You are presented with a new recipe.
do you follow directions, or do you start tweaking?
do you follow directions, or do you start tweaking?
Follow Directions? Tweak it?
- Thread starter MudGrrl
- Start date
Unless it's in the realm of baking, I pretty much always go by feel and rarely use precise measurements. But I think it depends on how much you have a feel for measurements and your preferred balance of flavors.
If it is a baked good, I stick to the recipe. Otherwise I may tweak it a little depending on how familiar I am with the dish.
I always tweak unless baking. Ask TN about his pretzel cookies and he'll tell you why recipes and baking are good.
I usually use the recipe as a guideline. Even baked stuff I'll often add or delete things. Although not usually the core stuff (flour, powder, salt, sugar, etc.)
I tend to follow the recipe the first time and then make adjustments afterwards. Baking is different though, I tweak a lot of the recipies...especially bread ones.
I look at the recipe as a general kind of map.
Baking powder and soda, maybe eggs, will not be efffed with. Yeast breads will also not be effed with, as I am not quite familiar with the process.
Everything else is open to interpretation and common sense.
This whole thing got started because OMGF and I have different ways in the kitchen.
He is very structured.
I am not.
He measures exact amounts and follows the recipe to a T.
I look at the recipe, decide it is too boring, and mess with it (if I have enough ingredients to change things up).
I've been in the kitchen before, and he'll ask what it is I am doing. I'll tell him I'm experimenting... this, apparently, does not sit well with him (recipe!!! follow a recipe!!). I come out with some chocolate banana cookies, and he's eating them and asking for seconds......
I definitely won't complain about his cooking, he makes absolutely wonderful scones (they melt), fantastic curries, and ice cream so fabulous that you want to eat the whole batch...
Does anyone else (looks like TN and Laura are included in this) have differing strategies in the kitchen than their significant other?
Baking powder and soda, maybe eggs, will not be efffed with. Yeast breads will also not be effed with, as I am not quite familiar with the process.
Everything else is open to interpretation and common sense.
This whole thing got started because OMGF and I have different ways in the kitchen.
He is very structured.
I am not.
He measures exact amounts and follows the recipe to a T.
I look at the recipe, decide it is too boring, and mess with it (if I have enough ingredients to change things up).
I've been in the kitchen before, and he'll ask what it is I am doing. I'll tell him I'm experimenting... this, apparently, does not sit well with him (recipe!!! follow a recipe!!). I come out with some chocolate banana cookies, and he's eating them and asking for seconds......
I definitely won't complain about his cooking, he makes absolutely wonderful scones (they melt), fantastic curries, and ice cream so fabulous that you want to eat the whole batch...
Does anyone else (looks like TN and Laura are included in this) have differing strategies in the kitchen than their significant other?
Heidi said:
it's nice to have a baseline for comparison.
Are you kidding, my missus is Japanese so our strategies are so different that there are pots, pans and utensils that I don't even use. Ingredients that are a total mystery. Fortunately our kids have grown up enjoying both Western and Japanese food. The missus however still feels the need to have a bowl of rice with a roast.MudGrrl said:
Yup! Occasionally I will add a little something, but not too often. I usually wait until the 2nd try to mix it up.Heidi said: