Well, I’m pretty not-fledgling but I like recipes. I describe it as “that’s why they pay them the big bucks”! Especially with seasoning. My palate just isn’t that nuanced.
Oh, and that’s perfectly okay to like recipes – I do, too!
But you know when the dough is too wet/dry, or the meat is browning a little too fast, or if the sauce needs just a few more minutes to reduce all the way.
A n00b won’t know that, and won’t then have any idea why the meal didn’t turn out right…and will blame themselves and get discouraged.
A dear friend of mine follows recipes absolutely lock-step — and she over/undercooks things once in a while as a result, because she’s obsessing over the time spent at a simmer and not realizing that it’s overcooked. I love her dearly, but I now know to not cook with her, because she makes me nuts in the kitchen!
Ah gotcha! 'Course my faves are the epicurious (which I rarely look at any more) ones where all these people changed dang near everything and then complain that they didn’t like it
http://jacquespepinart.com/message-from-jacques-cooking-and-painting-01/
A masterful discourse on creativity, inspiration, talent, and training.
The first or second season of This American Life had a story about how Colonel Sanders appropriated fried chicken from African Americans, and this woman they interviewed could tell when chicken was done based on audio recordings of a chicken in a deep frier! Aroma is for amateurs :-).
Pepin makes good points, but not all cooking is as fussy as the pear recipe he discussed, sometimes to the point where background skills or differing equipment affect a dish, but doesn’t improve its enjoyment. Also, a dish’s success depends on the quality of the recipe, equipment, ingredients, and the cook. I don’t have the cultural/experiential background to know when the aroma/feel is right for some dishes, but a good recipe, patience, and quality ingredients have allowed me to cook better versions of some dishes that chefs who know better.
My son was making bacon crack tonight (yes this is a thing) and was talking to his gf on the phine while he was waiting for it to bakre.
I waved at him and stage-whispered that the crack was done.
Mom, the timer hasn’t gone off.
But it’s done.
Sigh…Mom, it’s not buzzzzzz
How did you DO that?!
That’s how I learned from these to ladies to make fried chicken . How do you know when it’s done I asked " You listen for the sizzle to calm down " Shallow fry in ci .