In article >, sws2000
@yahoo.com says...
>
> >
> > Butchaknowwhat? I know a number of folks (relatives, neighbor) who
> > *must* have a recipe and then they follow it to the letter. They lack
> > confidence in their ability to improvise.
>
> You hit the nail right on the head...but I'm starting to gain confidence.
> I really admire people who can just 'whip' up a dish and know what and
> how much spices and herbs to use in a dish. What hurts me is I'm not the
> adventurous type...I like to play it safe.
>

If you are just starting out as a cook, it's a good idea to follow
recipes. But not just any recipes - bookstores and the web are loaded
with crappy recipes. Find a few cookbooks or other sources you can
trust, preferable recipes with detailed instructions. When I was
starting out it was Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking,
and this is still a great place to start. I followed the recipes
slavishly at first (and still do sometimes), then as I gained confidence
I started making some modifications - more garlic, savory instead of
thyme, olive oil instead of butter, throw in a hot pepper, etc.

Another good place to start is The Best Recipe.

--
Peter Aitken