When cooking, do you prefer to stick to the recipe "by the book" or make it up a

1. 99

   Rochelle Frankposted 9 years ago

   When cooking, do you prefer to stick to the recipe "by the book" or make it up as you go?
   
   Do you follow  recipe exactly, use it as inspiration, or avoid printed recipes completely?

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2. 59

   fpherj48posted 9 years ago

   Rochelle....Hi there!  I may not be doing a whole lot of cooking from scratch these days but I certainly spent many years making big meals for my family & entertaining guests.
   If I'm making something I've never tried to prepare before, I will normally stick pretty close to all instructions.  After having served it and tasted it, then who knows, I might add or take away from the original recipe. I just don't feel quite right unless I put a little bit of my own touch to something!

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3. 91

   Sherry Hewinsposted 9 years ago

   I follow the recipe the first few times. Once I learn how to make it, I generally stop referring to the book. I'm sure most of my old stand-bys bear little resemblance to the original recipe.

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4. 72

   LoisRyan13903posted 9 years ago

   Depends on the recipe.  I try to follow a recipe to the T.  But my husband is a very picky eater and if there is something he doesn't like or is allergic to I will leave it out.  Plus he is diabetic and there are some spices that tend to give spikes in sugar and blood pressure-so I try to replace it with a different spice.  I usually eyeball teaspoons nad tablespoons and add more  to taste.

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5. 77

   rmcrayneposted 9 years ago

   A lot of new recipes, I try to follow to the letter the first time.  Thereafter, I would tweak per personal preferences.  Some recipes I modify from the get-go.  There may be an ingredient I’m not fond of, like celery (that will be cooked in the recipe), that I will leave out.  Other times it’s a matter of just not having a particular ingredient.  If I have most everything I need to make something, I might forge ahead instead of waiting until I can go shopping.  There can be pitfalls to this approach of course.  I remember once my aunt made a “Cherry-O Cream Cheese Pie”.  It called for a small amount of lemon juice.  She didn’t have any lemon juice, and figured it was no big deal.  She discovered the lemon juice must help the pie “set”, because hers was a runny mess!

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6. 87

   Au faitposted 9 years ago

   I am one of those people who has to mess with a recipe even the very first time I make it.  I just have to make it my own, and it's fun to see if I can improve on it at the same time.  Love to add that 'secret ingredient' that makes something special and different, and that makes it hard to replicate unless a person has the directions.
   
   Once I felt comfortable cooking (started making entire meals and some pretty complicated things when I was 11), I started experimenting with different combinations of foods.
   
   Not every time, but often I can figure out how to make something just from the taste and texture of it.  If there's something I really love at a restaurant, I will go home and try to replicate it so that I can have it anytime I want it instead of having to depend on the restaurant.
   
   I don't know what it is, but I just can't leave anything in the way of recipes the way they are.  My oldest sister is the same way, and she is fond of making new recipes 'her way' for the first time at dinner parties where a flub will really be noticed.  So far, she's never had a flub!  I'm not quite that brave myself.  I would have to test a recipe before putting it on a menu for guests.
   
   When it comes to convenience foods, like cake mixes and other types of mixes or kits for making something, I highly recommend one follow the directions to a T lest it be spoiled because all the measurements have already been done by someone else.  Of course one can usually add garnishes without ruining anything, but I would't  advise adding more eggs or more liquid, etc.  But once I'm familiar with a mix/kit that becomes fair game too.
   
   It can be a lot of fun to experiment with recipes.  I've never had anything turn out so badly it wasn't edible.  It's really a matter of being familiar with how various spices and food items taste when processed a certain way.   Then you can try lots of different combinations successfully.

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7. 78

   Shyron E Shenkoposted 9 years ago

   I follow the recipe, usually. I am not a good cook...and I prefer to do it the tried and proven way.

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8. 58

   PoojaMehta0911posted 8 years ago

   cooking is my passion.
   If i am trying out a particular cuisine for the very 1st time i would stick to recipe but later on its always good to make variations as per taste ,nutrition and choice.

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9. 0

   Diana Abrahamsonposted 8 years ago

   If I know how to follow a basic recipe then I have the confidence to experiment with it.

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