Scott wrote:
>
> >
> > 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.


I should add that what is more important that specific recipes is cooking
styles. Recipes can be very daunting when they list the ingredients step by
step. It seems complicated and demands a lot of your attention. After a
while, hopefully, you learn those styles of cooking and things become
automatic. For instance, if I braise something, it is an automatic for me
to sauté some chopped carrots, onions, garlic etc., remove them, brown the
meat, season, add broth and the veggies and simmer. I don't need to
follow those step by step instructions.