Improvisation

[CaptainMike]

I love recipes, methods, and techniques, but, as often as not, I wing it. Maybe more often than not, but it rarely sucks. Times, temps, ingredients, (except baking) are guidelines, not truths. What say ya"ll?

[RonB]

I agree. I try new ways of doin' old things, and new things too. I'll also look online at a number of recipes to make something, and then just pick the parts of several recipes that I like.

[Fire Art]

That’s the way I roll

[Donw]

I feel you. Sometimes I just mime a cook on an imaginary grill. 🙂

[Bumby]

I agree with that -- some of my favorite "tricks" have been the result of improvisations (or, let's be honest, just plain screw ups that worked out well).

[MBMorgan]

I love recipes, methods, and techniques, but, as often as not, I wing it. Maybe more often than not, but it rarely sucks. Times, temps, ingredients, (except baking) are guidelines, not truths. What say ya"ll?

Agreed. I’ll do things like measure by weight when baking or mixing bulk ingredients like rubs (‘cause I’m lazy and it makes cleanup easier). Other than that it’s pretty much all by taste and "feel".

[Mr. Bones]

Yup, as above...

Every cook is different, so improvisation is, imho, a necessary culinary skill to nurture, an develop...

[Henrik]

Yep, Im a ‘wing man’ for sure. That’s how I discover new ways, some of them even reusable:-)

[customtrim]

I try to go with what I remembered from reading a recipe, unless it is for someone else

[Skip]

I agree with the posts above. I do save and use a lot of recipes but pretty much "wing it" thru them----except in baking bread.

[LA Pork Butt]

I have a kind a basic master mix rub that I mix in large quantities and then use it as a base to which I add other spices to pitch it in a specific direction like southwestern, Cajun, Mexican, or a sweet Memphis rib bub.

[CaptainMike]

I really like this idea.

[smokenoob]

I have not grown or cooked my wings yet.....

[SmokeyGator]

Yup. I just do stuff.

But I am not exactly very "organized". Never have been.

[Dan Deter]

I do a fair amount of improvisation, but the first time I try a new recipe I usually try to follow it pretty precisely, and then from there start tweaking and changing. I like to know that if its not great the first time that it wasn't because I didn't pay attention.

[Dan Deter]

I suppose I should mention that I try to put the tools in my shop back where they go also....

[CaptainMike]

Hahaha, so does my wife. NOT!

[klflowers]

I am like Dan- most of the time I start with the recipe as written. Then I get off script.