On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:48:37 -0400, George >
wrote:

>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.
>
>Why not search for detailed recipes (or check out some cookbooks and get
>one that makes sense) that don't use all of the "space stuff"? That way
>you can get a feel for what goes with what (which will never happen with
>xxx mix etc)and you can tinker with the amounts when you get more
>confidence and before you know it you can assemble dishes instinctively.

I found there was nothing better than experience to teach me what I
liked and didn't like together (or amounts of what).

There is an old series of cookbooks on different subjects called "Look
and Cook" that are meant for novice or nervous cooks. I also found a
Look and Cook Video series by Sunset Magazine.
http://video.aol.com/video-category/cooking/1803


--

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.