blake wrote on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:22:10 GMT:

??>> On Nov 20, 6:05 am, "Herbert Glarner"
??>> > wrote:
??>>> [snips]
??>>> That said to the point: yesterday, we asked ourselves, if
we
??>>> are a minority ....[snips]
??>>
??>> No. I think most cooks do as you do. Except for baking,
??>> where you have to create the proper chemical reactions,
??>> recipes and their quantities are just guidelines, subject
??>> to your tastes and ingredients on hand. That said, I tend
??>> to stick pretty close to a recipe the first time I make
??>> it. When eating the result I may make (mental
??>> or written) notes about how it might be varied or
??>> improved. In this group you will occasionally see someone
??>> complaining that they tried a recipe, say from a Food
??>> Network chef, and hated it. Then it turns out they made
??>> three substitutions and several radical changes
??>> in quantities of seasonings/spices/herbs. .... -aem
??>>
bm> i guess i must be a sissy, because i generally follow
bm> recipes, except for maybe increasing some spices, pepper in
bm> particular. ('an eighth teaspoon for 2 quarts of
bm> whatnot?') also, a lot of things i don't make often enough
bm> to remember what the hell i did last time.

bm> hmm...maybe that means i don't follow recipes. but i
bm> usually write down my changes.

That's my philosophy too! Follow the recipe the first time but
note possible and actual changes. I keep recipes I use on the
computer so adding notes is easy.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not