Do you always follow the recipe 100%?
By nadias
@nadias (88)
Norway
March 8, 2007 3:13am CST
Yeah it's as simple as that. Do you?
When it comes to me i've noticed that i act differently when it comes to regular cooking and baking. I guess its pretty logical but, ok here's the deal:- cooking: a recipe is NEVER followed 100%. I always have to add my own twist. That could be because im missing an ingredient and i find a substitute in my cupboard or i just feel like add/removing something from it.
I must admit that every now and then the result isnt as good as i had hoped for but then again, what better way to learn and gain experience, huh?;)
- baking: here i tend to SOMETIMES follow the recipe. But then again, im a huge improvisor. Of course when it comes to baking there's this rule that the proportions have to be right etc... so thats why i usually dont touch the proportions. But that doesnt stop me from giving it a personal touch.
But even in baking, i have to say that the most fun i had was about 2 years ago when i barricaded myself in the kitchen for a day with a plan of making cookies with no recipe, no cookbook, no nothing. It was alot of fun but the most interesting part was all the cookies i made turned out good! I was expecting at least one of them to be "weird-tasting":P
By the way, im planning another one of those "lock myself up in the kitchen for a day and experiment" very soon! Anyone wanna join?
10 people like this
55 responses
@princesskaos15 (235)
• United States
8 Mar 07
Ha, recipe? What's that? I've never heard of such thing.
I never follow a recipe. Never. A lot of times, the food I cook (I call them my "inventions") don't even look like food, but some of them turn out to be surprisingly good. I made peanut butter cookies once that my dad loved and wanted me to bake again, but the only problem was that I had no idea what the heck I had made them with! Pretty bad, huh?
1 person likes this
@nadias (88)
• Norway
8 Mar 07
Oh i'm sooooo familiar with that feeling, trust me.. I always tell myself when im "inventing" that "ok, this time im going to remember what i put in and approximately how much"... once its done, i dont remember... of course!
Anyway, i figure that as long as im having fun doing it, that's all that matters. And trust me, sometimes im just having sooo much fun.
Ever caught urself laughing at something u did in the kitchen when ure all alone at home? Happens to me almost on a daily basis and i love it!
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
8 Mar 07
I will join you and watch and taste test for you...:) I probably don't follow recipes 100%, that is probably why my cooking is not all that good, I think I try and cut corners as I don't really like cooking, so I am happy to sit and watch you cook then taste test it for you...I think that is a good deal, don't you...:)
@nadias (88)
• Norway
8 Mar 07
I think that's a wonderful deal! But if you taste something that tastes like crap, dont come to me complaining about a stomach ache later on! :P
Ok maybe we should both sign a contract before we head for the kitchen... me agreeing to not intentionally make the food taste like crap and you agreeing to not sue me if your stomach starts hurting or some other side-effect. :P
Are we still on?
@musaib (84)
• India
8 Mar 07
im a boy and i prepare food some time for my mom and dad,im the only one to them,i follow recipe but not 100% i make some preparation by my own and the food which i made is pretty good and tasty, my mom and dad liked it very much and appreciate me.
@1grnthmb (2055)
• United States
8 Mar 07
This is how I learned how to cook. Form the time I could walk my mom had use help in the kitchen and by the time I was twelve we had to prepare one meal a month but I always did a lot more. My parents even today look forward to me coming for a visit and insist that I cook at least one meal. I wish there were more wonderful children like you who enjoy cooking.
@nadias (88)
• Norway
8 Mar 07
hehehe yeah sometimes i think that last option is very valid because i've heard people say that something i've popped out of the oven actually tastes good but i've totally disagreed... so either they're just being nice and dont wanna hurt my feelings (which they totally wont do by telling me it tastes really bad!!) OR our tastebuds are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay different... also an option ;)
@my3angels (87)
• United States
8 Mar 07
I almost never follow a recipe 100%, however, my partner is a real stickler for following exact ingredients, measurements, times, he actually counts the number of times he stirs a certain recipe that call for the batter to be stired 200 times, and he does. Not 199 nor 201 but exactly 200. I must say that we both have met with equal results of successes and failures.
