it's all about method

I've recently come to a rather embarrassing realization, embarrassing for one who aspires to be a decent food blogger. I'm neither a fan of recipes nor of photography. I like reading recipes and looking at photos for sure. I just can't get really excited about creating either.

So what am I doing here? I am an avid cook. I cook for fun, for relaxation, for escape, and to eat, of course. I love playing in the kitchen. I rarely if ever know what I'm likely to end up with until I'm about to serve it. I love to look around the kitchen and start throwing things together. Fortunately for me and those I cook for, the results are usually pleasing.

I have had years and years of practice doing mostly this sort of cooking. I have and do follow recipes from time to time, though usually my (enormous) cookbook collection is more of a source of inspiration than of recipes I actually follow. I have mastered several methods and know which ingredients do what. So my kitchen has become more of a playground.

Improvisation in the kitchen is just plain fun in my book, though it does have its drawbacks. When someone likes a dish I've made and asks for the recipe, I stumble. I know it often sounds like I'm refusing to share, and truly it isn't that. Simply put, I don't have one. When I've tried to record each step and measure amounts and note specific ingredients, the dish suffers, suffers immeasurably. To those of you who create and share recipes, my hat is off to you. I will continue trying from time to time, but I know it's not my calling. I cook, I eat, and I write about food. Recipes --- clearly not so much.