In article >,
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.

Unless your 85 years old, you still have time to learn if you want
things to be different.

If you're *interested* in bolstering your confidence (and you may not be
-- you may be very content as things are) you might consider making a
smaller portion of the recipe with some experimentation. That recipe
looks like it's geared for 6 servings. Fooling around with the math
could get you a portion for two -- and in that version you could use,
say, a *total* of two or four teaspoons of mixed spices for that fajita
or taco mix -- maybe a teaspoon of chili powder (already a combination
of spices), maybe 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, maybe 1/2 teaspoon of oregano.
If you like the outcome -- you don't have to worry about having a mix on
hand. If you don't care for it ‹ go shopping. :-)

With more experience at "scratch" cooking, you'll come to know what
flavors you really enjoy. It's not so tough to find recipes that
accommodate those preferences, usually.

If it's a matter of time, you can also figure out how to spread the prep
time out -- maybe you do some chopping the night before while clearing
supper detritus -- then the onions and celery are ready to go when you
need them the next evening when you get home from work. Heck, you could
make that whole recipe the night before you want to eat it. Just
assemble it, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight -- add
maybe 10-15 minutes to the baking time the next night.

Whatever you choose ‹ I hope you've found some help here. It's nice to
have a food-related thread. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007