@prestocaro (1252)
• United States
8 Mar 07
Usually the first time i try to follow a recipe exactly (although that doesn't ALWAYS happen) and if it makes it to the sacred recipe binder, then i'll fiddle with it and make notes. my personal recipes are all in slicksheets in a big binder, with sticky notes all over the pages reminding me that last time i added nuts or add a few tablespoons more butter, etc. I would love to join your experimental cookie club! I've been kicking around this idea of a fig and goat cheese scone... hmmmm...
@Bee1955 (3882)
• United States
9 Mar 07
I follow MOST recipes, but I come from a long line of cooks and bakers who instinctively know how much ingredients are needed and prepare on my own. Unless its a recipe I've never heard of or tried, I dont need one. I like to experiment and make new concoctions. True, not all of them come out, but that is indeed rare!
@Bangalorean (1282)
• India
9 Mar 07
It can never be possible to follow a recipe 100%, for it we did then we would have not needed a recipe to make it.
Also every recipe has some approximations, which differ from individual to indivivdual.
@xfallenxlostx (2074)
• United States
9 Mar 07
No, i do not always follow the recipe to the letter. i often times will add something i think will be good for the dish or remove things i don't like. When my mother cooks, she rarely follows a recipe at all and jsut goes in there and cooks...and what comes out is usually delicious! She knows how to cook for my veggie tummy.
@RachelleDD (823)
• Canada
9 Mar 07
No I never follow recipes 100%. I like to change them and experiment and change them up to make them the way I like it. For example I like to put a sprinkle of cinnamon in my chilly. It is just enough to make a taste thats makes me say mmmm. So follow to what ever point that you like and change it when ever you want.
@neenasatine (2841)
• Philippines
16 Apr 07
if the recipe is new for me of course i will follow it 100% but if i'm not satisfied with the recipe the next try i will make some alterations
@lothlorien (2)
• Philippines
9 Mar 07
Whenever I wanna try out a new dish or something, I usually stick to the recipe 100%. Depending on how it turns out, I might modify it a little to my tastes. I am not averse to a little experimentation with food. The only bottomline, after all, is that you should enjoy it cause it's food!
Baking is probably the trickiest one since it's almost an exact culinary science (if there is such a thing) and some recipes have such strict procedures and ingredient measurement and temperature settings and baking times that there is a very narrow window of "successful baking" that you deviate from the actual recipe at your own peril.
@Suze05 (480)
• United States
17 Apr 07
nope..like you I dont follow them 100% when cooking but do, for the most part, when baking. I will add or subtract things while cooking if I dont like something or dont have it on hand..I most of the time don't use a recipe unless its something specific I'm trying to make. The other night I had some stew beef I needed to cook, so I just threw it in a pan with some mushrooms, onions, and green peppers, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and a dash of worchestershire ..browned that and then I added a can of cream of mushroom soup I had sitting around and I measured one can of milk into it and about a 1/4 up of sour cream.. cooked that together for a bit. Then I served it over egg noodles...it was soooo good. I had originally intended to serve it with mashed taters, but was too lazy to fix them. LOL I'm sure there are similar recipies floating around and I didn't invent something new, but it was just thrown together and it came out good. Baking, I tend to follow the recipe for the most part..the proportions etc, but I will add stuff or change it. The trick there is knowing what you can mess with and what you can't to make the recipe still work. I came up with a recipe for choc chip and raisin oatmeal cookies that way.. those are soooo yummy!! I'm volunteering too to be a taste test dummy for your experiments!! LOL
@ladymoonstone143 (1507)
• United States
9 Mar 07
My mother is a very good baker and she never follow the correct measurements on a recipe. She is the type who would say, a little of this, a pinch of this..more of that...a handful of this...viola, finish. And her goodies and even her cooking is so good. She taught me everything but it seems that her technique is uniquely hers. I am trying to develop my own style. I miss my mother's baking and cooking. She is still far from me and am hoping she can join me soon and I would again indulge myself in all the things she bakes.
@mommyaiai (295)
• United States
9 Mar 07
I will not always follow the recipe 100%.I love to experiment,so sometimes i will add something that is not in the recipe,sometimes i will removed some.I usually cook without any recipe and the result is good.It is fun to make your own recipe.
@m_audrey6788 (58482)
• Germany
9 Mar 07
I used to follow recipe and instructions from the cook book but it works better when instructions comes from my friends who usually baked my favorite macaroons and tarts. Now, i can improvized the style of cooking on my favorite macaroons and tarts... :)
