No Recipe Day!

The Late Night Gourmet

The Late Night Gourmet

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I subscribe to the New York Times Cooking newsletter. Besides having some brilliant ideas and being well-written, I recall that Sam Sifton has dubbed Wednesday as No Recipe Day, and he then goes on to describe what he threw together. Here's what he sent this week:

You don’t even need to cook with a recipe at all! You could join me in our Wednesday tradition of no-recipe cooking Just pick up some salmon at the market, along with a bundle or two of asparagus. Roast the vegetables, dressed in olive oil, salt and pepper, in a hot oven. Then salt, pepper and glaze the fish with mayonnaise cut through with a splash of maple syrup, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and as much good mustard as you can manage. Slide it on a baking pan into the oven beneath the asparagus to cook for a few minutes less than you think you ought to, and you’ll eat like royalty.
​
I don't typically say "It's Wednesday: time to throw something together!" It's more of a spontaneous thing, usually related to how much time I have. It's also usually a case of putting something together with what I already have, rather than shopping for things I plan to throw together. And, in reality, almost everything I make turns into a recipe, since I want to record what I did if I like the results.

What do the rest of you do? I suspect some of you usually don't use recipes. Normally, when I build a meal, there's a lot of planning involved, since I want everything exactly so. And, while I initially rejected the idea of "shopping to cook with no recipe", I think I could grow to like the idea.
 
I most definitely shop to cook with no recipe. I didn't used to but having gained confidence I simply buy whatever ingredients take my fancy. Most days - in fact almost always unless its a cake or pastry, I'm cooking without a recipe. But that is 'cos I'm developing recipes - so the ideas start as jottings in a notebook and then evolve as I cook. And like you, I'm noting everything down.
 
morning glory said:
I most definitely shop to cook with no recipe.
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Out of interest, are you more likely to:
  • Buy things, take them home with no clear idea of what to do with them, and get back to them later/before they spoil, or
  • Figure out how the meal goes together as you shop for additional things, so you leave the store with the seeds of a meal.
I almost always do the first one. This is what happened when asparagus went on sale - 99 cents a pound - and I bought far more than I could use. And, yes, you can freeze asparagus: just blanch for a minute to retain the color, then stick in a zipper bag.

I have a lot more fun doing the second one, and I think I might do this more often.
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
Out of interest, are you more likely to:
  • Buy things, take them home with no clear idea of what to do with them, and get back to them later/before they spoil, or
  • Figure out how the meal goes together as you shop for additional things, so you leave the store with the seeds of a meal.
I almost always do the first one. This is what happened when asparagus went on sale - 99 cents a pound - and I bought far more than I could use. And, yes, you can freeze asparagus: just blanch for a minute to retain the color, then stick in a zipper bag.

I have a lot more fun doing the second one, and I think I might do this more often.
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Both really, in a way. I do my main shop on-line but then supplement with odd items from local shops. For day to day meals for the family it on-line shopping with largely unplanned items and topping up store cupboard supplies of beans, pasta, rice etc. For recipe development its following my jottings and buying what I think I need - but I'm not following a recipe, more and idea. It does help to have a really good store cupboard...
 
Our weekly menu planning is based most often on trying new recipes. it is very rare that we just throw something together. Karen made something the other day from stuff we had on hand without a recipe. This happens when we don't feel like having what was planned because of it being too involve or we're tired.
 
Here is a example of a day to day meal I'm making to day for the family - no recipes:

Sausage rolls (with ready made vegan sausages) and home-made pastry.
Roasted Peppers, aubergine, courgettes cooked slowly in a tomato sauce (not sure how I'm flavouring it yet).
Indian style 'bubble and squeak' using mashed potatoes, sprouts and peas with curry spices.
 
Most of my "no recipe" days are often spent using the food in my veg boxes. I've been making a lot of stir fries and curries lately, which don't really need a recipe except occasionally to check on the quantities of spices.
 
Elawin said:
Most of my "no recipe" days are often spent using the food in my veg boxes. I've been making a lot of stir fries and curries lately, which don't really need a recipe except occasionally to check on the quantities of spices.
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Its the benefit of wisdom which comes with experience. I couldn't have winged it when I was in my 20's! Good to see you back...
 
I ought to correct my earlier post - of course I follow recipes sometimes! In particular, I've cooked recipes that members here have posted and then I will follow them to the letter. Also I cook 'retro recipes' from old cookbooks and follow them as closely as I can in order to understand the concept.
 
We rarely use recipes, we go with what we like and know and mix up the ingredients now and again to stop meals being boring.
 
Today was a no recipe day.

Prawn fried rice (rice, egg, handful of prawns, sesame oil) and veg stir ry (spring greens, onion, red pepper, mushroom, ginger and gf oyster sauce.)
 
Yesterday was a "no recipe day". I bought a carry oot.

The majority of my meals are "no recipe" and are just a collection of different foods on a plate (as you may have noticed) - Today will be gammon, eggs, potatoes and sweetcorn.

However when it comes to Indian, Thai, Chinese or Mexican food, I almost always follow some form of recipe.
 
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