the latter sounds more fun to me, but I dont know ingredients well or anything, which I assume is normal considering Im a novice. How long does it take to get used to it all and be able to mix things together with success? How do you begin too cook legitemite dishes?

Thanks

 

[Lotsofjunk]

I have a few things too add.

Im finding it frustrating, I learned how to make a good omlette, and I enjoyed making it a lot, but I dont know what too do now, I dont know where too start, do I look at recipes? Im not used to all the ingredients, what they are and where to get them if I dont have them, the utensils and tools you need for them and how exactly you put it all together. As pathetic as this may be, I think I may have found something I might love, but Im finding it incredibly frustrating to get started. Im thinking of getting a book like cooking for dummies or something.

 

[Katie H]

Hi, Lotsofjunk. First...Welcome to DC. You'll enjoy our big foodie family.

Now to your question...when I see a recipe I like, I prepare it according to the directions the first time. That way I can see what it's supposed to be. After that, if I find it necessary, I adjust to my taste. It's fun playing with a recipe. Sometimes it turns out completely differently than what you began with originally. That's some of the fun of cooking. The adventure!

 

[Andy M.]

You can have a lot of fun with this.

I recommend you start by picking up some basic cookbooks and making different recipes. Follow the directions in the recipes so you can learn how the ingredients work together and so you can get accustomed to the actual physical aspects of preparing a meal.

Then you can start by experimenting. Change a herb or spice, try the recipe with a different protein, etc. As you become more accustomed to the whole cooking process, making changes in existing recipes and creating your own will become easier and more successful.

Good luck.

 

[Cooksie]

I probably started out following the recipe, but now I experiment quite a bit. If I make a sauce that I think is just great, I'm immediately thinking what else can I use this sauce on.

I suggest that you use the internet to get into cooking. There are a lot of sites out there that will take you through a recipe step-by-step with pictures, and some of the pictures are out of this world. One that immediately comes to mind is The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Ree Drummond. She cooks the kind of dishes that appeal to me, and I just love to look at her pictures .

 

[texasgirl]

i'm not crafty enough, so, i follow the recipes.

 

[mcnerd]

One can only experiment if they are working from a base of knowledge created from recipes. There may still be a question of which came first with the egg-chicken issue, but recipes came first, followed by experimenting once your confidence is up (or you get bored).

 

[kadesma]

First try at a recipe, I follow it,although by now I know what herbs and spices I prefer so will change them in the recipe if it's something I don't care for. Other times if we liked the recipe I might change the type of meat or breading or a veggie..You will find it's fun to try your hand at something new..Cooking is an adventure so try out your ideas..If your not sure of an herb or spice come here and ask..all of us are more than happy to help you.

kadesma

 

[Lotsofjunk]

Hi, Lotsofjunk. First...Welcome to DC. You'll enjoy our big foodie family.

Now to your question...when I see a recipe I like, I prepare it according to the directions the first time. That way I can see what it's supposed to be. After that, if I find it necessary, I adjust to my taste. It's fun playing with a recipe. Sometimes it turns out completely differently than what you began with originally. That's some of the fun of cooking. The adventure!

Thank you

But I would like too be able to prepare a meal someday, a very good one without having to look at a recipe at all, and not in the near future of course.

 

[kadesma]

Thank you

But I would like too be able to prepare a meal someday, a very good one without having to look at a recipe at all, and not in the near future of course.

That is why you try out a recipe..Do you have any idea what you would like to prepare? Chicken, beef,fish, veal, pasta? Choose you main dish and then decide side dishes, salad, bread/rolls dessert...It takes time to learn so practice on a main dish, get that down and go on to the next..A recipe will ensure a good meal first time around. Pick something fairly simple..you can do it. You just have to take all the advice and help you can get..
kadesma

 

[Lotsofjunk]

You can have a lot of fun with this.

I recommend you start by picking up some basic cookbooks and making different recipes. Follow the directions in the recipes so you can learn how the ingredients work together and so you can get accustomed to the actual physical aspects of preparing a meal.

Then you can start by experimenting. Change a herb or spice, try the recipe with a different protein, etc. As you become more accustomed to the whole cooking process, making changes in existing recipes and creating your own will become easier and more successful.

Good luck.

That was really good, thanks

 

[Callisto in NC]

I used to adhere to recipes when I first cook them. Now I can see before hand that it might need something based on my tastes. Start by following recipes and as you learn what you like food-wise, then you can begin to subtract and add other ingredients. Eventually you get to the point where you have a couple ingredients and you'll just know what to put with what.

