Monday, December 10, 2007

No, you can't have the recipe... because there isn't one.

So, I like to cook. Sometimes I even think I'm pretty good at it. It used to be that when I told someone I liked to cook, and they asked me if I was any good, I'd say "Well, I'm good at following a recipe!" But I've come to realize that that's just not true. I actually am a good cook, and I really suck at following a recipe. The only time I can really stick to them is when I'm mixing baking stuff, like flour, and baking powder, that sort of thing- because that stuff doesn't really taste very good on its own, so you really can't judge by taste whether you need more or not. Other than that, whenever I actually try and follow a recipe, my head starts to hurt, I get dizzy, have to hold on to something so I don't fall... ok, maybe that's a little much, but I do get that "far-off" look in my eyes, like I'm trying to make sense of one of those Magic Eye pictures. That actually does happen. Not to say that I never use recipes; I do use them, all the time- I just can't stick to them. I look at them as more like using one of those multi-state maps to find your way from Point A to Point B- you've got a general idea of what direction you're going to go, but as far as which streets to take, you'll just have to figure that out along the way. Which I think is a lot more fun anyway. If you don't have a set path to follow, there's no way you can go off course. If you don't have a set recipe to follow, there's no way you can make it wrong. As long as it tastes right, it is right, and it can be slightly different every time (and probably will be) and still be great. And sometimes you might just end up with something totally new and different that you can share with your friends.
Recipes? We don't need no stinkin' recipes!

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