Eyeball it!

First, let me apologize for not writing yesterday! I didn't get home until really late last night because I spent my evening listening to Bon Jovi croon his greatest hits! There are few things that could keep me from writing, but Bon Jovi...he's one of them! :)

And now, on to the culinary wanderings for today!

There's something to be said for following a recipe to the letter, especially if you are still getting your "kitchen-legs." Measuring spices and oils to the exact amount can prove helpful if you don't have a lot of experience, but once you get a slight grasp of the concepts, try branching out, and put that 1/2 teaspoon measurement spoon away. You can usually see, as you pour, when you've used the correct amount.

From Flickr - by chef@isimmer

A lot of people get scared that they are going to over-season, or mess up the balance of flavors in a dish by eyeballing the measurements. If you have that concern, start off with a timid pour. You can ALWAYS add more, but it's a lot more difficult to take away, so pour a little of all the spices necessary for a dish, and then taste it. Add some more and taste it again! The key is to always taste your food, at every step of the way. If you taste the flavors as they are melding, you can certainly tell when you need to add more.

If you watch any of those cooking competition shows, you know that people are always getting burned for not tasting their food, and that's not just on tv! I wouldn't want to eat a meal in a restaurant, knowing that no one tasted it along the way. And the same goes for your kitchen - don't send anything out of it without tasting it, and adjusting the flavors to your liking. The more you use certain spices and herbs, you'll learn the specific tastes and will be able to recognize when your dish is missing one thing, or has too much of another.

From Flickr - by TiGeRwInGs

If you still feel hesitant to try the eyeballing method, try this. Take a recipe you want to try and make it to the letter. Measure every single ingredient. Enjoy your meal but concentrate on remembering the tastes. In the coming weeks, try making the recipe again, using the eyeball method. Can you recreate the dish, or even, make it better!?