To follow recipes or not?

I have this issue where I'm absolutely unable to follow recipes. I always feel the need to change something even if it's just the smallest thing. I just look at recipes and think: This will taste so much better if I do this instead of that (not always true!). On top of that, I'm super picky with food and I'm the queen of ingredient substitutions.

But, I don't cook to follow recipes. I cook to make food that I enjoy and I love the idea of creating recipes that are truly mine. Of course, you're a lot more ready to start creating something new after you've fully mastered some basic recipes, but somehow that doesn't register with me. Hence why it's so important for me to understand the science behind cooking. I will make disastrous changes to recipes if I don't understand what a certain ingredient or technique is doing there.

My grandmother is often shocked with this approach and will argue that "you can't cook it like that" or "that recipe doesn't have that ingredient". If the end product tastes good, so what? If I don't like a certain ingredient why shouldn't I remove it and if I think a recipe can be improved by adding another ingredient, why shouldn't I add it? As long as everyone enjoys the final product you're free to do whatever you want with your cooking.
 
mjdlovescooking said:
1. I don't like not being able to have a recipe because the cook just eyeballs the ingredients. There are so many things I've tasted that can't be replicated because of this.
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Since being on this forum I've learned to make notes as I go when 'creating' recipes - not least because I rather like it if someone cares to follow my final recipe and give some feedback. I can hardly expect people to do that if I simply say I eyeballed the ingredients. I'd say that almost all the recipes I've posted here are 'original' (bad word to use really but don't know how else to express it), in that they are not already published recipes. If I tweak an existing recipe but it remains close to the original, I mention it as a citation. Mostly I don't do that - I research and research and then cook from scratch making notes as I go.
 
LissaC said:
I have this issue where I'm absolutely unable to follow recipes. I always feel the need to change something even if it's just the smallest thing. I just look at recipes and think: This will taste so much better if I do this instead of that (not always true!). On top of that, I'm super picky with food and I'm the queen of ingredient substitutions.

But, I don't cook to follow recipes. I cook to make food that I enjoy and I love the idea of creating recipes that are truly mine. Of course, you're a lot more ready to start creating something new after you've fully mastered some basic recipes, but somehow that doesn't register with me. Hence why it's so important for me to understand the science behind cooking. I will make disastrous changes to recipes if I don't understand what a certain ingredient or technique is doing there.

My grandmother is often shocked with this approach and will argue that "you can't cook it like that" or "that recipe doesn't have that ingredient". If the end product tastes good, so what? If I don't like a certain ingredient why shouldn't I remove it and if I think a recipe can be improved by adding another ingredient, why shouldn't I add it? As long as everyone enjoys the final product you're free to do whatever you want with your cooking.
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Morning Glory said:
Since being on this forum I've learned to make notes as I go when 'creating' recipes - not least because I rather like it if someone cares to follow my final recipe and give some feedback. I can hardly expect people to do that if I simply say I eyeballed the ingredients. I'd say that almost all the recipes I've posted here are 'original' (bad word to use really but don't know how else to express it), in that they are not already published recipes. If I tweak an existing recipe but it remains close to the original, I mention it as a citation. Mostly I don't do that - I research and research and then cook from scratch making notes as I go.
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I apologize if my posts sounds whiny and accusatory. I didn't mean it that way at all. I completely understand when a cook wants to make a recipe "their own" and change things up. I get frustrated when a person knows their dish will be given to several people (ie. potluck or family gathering, etc.) where they expect people to ask for the recipe. I have also heard of some mean-spirited people that deliberately leave out ingredients or steps solely for the purpose of being the only one that can prepare a dish a certain way. So, again, my apologies if I stepped on anybody's toes.
 
LissaC said:
I have this issue where I'm absolutely unable to follow recipes.
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I think I'm the opposite! I must follow a recipe exactly, especially the first time I'm making it, or else I feel like I can't properly assess whether it's any good or not, because I never know of the one deviation I made is the one thing that threw it off.

Once I've made something a few times, I'm fine with substituting half-and-half for heavy cream, or one type of cheese for another (similar) type, but the first few times, I want to recreate exactly what the recipe writer did.

I laugh at food blog comments sometimes because someone will post, say, a soup recipe (this just happened with the corn chowder I made), and in the comments, a reader will post something like, "I made this soup. It was terrific <or lousy>. I substituted green bell pepper for the roasted ancho chilis, and I added a bay leaf and some soy sauce, and instead of the wine, I deglazed with chicken broth, and then I..."

Um...how can you say the recipe is good or bad when YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE RECIPE! 🧐
 
Windigo said:
Yeah I mean I can be creative and make chicken sashimi but I don't think that would be very wise or tasty. Some rules are there for a reason. Like rules about how something should be cooked. Raw chicken is an absolute no no , doesn't matter how creative you are.
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It is a matter of balance. I studied Art in college where I learned principles and techniques -- plus art history. Once you have been out working as an artist/designer, you better start coming up with your own ideas, or better yet, learn to create new and different idea with a creative team. Otherwise, your career will be very limited.

I don't think we need to have a war of words regarding recipes vs "creativity." I just know that I would become bored if I couldn't shoot from the hip in my kitchen.

CD
 
mjdlovescooking said:
I apologize if my posts sounds whiny and accusatory. I didn't mean it that way at all. I completely understand when a cook wants to make a recipe "their own" and change things up. I get frustrated when a person knows their dish will be given to several people (ie. potluck or family gathering, etc.) where they expect people to ask for the recipe. I have also heard of some mean-spirited people that deliberately leave out ingredients or steps solely for the purpose of being the only one that can prepare a dish a certain way. So, again, my apologies if I stepped on anybody's toes.
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Not at all - I was agreeing with you. That's why I make a point of noting quantities/weight as I cook and then typing up later in recipe format.
 
I nearly always make a recipe as written the first time, unless there is something glaringly/obviously wrong, and then I rethink making the recipe at all. There's been a few times I've thought "I'm not too sure about this much/little of an ingredient or technique," and usually found I should have followed my instincts.

After I've made something 2 or 3 times, I usually don't use the recipe again, unless it's something that has multiple ingredients, like TastyReuben 's 19 ingredient shepherd's pie. Of course, there are things I've been cooking for 40 plus years that the only reason I even have a recipe for is because DD asked once she finally started cooking.

I've been known to look at several recipes and then come up with my own, but not real often.

I've also gotten to be a good enough cook that I can taste something or even just see it made (like on the food travel or best of shows where they don't give recipes) and be able to replicate it or at least make a pretty darn good facsimile.

And I too hate it when somebody rates a recipe, then goes on to say but I did this or that or substituted this for that. Somebody did that to me here once, didn't rate it, but wrote they were going to make it but with some substitutions. I wrote back, guessing what they were going to substitute because of the much, much higher expense, to not even bother making the recipe if that was what they were planning on doing, as it wouldn't be anywhere as near good, because I'd already BTDT.
 
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