 

[Lotsofjunk]

That is why you try out a recipe..Do you have any idea what you would like to prepare? Chicken, beef,fish, veal, pasta? Choose you main dish and then decide side dishes, salad, bread/rolls dessert...It takes time to learn so practice on a main dish, get that down and go on to the next..A recipe will ensure a good meal first time around. Pick something fairly simple..you can do it. You just have to take all the advice and help you can get..
kadesma

Thank you, I would like to make fish, chicken, soups, salads, anything really. It sounds like its a lot of fun and of course its very rewarding, especially for when I move out. I will take all the advice I can get and ask questions here. I appreciate it all and thanks to all

 

[Andy M.]

Thank you

But I would like too be able to prepare a meal someday, a very good one without having to look at a recipe at all, and not in the near future of course.

That's a good goal to have but don't think that using recipes means you're not accomplished.

Classic dishes like coq au vin or creps suzette, or beef wellingtion would have been lost if it wasn't for recipes. Grandma's apple pie??

You wouldn't be able to go back to your favorite restaurant and have your favorite dish taste the same every time without recipes.

When a girl friend or fiance tells you she loves that "dish X" you made last week, could you make again, you'll be able to.

 

[Lotsofjunk]

You're right, I just look at recipes (I mean no offense to others btw) as just reading and following directions, requiring no skills whatsoever and something not very unique anyone can do, just blindly following directions and not gaining or improving from it.... I hope that is not the case.

Id like to make alcohols too

 

[kadesma]

Thank you, I would like to make fish, chicken, soups, salads, anything really. It sounds like its a lot of fun and of course its very rewarding, especially for when I move out. I will take all the advice I can get and ask questions here. I appreciate it all and thanks to all

Simple salad no need for a recipe.
buy a head of butter lettuce, get one tomato, one avocado, one small red onion..rinse the lettuce and shake leaves to dry them then tear into pices I like fairly good size pieces. Put into med sized bowl, cut avocado in half, take out the pit...Hit the pit with a chefs knife then twist the knife this will loosen and you can then lift out the pit. Peel the avocado and cut into pieces and add to the bowl, cut up your tomato and add, Take the ends off the red onion and cut it in half. I then cut about a 1/4 of it into very thin slices and add to bowl. Add crutons if you like them..Make a dressing cut a lemon in half and add the juice of half of it to a container, add about a 1/4 cup or so of Olive oil, and 1 teas of Dijon mustard..Whisk it well, then pour over your salad toss lightly add salt and pepper and enjoy... You can buy a bottled dressing if you want. You can now add some canned tuna chunks or some chunks of cooked salmon, chicken or steak and make a dinner salad, add some warm french bread or roll.
kadesma

 

[kadesma]

You're right, I just look at recipes (I mean no offense to others btw) as just reading and following directions, requiring no skills whatsoever and something not very unique anyone can do, just blindly following directions and not gaining or improving from it.... I hope that is not the case.

Id like to make alcohols too

Ahh, but you see reading those recipes, is learning, It teaches you what and how, then you learn something that will enable you to be creative on your own..How would we learn without books? Think of all the wonderful meals that would be lost if no one ever bothered to read about them...The skills come from learning and trying after we read the directions.
kadesma

 

[Callisto in NC]

You're right, I just look at recipes (I mean no offense to others btw) as just reading and following directions, requiring no skills whatsoever and something not very unique anyone can do, just blindly following directions and not gaining or improving from it.... I hope that is not the case.

You can say a recipe is just reading and following directions but that's not exactly true. You have to pick the right ingredients, make sure the herbs are fresh, the meat is the right cut, follow the timing.

Is sheet music something "anyone can blindly follow"? Just like not everyone can't play Bach or Beethoven on the piano, not everyone can cook. To an experienced pianist, sheet music is essential when they first learn a piece. Then they memorize it and can perform it in front of friends and then an audience.

Cooking is like a well played piano concerto. There's a basic piece, the recipe, and the ingredients are the keys, the tempo is the steps. Everything has to come together in just the right way for a recipe to become presentation material.

 

[qmax]

I sometimes follow, sometimes not. I deviate a bit, but am more inclined to follow process and cooking times, particularly in the oven.

 

[GrillingFool]

Cook books and recipes are nice for me to check an idea. If I think it might be good together, I often google the main ingredients and see what pops up. Then I look at a few recipes, see what is most common to them, and go from there.

Like last night it was pork tenderloin and bok choy and hoisin sauce.
Made a nice stir fry with a lot of sliced garlic, onion, red & yellow peppers and a hoisin soy garlic ginger sherry and dash of Sriracha sauce.