PrintHow has your cooking style changed over the years?
When I started to go through the earlier stages of my love faux chefdom (I’m a good cook, but I know it’s faux chedom. Jean-Georges has nothing to fear from me), I swear, I could not get enough ingredients into whatever I was making. The more complicated the procedure was the more I liked it. I lived for hunting down Thai basil and galangal.
Now? Not so much. My tomato sauce, once a thing that took, like 75 ingredients (I exaggerate, but only a bit), now uses 4 or 5, and is much improved by the reduced ingredient list. Now I like nothing better than making a simple roast chicken, flavored with nothing more than lemon, salt and pepper. My rice and beans are an exercise in simplicity.
Do you find that your cooking style has changed over the years? Are you more daring? More shortcutty? More inclined towards the complicated? Do you look for challenges you would have run from before? Like mayonnaise, which scared the heck out of me before, and is now one of those, yeah, well, whatever, things that I make without even thinking about now.
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5 Comments:
I used to slavishly follow recipes and cookbooks. Now, I just sort of make it all up as I go along. It's very liberating, except for when I make a really tasty discovery, and I can't remember how to replicate it.
DaveFaris at 11:33PM on 01/30/08
When I started cooking, I wanted to make things as 'good' as possible, but couldn't articulate to myself what that meant. Now this has become quite clear to me (excellent quality ingredients, concentrated flavours, simplicity), so my approach is more focussed. Over time I've also internalised a lot of knowledge, so I can improvise without feeling in the dark about the probable outcome.
mongoose at 5:28AM on 01/31/08
I fried a lot more foods when I was younger but luckily, the health information about fried foods was coming in strong and steady when I was developing cooking habits. I use olive oil now for pan sauteing, not so much "frying." I rarely if ever eat bacon. And I really miss my beloved pig's feet and skin in my gravy.
My mom had a list of ingredients she used and didn't stray from it until past her 40's. She got more adventurous after that and it was a great lesson. I try new things and if I don't like them, I simply do not purchase them again.
As for following recipes, the first time I attempt a dish, I will likely follow the recipe as closely as possible to see how the author intended the dish to be prepared. If after that I decide it could use a little more or less of this or that, I'll veer away from it.
chiff0nade at 11:11AM on 01/31/08
Wow! What a great question! If I went back 15-20 years, I'd say my style of cooking is much simpler now! I used to believe that cooking had to be complicated to be impressive. I subscribed to Bon Appetit back then and took pride in spending a Saturday or Sunday in the kitchen either making a week's worth of food or preparing an elaborate Sunday supper. Some recipes were simple though. I used to brag that I could make homemade pasta in the time it took the water to boil! I'd dress it with olive oil out of the huge tin can (eewww!), cracked fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and call that mound dinner. I even had whole wheat and spinach versions of the pasta.
Then I lived in Japan for 3 years and saw how the Japanese appreciate quality over quantity in so many aspects of their lives, but especially their food. There was a daily "morning market" in the city where I lived that carried everything seasonal and fresh. While that concept clicked with me while living there, when I returned to the U.S. I revelled in being able to buy whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it.
Fast forward to the last 2 to 5 years and being able to get more and more "exotic" ingredients at any grocery store, having the accessibility of Whole Foods with their attendant obsession with quality of ingredients and then travelling to Switzerland where I stayed with a friend who took me shopping at her local farmers market. I was blown away by how exquisite the food looked and tasted! I determined then and there to avail myself of the farmers market in my community that I'd heard about but never ventured to really.
A year spent working at home allowed me to indulge in Molto Mario every day at noon. I learned more from watching him turn fresh seasonal ingredients into so many wonderful and accessible dishes that I'd have to say my cooking style reflects his more than anyone's, even my own mother! He always speaks of the genius of the Italian kitchen, not wasting anything that would be considered scraps or leftovers, and making your food your own by the freshness of the ingredients and your own palette. That's really how I cook now: buy only what's in season and let it soar! My cooking is really more simplified than ever. Plus with the web as a tool, I'm far less wedded to following any recipe to a T as long as I understand the overall technique. I subsitute at will and compare many different recipes and ingredient lists when I'm making most things. I really try to enjoy myself when cooking first and foremost. I just feel that negative energy in one's attitude in the kitchen means the food will not taste as good!
Otabenga at 4:03PM on 02/08/08
My style has gone through many cycles. I started out somewhat inexperienced, but eager to please my new husband. After several months of 7 course meals and adding 25 (YIKES) pounds to my lovely frame, I decided to tone it down a notch. Once I had children, nutrition became top priority. I was an Adele Davis fan, adding wheat germ to everything. When they became vegetarians, I had to learn to be even more creative. Once they and my husband flew the coop, it was hard to cook for one. Then I took care of my parents and had to cook healthy high calorie foods. That was certainly new, but creative and fun. Now I'm back to cooking for one. The pocket is much lighter and the back and knees can't handle too much standing, so no more hours on my feet creating. Back to simple and healthy.
PerkyMac at 4:17PM on 02/08/08