When I make a recipe for the first time and it's fabulous, I know I'm in trouble because I don't know exactly what I did, and I can't replicate it.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I never really cook from recipes. But the worst is when something turns out great and I can't figure out how to make it again!
If you're trying to make a recipe that you're not even going to bother tasting, you're doing something wrong.
I quite enjoy cooking but I'm not consistent. I can't follow the recipe book. If something goes well, I'll never make it again, which is completely stupid. It's a one-shot kind of deal.
It's always good to go over the recipe beforehand, so you can easily think of the next thing that needs to be done.
I almost never make stuff out of cookbooks because they're either too complicated or there's an ingredient in there that I can't find.
A big thing that gets people in trouble in the kitchen is not reading the recipe from start to finish before you cook it. Before you start anything, read through the entire recipe once.
Don't be afraid to adapt new ingredients into your own techniques, and traditional ingredients into new recipes.
Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need look at a recipe again and can take off on your own.
If you don't have the confidence in baking, commit to making the recipe three times. The first two, do it exactly the way I've told you to make it. Twice. The first time you'll screw it up. The second time it will come out pretty good, and then the third time, make your adjustments.
The first time you make something, follow the recipe, then figure out how to tailor it to your own tastes.