>
> 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.

Yes I've seen my share of crappy recipes out there but the key is to
combine them in such a way where you take the best features of each
recipe and come up with a winning recipe. When it comes to modifications
I used to have the mind set that more is always better when it comes to
spices but now I'm getting away from that. When I cook for my friends
they're starting to say 'wow I like your cooking' and now they want me
to come over and cook for them.