It's all in my head...
 

I've been a cook my entire life. Both professionally and not.


But I don't have a single recipe written down. And I only own one cookbook (The Joy of Cooking).



I can make anything. And I mean anything. But I'll never make it the same way twice.



Anyone else like me? Do you enjoy experimental cooking more then making the same thing over and over again?

I tend to write my recipes down after a few times of making the same thing successfully, after I've figured out what about the recipe works best. Usually I only write them down upon request.

I frequently look at my pantry, see what I have, and go from there. I made a taco soup a couple weeks ago on the fly.

I only follow a recipe when baking ... which I hate to do. Besides I have "hot" hands and my dough never turns out right.

I think of cooking the same way I do about art and music; sure I can paint by numbers or read sheet music--but I would find that exceptionally boring after a while. I prefer to improvise and see what happens. It doesn't always turn out the way I want ... but as I get older and gain experience that happens less (with both cooking and music).

Definitely not a pro. But I own the same cookbook and the NY Times Cookbook (probably 1970something edition).

But I love playing with food and I've made some awesome renditions of other dishes, guessing from other dishes I've had or creating flavors that sound like they might work. Of course, there have been some failures, too.

The only time I will print out or use a recipe is for baking. I've tried eyeballing quantities but it hasn't worked for me. :p

I never write recipes down, either.

I have a few cookbooks, but the only one I ever use is the Vegetarian Times cookbook and I only use it for ideas. Can't remember the last time I followed a recipe line for line to make something.

I'm thinking I should start writing things down. At least have something to pass on to my kids.


"Cooking with the King"

I don't really write stuff down either. I only read cookbooks for ideas.

I have a fair few cookbooks, but am starting to get to the position where I don't use them as much as I used to. I'm unlikely to write recipes down though, because I rarely measure anything when I'm cooking unless I'm baking (when I am more likely to be following a recipe anyway).

Of the cookbooks I do, the most used are:
1. Stephanie Alexanders "Cooks Companion"
2. a book called "Risottos of the World". I loooveee risotto...

definitely do this.

Cookbooks are kind of like my porn - I collect them because I like them but when I cook -- unless I'm baking - I rarely follow a recipe and things rarely turn out the same way twice...

I can't cook to save my life, but DAMN... Everyone I know has The Joy of Cooking!!

Hey, The Joy of Cooking is a pretty good book.

I do this a lot too. But I think I've improved A Lot after starting to pay more attention to specific techniques, and, as another thread suggested, Heat.

Alton Brown's book (I'm Just Here For The Food) is really good for this. I also want to get Harold McGee's book.

Cook's Illustrated seems to be a good magazine for technique, so I just started a subscription.

Any other suggestions for learning Technique?