Cooking "From Scratch" vs Recipes?

[Rosyrain]

Generally I will start with a recipe first if it is something I have never made before. I will make it just like the recipe suggests and see how it turns out. Usually I will then think of something that can be added to the dish next time to make it even better and make a note on my recipe card. Very few things I make have not been altered in some way. There are also dishes I made in which I do not need a recipe because I have made them so many times that ingredients are ingrained in my memory.

 

[kamarsun1]

What is your absolute favorite cooking method?

Personally, I've always been one to "experiment in the kitchen", and you can more or less call me a "kitchen rebel" if you'd like, but I just find it really interesting to be able to "come up with new ways of doing things", rather than sticking to the traditional standards of old (although there's merit to doing so as well).

I guess it comes with "time and experience in the kitchen" for you to be able to have a good sense of "what works" and "what just doesn't, but there's always perhaps greater benefit with consulting time-proven wisdom, in the person of our grandmother or mother, their handed-down recipes, or even new recipes from trusted online sites.

SO, what's your best method when it comes to "getting into the right frame of mind" for cooking/baking?

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I agree I like to some up with new ways to cook in the kitchen, and honestly the best meals that I cook are the ones when I have little to work with. For some reason it takes more creativity to turn something as simple as beans and rice into a great meal that the whole family likes.