I’ve mentioned before that I never used to write recipes and I actually have a very good reason. It has to do with how I view food and my food philosophy.
Over the years of experimenting and absorbing culinary knowledge, my outlook on recipes and food has morphed. I used to think that in order to make a dish taste just as good as the one in the book, I had to follow the recipe down to the T.
That isn’t exactly true.
What people don’t realize is that although recipes are good guidelines, most of the time you won’t be able to recreate the same exact flavor profile as the chef who tested the recipe. No two lemons are the same tartness, just as no two cows have equal marbling. Food is just like most natural things on this Earth; nothing is an exact replica.
This fact makes it a bit difficult for me to write recipes. If I tell you to put one lemon because mine wasn’t sour enough, but yours was sour enough to give you a bitter beer face, obviously your dish will be way too sour and you may think I just have a bunk recipe.
Hence the face when asked for recipes.
It’s not just the food we have to look at either; it’s the individual’s palate. Each person tastes things and prefers things differently. This adds to the overall experience that I believe food should provide. I want people to bite into a dish and think about how their Mom used to make it exactly like this. I want everyone to experience the fond memories I have about Mingo and Food. They are like synonymous.
One very good example of how individualism is a factor is White Man and I. White Man prefers his dishes super spicy and veggies al dente. I look like Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly when eating spicy foods (seriously, look at that picture of Ben…that’s me) and therefore prefer mine on the milder side. As for my veggies, I’ve always preferred them a little squishier. Those preferences alone could make or break someone’s eating experience.
For people who aren’t new to cooking, I’m sure this is something you already realize. For those who are new, it’s going to take a little time before you start developing your own preferred flavor profile and for recipes to become guidelines.
I think the best way to learn how to cook is in person and to taste everything. Taste everything you put in, and how it comes out. You can’t create from ingredients that you know nothing about. I could probably pull a Bubba Gump and spend one full day on an ingredient listing out how different cooking technique affects the flavors of the ingredient or even the slight variations in flavor based on how they are grown. I just need someone to be my Forrest.
As you navigate through my buffet line, just remember to also keep in mind your own individualistic preferences and tastes. Food is personal.
MAK SWAG 