Cooking-is it Art or Science?
Cooking
Magic it isn’t. It is either art or science depending on your viewpoint. If you are creative and artistic, then cookery can be an art. If you like rules and order, then treat cookery as a science. Whichever you decide it is, you can achieve it by using a few rules. These rules must apply even if you are artistic – perhaps they are even more important.
Starting to Cook successfully.
The first thing you should know is that cooking has it’s own language to be learned. (This applies to most things you try). Get a good old fashioned cook book and you will find a list of meanings in the front – Definitions and descriptions of weights and measures etc. It may also often describe how to boil, simmer, braise, roast or bake. There may also be conversions from Gas to electricity scales. You may not find all this information in more modern book. You need a basic old fashioned book!
Starting to cook.
You will make better progress if you start with something simple. Once you have mastered this you can start to separate eggs and make meringues etc.
Before doing anything, read the recipe through – twice. Don’t start until you understand it. If you have any doubts about the meaning of any terms, look it up. Never take chances – it will probably be incorrect – and important. Next assemble your ingredients. At this point you should measure the amounts you want and place them on plates or cups. Never guess or estimate, weigh or measure everything. Then you will be able to do it again if it turns out well . If it doesn’t taste exactly how you want, you can then change the quantity of the ingredient which makes the difference. (Quite often salt or sugar, but maybe other ingredients such as flour).
The key to success is to start with easy home cooking recipes
Once you have success with the basic recipes such as scrambled eggs on toast, you can move on, try omelettes or soufflés. Much the same ingredients – just different (and more difficult) ways of cooking them. Don’t be fooled, nobody makes a perfect dish at their first attempt, it takes practice and although often the dish does not turn outperfect it will generally be edible.
When you have become proficient with a few meals, experiment slightly, so they become your own. change flavourings and see how you like it. Many times it will be good, sometimes it will not work. If you have kept good notes and measurements then you can repeat a recipe that is successful.
Completing your Dish.
It is very important to present your dish to please the eye and nose as well as the taste buds. It is proven that people who have no sense of smell do not enjoy food as much as those who have this sense. Therefore if a meal looks pleasing you are more inclined to expect to enjoy it and are more likely to try it. This is where creative people find it easier to produce an enticing dish than those less artistically gifted.
And Finally, cooking should be enjoyable. If you like preparing your meals, it will show.