Cooking "From Scratch" vs Recipes?

[HappilyHungry]

What is your absolute favorite cooking method?

Personally, I've always been one to "experiment in the kitchen", and you can more or less call me a "kitchen rebel" if you'd like, but I just find it really interesting to be able to "come up with new ways of doing things", rather than sticking to the traditional standards of old (although there's merit to doing so as well).

I guess it comes with "time and experience in the kitchen" for you to be able to have a good sense of "what works" and "what just doesn't, but there's always perhaps greater benefit with consulting time-proven wisdom, in the person of our grandmother or mother, their handed-down recipes, or even new recipes from trusted online sites.

SO, what's your best method when it comes to "getting into the right frame of mind" for cooking/baking?

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I always have the passion to cook as well as the patience until I come up with the right taste of the dish I am cooking.

Usually I am very organize when it comes to cooking. Ahead of time I buy and prepare all the ingredients I will need for a certain dish so that when it is time for me to cook already they are complete and I will not forget anything I will be needing to make it the best that I can.
For recipes that requires long waiting to be cook I always have the patience for it and it is worth after you realize that your family give you all praises that the dish taste good.

I always cook from scratch method be it baking and grilling too and I always love to cook that way.

 

[Jade]

I like planning it out in my mind then getting the processes and ingredients that I wouldn't want to deal with later ready, then just go into it without much measurement. The only bad practice that I dislike when I cook is if I forget to prep something and I end up having to adjust the fire to allow me to catch up, because often I like to keep the momentum going and just keep throwing everything and get the food cooked quickly. I think it's because of my love of Chinese cuisine and their style of cooking that causes me to favor this way over others.

 

[Caribbean girl]

I would normally refer to a recipe book if it is a new dish that I have never made before or something I have not done in a long time. However, I may still add my own touch to the recipe. My measurements may not be exactly the same as written in the recipe book - I may add more of something or less of something, or even add in something that the recipe did not call for, but I do stick to the recipe as much as possible. I notice that different recipe books have different methods for cooking the same type of dish, so I would usually go for the one that is simplest.

I do not usually create new recipes on my own. I tend to stick to what I am accustomed to making and have had experience with. I guess I could start using my imagination some more and see what I come up with.

 

[lizzief79]

I cook most things from scratch without using a recipe. On the rare occasion that I do use a recipe, I don't stick to it completely. I adapt it to suit the ingredients I have in and the tastes of my family.

 

[HappilyHungry]

I like planning it out in my mind then getting the processes and ingredients that I wouldn't want to deal with later ready, then just go into it without much measurement. The only bad practice that I dislike when I cook is if I forget to prep something and I end up having to adjust the fire to allow me to catch up, because often I like to keep the momentum going and just keep throwing everything and get the food cooked quickly. I think it's because of my love of Chinese cuisine and their style of cooking that causes me to favor this way over others.

This is quite an adventurous and exciting method of cooking! I also prefer cooking in this way. I love the ability to just "throw all the ingredients in", one after the other, so that there's no real and avoidable delay in the overall cooking process, and so that everything can be done smoothly.
It really is a bit annoying when you have to literally pause so that you can add or prepare ingredients that you hadn't remembered to include beforehand. I've had the experience of this actually changing the texture and taste of the food to something other than what I had intended. That just results in pure disappointment.
I think it also helps to make me feel organized in my kitchen, when it is that I'm able to complete all the tasks on my list before I actually fire up the stove or grill, so that there's no "stop and start" in between. It gives me a true sense of satisfaction, and I endeavor to be that organized every time that I venture into the kitchen.
Thanks for sharing your insights with me. You've encouraged me to cook with a fully focused and planned-out mind.
Thank you!

 

[nutmegprincess]

I like experimenting. Though I read recipes every now and then, I still try to make my own recipe. In fact, what I do is consult different recipes of a single dish. Then, I cross-check the ingredients that they use and look for a replacement that will suit my taste buds more. It's more fun like that.

 

[xTinx]

My favorite cooking method is what I call the "add-and-mix." I like mixing ingredients together and transforming them into a whole new recipe. In this regard, salads (including garden, fruit and macaroni) are my favorite meals to prepare. They're easy to experiment on and do not take much of your time.

 

[Athenagdlyt]

For me, the right frame of of mind starts with the planning stage. It may come early, such as a week before cooking, or sometimes it suddenly hits me out of the blue and I have to go out right there and then to gather the needed ingredients.
Cooking from scratch is a skill that is a result of many, many cooking experiences. Thus our moms and grandparents have done so without any recipe. Once upon a time there was a basis for every impromptu dish. I also took the the time to base my dishes on recipes as an inexperienced cook of the family. Later, as the cooking knowledge grows, I learned to modify the recipe by changing ingredients. Just like most of us here, I eventually learned to cook from scratch. Now, i still use recipes when I encounter a new dish I want to cook. It's a life-long learning process.

 

[Tara]

I always start with a recipe. I follow it very closely for the most part. I only add my personal touches after I have perfected the recipe. I might switch out spices, herbs or add other ingredients. I do like experimenting in the kitchen, but only after I have a solid foundation.

This is what I do for most things...not just cooking.

 

[Food4thought]

I'm sure the ability to cook without ever using a recipe comes with experience. I used to follow recipes when I first started to cook, but now I almost never do. When I am using a recipe, I usually substitute some of the ingredients and adapt it to my own taste.

I am not the type of person to stick to the same old meals week in and week out. If I buy a new ingredient I've never used before may have to look it up online to see how to cook it.

 

[ACSAPA]

I use a recipe for everything unless it is something that I have made many times before. If I feel like a change, I use a different recipe.
I'm not a good cook when I try to wing it, but my food turns out perfectly when I follow the recipe. So I'm not a natural cook, just a crafts person who is good at following directions.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I mainly always cook from scratch, but I thought that following a recipe is also cooking from scratch!

I may cheat from time to time & do one of those pre-made foods from the supermarkets, or add something already made to a recipe. But mainly, it is always something made from scratch.

 

[Ella]

I've been reading cook books since I could read, so I have a good idea of most recipes, but I always read a recipe then adapt it to what I am comfortable doing, what I have in the kitchen and using my own experience. It's the best way for me and if it works great and if not then I look at the recipe again, often it's more a case of cooking time and my impatience. I am quite creative with some ingredients and mix foods I like together which some people may find weird, as I like to add a beaten egg to a cream pasta sauce!

 

[winterybella]

I love to cook; at least most days. While I am quick to find a new recipe, I never follow it to the letter. I like to play around with the recipes. To date I have had more hits than misses.

So how do I answer the question since I do both? I say give me the recipe that eventually I will make my our dish. My modifications can be so drastic that eventually it could appear it's something I created from scratch.