themonkeytree
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2009
- Messages
- 129
I follow recipes sometimes, but most of the times I just read recipes to get ideas. If I have never made a dish, heard of it, or seen it on tv, I will most likely follow a recipe the first time. After that I know the basic idea behind the dish and can change some of the ingredients so it tastes more the way I want it to. Just start off by reading recipes online.
If you are going to bake I would stick to a recipe. Unless you know about flours, and levaning agents, and all the other stuff you need to know when baking, it is better to stick to a recipe. When just cooking, you can be a tsp off on some ingredients, but in baking if you add a tsp too much baking powder, then end result will not be good.
As for experimenting, salads are a great way to go. There are so many things you can add into a salad, that in most cases will turn out great. I mean adding anything from nuts, to apples, to orange supremes, and so much more can be added to salads to make it more interesting. Some simple baked or grilled chicken added to the salad will be a nice finish and can make it a main course. Just make sure not to put too much salad dressing on the salad. So many people add way too much in my opinion, when really you just need enough to coat.
Another great thing to do is just experiment and hope for the best. It may not always turn out tasting great, but at least you will learn. If I have some stuff in the fridge I want to use up I will sometimes experiment. Sometimes the dish turns out great, while sometimes it is not so good. I learn from my mistakes and know what not to do next time.
If you are going to bake I would stick to a recipe. Unless you know about flours, and levaning agents, and all the other stuff you need to know when baking, it is better to stick to a recipe. When just cooking, you can be a tsp off on some ingredients, but in baking if you add a tsp too much baking powder, then end result will not be good.
As for experimenting, salads are a great way to go. There are so many things you can add into a salad, that in most cases will turn out great. I mean adding anything from nuts, to apples, to orange supremes, and so much more can be added to salads to make it more interesting. Some simple baked or grilled chicken added to the salad will be a nice finish and can make it a main course. Just make sure not to put too much salad dressing on the salad. So many people add way too much in my opinion, when really you just need enough to coat.
Another great thing to do is just experiment and hope for the best. It may not always turn out tasting great, but at least you will learn. If I have some stuff in the fridge I want to use up I will sometimes experiment. Sometimes the dish turns out great, while sometimes it is not so good. I learn from my mistakes and know what not to do next time.