On Recipes and Why I Don't Use Them

The dominant paradigm of cooking is recipes. In fact it is so dominant that using recipes is taken for granted as the way cooking is always done. Many people assume that if you are cooking, then you simply must use a recipe. The are several sociological and cultural reasons why recipes are used so frequently, however I believe that the most important reason is psychological in nature. Recipes present a heads I win, tails I still don't lose proposition. It allows a cook to take all credit for success but accept no responsibility for failure. For example, if a cook is having guests over for dinner and makes a chicken dish and it turns out great, they can say "Look at this great chicken dish I made". But if the dish turns out poorly, what gets said is "Man this recipe really sucks".  Good meal= I'm a great cook; bad food= Entirely the recipe's fault. 
I don't use recipes.  Most importantly, I think it makes cooking more fun, more of an adventure. It challenges you to learn how to cook more fundamentally.  You're learning how to cook rather than just memorizing series of instructions.  It also means that you have to be confident in your cooking skills and confident that what you make will turn out good.  Not using a recipe means that you entirely own the results of what you make. If it's good it was entirely because of you; if it was bad there is no recipe to blame, it is entirely your fault.  Here is an example.  I made this tonight.

Seafood and Tofu Soup
Put some clam broth in a big pot.  Add lots of milk.  This is the base of your broth.
Mix in a little orange juice for zest and fruitiness but don't get heavy handed with it, its just supposed to be a barely noticed accent.
Add one can of whole baby clams (do not drain them beforehand).
Add one can of cream corn.
Add seafood mix- this is also known as paella mix and can be found in the frozen seafood section of your grocery store.  It's cheap since most people don't know how to use it.  The kind I used had crab, squid, and fish.
Add any other seafood you have and like.  I added extra squid.
Add chopped mushrooms.
Add a little bit of hot horseradish.
Add chopped tofu.  Chop it about the size you see in Chinese hot and sour soup.
Add spinach or whatever other greens you have.
Add one to two spoons worth of your favorite hot sauce to give a little bit of a throaty kick.
Add parsley, chives, and chopped mint.
Bring the soup to a boil.  Leave it that way until all the seafood has been cooked thoroughly, the spinach is slightly wilted, and the mushrooms are cooked to your liking.

Let it cool down.
If you want, put chopped nuts and/or oyster crackers on top for crunch.

And that's how you make seafood and tofu soup.

-The Monkey

Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

We love to cook with seafood and salmon is one of the easiest fish to use.  The proportions of each ingredient in this recipe allow for the perfect flavor combination.  The freshness of the asparagus and broiled salmon is amazing with the crunch of the onions and the lemon-feta mixture from the vinaigrette.  While we are usually prone to tweaking and changing recipes, this is one that we think is perfect just the way it is! 

6  cups  water
1  pound  asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
1  cup  uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1  (1 1/4-pound) skinless salmon fillet
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4  cup  thinly sliced red onion

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add asparagus; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water with tongs or a slotted spoon, reserving water in pan. Plunge asparagus into ice water; drain and set aside.
3. Return reserved water to a boil. Add orzo, and cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
4. While orzo cooks, sprinkle fillet evenly with salt and pepper. Place fish on a foil-lined broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Using 2 forks, break fish into large chunks. Combine fish, orzo, asparagus, onion, and Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.

Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
1/3  cup  (1.3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1  tablespoon  chopped fresh dill
3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
 ~Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk together.

"Cooking Light," April 2009.
 


~The Bear