The Late Night Gourmet
Assistant Cook
I just realized that I never make recipes as they're written.Oh, sure...I used to. I didn't know what I was doing at first, and I didn't have a sense of what my style was. I used to look at the "4-star +" recipes, only to find that people who gave them high ratings tended to put something like "Great recipe...except, I changed oregano to thyme, added saffron, halved the garlic, added more oil, and added 10 minutes to the cook time." WHY DID THEY GIVE IT A GREAT REVIEW IF THEY CHANGED SO MUCH OF IT??
Review techniques aside, I started to notice that I did the same thing with recipes: I looked at them for ideas, and then usually went my own way when I made them. Every once in a great while, I do find a recipe that's so close to perfect that I don't do a thing to it. But, even then, I feel an urge to tweak it.
Now, I usually make changes just by eyeballing the recipe: I know how things taste, and how they work together, so I know what to change. The only exception now is if it's something I've never made before.
Review techniques aside, I started to notice that I did the same thing with recipes: I looked at them for ideas, and then usually went my own way when I made them. Every once in a great while, I do find a recipe that's so close to perfect that I don't do a thing to it. But, even then, I feel an urge to tweak it.
Now, I usually make changes just by eyeballing the recipe: I know how things taste, and how they work together, so I know what to change. The only exception now is if it's something I've never made before.