Posts: 853
From: USA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted July 12, 2014 09:30 PM            

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As I mature (really, I mean as I begin to age), I seem to improvise with ease in the kitchen. Most of the time I wouldn't serve those meals to guests. Who would be adventurous enough to consume culinary experiments, anyway? Someone who doesn't like to cook perhaps, or eat (I once knew someone who's motto was "Eat to Live" instead of Live to Eat) and that would be a perfect candidate for kitchen improv.

Sidenote:
now you get to see how silly I was when I first moved out of the house and had to feed another person... years years years ago.
I have this scrumptious recipe for grated potatoes baked in cream, and although I didn't have a pint of cream in the house, I thought I could just use whipped cream instead. It was made from the same thing after all. Well, I don't have to tell you how it turned out. But... the guy with the motto "Live to Eat" was brave enough to try it out. That was a Gemini man on the Cancer cusp. funny memory...

So, if you would like to comment, do you cook by the book, or do you like to improvise in the kitchen? Please share your first flopped kichen improvisation. THaNks!

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Posts: 8501
From: Venus next to Randall
Registered: Apr 2009

posted July 15, 2014 02:22 AM            

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Improvise. I like to be adventurous with cooking.

The one thing that I do by the book is meringues and they flop.. :/

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Remember, love can conquer the influences of the planets....It can even eliminate karma.

Linda Goodman

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From:
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posted July 15, 2014 11:26 AM            

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I always improvise. No two meals of mine taste the same, even if the ingredients are all the same.
Now, I'm not that experienced with baking so my improvising goes as far as mixing up flavorings there. Not at the "you can substitute egg for apple sauce" stage yet.

The worst thing I ever cooked was bean soup with mushrooms. I chose the wrong beans/ mushroom combo, put them on at the wrong time... the whole thing was a disaster. Nobody ate that, including me.

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Posts: 8501
From: Venus next to Randall
Registered: Apr 2009

posted July 16, 2014 03:45 AM            

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Aww shucks. What beans did you use? Did it taste funny?
I'm not at the substitute stage yet either but I will add in something extra to "spice it up".

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Remember, love can conquer the influences of the planets....It can even eliminate karma.

Linda Goodman

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Posts: 136
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posted July 16, 2014 05:06 AM            

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I'll usually make a recipe for the first time by the book, then I tweak the ingredients until I get it right. I never measure things, unless I'm baking and I have to get the ratio right. I always taste soups and sauces as I'm cooking, and add seasonings as needed. People always get mad when they want a recipe and I just tell them the ingredients, like I'm trying to hide the secret recipe from them. Most people need an exact recipe to follow, where I always prefer to improvise and substitute ingredients. I like to change up my old tried and true recipes too, and I usually have at least 3 different variations of each recipe.

My only kitchen flop I can think of was when making cookies, I think I mixed up the baking powder and baking soda. They came out really flat and green! I didn't bother tasting them, lol.

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posted July 16, 2014 08:50 AM            

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quote:

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Originally posted by charmainec:
Aww shucks. What beans did you use? Did it taste funny?

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White (navy?) beans and regular button mushrooms. You can make a stew with those ingredients but I did a bean soup and then added mushrooms half way through. There are certain spices that go with mushrooms but don't taste well with beans and vice versa, i.e. spearmint is great with beans but not so hot with mushrooms.
Don't remember how it tasted. I just didn't like it at all and I'm not a very picky eater.
It was a long time ago.

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Posts: 853
From: USA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted July 16, 2014 09:46 PM            

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Soups are really great for improvising and adding extras. I think soups were invented for using up all your groceries before market day comes around again.

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