Hello everyone!
I wanted to talk briefly about how I go about cooking and creating recipes.
When cooking from scratch without following any recipes, I often start off with an idea of what I want to make, where I want it to go and what it should taste like. This is often based on what raw ingredients I already have at home, meaning that I end up buying less stuff. I would take these out on the side before raiding my spice cupboard and get these ready as well as any other condiments that I want to use, like canned tomatoes or coconut milk. So far so standard right?
As I am not following any recipe, I rely on my imagination and taste buds to add flavour to my food. This means that I do not always use measuring spoons, cups, scales etc. Having watched my mother cook, as well as cooking by myself for years means that I have been able to build up an understanding of flavours, how they combine and how to build them up. In most cases I would shake the herb or spice directly into the food instead of measuring out. If you are new to cooking or not very confident, start with a little bit of the herb, taste and add more later. Remember that you can always add more later but you cannot take it away if you go overboard. Keep trying the food as you are cooking and adjust as you think best. Throughout the recipes, I will be adding a guide on the amounts of ingredients I use. Feel free to use as much or as little of something, depending on your personal and family preference. Personally I LOOOOVE spicy food but not everyone feels the same. Trust yourself and feel free to add more or less of something as you think best. If your family is the same as mine in having different levels of heat tolerance, you can always provide some yogurt or extra chillies on the side so everyone can help themselves and personalise their food.
That is not to say that you cannot fix something if you end up adding too much. For example, consider doubling up on the ingredients and freeze any left overs or take them for lunches. Here are quick ways to fix adding too much of something:
SALT- add pasta, potatoes or other veg to the dish. If it is a liquid you are working with, try adding more water or broth. If you need to thicken this quickly, add a slurry of plain flour with water.
CHILLY- Add some cream or coconut milk.
ACID (like tomatoes or similar)- add some sweetener like sugar or honey to balance the flavours.
BITTER- add something acidic like lemon juice or tangy yogurt to balance the flavours.
Remember to have fun in the kitchen and taste, taste, taste! Let me know how you get on with making any of the recipes on the website.
Bye all!
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