Measuring Up

I have made some of my best dishes by accident, or necessity maybe. I love to be turned loose in a kitchen that is well supplied and let my creativity loose. I have always been chastised for my lack of measuring ingredients and writing down what I do. We as students have been taught about standardized recipes. I understand the need for this, I really do, but this is not cooking! This is more along the lines of assembly work. I know exactly what I have put in my dishes, I just do not always remember how much. I taste as I go along and adjust according to what I am looking for. I lose that creativity when I have to stop and write things down. This bothered me a bit until a Chef at school showed me his personal journals. These journals were dog-eared and well used. Not a single entry had measurements! Only ingredients were listed. Why you may ask? In the words of this Chef, “cooking comes from the soul”. I love that statement; it embodies everything that I do. Any fool can follow a recipe, only a Chef can create. So please forgive me if I forgo the measuring cups and spoons, but your taste buds will thank me.