Do you experiment a lot when you cook?

[Disneyland1084]

I do, but I don't cook that often and I'm sure my husband appreciates that, but he would never tell me. Two years ago I made seafood lasagna. The recipe called for shrimp. When I was at Safeway the fresh shrimp cost too much $$ so I replaced it with salmon. My husband only took one bite. It was awful. Oh well, at least I tried.

 

[ZipaDeeDooDah]

Unfortunately, I am kind of anal about following the exact ingredients and instructions in recipes. But I have gotten better and have had to improvise out of necessity sometimes, and it has worked out okay. The bad thing about not experimenting is that I probably miss out on a lot of great and unusual combos because I am not willing to stray too much from the original recipe.

BTW, I love seafood lasagne - although I agree, it is $$$$!!!

 

[piratesmate]

Yum! Seafood lasagne sounds awesome!! I'd probably have subbed with fake crab/scallops/lobster, but definitely not with salmon! Yuck! (I don't care for salmon. LOL)

As for experimenting.... For me the question should be "Do you ever follow a recipe exactly?" Honestly, I'm always out of something or someone doesn't care for one of the ingredients, or it's too expensive or too fattening, etc, etc, etc.

Fortunately, no one here seems to mind. I've not had anything turn out awful. The hardest part is when I've made something with "a little of this & a little of that" and I get rave reviews....but have no hope of re-creating it exactly! LOL My meatloaf is different every single time!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I hardly ever follow recipes and usually wing everything. For the most part things turn out but every once in a while I have a flop. I agree on salmon though, I don't care for it. Too fishy for me.

Baking on the other hand is usually more of an exact science, I always try a recipe exactly as written.

 

[Nancyg56]

I have never met a recipe that I did not want to tinker with. My family calls it "Nanatizing" and they are not always happy with the end result . I seldom measure except in baking and even then I may change things around. Most times it is fine, but there have been times.......

 

[cocoswife]

My DH calls me the surprise chef, because, he never knows what surprise I might have for dinner!!! He is an extremely picky eater and I have to be veryyyy creative in the kitchen. I never follow a recipe or measure anything .. ever!! If I'm in the mood for pasta, chicken and peanuts I just read a couple of recipes that have any or all of those ingredients and make my own recipe up!! 97% of the time it comes out really good!! The other 3% of the time I let the other chef cook ... Chef Boyardee !!!!LOL

 

[robinb]

I will usually start out with a recipe and then tinker with it. I almost always put more garlic and onion in and I will also adjust the other seasonings too. I have been cooking long enough to know when to substitute and when to run out to the store .

 

[MazdaUK]

I get an organic veg box every fortnight and it can be quite a challenge to know what to do with some of the unusual ingredients - so any recipes for chard, kohl rabi or celeriac are welcome! I usually look through some recipes to see how that vegetable was handles (blanched? chopped?) then work out how I can make something using it. Sometimes I get lucky with a whole recipe I can follow, but more often I have to make it up as I go along. I try to write it down so if its good I can do it again - I'm scrapping recipe books for my two boys for when they're grown.

Otherwise I tend to follow a recipe, but unless I'm making a desert I always sub 1/2 fat creme fraiche for cream - its a lot less fattening and easier to work with if you're heating it. I also don't ever use blue cheese - YUCK! - but put in a good strong cheddar instead.

Baking I follow exactly - although I might sub blueberries and cranberries for raisins.