None of us were born knowing how to cook. Most of us did not learn cooking by simply reading and following recipes. There are really only 3 principal ways that we learn how to cook:
1. By watching someone else and following their example.
2. By winging it, making it up as we go along and adjusting our results accordingly.
3. By reading and following recipes.
It is no accident that I put following recipes in last place, because it is simply the worst place to start. There is an old saying: “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got!” In other words, if you rely on recipes for your culinary creations, you will always be reliant upon them and crippled without them.
Following someone else’s example, for most of us, is the easiest and least trouble prone way to learn to cook without recipes. Try to grasp the overall theme of the recipe and do not attempt to remember exact amounts. For myself, since I travel internationally a great deal, I find ingredients, spices and herbs, as well as cooking and measuring utensils all vary a great deal. No wonder that following a recipe to the letter can often end in disaster. Always be prepared to substitute and adapt. An approximate cooking success is preferable to an exact copy failure. The real secret here is to do as well as simply observe. If you participate you are much more likely to recall details of any recipe.
Many people are uncomfortable making things up as they go along. That it because it is unfamiliar territory. Nevertheless, every single recipe had to start with someone having an idea, putting it into practice and then writing it down for others to follow. Many, if not most, top chefs create their own recipes based on the idea of some dish they have seen, read or tasted. Once you have some experience under your belt, you are just as capable of doing the same thing. Remember: ‘every journey begins with a single step!” You have to take the plunge and get experimenting. Your first attempts will not always be successful, but you WILL improve with time.
If you really want to learn how to cook without recipes, we recommend that you get yourself a copy of our recently published: The Un-cookbook: The Art of Cooking without recipes. It is available for ordering through most bookstores as well as through Amazon in hard-cover, paperback and electronic editions. It starts with the basics of cooking and then gives a collection of recipe outlines that will allow you to begin a satisfying and successful journey into the world of cooking without recipes.
